The Dodge 600 was a mid-size car sold by Dodge from the 1983 to the 1988 model year. It replaced the Dodge 400 coupe and convertible, sat between the Dodge Aries and the Dodge Diplomat, and was meant to answer the European sedans of the day with a numerical name and a Mercedes-influenced rear end.
Dodge 600 at a glance
| Maker | Dodge, Chrysler Corporation |
|---|---|
| Production | 1983-1988 model years |
| Class | mid-size car |
| Platform | Chrysler K (coupe and convertible); Chrysler E (sedan) |
| Engines | 2.2 L four; 2.6 L Mitsubishi four as an option; 2.5 L from 1986 |
| Trims | base, ES; SE from 1985 |
| Body styles | 4-door sedan, 2-door coupe, 2-door convertible |
| Sporty version | ES Turbo, 2.2 L turbo with 142 hp |
| Built | Jefferson Avenue (sedan), Saint Louis (coupe and convertible) |
| Replaced by | Dodge Dynasty (US); Dodge Spirit (Canada) |
Based on one source: the English Wikipedia article on the Dodge 600.
History of the Dodge 600
The 600 was introduced for 1983 as Dodge’s answer to the European sedans of the day. Its numerical name and rear-end styling were designed to evoke thoughts of Mercedes-Benz models, though in practice it fell in line with North American contemporaries such as the Chevrolet Celebrity, Pontiac 6000 and Ford Fairmont. It debuted as a four-door sedan in two trims, base and ES (“Euro Sport”), powered by Chrysler’s 2.2 L four with the Mitsubishi-built 2.6 L four as an option. The sedan used the Chrysler E platform, an extended-wheelbase version of the K platform, while the coupe and convertible that joined the range later sat on the K platform itself and shared it with the Chrysler LeBaron. The 600 was a counterpart of the Plymouth Caravelle, the Chrysler E-Class and the 1983-1988 Chrysler New Yorker.
Sales nearly doubled in the car’s second year, largely because the coupe and convertible body styles of the former 400 were added to the 600 range. Like most midrange and upmarket K-car derivatives, it offered digital dashboards and the Electronic Voice Alert as options. Midway through 1984 Dodge added the ES Turbo package for convertibles, with Chrysler’s new 2.2 L turbocharged engine of 142 hp and a sport-tuned suspension. The interior came with leather seats, a digital dashboard and a four-spoke steering wheel, while the outside was marked by blacked-out trim, 15-inch aluminium wheels, ES badges and working dual bonnet vents. The ES Turbo sold slowly at first, with 1,786 cars in 1984, rising to 5,621 in 1985 and easing to 4,759 in 1986 before the model was dropped with all 600 convertibles.
Several changes came in 1985. The base and ES trims were replaced by a new SE trim, partly because the new Dodge Lancer would have competed directly with the 600, and the five-speed manual gearbox was dropped to keep the two models apart. The 2.2 L engine’s two-barrel carburettor gave way to electronic throttle-body fuel injection. For 1986 the sedan’s base trim returned, all 600s received restyled front and rear ends, and the front adopted the now familiar crosshair grille in place of the Mirada-inspired horizontal slats; the 2.6 L engine was replaced by a modified 2.5 L version of the Chrysler 2.2 L.
The phase-out began in 1987 with the end of the coupe and convertible, and sedan production finished in 1988. In the United States the 600 was replaced by the Dodge Dynasty, which in Canada was badged as a Chrysler, so the Canadian successor was the Dodge Spirit. After production ended there were negotiations to build the car in China: Hongqi imported a few 600s, gave them a new rear end and Hongqi badges and intended to sell them as the Hongqi CA750F, but Volkswagen’s longer-term plans persuaded the Chinese otherwise and Hongqi chose to build the Audi 100 instead, with a locally built version of Chrysler’s 2.2-litre four.
Design and features
- Two platforms: the sedan used the longer Chrysler E platform, the coupe and convertible the K platform.
- ES Turbo: a 142 hp turbocharged convertible with blacked-out trim and 15-inch aluminium wheels.
- Crosshair grille: adopted across the range in 1986, replacing horizontal slats.
- K-car equipment: digital dashboards and the Electronic Voice Alert were on the options list.
Dodge 600 versions
- Sedan (1983-1988): the original four-door on the E platform.
- Coupe and convertible (1984-1987): the former Dodge 400 body styles on the K platform.
- ES Turbo (1984-1986): the turbocharged sport version, convertible only at first.
- SE (1985): the single trim that briefly replaced base and ES.
The 600 sat above the Dodge Aries and below the Dodge Diplomat, and its sporty role was later taken by the Dodge Daytona. More Dodge models are in the Dodge collection.
Sources
- Dodge 600, English Wikipedia: platforms, engines, trims, production end
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