D500 Fear the Flags

By the time the 300B was introduced, Chrysler had established itself as the king of the racing mountain. Upstarts at Plymouth countered with the Fury, and De Soto came out with the Adventurer. Both were capable of running with the 300s, and as detailed elsewhere, this caused Chrysler Division execs to throw fits, cut off funding, and generally threaten the lesser division managers and their dealers with all sorts of nasty retribution. Dodge Division was not to be outdone as a troublemaker, however, and saw the Fury program as an invitation to market their own high performance model. They decided to take the edge off the marketing strategy however, perhaps in deference to Chrysler Division, and made the new D500 package an across the board option rather than a special stand alone model. This would continue until 1961, the last year for the D500 option.

Those who were involved in the D500 project at various levels were:

William C Newberg, President
Byron J Nichols, Vice President
R. D. Engle, Chief Engineer for Dodge Division
Danny Eames, chief test driver for Dodge.
Danny Eames was hired by Bert Carter in 1953, and became very successful from 1953 to 1955, bringing home checkered flags from Bonneville and Daytona for Dodge. Danny was with Dodge division from 1953 to 1956. The Dodge racing efforts were guided by Eames, Bill Bogan, chief engineer, and Dean Engle, assistant engineer. Danny was also special assistant to William C. Newberg's staff.

Dean Engle became chief engineer in early 1956 at Highland Park. Wally Zierer was general automotive engineer and was a great help in the 1953-55 racing program. Bolstered by those early victories and the experience, desire, not to mention the necessity of maintaining Dodge's performance image and competitive edge in the marketplace, the D500 was born.

The other divisions had taken their lead from their big brother, the 1955 Chrysler 300. The Desoto Adventurer and Plymouth Fury were new models for 1956, not performance option packages or dealer options. The D500 was originally intended to be an individual model, but that was later changed, probably because the car was introduced late and would not qualify for NASCAR.

The D500 was to be marketed as follows:

Specific goals were intended to satisfy the public's desire for a distinctive and prestigious automobile with levels of performance not possible with standard models.
Introduction and release were to be after the initial standard models were announced to the public. (Standard, November 7, 1955 and Dodge D500, December 22, 1955).

The following features were to be included:

Separate sales brochures and literature similar to the 300B, Adventurer, and Fury.
Special high performance engine (260 and 285hp).
Special identification engine numbers (D500-1001 beginning).
Heavy duty chassis, suspension, and drive train components from the New Yorker and Imperial.
Newly designed D500 steering arms and steering wheel rims.
Larger exhaust systems.
Lighter brake area / weight ratio (15 lbs. per inch with 12 inch Chrysler brakes.
Restricted to specific body types and styles, engine and drive train components. (Initial release)
Suggested limited paint colors and schemes: 2-tone only in Oriental Coral and Sapphire White.
Distinctive identification: medallions, emblems, and crossed checkered victory flags with "500" inset located on the hood (left front) and trunk (right rear).

The Dodge Coronet was used as the basis for Dodge's D500 performance model. Unlike the other Chrysler super cars, the new Dodge Coronet D500 was visually indistinguishable from normal Dodges upon which it was based. The only external clues were discreet, crossed checkered flags and "500" lettering on its lower rear deck. The D500 option, which was named for the NASCAR requirement that 500 identical models must be produced in order to be raced, was also available on any Dodge model including station wagons and two door sedans.

The D500 option included a 315 cid V8 with hemispherical heads (unlike other Dodge V8s which used polyspherical heads), a unique camshaft, valve lifters, pushrods, carburetor, ignition, and pistons. With a compression ratio of 9.25:1, four barrel Carter WCFB carburetor, and dual point distribution, peak power was 260 bhp while torque was 330 lb-ft. The D500 came with a standard three-speed heavy duty manual transmission. The optional Powerflite push button automatic transmission had a kick down feature. A 3.73:1 rear axle ratio was standard, but several others were optional. The D500 also received an upgraded suspension with very stiff front coil springs and heavy duty shock absorbers specified for Dodge police cars. Similar units were used in the rear. A sturdy 0.8125 inch high rate stabilizer bar was also installed. Overall height of the D500 was 1.5 inches lower than its standard Dodge counterpart. The D500 came standard with 15x5.5 inch wheels with 7.60x15 inch tubeless tires. Optional were heavy duty 15x6.5 inch wheels. Chrysler 12 inch diameter drum brakes were used on the D500, providing a total effective braking area of 251 square inches, compared to 173.5 square inches on regular Dodges.

An even hotter version of the D500, the D500-1, was intended primarily for NASCAR competition. The D-500-1 had an even stiffer suspension than the D-500. Under the hood, the engine received larger valves, a full-race camshaft, and a double log intake manifold that used two four barrel Carter WCFB carbs. This all added up to 285 bhp. The D500-1 could be ordered with or without a back seat, with or without a radio, heater, and a rubber mat.

Engines: D500: 315 Hemi V8 260 bhp @ 4800 rpm, 330 lb-ft @ 3000 rpm. D500-1: 315 Hemi V8 285 bhp.
Performance: 315/260: 0-60 in 8.8 seconds.

The D500 was capable of outrunning almost anything it went up against, and it was certainly capable of keeping up to the 300B if properly prepared. The 1956 D500 set or broke a total of 306 standing records its first time out, which said volumes about Dodge's ability to build a car of this caliber.

Here's what Sports Car Illustrated had to say in August 1956; "It is designed from the ground up as a high performance road machine that can be used for commuting to work, for winning its class at the local Drag Strip, or for making a top showing in a tough rally or race."

The D500 was released on December 22, 1955. It was first released as a 2 door hardtop or convertible Royal Lancer, and as a Coronet 2 door sedan, club coupe, or convertible.
The Coronet 2 door sedan, club coupe, and convertible were available in full race form. The D500-1 was held back until January 12, 1956 , to eliminate confusion of the two D-500s. Later, the D500 option became available on any model.

In 1956, Dodge held most of the records at the drag strip and were second only to Chrysler 300s in NASCAR racing. Arnie "The Farmer" Beswick was getting 106 mph in the high 13 seconds from his D500-1. His car was equipped with the D500 315 cid Hemi, dual 4 barrels (dash one option), a 3 speed manual transmission, Imperial's 12 inch brakes, and stiff springs. This was factory stock with the D500-1 option. Because the only available Chrysler manual transmission was designed back in the 1930s with a very low first gear and a large rpm drop into second, Dodge drag racers used very deep rear axle ratios and started out in second, using only 2 gears. It is estimated that with a good 4 speed transmission or the Torqueflite, these cars could have approached 13 seconds flat at 110 mph. This was unheard of performance for 1956. Had this package been released as a model in 1955, the C300 might very well have never achieved its reputation. As it was, the 1956 D500 probably ate into the 300B's sales figures. The D500 did nothing to improve Dodge's sales, probably because of marketing. Dodge again placed eighth overall, with 240,686 units sold, a drop from 1955's 276,936. It seemed that the public just didn't like makeovers, a fact that would be made apparent to Chrysler in 1958 and 1959.