Dodge Diplomat
Encyclopedia
The Dodge Diplomat is an American mid-size car
made from 1977 to 1989. It is substantially identical to the Chrysler- and Plymouth-branded versions of Chrysler's M-body
cars, including the Chrysler LeBaron
and New Yorker Fifth Avenue and the Plymouth Gran Fury
in the U.S. market and the Plymouth Caravelle in Canada. It was also sold in Mexico
between 1980 and 1981 as the Dodge Dart
, and in Colombia
as the Dodge Coronet
. The Diplomat was initially offered in a coupe and sedan. In 1978, station wagons were added as replacements for the departed full-size C-body Wagons.
The Diplomat was offered with a base 225 cu in (3.7 l) six-cylinder engine
. In 318 cu in (5.2 l) V8
form and an optional 360 cu in (5.9 l)) Diplomat, along with its Plymouth Gran Fury/Caravelle twin, were widely favored as a police car
both in the US
and Canada
. Aside from the 3-speed Torqueflite
automatic transmission, manual
transmission was available in some years and markets on six-cylinder and 318 engines; the 360s were automatic only.
from 1946 through 1961. Between 1975 and 1977, The Diplomat name was also used on a trim package available on the Royal Monaco two-door hardtop.
Starting with the 1977 model year, the Diplomat became a full model line, rather than as the name of a particular body style. It was a longer, fancier upmarket version of the F-body
Aspen
. The chassis and mechanical components are identical, and doors and various other body panels are interchangeable.
The 1980 model year brought new exterior sheet metal for the Diplomat, although wagons were unchanged from the doors back. Manual transmissions were dropped. Following the demise of the Dodge St. Regis
R-body in 1981, the Diplomat remained, becoming the largest sedan in the Dodge lineup, despite technically being a mid-size car. Dodge would not market another truly full-size car (at least based upon United States Environmental Protection Agency
(EPA) passenger volume statistics) until the Monaco
debuted as a 1990 model.
By 1981 Chrysler was switching to smaller front-wheel drive
designs. However, its older and larger rear-wheel drive Dodge Diplomat (as well as the Chrysler LeBaron and Fifth Avenue) continued to sell. Chrysler's then executive vice president for manufacturing, Steve Sharf, met with officials at American Motors
(AMC) to use the extra capacity at an assembly plant in Kenosha, Wisconsin
to build the full-size cars. Chrysler's tooling was moved from St. Louis
to Kenosha, and over the next two and a half years, about 250,000 Chrysler and Dodge models were built by AMC at a lower cost than Chrysler could. This relationship evolved into Chrysler's purchase of AMC in 1987.
In 1982, the coupe
and station wagon
were discontinued and Canada's Plymouth
version of the Diplomat came south of the border. The Plymouth Caravelle was offered in the US as the Plymouth Gran Fury
. 1983 was the last year for the Slant Six, and afterwards the only available engine was the 318-cid V8 with a two-barrel carburetor. A four-barrel 318 and a 360-cid V8 remained the optional engine choices for the police package.
For 1984, an upscale series was added to the American-market Diplomat, the SE. The SE used the Fifth Avenue's front end with its parking lights located above the headlights. The grille insert used thin vertical bars with a wide trim strip dividing the grille vertically as well as horizontally. The SE had more exterior trim and an interior that placed the SE between the Diplomat Salon and the Chrysler Fifth Avenue.
As the 1980s progressed, fewer private customers purchased the Diplomat, and the M-body was eventually dropped during the 1989 model year. One reason behind the drop-off in sales was fuel economy. Despite lower gas prices in the mid- to late-1980s and a 2.26:1 rear-end gear ratio, the Diplomat's carburated engine and lack of an overdrive gear on its TorqueFlite
automatic transmission resulted in poor fuel economy compared with its larger competitors from Ford and General Motors, as evidenced by comparing the EPA estimates for 1986 models:
Late in the Diplomat's run, the car was subject to the federal "Gas Guzzler Tax
."
Diplomats built from mid-1988 until the end of production were among the first Chrysler-built products to have a driver's side airbag
as standard equipment, some two model years before the remainder of Chrysler's lineup (They were also among the only cars at the time to offer a tilt steering column with an airbag). Diplomats with airbags differed from earlier models in that they were also equipped with a padded, color-keyed knee blocker which extended out from beneath the instrument panel in front of the driver.
When the Diplomat and similar Plymouth Gran Fury were discontinued, it marked the last rear-wheel drive non-truck model (aside from the Dodge Viper
) sold by the corporation until the Plymouth Prowler
was introduced in 1997. The Diplomat's other rear-wheel drive sibling, the Chrysler Fifth Avenue, also ended production, but the nameplate was continued on a front-wheel drive chassis. In the Dodge lineup, the Monaco
became the top-of-the-line sedan.
Mid-size car
A mid-size car is the North American/Australian standard for an automobile with a size equal to or greater than that of a compact...
made from 1977 to 1989. It is substantially identical to the Chrysler- and Plymouth-branded versions of Chrysler's M-body
Chrysler M platform
The M-Bodies were Chrysler Corporation's successor to the F-body Aspen/Volare. The platform, almost identical to the F, was introduced in 1977 and was the basis for some mid-sized Chrysler models until its demise in 1989. The M-body was also the successor to the short-lived R-body, as the Chrysler...
cars, including the Chrysler LeBaron
Chrysler LeBaron
The Chrysler LeBaron was originally a classic luxury car of 1930s manufactured by Chrysler which competed with other luxury cars of the era such as Lincoln and Packard....
and New Yorker Fifth Avenue and the Plymouth Gran Fury
Plymouth Gran Fury
The Plymouth Gran Fury is an automobile manufactured by the Chrysler Corporation to signify Plymouth's largest full-size automobile from 1975 to 1977. The nameplate would be used on successive downsizings, first in 1980, and again in 1982, through what would originally have been intermediate and...
in the U.S. market and the Plymouth Caravelle in Canada. It was also sold in Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
between 1980 and 1981 as the Dodge Dart
Dodge Dart
The Dodge Dart is an automobile built by the Dodge division of the Chrysler Corporation from 1960-1976 in North America, with production extended to later years in various other markets. The Dart was introduced as a lower-priced, shorter wheelbase, full-size Dodge in 1960 and 1961, became a...
, and in Colombia
Colombia
Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia , is a unitary constitutional republic comprising thirty-two departments. The country is located in northwestern South America, bordered to the east by Venezuela and Brazil; to the south by Ecuador and Peru; to the north by the Caribbean Sea; to the...
as the Dodge Coronet
Dodge Coronet
The Coronet was a full-size car from Dodge in the 1950s, initially the division's highest trim line but, starting in 1955, the lowest trim line. In the 1960s, the name was transferred to Dodge's mid-size entry.-1949:...
. The Diplomat was initially offered in a coupe and sedan. In 1978, station wagons were added as replacements for the departed full-size C-body Wagons.
The Diplomat was offered with a base 225 cu in (3.7 l) six-cylinder engine
Straight-6
The straight-six engine or inline-six engine is a six-cylinder internal combustion engine with all six cylinders mounted in a straight line along the crankcase...
. In 318 cu in (5.2 l) V8
V8 engine
A V8 engine is a V engine with eight cylinders mounted on the crankcase in two banks of four cylinders, in most cases set at a right angle to each other but sometimes at a narrower angle, with all eight pistons driving a common crankshaft....
form and an optional 360 cu in (5.9 l)) Diplomat, along with its Plymouth Gran Fury/Caravelle twin, were widely favored as a police car
Police car
A police car is a ground vehicle used by police, to assist with their duties in patrolling and responding to incidents. Typical uses of a police car include transportation for officers to reach the scene of an incident quickly, to transport criminal suspects, or to patrol an area, while providing a...
both in the US
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. Aside from the 3-speed Torqueflite
TorqueFlite
TorqueFlite is the trademarked name of Chrysler Corporation's automatic transmissions, starting with the three-speed unit introduced late in the 1956 model year as a successor to Chrysler's two-speed PowerFlite...
automatic transmission, manual
Manual transmission
A manual transmission, also known as a manual gearbox or standard transmission is a type of transmission used in motor vehicle applications...
transmission was available in some years and markets on six-cylinder and 318 engines; the 360s were automatic only.
History
The Diplomat name was originally used by Dodge on 2-door hardtop models from 1950 to 1954. It was also used on the export version of the DeSotoDeSoto (automobile)
The DeSoto was a brand of automobile based in the United States, manufactured and marketed by the Chrysler Corporation from 1928 to 1961. The DeSoto logo featured a stylized image of Hernando de Soto...
from 1946 through 1961. Between 1975 and 1977, The Diplomat name was also used on a trim package available on the Royal Monaco two-door hardtop.
Starting with the 1977 model year, the Diplomat became a full model line, rather than as the name of a particular body style. It was a longer, fancier upmarket version of the F-body
Chrysler F platform
Chrysler's rear wheel drive F platform was used from 1976 to 1980. It was replaced by the nearly identical Chrysler M platform. There were two wheelbases: 108.7 in for 2-door models, and 112.7 in for four-doors. As the market evolved, these would be marketed as mid-size and eventually...
Aspen
Dodge Aspen
The Dodge Aspen, produced from 1976 to 1980, was a compact car from Chrysler Corporation's Dodge division; its Plymouth-branded counterpart was the Volaré . It was launched as a two-door coupe, a four-door sedan, and a unique-for-the-segment station wagon...
. The chassis and mechanical components are identical, and doors and various other body panels are interchangeable.
The 1980 model year brought new exterior sheet metal for the Diplomat, although wagons were unchanged from the doors back. Manual transmissions were dropped. Following the demise of the Dodge St. Regis
Dodge St. Regis
The Dodge St. Regis is a full-size Dodge automobile built from 1979 to 1981. The St. Regis was based on Chrysler's rear wheel drive R-body platform, itself based on a modified version of the circa 1971 B-body design that provided the underpinnings for such cars as the Dodge Charger and the...
R-body in 1981, the Diplomat remained, becoming the largest sedan in the Dodge lineup, despite technically being a mid-size car. Dodge would not market another truly full-size car (at least based upon United States Environmental Protection Agency
United States Environmental Protection Agency
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is an agency of the federal government of the United States charged with protecting human health and the environment, by writing and enforcing regulations based on laws passed by Congress...
(EPA) passenger volume statistics) until the Monaco
Dodge Monaco
The Dodge Monaco was a full-size automobile built and sold by the Dodge division of the Chrysler Corporation between 1965 to 1978, and 1990 to 1992.-A Grand Prix competitor:...
debuted as a 1990 model.
By 1981 Chrysler was switching to smaller front-wheel drive
Front-wheel drive
Front-wheel drive is a form of engine/transmission layout used in motor vehicles, where the engine drives the front wheels only. Most modern front-wheel drive vehicles feature a transverse engine, rather than the conventional longitudinal engine arrangement generally found in rear-wheel drive and...
designs. However, its older and larger rear-wheel drive Dodge Diplomat (as well as the Chrysler LeBaron and Fifth Avenue) continued to sell. Chrysler's then executive vice president for manufacturing, Steve Sharf, met with officials at American Motors
American Motors
American Motors Corporation was an American automobile company formed by the 1954 merger of Nash-Kelvinator Corporation and Hudson Motor Car Company. At the time, it was the largest corporate merger in U.S. history.George W...
(AMC) to use the extra capacity at an assembly plant in Kenosha, Wisconsin
Kenosha, Wisconsin
Kenosha is a city and the county seat of Kenosha County in the State of Wisconsin in United States. With a population of 99,218 as of May 2011, Kenosha is the fourth-largest city in Wisconsin. Kenosha is also the fourth-largest city on the western shore of Lake Michigan, following Chicago,...
to build the full-size cars. Chrysler's tooling was moved from St. Louis
St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St...
to Kenosha, and over the next two and a half years, about 250,000 Chrysler and Dodge models were built by AMC at a lower cost than Chrysler could. This relationship evolved into Chrysler's purchase of AMC in 1987.
Coupé
A coupé or coupe is a closed car body style , the precise definition of which varies from manufacturer to manufacturer, and over time...
and station wagon
Station wagon
A station wagon is a body style variant of a sedan/saloon with its roof extended rearward over a shared passenger/cargo volume with access at the back via a third or fifth door , instead of a trunk lid...
were discontinued and Canada's Plymouth
Plymouth (automobile)
Plymouth was a marque of automobile based in the United States, produced by the Chrysler Corporation and its successor DaimlerChrysler.-Origins:...
version of the Diplomat came south of the border. The Plymouth Caravelle was offered in the US as the Plymouth Gran Fury
Plymouth Gran Fury
The Plymouth Gran Fury is an automobile manufactured by the Chrysler Corporation to signify Plymouth's largest full-size automobile from 1975 to 1977. The nameplate would be used on successive downsizings, first in 1980, and again in 1982, through what would originally have been intermediate and...
. 1983 was the last year for the Slant Six, and afterwards the only available engine was the 318-cid V8 with a two-barrel carburetor. A four-barrel 318 and a 360-cid V8 remained the optional engine choices for the police package.
For 1984, an upscale series was added to the American-market Diplomat, the SE. The SE used the Fifth Avenue's front end with its parking lights located above the headlights. The grille insert used thin vertical bars with a wide trim strip dividing the grille vertically as well as horizontally. The SE had more exterior trim and an interior that placed the SE between the Diplomat Salon and the Chrysler Fifth Avenue.
As the 1980s progressed, fewer private customers purchased the Diplomat, and the M-body was eventually dropped during the 1989 model year. One reason behind the drop-off in sales was fuel economy. Despite lower gas prices in the mid- to late-1980s and a 2.26:1 rear-end gear ratio, the Diplomat's carburated engine and lack of an overdrive gear on its TorqueFlite
TorqueFlite
TorqueFlite is the trademarked name of Chrysler Corporation's automatic transmissions, starting with the three-speed unit introduced late in the 1956 model year as a successor to Chrysler's two-speed PowerFlite...
automatic transmission resulted in poor fuel economy compared with its larger competitors from Ford and General Motors, as evidenced by comparing the EPA estimates for 1986 models:
- Dodge Diplomat (5.2 L V8, 3-speed automatic): 16 city, 21 highway, 18 combined
- Chevrolet Caprice (5.0 L V8, 4-speed automatic with overdrive): 17 city, 25 highway, 20 combined
- Ford LTD Crown Victoria (5.0 L V8, 4-speed automatic with overdrive): 18 city, 26 highway, 21 combined
1980 Station wagon |
Late in the Diplomat's run, the car was subject to the federal "Gas Guzzler Tax
Gas Guzzler Tax
The National Energy Act: Energy Tax Act of 1978 , or the Gas Guzzler Tax, imposed set tax penalties on car manufacturers who fail to meet the minimum fuel economy level of in the United States. This does not include minivans, sport utility vehicles or pick-up trucks. It is intended to discourage...
."
Diplomats built from mid-1988 until the end of production were among the first Chrysler-built products to have a driver's side airbag
Airbag
An Airbag is a vehicle safety device. It is an occupant restraint consisting of a flexible envelope designed to inflate rapidly during an automobile collision, to prevent occupants from striking interior objects such as the steering wheel or a window...
as standard equipment, some two model years before the remainder of Chrysler's lineup (They were also among the only cars at the time to offer a tilt steering column with an airbag). Diplomats with airbags differed from earlier models in that they were also equipped with a padded, color-keyed knee blocker which extended out from beneath the instrument panel in front of the driver.
When the Diplomat and similar Plymouth Gran Fury were discontinued, it marked the last rear-wheel drive non-truck model (aside from the Dodge Viper
Dodge Viper
The first prototype was tested in January 1989. It debuted in 1991 with two pre-production models as the pace car for the Indianapolis 500 when Dodge was forced to substitute it in place of the Japanese-built Stealth because of complaints from the United Auto Workers, and went on sale in January...
) sold by the corporation until the Plymouth Prowler
Plymouth Prowler
The Plymouth Prowler, later the Chrysler Prowler, is a "retro" styled production car built in 1997 and 1999-2002. The Prowler was based on the 1993 concept car of the same name.- Design :...
was introduced in 1997. The Diplomat's other rear-wheel drive sibling, the Chrysler Fifth Avenue, also ended production, but the nameplate was continued on a front-wheel drive chassis. In the Dodge lineup, the Monaco
Dodge Monaco
The Dodge Monaco was a full-size automobile built and sold by the Dodge division of the Chrysler Corporation between 1965 to 1978, and 1990 to 1992.-A Grand Prix competitor:...
became the top-of-the-line sedan.