1962 plymouth sport fury

The 1960 Fury was the top-line Plymouth, with the most exaggerated styling to date. Fins started farther back than the year before, and rose sharply in a curve with a circular medallion in the center. The headlight eyebrow trim curved around the side of the fender and above the wheel arch, which was cut back, and the area in front of the wheel was a contrasting color, with “Fury” script in it. The two-door hardtops had enormous extended rear windows unlike most anything on the road. The Fury line offered a four-door sedan, two- and four-door hardtop, and convertible, and there were six- and eight passenger Sport Suburban station wagons.

Under the hood, engine choices ran the gamut, from the 225-cid, 145-hp slant-six to the 383-cid, 330-hp “Sonoramic Commando V-8. Transmission choices were limited to a three-speed manual or an automatic. For 1960, Furys contributed nearly 65,000 units to Plymouth’s bottom line.

Plymouth radically overhauled design in 1961, with all vertical styling cues dropped in favor of a flat look, with revised headlight eyebrows. Sales figures remained essentially unchanged, as did the base motor. The most powerful engine, however, was now the 413-cid, 375-hp V-8 with dual four-barrel carburetors and cross-ram induction.

Plymouth once again revised the full-size line in 1962, this time to resemble the very successful Valiant compact. The Fury range continued to offer the same sedan, hardtops, convertible and wagons, and the Sport Fury line was reintroduced, now with only a two-door hardtop and a convertible. Apart from the slant-six, the base V-8 was the 318-cid, 230-hp engine, while the wildest motor was the 413-cid, 420-hp, dual four short-ram engine.

A conservative restyle graced the Plymouth Fury for 1963, with four headlights and vertical front fender lines. The division joined the horsepower race in earnest mid-year, offering the optional 426-cid, 425-hp “Max-Wedge” V-8 and a four-speed transmission. The engine became a legend at the USAC drag strip, but Fury V-8s also included the 318-cid with 230 hp and the 383-cid, 330-hp “Golden Commando.”

Side trim appeared on the 1964 Furys, and the C-pillar became thinner. The Max Wedge V-8 was upstaged in the middle of the year when the 426-cid, 425-hp “Super Commando” Hemi V-8 appeared. Afterwards, the course was set for the emergence of the American muscle car in earnest.

The more outrageous, early 1960s Plymouth Furys are hard to find today, mostly due to rust issues, but they have a growing following. Later cars are much more conventional in design, but are also often more reliable. The later Plymouth Furys of this generation also have an available four-speed and a slew of potent engines. Of course, just be certain any prospective purchase was born that way, or is priced accordingly.