Dodge La Femme

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Dodge La Femme (YOC 1956)

The Dodge La Femme was a Custom Royal series car that Dodge offered in the 1955 and 1956 model years. The existence of La Femme stems from Chrysler's marketing department's realization that women became more interested in cars in the 1950s and that women became more and more involved in the color of a couple's new car. The La Femme was an attempt to get your foot in the door of the auto market for women.

concept

The concept of the vehicle was based on two Chrysler show cars from the 1954 model year. They were called Le Comte and La Comtesse , were based on the Chrysler Newport hardtop and had transparent plastic roofs over the entire passenger compartment. Le Comte was kept in masculine colors, La Comtesse was painted in "dusty pink" and "dove gray" to convey the feminine features. The positive reaction encouraged Chrysler to pursue the La Comtesse concept.

The vintages

1955

Accessories of the Dodge La Femme

This concept was passed on to Dodge and was named La Femme . The first car in this series was a 1955 Dodge Custom Royal Lancer hardtop in "sapphire white" and "heather pink". From then on, the exterior of the vehicles was provided with a special, golden lettering La Femme instead of the usual name Custom Royal Lancer on the front fenders.

The interior has also been revised and better equipped. The seats were upholstered with a special upholstery fabric with pink rose petals on a pale pink background. The door panels were made of pale pink vinyl. There was also a rectangular handbag for La Femme, which harmonized with the interior colors. It could be stowed in a special shelf at the back of the passenger seat. Each bag was provided with a make-up kit consisting of a lipstick holder, cigarette case, lighter and wallet, which were designed and manufactured by Evans. At the back of the driver's seat was a shelf with a raincoat, rain hat and umbrella that matched the rose petal decor in the interior. The brochures mentioned that La Femme was specially made "for Her Majesty ... the American woman".

1956

In the 1956 model year, La Femme returned with no less theatrical thunder: the dealers received letters from the marketing department in which La Femme was described as an "amazing success". That year Dodge replaced the heather pink and sapphire white colors with "hazy orchid" and "royal orchid". The interior of the 1956 model was not inspired by that of the 1955 model, but had seat patterns, interior paints and carpets specially made for La Femme. The shelves behind the front seats were also modified in 1956 to accommodate the raincoat, rain hat, and umbrella that came with the car.

At the end of the 1956 model year, Dodge discontinued the La Femme and shelved the concept. Since the La Femme was only an option package for US $ 143, its production numbers were never recorded separately from the other Dodge models. It is assumed, however, that around 1500 vehicles were built in 1955 and around 1000 vehicles in 1956.

Web links

Commons : Dodge La Femme  - Collection of pictures, videos and audio files

swell

  • Howard, Leslie: The Dodge La Femme The International Dodge La Femme Website and Registry , July 2003
  • Guyette, James: LaFemme: a fancy and feminine statement of the chauvinist '50s Aftermarket Business , January 2004
  • Lindsay, Tom: 1955-56 Dodge La Femme: “By Appointment to Her Majesty - the American Woman” Collectible Automobile , February 1988