The Dodge Custom 880 was a full-size car sold by Dodge from 1962 through the end of the 1965 model year. It was created to fill the gap in Chrysler’s range left by the discontinuation of DeSoto in 1961, and a cheaper Dodge 880 was added for 1963 and 1964.
Dodge Custom 880 at a glance
| Maker | Dodge, Chrysler Corporation |
|---|---|
| Production | 1962-1965 |
| Class | full-size car |
| Position | Dodge’s mid-price full-size model |
| Bodies shared with | Chrysler Newport and non-letter 300 |
| 1962 engine | 361 cu in V8, 265 hp |
| 1963 option | 361 cu in V8, 305 hp |
| Cheaper model | Dodge 880, 1963-1964 |
| Body styles | sedan, hardtop, convertible, six- and nine-passenger wagons |
| 1962 production | 17,500 cars |
Based on one source: the English Wikipedia article on the Dodge Custom 880.
History of the Dodge Custom 880
The Custom 880 was developed as a new full-size Dodge for 1962. A story often repeated explains its hurried creation: after Virgil Exner suffered a heart attack, Chrysler president William C. Newberg overheard and misunderstood what Chevrolet chief Ed Cole said about Chevrolet’s standard cars being downsized for 1962. Chrysler designers were then forced to shorten the planned 1962 Dodge full-size line in a last-minute effort to compete with a supposed smaller Chevrolet. Whatever the truth of the story, the 1962 Polara and Dart were built on a wheelbase three inches shorter and were seven inches shorter overall than the comparable Chevrolet, which left Dodge without a full-sized model by the classifications of the time. Chevrolet’s own 1962 full-size cars were in fact slightly larger than the 1961 models.
For 1962 the Custom 880 shared the full-size body used by the Chrysler Newport and the non-letter 300 series. The cars were differentiated by mating a modified 1961 Dodge Polara front clip to the Newport’s de-finned rear quarters and passenger compartment. Since the 1962 Newport sedans had themselves been created by combining a modified 1961 Newport front with de-finned 1961 Polara bodies, the Custom 880 was essentially the reunion of the front and rear of the 1961 Polara, updated for 1962 through the Newport. The wagon was made in a similar way, mating the updated 1961 Polara front end to the body of a 1961 full-sized Plymouth wagon. Sharing bodies allowed Dodge to launch the car in January 1962.
The only engine was a 361 cu in 265 hp V8 from the B family, with no options. The one visible difference from the 1961 Dodge at the front was a horizontal bar across the grille, bisected by Dodge’s new three-pointed Fratzog emblem in place of the stylized star bar of the 1961 Polara; from the rear the car was identical to the Chrysler Newport apart from Dodge badging. The name came from Dodge’s numerical sub-model structure, but it was not written on the car: only Dodge badges appeared on the rear quarters and boot lid. A six-way power seat was optional. For the short 1962 run the Custom 880 came as a four-door sedan, two- or four-door hardtop, two-door convertible and six- or nine-passenger station wagon with the Chrysler pillarless hardtop body. Production for 1962 totalled 17,500 cars.
For 1963 the Custom 880 range gained a new base model, the 880, available only as a pillared four-door sedan or a station wagon. Chrysler-branded cars were redesigned for 1963, which left the 880 body unique to Dodge even though it was still built alongside the now different Chrysler, and a 305 hp two-barrel 361 cu in V8 became optional. Dodge designers created an entirely new look ahead of the cowl, with a convex grille in a long oval shape, straighter front wings and a bonnet with a depressed centre section carrying the Dodge name in block letters, while the rear kept its quarter panels with restyled tail lights in large chromed housings. The 880 wagons used the pillared body in six- and nine-passenger form, while the Custom-series wagons kept the pillarless hardtop design. The model continued through 1965.
Design and features
- Body sharing: Chrysler Newport bodies with a 1961 Polara front clip and rear quarters.
- Fratzog grille bar: the new three-pointed Dodge emblem across the front.
- One engine at launch: the 361 cu in V8 with 265 hp, and no options in 1962.
- 880 base model: a cheaper pillared sedan and wagon from 1963.
Dodge Custom 880 versions
- Custom 880 (1962-1965): the main full-size model in all body styles.
- Dodge 880 (1963-1964): the cheaper base version with a pillared sedan body.
- Custom 880 wagon: six- and nine-passenger estates with pillarless hardtop bodies.
- 1963 restyle: the new convex grille and long oval front end.
The Custom 880 was a bigger alternative to the Dodge 440 and Dodge Polara of the same years, and it shared its body with the Dodge Monaco generation that followed. More Dodge models are in the Dodge collection.
Sources
- Dodge Custom 880, English Wikipedia: origins, 1962 model, engines, 1963 changes
.jpg){kind=link}
.jpg){kind=link}