1977 Dodge Diplomat Introduction Film Commercial vs. Chevy Caprice & Cutlas Supreme
This is an introduction film from 1977 for the 1977 Dodge Diplomat which was launched in the Winter/Spring of 1977. This was the upper level entry into the mid-sized class of cars. It could compete with the larger compacts as well as the New GM Full Sized Cars. My family owned one almost identical to the vehicle featured in this film. Dark Brown with a Copper Roof. They shared the same plateform as the Dodge Aspen. The roof and glass and doors were interchangable with differences only in trim pieces. The sister car for the Chrysler Plymouth Dealers was the Chrysler LeBaron. These cars with some restyling changes in 1980 would stay into production until the 1989 model year. It proved in the 1980's to be a very sought after Police Car. This particular film compares the Diplomat to the new sized GM full sized cars and old style GM Midsized Car, the Chevy Caprice and Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme
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I currently have a 1982 diplomat that I bought last year with only 49,000 miles on it that i use as a daily driver and I absolutely love it!
@jackoesterlejr.3454
Жыл бұрын
I built these autos in Fenton, Missouri. We built the Chrysler LeBaron, Dodge Diplomat, & Plymouth Caravelle on the same assembly line! I got hired April 1977. U.A.W. Local 136 Thank You!
"The Diplomat" would be a great title for an adult flick from that period. 😃😃
When I watch old videos or dealer sale videos I think of how much effort and pride they put into these cars. Today you will never see this again. Back in the day everything was so much simple and well informed. They presented it well and had lots of interesting details put into the videos. Thats probably why older cars were more exciting and made better.
Miss cruising in these old pillowy cruisers.
I had a 1985. ran it 200,000 miles and 9 years. I sold it to a friend who had it another 10 years or more. I was always tinkering with it. Nothing major broke, but it always needed some little thing. I still liked it.
@aipo86t
Жыл бұрын
@@johnmaki3046 They were. One of my cars is a '98 Mercury Grand Marque. It is the emotional equivalent. Only has 70K miles and runs like new. I use it on Sundays and Trips.
This is an introduction film from 1977 for the 1977 Dodge Diplomat which was launched in the Winter/Spring of 1977. This was the upper level entry into the mid-sized class of cars. It could compete with the larger compacts as well as the New GM Full Sized Cars, My family owned one almost identical to the vehicle featured in this film. Dark Brown with a Copper Roof. They shared the same platform as the Dodge Aspen. The roof and glass and doors were interchangable with differences only in trim pieces. The sister car for the Chrysler-Plymouth Dealers was the Chrysler LeBaron. These cars with some restyling changes in 1980 would stay into production until the 1989 model year. It proved in the 1980's Car, the Chevy Caprice and Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme.
@aaronwilliams6989
3 жыл бұрын
My Dad had a 1979 Lebron
Those made great police cruisers with the 360 V8. Durable, could run them all over Hell & half of creation & they just kept going. In '92, my department went to Crown Vic, though.
Thanks for the splendid trip down "Automotive Memory Lane!" Bye the way, do I remember a Diplomat commercial that was accompanied by a disco-type of tune..."It's the Dodge Diplomat, and it knows where it's at!?"...
Love all your videos...Especially the Mopar ones. Thanks for saving these important videos. Total gearhead heaven
I always thought the spark control system was an empty box, well, you learn something every day.
Bet you didn't know everything was orange back then.
Nice, I was 3 when this was made . I remember seeing them when I was growing up :)
My friend drove a brown Diplomat in the 1990's. It was in great shape and rode nicely in town or on the highway. Great quality was built into these cars!
@OsbornTramain
3 жыл бұрын
my family owned one exactly like the brown sedan in this video. Loved that car and the paint quality was amazing. It use to just shine and the metallic flakes were fantastic.
i like to watch this videos because of the great music, i love the 1970's era, wasnt born but i love it,
@aaronwilliams6989
3 жыл бұрын
That era would've been great had it not been for the quality problems and poor gas mileage in cars of the time. They put out some beautiful cars with great comfort, far superior to newer cars, but other than that and their simplicity for mechanics, it was only skin deep.
@aaronwilliams6989
3 жыл бұрын
But those ARE admirable to look at, which makes me want to jump behind the wheel and I wouldn't mind having one as a collectable and to show off on weekends if it is well put together and restored. I remember those cars.
This thing looks very nice. I could definitely enjoy one of them
Why on earth do I love these old car demo videos so much? I dunno. But I do.
Diggin' that disco music man..
I had an 1987 Dodge Diplomat SE loaded it was chestnut brown paid 1000.00 for it best car I ever owned. Mine had the optional EFI 318 Police Interceptor in a civilian model a dodge dealer mess up order. Mine got 23In the city/26 highway on premium. when I set cruise control I got 30 MPG this is when we didn't have the ethanol/alcohol junk fuel. With out the Ethanol the 318 could achieve close to 30 MPG.
@pkranz937
6 жыл бұрын
Chris Lemaster The 318 Pursuit engine kept its 4 bbl Rochester Quadrajet through 1989. Mileage went up a bit in '89 due to a minor change in TC lockup. Prior to that, '81-'84 Pursuits (Thermoquad) would return about 18 mpg in the field. '85-'88 models, about 17 mpg. '89 squads would average about 19. These were pretty low-tech cars, even with the Driver airbag and feedback carbs. They were still a fully hydraulic 3-speed transmission with a 2.94 SureGrip rear. Aerodynamics of your everyday barn door. I no longer restore these old cars, mostly because of lack of parts. My '13 Hemi Pursuit, with 225 more hp, a 5-spd auto, and 2.65 rear gives me over 25 mpg in summer.
@chrislemaster2695
6 жыл бұрын
P Krantz you can still get parts form these in my home town of Peoria IL and another place you can get parts for these id Rick's U Pull A Part in Kersey PA And Christies Auto Salvage in Dubois PA, and also you can parts for these at East Coast Auto Salivate on the east coast.
Our family had one of these. Nearly put 300K miles on it before it decided to stop cooperating. This takes me back [unfortunately....since I'm this old].
I bought a 1979 and it’s pretty awesome ngl
"And its accurate to within sixty seconds a month! " wow mind blowing I better check my clock on my Toyota Land Cruiser... 😂
@maxmowers1434
4 жыл бұрын
Abdulla Alsada it’s easy to laugh at that now but when you consider almost all automotive clocks of that era lost around 90 seconds a day it was definitely something to brag about
My parents had a 88 Diplomat with the 318, other than the Stem Carburetor Control it ran well, I miss it.
I got my fifteenth DUI in a 86 Diplomat! Fine automobile. You can snooze for dozens of seconds whilst driving at speed. The front suspensions geometry is unmatched to anything today. On a level road, all things being equal, it will stay in it's lane indefinitely
77 was the year I parked cars in garage. It was just a summer job. I think I remembered a Diplomat with a 360 V8. No doubt it was more than likely a 2bbl carb. The guy who drove it always managed to @least chirp the tires. We were near a tall bldg that housed many federal agencies.
@michaeltutty1540
2 жыл бұрын
It may have been a 4bbl. In Canada, 4 bbl Mopars did not have catalytic converters, so changing to a proper dual exhaust is very easy, and really pays for itself
A extra thick vinyl roof and french stitching inside sold me IMMEDIATELY. Probably rode like a dream, like floating above the highway with no engine noise. Sweet.
@OsbornTramain
3 жыл бұрын
not exactly. Mopar and AMC cars are unit body and ride more like a unit body european car than an American Car from Ford or General Motors. These cars were used as police cars up till the end of production, 1990. They don't float. not even close to floating. Yes, quiet but not a floating car like a Caddy or Buick or Mercury.
This was a good move by Chrysler and I think it drank up some of the Cordova sales even
I love the retro navigation unit!
@sprayarm
3 жыл бұрын
That’s a sound meter.
@RoadCone411
3 жыл бұрын
@@sprayarm No kidding
Fiendishly seductive.... NOW, only now, do I want one.
When my dad worked at a Chrysler dealership,he prepped one the badging was wrong on the right side fender.The left side fender had Diplomat on the fender and had LeBaron on the right side fender.
@OsbornTramain
6 жыл бұрын
There were quality problems at all the car companies during this time period. I worked in the Zone office in Boston and I saw Volare's with Aspen tail lamps, Diplomats with Lebaron badges on the C pillar, or glove box doors...etc etc
@Toolaholic7
6 жыл бұрын
My dad even found an empty beer can in a 1977 Chrysler that caused a rattle.It was found in the left front door.There was a strike at Chrysler at the time and someone threw it in there going down the assembly line
@glennso47
2 жыл бұрын
A Chrysler dealership in Rockford Illinois had a horizon that had the Horizon name on the front and the Dodge Omni name on rear.
This would eventually become the basis for all big Chrysler cars in the Eighties!
OT , I LOVE your posts!! A treasure trove. Do you know if the Diplomat/LeBaron had the same woeful issues the Aspen/Volaré had since they share a platform?
@OsbornTramain
4 жыл бұрын
Thanks and the Diplomat and LeBaron came out as mid year entries in 1977, all Volare and Aspen issues were really resolved by then. By mid 1977, Aspen and Volare have a good track record, no recalls or problems. People have created a myth around the Volare and Aspen as it being a bad car, it was an excellent car with some teething problems in it's first year and a half. The most expensive recall at the time doesn't help, some how people confuse this and think it was the most recalls of any car? But Volare and Aspen didn't have any more recalls than any other car from 1977 thry 1980. LeBaron and Diplomat were trouble free. My Mom bought a new one in 1977 and we had that car 10 years with no issues or problems.
@aaronwilliams6989
3 жыл бұрын
@@OsbornTramain My dad's 1979 Lebron was a BEAUTY, but it had transmission and rear end reliability problems.
Chevy caprice were great cars.
The 70's were so damn 70-ish.
This was a really good idea when it came out.
The Diplomat looks like no other car Wink said !!! Has he seen the Chrysler LeBaron for 1977? LOL
I had this exact car that they're showing in this video it would haul ass. It was only a 318 but that thing wouldn't move.it came with Firestone 721 tires
Even more “fiendishly seductive” are the 1980-89 versions, especially the cop car versions.
This one was my car.
Back when smaller big cars were considered economical cars lol! The reality is downsized b body full sized GM cars outlasted Chrysler RWD full sized cars for six years. Chrysler also went out of the full sized rwd car business for 15 years when they stopped the Diplomat, 5th Avenue, and Grand Fury.
@OsbornTramain
7 жыл бұрын
Not exactly, The Diplomat was really a small intermediate car, never considered a Big Full Sized car. the last Full Sized Traditional C body car was 1978 for Chrysler with it's Newport and New Yorker. The next size, B body evolved into the R body ended in 1981. The Diplomat was M body and it ended in 1989, as you stated, 7 years before GM's last Full Sized Caprice or Roadmaster or Fleetwood in 1996. Not until the new Magnum Wagon was Chrysler back in the Large RWD market again. One big difference too was that Chrysler used Unit Body since 1960, something Ford and GM never adopted for their full sized cars.
@kevinwong6588
Жыл бұрын
@@OsbornTramain Ironically the 2005 Magnum isn't even a full size wagon, but only in the EPA midsize class at 133.1 cubic feet index, even smaller than the Aspen (138) and barely larger than a K-car (130).
This was the car of choice for Mike on "Breaking bad"
I had that same exact Brown Diplomat! Mine was a 318 but sadly it had the "Lean Burn System".The gas mileage was real BAD. I would love to find a Diplomat coupe with the optional 360 V 8 minus the lean burn.
Not sure why these cars didn't help Chrysler's financial woes? Looks like they were the right cars at the right time.
@OsbornTramain
5 жыл бұрын
Chrysler Financial woes really started in the early 1970's when the Arab Oil Embargo started. Their new line of 1974 Full Sized C body cars were brought on at the worst times. Sales of these cars hurt the company financially. Then the 1975 Recession, then the launch of the 1976 Aspen/Volare. The Aspen and Volare which eventually proved to be great cars as well as the dirivatives, Diplomat and LeBaron cost a lot to build in R&D and were launched too so with Quality issues. The Fender recall was the most expensive recall in the auto industry. All while Chrysler was spending tons on the Horizon and K cars of the future besides other programs like the Turbine Engine. Chrysler suffered big losses, but didn't go bankrupt. It was a big hole to climb out of . Despite the Diplomat being a great car, sales were off in the 1979 and then 1980 years again for the Economic Recession that began plus Rumors of Chrysler's poor financial health. The car that turned things around was the K car.....that's why the Government Co-signed loan bail out helped, It got Chrysler into 1981 and avoiding bankruptcy so that they could launch the car which then turned Chrysler around. Then the mini van...etc etc.
They should have done the 1992 Dodge Caravan promo film in the style of this Dodge comparison film where it would be put up against Chevy Lumina APV and Ford Aerostar along with Toyota Previa and what would the announcer say when they show the steering wheel and dashboard for the 1992 Chevy Lumina APV?
Was this car really different than the Aspen?
@OsbornTramain
3 жыл бұрын
Dash Board, front clip and rear tail treatment....The M Platform isn't really different than the F platform for the Aspen
It was a smart move by Chrysler..they were well styled and compact but not hollow like the Aspen and Volare ... were a little too light and noise prone..
carro sensacional , gostaria de ter um desses!
Ah the crushed velor, with the cigarette burnholes in them. I remember that
@OsbornTramain
4 жыл бұрын
or hot seed burns
Wow. By Dodge Ram B250 conversion van had the same engine.
Feindishly seductive. You feind
The Dodge Aspens fancier more successful sibling
Boy! This orange video and scratchy, out-of-tune sound are very disconcerting! But hey, at least we get a small glimpse of classic automotive history!
@OsbornTramain
6 жыл бұрын
yep, this was saved from a dumpster, to be fair, this wasn't processed like my newer uploads with color restoration, only cleaning....and I agree, despite the poor quality, you get to see something from the past, history. How cars were marketed.
@johnfits2424
5 жыл бұрын
Wait so this isn't the original coolored video?? Man I though it was, but it still looks very well. Better than the commercials you see today. I would definitely prefer this
When you consider the requirements the USEPA imposed on cars of the 70s, it's any wonder manufacturers were able to get anything done, much less with anything resembling acceptable quality.
The Diplomat had more meat on it even than the new Malibu.
Chrysler didn't have a lot of cash at the time, so the Diplomat was a reasonable option, but it must have had a hard time competing with the new for 77 Caprice.
@OsbornTramain
5 жыл бұрын
They didn't have a lot of cash because they were spending so much money redesigning the entire fleet, Aspen Volare, then LeBaron Diplomat and then Horizon Omni.....R body New Yorker and St Regis....all introduced in 3 years time, 1976 thru 1978. That's a lot of money to build new cars.....all while the economy was tanking
@eltonjohn3236
5 жыл бұрын
@@OsbornTramain Absolutely true. But Chrysler has always found a way to come back. I find Chrysler's story to be really interesting and always have. Looking back, they underestimated the Asian competition, and that may have been the biggest failure of the Big 3.
Of all the nerve. GM made their customers pay for their rub strips.
@OsbornTramain
2 жыл бұрын
it may seam trivial, but find a GM car with out the rubber strips? They all came equipped that way so it means it was always added to the base price. Basically in pricing GM would always strip theirs down to nothing but 98% of the cars produced would have that strip meaning GM was playing games on prices
Sure the Diplomat was a good car in the later years, I’d say 82 on they were good and the bugs were worked out. But the Caprice would last or even outlast a Diplomat and just as comfy and a wider aftermarket for the Caprice. It’s really comes down to if your a mopar or no car guy
@OsbornTramain
4 жыл бұрын
I don't recall any bugs in these cars, they came out as a mid year entry in 77, they were better than the Aspen and Volare in terms of quality, My Mom had one new in 78. I remember the door pull straps would fall off, but that's the only bug I can recall? What specifically did you mean in terms of bugs?
@caddieguy6510
4 жыл бұрын
OsbornTramain quality control basically, they were good cars but I’d take a Caprice over it if I had the choice
@michaeltutty1540
2 жыл бұрын
These Diplomats were lovely. I really wish I had bought one instead of the dreadful 84 Olds Delta 88 I was foolish enough to buy.
Rich French stitching..?
@OsbornTramain
5 жыл бұрын
It's a different style treatment of a vinyl roof around the rear window of the car. Rather than having a chrome trim piece and the vinyl tucked down and one piece of vinyl, the french stitching is a separate section of vinyl sewn into the and then curled under the trim so no trim shows. It's mostly seen on landau style roof or half roofs
I’m Sold, where do I sign
@glennso47
2 жыл бұрын
Right at the bottom of this orange sales form. 😬
Me gusta el carro un Dodge Diplomat 1977; le hizo competencia al Chevrolet Caprice Classic; es un excelente automóvil; excelencia Chrysler; me pongo a imaginar a las dos muchachas; solteras libres, sin compromiso, sin hijos; sin tatuajes, ni piercings, ni implantes en sus cuerpos; la pelirroja es blanca, ojos verdosos, cabello rojizo, la cara maquillada, los labios rojos; ella viste un vestido azul oscuro; con una blusa blanca manga larga; calcetines canilleros blancos; la rubia ella es blanca, ojos azules oscuros, cabello rubio, la cara maquillada, los labios rojos y el cabello arreglado; ella viste una blusa blanca manga larga; una minifalda azul oscuro; la cara maquillada, los labios rojos, y el cabello arreglado; la pelirroja va manejando el carro; la rubia va en el asiento del pasajero del carro; yo voy en el asiento trasero del carro; cuando todo se estabilize en Venezuela mi país; vamos a dar un paseo por casi el occidente del país; saludos y buenas tardes.
Haha 🤣 Maps !!
@TheMrPeteChannel
2 жыл бұрын
Simpler times my friend.
Ese es un lebaron
@unitedcity_mc4421
Жыл бұрын
Nope, it’s a Diplomat. The LeBaron and Diplomat were built on the same body platform, but the LeBaron’s turn signals were mounted on top of the headlights, and this one, the Diplomat, were mounted below.
The overly firm ride turned the majority of customers away from this car. It did handle well but, at the expense of ride comfort.
@OsbornTramain
6 жыл бұрын
Valid point, so often, I see people saying after having been in a ride in an old American Large car, "It's like floating on air" or "It's like a yacht". but the reality was that GM, Ford and Chrysler and even AMC had very different ideas on how a car should ride. They didn't ride all the same. The Chrysler and AMC products partly due to their unit body designs had firmer ride and better control. But at the time, people were flocking to the Buicks and Mercurys and Oldsmobiles with very soft rides. Ironically, today, people love a firm ride and hate that soft ride feel.
@waynejohnson1304
6 жыл бұрын
That's because they have been brainwashed into thinking that if their cars ride like a truck, they are somehow better. I never bought it. At speeds below 75 MPH, there is little benefit between a firm suspension and a soft one, in terms of handling, in my opinion and that is based on experience. Cars are tested on race tracks and not on regular roads and highways. It doesn't reflect true driving conditions when they do that. I don't want a car that rides like a truck. I could do everything in my 1971 Fleetwood and 1976 Coupe DeVille that I can do in my 2015 Cadillac ATS. I miss my older ones. I could set the cruise at 75 MPH and just pilot the car along. You can't do that in any of the newer cars. When I go on a long trip, I take my 1995 Sedan DeVille which is in showroom condition.
@randymorobitto5453
6 жыл бұрын
I think Ford was more focused on the cloud-like ride; GM rode the middle ground, and ChryCo. was the handling company. I liked the MOPARs the best. Couldn't say anything about AMC.
@randymorobitto5453
6 жыл бұрын
Wayne - Absolutely agree there. I was reading about the new Lincoln Nautilus (replacing the MKX, I believe), and one of the commenters said that they prefer the Lincoln for being a passenger, and the Cadillac for being a driver.
@waynejohnson1304
6 жыл бұрын
You are correct. In 1976, if all you wanted was ride comfort and quietness, you turned to Ford. If you wanted only performance, you turned to Chrysler, If you wanted high style and the best combination between ride and handling, you went to G.M. A.M.C.? A.M.C. did give a damn good ride. The Ambassador rode like a Cadillac. They spared no amount of money when it came to ride comfort but, the cars were ugly as sin. My sister had an A.M.C. Matador. It rode EXACTLY like a Ford Torino of the same year. If you were to close your eyes and you didn't know which was which, you wouldn't be able to tell which car you were in. Even the seats felt the same. They were both set too close to the floor, in my opinion. G.M. sat the front passengers up a little higher.
still i like the caprice more
No carpeting...just an $11 runner mat. WTF Chevy!
@TheMrPeteChannel
2 жыл бұрын
You should see the 78 Ford T-Bird. The Gas filler pipe to the tank WENT THROUGH THE TRUNK!
I had a 77 Dodge Diplomat. It was the single WORST car I ever owned. I swear ta gawd I think the thing was cursed. It was like that Tom Hanks movie "the money pit" but on wheels.
@OsbornTramain
6 жыл бұрын
Just curious, was it new or used? how many miles on it when you bought it? Cause I've not run into many complaints, and it had almost zero recalls from the Feds.
@eyesofadog
6 жыл бұрын
OsbornTramain it was used. It was my first car. Looking back, it was hilarious the things that went wrong with it. To give you an idea, a typical day....trying to drive it, you'd have to keep one foot on gas and another on the break, because if you let off the gas, it'd die. You wouldn't make it 5 feet. You just had to keep starting it over and over. The heater didn't work, the defroster didn't work....sometimes the radio did if you'd bang on the dash just right. It would back fire all the time, sounded like a 12 guage going off and smoke when it did. One day I was going down the road trying to keep it running and it was pouring down rain...of course the windows were fogged up, so I had to roll the window down a lil bit. When I did, the window fell all the way down and the windshiled wiper mechanism broke that made them go back and forth so I drove 30 miles in january in freezing cold rain with no wipers, no window and no heat. My wedding day, my wife and her best friend was all sitting in front and we go around a curve and the door just flys open nearly loosing my ex. Looking back that would have been a good thing. Lol. I had a brand new battery and i sold it for 250.00 under the understanding they bring back my new battery. They didn't and I laughed all the way to the bank. It was maroon...a 2 dr. Everytime my ex peed me off, I'd threaten to hunt down that car and park it in her driveway. Lmao
I currently have a 1982 diplomat that I bought last year with only 49,000 miles on it that i use as a daily driver and I absolutely love it!
@aaronwilliams6989
3 жыл бұрын
That's a STEAL! Enjoy.