Sport Fury 'Vert, WorldWide Autioneers, 25 Feb. 2009

[Faulkner]

While Plymouth was considered part of America's low priced three, there was nothing cheap or overlooked with the all new for Sport Fury line-up. Styling was reflective of the Forward Look designs of Virgil Exner and even though they were a face-lifted version of the 1957-58 models, they appeared fresh and modern letting everyone know you were driving Today's Plymouth. Membership in the Sport Fury sub-series was quite exclusive, reserved only for a hardtop and convertible, both of which came with an impressive list of standard equipment. In addition to regular motoring amenities, these cars came with "Sport-tone" paint and also featured anodized aluminum inserts, full wheel covers, padded instrument panel, Sport Deck imitation spare-tire cover, and for the first time in any America car, swivel bucket seats. Under the hood the "Super-Pac" 318 cid Poly-Head V8 engine, topped off by the four-barrel Carter AFB carburetor, included dual exhausts and was backed up by the Power-Flite transmission operated with the ease of push-button controls.

The official list price of $3,125 was more that $300 over the Belvedere convertible, and despite a recovering economy in 1959, a total of 5,990 were produced. During our inspection of this car we were impressed with how original this example appears to be. Showing just over 23,800 miles on the odometer, the Iceberg White paint looked to be original and showed that there were virtually no problems with the sheet metal concerning rust-out or repairs. While the interior does exhibit some minor wear and tear, the swing-out bucket seats in red vinyl with straw cloth inserts operated as designed and looked quite comfortable. Even the white top also looks to be original from the factory. When this convertible was ordered, it came with a fairly generous selection of accessories including power steering and brakes, push-button radio with heater and defroster, back-up lights, windshield washer with variable speed wipers and electric clock. A deep detailing inside and out will really help, especially the bright trim and chrome plated items. Meanwhile, a sympathetic restoration under the hood would freshen this area up, making it ready to attend any MOPAR event or to have it qualify for preservation class judging. An outstanding convertible with great looks and out-of-this-world features, this is the type of car you will want to pilot into the future.