1960 Dodge Phoenix D500 Convertible
Bold chrome detailing and distinctive styling marked Chrysler’s ambitious 1960 restructuring when the Phoenix convertible debuted as Dodge’s top-tier Dart offering. Of approximately 72,000 Phoenix models produced from the total 330,600 Dart production run, only a small fraction were convertibles, making them especially rare today.
The striking design featured dramatic chrome accents and the corporation’s new oval steering wheel, which some magazines unflatteringly compared to “a man on a torture rack.”
Built on a 118-inch wheelbase with Chrysler’s new unibody construction, the Phoenix was priced from about $2,300 to $3,000. Engine options included the 225 cubic inch Slant Six producing 145 horsepower, along with V8s ranging from 318 to 383 cubic inches.
The D500 performance package featured a 383 cubic inch V8 with dual four-barrel carburetors and a high-performance intake manifold, delivering 330 horsepower when paired with the push-button TorqueFlite automatic transmission.
Only 68 Phoenix convertibles were built with the D500 package, making them among the rarest Dodges of the era.
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