Dodge Diplomat
The Dodge Diplomat was first introduced in 1977, including the Chrysler Le Baron.
The name Diplomat were revived from the deep history of the Chrysler organization’s
legacy where they became as the next step up from the F body Dodge Aspen/Plymouth
Volare that had been offered since 1975, in which most of their design technology
was derived. The cars have some similarity if it is observed where their wheelbase
is the same, and where drive trains and most frame components are being shared.
It still remains unclear why the two cars were designated with different letters
according to Ed Henessey, since they were virtually the same car aside from its
own design when it comes to styling.
The Dodge Diplomat line offered the typical Mopar choice of the time, either
the 1bbl or 2bbl 225 Slant Six or the 2 bbl 318 V8 power plants would be joined
with the standard Torqueflite 3 speed automatic transmission. Its 4bbl was optional
with the V8. A 4 speed manual transmission was available in 1979 but was dropped
for 1980 and on. Well, do you know that the Dodge were equipped with Chrysler’s
Lean Burn emissions control system? This was introduced on the F body and that
all ran on unleaded fuel. There were no such radical ideas that tried out on the
Diplomat’s engine offerings but its technology had already been defined for about
twenty years and most of its shortcomings had been addressed, and of course, its
reliability had been increased and proven.
Usually, car performance was a fading concept not to return for several years
due to tighter emission restrictions and coupled with the engineering tweaks depreciated
by the gasoline shortages. The Diplomats were not actually been marketed with
an emphasis when it comes to performance, but with their friendly features and
utility towards the consumers. The Diplomat offers sport versions too but they
were not the mainstay of the line. Most car enthusiast always wanted a high-performance
for their car, and if you want it for your Dodge Diplomat, the easiest way was
to pick up a surplus police cruiser. Even though they are not flashy by its styling
standards, they could be made to look less authoritarian and more like the high
performance muscle cars of Dodge and Plymouth’s proud with its right cosmetic
touches. The Dodge seemed to recognize every police car stigma of the Diplomat’s
appearance, and that countered with the J body offerings like the Mirada and the
Cordoba.
