The unforgettable Dodge
Diplomat became the classic car of the ‘80s. Outnumbering the hero's cars in movies and TV, the boxy Diplomat lives on through the silver screen. Jerry
, the car ownership super app
, checks out the legendary pursuit vehicle.The Dodge Diplomat was the bee's knees
In 1977, the large Dodge Diplomat officially became its own line, instead of just a body style. It has an upmarket version of the F-body Aspen with identical mechanical components, chassis, and interchangeable body parts.
While the cop car wasn’t the fastest on the market, it made for a perfect TV pursuit. According to Carscoops
, the Diplomat was “shorter than the Ford Crown Victoria
and Chevrolet Caprice alternatives, making it more maneuverable in chases.” You may have seen one of these iconic cars in Law & Order, True Blue, The Greatest American Hero, Beverly Hills Cop II, and Killer Clowns from Outerspace. The list goes on.
A 318 cu-in (5.2-liter) V8 engine with 120 hp and a two-barrel carb came with most second-generation Diplomats from the 1980s on. Drivers could also opt for a four-barrel carb that pumps out 155 hp.
“The old-fashioned rear-wheel-drive Diplomat looked out of step with Chrysler’s efficient front-wheel-drive K-car offerings in the 1980s, but the police kept Chrysler busy building them throughout the 1980s,” Carscoops tells us.
MORE: Don't Try to Outrun the Ford Police Interceptor Utility
The 1988 Dodge Diplomat Salon
Most Chryslers sold in the U.S. during the latter half of the 1980s were based on the K-platform with front-wheel-drive or the European Omnirizon. The Diplomat and its cousins were an exception.
According to Autoweek
, “If you were a civilian Dodge shopper in 1988, you had to be pretty devoted to rear-wheel-drive-sedan tradition to choose the Diplomat over the roomier and more economical Dynasty.” In 1988, the Diplomat was equipped with a 318 V8 with 140 hp. Most of the bugs had also been worked out from the Lean Burn ignition system. “The final year for carburetors in new U.S.-market cars was 1991, but carbureted engines (e.g., this 318-cubic-inch V8) were rare by 1988,” Autoweek reports.
Real-world application
During the mid to late 1980s, before the well-known Crown Victoria P71 Police Interceptor took over, the Dodge Diplomat and the Plymouth Gran Fury were the most popular police cars patrolling the streets. The Diplomat was available to police until 1984.
The Diplomats were reliable, no-frills, and perfect for police and their fleets. However, some drivers experienced issues with the suspension towers that resulted in squirrely handling.
The four-barrel carburetor was a favorite of state police, as it kept the same torque but added more horsepower. The slant six model was great for city use and decent top speeds.
The majority of Diplomat 318 squad cars and municipal cars are said to have been fitted with two-barrel carburetors for low-performance patrol duty and detective use. They also received the typical suspension, transmission, and electrical upgrades.
The Diplomat received new exterior sheet metal in the 1980 model and manual transmissions were no more. Even though it was technically a mid-sized car, thanks to the downfall of the Dodge St. Regis R-body in 1981, the Diplomat was the biggest sedan in Dodge’s lineup.
The station wagon and coupe were discontinued in 1982. And the Canadian Plymouth version of the Diplomat, the Plymouth Caravelle was sold under the name Plymouth Gran Fury in the U.S.
The Dodge Diplomat’s swan song was in 1989. When the Plymouth Gran Fury and the Dodge diplomat were discontinued, they were the last non-truck rear-wheel drive vehicles until the Plymouth Prowler was released in 1997.
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