Dodge St. Regis
Encyclopedia
The Dodge St. Regis is a full-size Dodge
Dodge
Dodge is a United States-based brand of automobiles, minivans, and sport utility vehicles, manufactured and marketed by Chrysler Group LLC in more than 60 different countries and territories worldwide....

 automobile
Automobile
An automobile, autocar, motor car or car is a wheeled motor vehicle used for transporting passengers, which also carries its own engine or motor...

 built from 1979 to 1981. The St. Regis was based on Chrysler's rear wheel drive R-body
Chrysler R platform
The Chrysler R platform, introduced for 1979, was essentially a slightly modernized version of Chrysler's 1971-78 intermediate B platform, which had its roots in the company's downsized 1962 full-size models . It was a response to the downsized 1977 Chevrolet Caprice and Ford LTD, but proved...

 platform, itself based on a modified version of the circa 1971 B-body
Chrysler B platform
The Chrysler B platform was the basis for rear-wheel drive Chrysler cars from 1962 through 1979, and the front-wheel drive Eagle Premier / Dodge Monaco 1988 through 1992. All of the B-body cars in a given model year for either make were built upon the same chassis...

 design that provided the underpinnings for such cars as the Dodge Charger
Dodge Charger (B-body)
The Dodge Charger was a mid-size automobile produced by Dodge. The 1966-1974 Chargers were based on the Chrysler B platform. The 1975-1978 Chargers were based on the Chrysler Cordoba.-Origin of the Charger:...

 and the Chrysler Cordoba
Chrysler Cordoba
The Chrysler Cordoba was an intermediate personal luxury coupe sold by Chrysler Corporation in North America from 1975-1983. It was the company's first model produced specifically for the personal luxury market and the first Chrysler-branded vehicle that was less than full-size.-History:In the...

. Engines available included the 225 in³ (3.7 L) straight-6
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...

 as well as the 318 in³ (5.2 L)
Chrysler LA engine
The LA engines are a family of pushrod OHV 90° V-block gasoline engines built by Chrysler Corporation and factory-installed in passenger vehicles, trucks and vans, commercial vehicles, marine and industrial applications from 1964 through 2003...

 and 360 in³ (5.9 L)
Chrysler LA engine
The LA engines are a family of pushrod OHV 90° V-block gasoline engines built by Chrysler Corporation and factory-installed in passenger vehicles, trucks and vans, commercial vehicles, marine and industrial applications from 1964 through 2003...

 V8s. The St. Regis name had originally been used on an uplevel trim package on the 1956 Chrysler New Yorker hardtop coupe, and again on the 1974-78 Chrysler New Yorker Brougham coupe.

Offered only as a four-door sedan, the St. Regis was differentiated from its sister models, 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...

, Chrysler Newport
Chrysler Newport
The Newport was a name used by the Chrysler division of the Chrysler Corporation used as both a hardtop body designation and also for its lowest priced model between 1961 and 1981...

, and Chrysler New Yorker
Chrysler New Yorker
The Chrysler New Yorker was a premium automobile built by the Chrysler Corporation from 1939–1996, serving for several years as the brand's flagship model. A model named the "New York Special" first appeared in the 1930s...

 by retractable, transparent plastic headlight covers (introduced a year earlier on the 1978 Dodge Magnum
Dodge Magnum
The Dodge Magnum name has been used on a number of different automobiles. The most recent is a large rear-wheel drive station wagon introduced in 2004 for the 2005 model year and produced through to 2008. This new Magnum is Dodge's first car to use the new Chrysler LX platform, shared with the...

).

The new cars (like their 1974–78 predecessors) arrived at precisely the wrong time. A second gas crisis hit the U.S. in 1979, and despite the fact that the St. Regis was somewhat smaller than its predecessor, the Dodge 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:...

, it was not much more fuel efficient. Also, under the sheet metal, the St. Regis was by and large the same old B-body that dated back to 1962, and could not compete with the completely new GM B-bodies and Ford's Panther platform vehicles. At the same time, higher interest rate
Interest rate
An interest rate is the rate at which interest is paid by a borrower for the use of money that they borrow from a lender. For example, a small company borrows capital from a bank to buy new assets for their business, and in return the lender receives interest at a predetermined interest rate for...

s and Chrysler's ongoing corporate and financial problems all combined to keep buyers out of the showrooms. The St. Regis and the other R-body models were dropped midway through the 1981 model year, leaving the Dodge Diplomat
Dodge Diplomat
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...

, (a mid-size car
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...

), to soldier on as the marque's sole "full-sized" model until the introduction of the Dodge 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:...

 in 1990.

After 1979, the bulk of St. Regis sales were for fleet use. The St. Regis, along with 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...

 and even the Chrysler Newport
Chrysler Newport
The Newport was a name used by the Chrysler division of the Chrysler Corporation used as both a hardtop body designation and also for its lowest priced model between 1961 and 1981...

, did find a following 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...

 during the early 1980s, although it is generally accepted that the cars were not as good – or as fast – as previous Chrysler Corporation "cop cars". Despite this, the 1979 St Regis when equipped with the 360 cu in (E58 option) and 49-state police spec package is considered one of the all-around (a combination of factors such as performance and handling) great police cars of all time.
Most of the perception in regards to the St. Regis being slower comes from officers moving out of 440 powered cruisers. Using the same final drive ratio, the Michigan State Police tests found the 79 St. Regis to be a superior performer than the 400 powered 78 Monaco, in all areas except gas mileage, though performance definitely dropped as drive ratio and engine sizes went down.
Performance comparison 78 Fury 78 Monaco 79 St. Regis 80 St. Regis 81 St. Regis
Engine (cid) 440 400 360 360 318
HP, SAE 255 nhp 190 nhp 195 nhp 185 nhp 165 nhp
Axle Ratio 2.71:1 3.21:1 3.21:1 2.94:1 2.94:1
Weight (lbs) 4,413 4,369 4,530 4,100 4,086
Wheelbase (in) 117.4 117.4 118.5 118.5 118.5
Road Course Lap Time 91.1 93.6 91.65 91.8 93.93
0-60 mph NA NA 10.1 11.3 12.76
0-100 mph 24.8 34.4 30.2 36.7 45.72
Top Speed, mph 133 117 122.9 122.7 114.7
Braking, ft/sec2 23.3 22.6 21.4 23.5 23.67
1/4 mi. time NA NA NA 18.4 19.63
1/4 mi Speed NA NA NA 77.5 74.50
Fuel, EPA City 10 13 12 11 15.5

There was a controversy in 1980 with the police St. Regis. The California Highway Patrol used the St. Regis in 1979 with the 190 hp 360 cu in four-barrel V8 and it was deemed acceptable for patrol use. In 1980 all that was available in California was a 155 hp 318 cu in 4 bbl V8 with the California emissions package, mandated by the California Air Resources Board. Officers began to complain about the underpowered engine and its inability to pace and intercept speeders. Many officers claimed that the car's top speed was below 100 MPH with a lightbar and 65 MPH on a steep mountain grade. This issue was so severe that limited modifications were permitted to the vehicle, such as replacing the muffler with a straight pipe, removing the emission control flap and increasing the timing. In addition, the cars were put on beats to quickly reach the CHP's 70,000-mile sell-off quota; some were even sold outright simply to get rid of these cars, before the mileage limit. Because of this issue, the CHP adapted the Ford Mustang Severe Service Package in 1982 as a pursuit vehicle.

The St. Regis also served as a workhorse on police-based television series in the 1980s, most prominently on Sledge Hammer!
Sledge Hammer!
Sledge Hammer! is an American satirical police sitcom produced by New World Television that ran for two seasons on ABC from 1986 to 1988. The series was created by Alan Spencer and stars David Rasche as Inspector Sledge Hammer, a preposterous caricature of the standard "cop on the edge" character,...

and T.J. Hooker.

Although the St. Regis does not hold much collector interest today, fans of Chrysler
Chrysler
Chrysler Group LLC is a multinational automaker headquartered in Auburn Hills, Michigan, USA. Chrysler was first organized as the Chrysler Corporation in 1925....

 products sometimes search junkyards for the cars' disc brakes as an upgrade for earlier cars such 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 Plymouth Barracuda
Plymouth Barracuda
The Plymouth Barracuda is a 2-door car that was manufactured by the Plymouth division of the Chrysler Corporation from 1964-1974.The first-generation Barracuda, a fastback A-body coupe based on the Plymouth Valiant, had a distinctive wraparound back glass and was available from 1964-1966.The...

. Combined with the small number built, and the fact that a high percentage were destroyed in film and TV work in the 1980s, very few survive today.
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