1960 Dodge Matador

Dodge introduced its first all-new postwar styling in 1949, and in 1955 Virgil Exner restyled the Chrysler line with the new 'Forward Look' design, and Dodge's 'Flair-Fashion.' 1960 was another significant year of change the 118-inch wheelbase Dart joining the 122-inch full-size lineup. Engine options included the Slant Six 225 CID with 145 horsepower, a 230 horsepower OHV 315 CID V8, a 361 CID 295 hp V8, 383 CID 325 hp V8, and the D-500 381 CID V8 with 320 horsepower.

1960 Dodges adopted unibody construction and designer Virgil Exner further promoted his 'forward look' to even greater levels throughout the Chrysler Corporation.

The Dodge Dart, intermediate Dart Pioneer, and Phoenix were four inches shorter than the larger, full-size Dodge. Prices ranged from $2,280 to $2,870 for six-cylinder options and $2,400 to $3,700 for the eight. Prices went higher depending on the engine and options selected.

Dodge's full-size line included the base-level Matador and the top-of-the-line Polara, available only with eight-cylinder power, and priced from $2,930 to $3,630. Body styles on both the Matador and Polara included a sedan, hardtop sedan, hardtop coupe, and six- and 9-passenger station wagon. The convertible was only offered on the Polara and Phoenix.

The styling of both the smaller and larger lines was similar, with shortened fins, sweeping contours, a baroque bumper assembly, and stacked 'jet pod' taillights. Along with a larger footprint, the full-size Dodge further distinguished itself from their Dart siblings with deeply tunneled taillights and a slightly taller fin, capped with chrome and a deflector, and ended three-quarters of the way down the rear fender. A chrome strip traversed the entire length of the body side.

The front grille was comprised of six stacks of aluminum rectangles housed within the large chrome bumper assembly.

The Matador had its name, in script, located on the front fender and a stylized star was located on the side of the tailfin. Although it had more trim than the Dart-based models, it had less trim than the Polara. The sedan and hardtop coupe had similar base prices at approximately $2,950. The hardtop sedan had a factory base price of $3,075, the 6-passenger wagon at $3,240, and the 9-passenger wagon listed for $3,350. Both wagons had a roll-down rear window into the tailgate, and the nine-passenger version had a rear-facing third-row bench seat.

All of the V8 engines had overhead valves, hydraulic valve lifters, and five main bearings. The 318 CID V8 with a Carter two-barrel carburetor delivered 230 hp and 255 hp with the four-barrel carburetor. The Supre Red Ram 361 CID V8 had a Stromberg two-barrel carburetor and delivered 295 hp at 4,600 RPM. The Ram Fire V8 used a Holley four-barrel carburetor to help it deliver 325 hp at 4,600 RPM. The D-500 with Ram Induction had a 383 cubic-inch displacement, dual four-barrel carburetors, and 320 horsepower.

The standard engine in the Matador was the Super Red Ram 361 CID V8 with 295 hp. The D-500 was optional, along with a three-speed TorqueFlite automatic transmission. A two-speed PowerFlite automatic was standard. The transmissions were controlled by mechanical pushbuttons on the left side of the instrument panel.

Most of Dodge's 1960 model year sears were from its 'smaller' and less expensive Dart line. 27,908 examples of the Matador were produced and due to the low sales volume and the popularity of the Dart, the Matador model did not return in 1961. The only full-size Dodge model in 1961 was the Polara.

by Daniel Vaughan | Dec 2020