Plymouths from the late 1950s remain popular with both collectors and casual observers, with the 1958 models drawing particular attention in large part due to the movie Christine.
Here we have a Belevdere convertible, the only convertible in Plymouth’s line-up that year.
1958 was the last year that Belvedere would sit at the top of the line. While the Fury had been around for a few years it was still a sub-series of the Belvedere line. 1959 would see the Fury taking the crown.
Those aren’t really fins you see at the rear – Plymouth called them “Directional Stabilizers“!
At the base of the aluminum tower you’ll notice a single light that acted as taillight, brake light and turn indicator and was also visible from the side.
Inside, this ’58 has been re-trimmed and with the seats protected with plastic seat covers. Note the push-button transmission selection on the left of the instrument cluster. The dash mounted rear-view mirror was said to give 30% greater visibility.
While the other six Belvedere cars in the line-up for ’58 offered a 230 cubic inch, inline 6-cylinder engine as their standard engine, the convertible came with the 318 cubic inch V8 Fury V-800 (normally $107) and output 250 horsepower.
This 318 is the Dual Fury version offering dual carburetors and a further 40 horsepower and came at additional cost. An extra $220 was spent to have it paired with a TorqueFlite automatic transmission rather than the standard 3-speed manual transmission.
Other options on this car include power steering($77), power brakes($38) and push-button radio ($73).
If you wanted to order one of these cars when they were new, prices started at $2,761 with Plymouth selling 9,941 Belvedere convertibles during the ’58 model year.
This 1958 Plymouth Belvedere is currently for sale on eBay. (follow the link for even more photos)