In 1955, Chrysler had a brilliant idea which was designed to sell cars to women,  95 percent of whom were unemployed housewives who had to convince their husbands to buy this thing for them. Not a good move, because hubby might actually have to drive the car himself some day, and no red blooded 1955 American man wanted to be seen tooling about in a pink car called "La Femme." 

Unlike the D500, which targeted men who had incomes, this particular brainstorm would fall flat on its face. It would  create another small sector of future collector cars  based upon the seemingly never ending Chrysler theme of "let's build something nobody wants." It's amazing that the same company that produced the 300, Fury, and D500 could come up with something like this. 

It certainly was unique, I'll give them that, but it was also about 50 years ahead of its time. Today, the guys from "Queer Eye for the Straight Guy" might like this car, but in 1955? No dice. Also no sales. Few were sold in the car's two year run. Figures vary, anywhere from 300 to 2500. Dodge didn't keep track, so good luck. I think if 2500 were sold, they'd have kept it going. No La Femmes were ordered with the D500 option, which is a real mystery, huh.

The short life of the La Femme came as a shock to Chrysler and Dodge executives, who must have been into the JD the day they dreamed up this one.  

In 1954, Chrysler was certain it was on to something (maybe a  bong) when it unveiled "his and hers" cars at the Chicago auto show. There was a  bronze and black two-door hardtop called Le Comte, (French for bankrupt) and its feminine counterpart La Comtesse, which came with a ''gorgeous two-tone exterior of Dusty Rose with a Pigeon Gray top.'' Pigeons? A French name? Come on. Aren't you the same guys who came up with Bendix Fuel Injection? Please. We've had enough. 

So, apparently, had customers. Crowds at the Chicago and New York shows were impressed enough with La Comtesse and its platinum brocatelle fabric interior to encourage Chrysler to come out with a car specifically for women the next 
year. It is rumored that these people were either very drunk or GM plants designed to make Chrysler do something incredibly stupid, like actually build this creation. 

You guessed it, they built it, and it flopped, (you're kidding!) and with it went Chrysler's last attempt  to go after the nonexistent women's market, although this stupidity had already been in play and would be picked up again by GM.  A quote:  ''Rightly or wrongly, women associate cars with positive images of masculinity and power,'' said Virginia Scharff, author of  Taking the Wheel: Women and the Coming of the Motor Age. "Given a choice between a La Femme and a Barracuda, they'll choose the 
Barracuda.'' Given a choice between a La Femme and a bus, I'd take the bus.

The Dodge La Femme was produced by Dodge 
division during 1955 and 1956. It came from Chrysler's marketing department's observation that more and more women were taking interest in automobiles during the 1950s, and that women’s opinions on which color car to buy was becoming part of the 
decision making process for couples buying an automobile. The La Femme 
was an attempt to gain a foothold in the women's auto market. What they failed to realize was that 1955 housewives had no money, hence there was no market, and that their husbands wouldn't be caught dead in a pink car. Oh well, you can't always get it right.

The La Femme concept was based upon the aforementioned Chrysler show cars from 
1954, Le Comte and La Comtesse. Each was built from a 
Chrysler Newport hardtop body and given a clear plastic roof 
over the passenger compartment. Bad idea if the sun was out, because AC wasn't readily available back then. I think they called this the "cook me alive in July" option. While the Le Comte was designed using masculine colors, the La Comtesse was painted Dusty Rose and Pigeon Grey in order to convey femininity. See "concept cars" for pix.

The 1954 La Comtesse was described by a Chrysler press 
release: 

"Chrysler's exotic new plastic top car, presents a gorgeous two-tone 
exterior of dusty rose with a pigeon gray top. The interior is 
luxuriously finished in cream and dusty rose leather with seat back 
inserts of platinum brocatelle fabric. Interior appointments are set 
off by specially-designed chrome hardware. A long, low note is provided 
by heavy chrome molding running along the lower body of the car from 
the front wheel openings to the rear bumper. A continental tire mount 
and chrome wire wheels add to the car's smart appearance. La Comtesse 
is built on a New Yorker Deluxe Newport chassis and is powered by a 
235-horsepower Chrysler FirePower V-8 engine and features 
fully-automatic PowerFlite transmission, power steering and power 
brakes plus Chrysler's high-roll front suspension for easier handling 
and improved roadability."

Dodge received the project and renamed the concept La Femme.
It was a 1955 Dodge Custom Royal Lancer hardtop $143.00 option with  Sapphire 
White and Heather Rose paint. The exterior received special 
gold colored  scripts that replaced the standard Custom 
Royal Lancer scripts on the front fenders. (1956 shown)

 La Femme interiors were upholstered in a special tapestry material featuring 
pink rosebuds on a pale pink background and pale pink vinyl trim. Oooh! I can't stand myself. The La Femme also came with a rectangular purse coordinated to  the 
interior. The purse could be stowed in a special compartment 
built into the back of the passenger seat. What, no Liberace records? He was big back then. Each purse was outfitted with a compact lipstick case, cigarette case, lighter and change purse, all designed and made by “Evans." We don't know who Evans was, but we're watching for him. Actually, he made some stuff for the El Dorado Brougham as well. Can you picture some poor guy just back from the Korean war having to take this thing to work because his 300 was in the shop? 

On the back of the driver's seat was a compartment that contained a 
raincoat, rain bonnet, and umbrella  coordinated to match the 
rosebud interior fabric. Dodge marketing brochures for the La Femme 
stated clearly that the car was made "By Special Appointment to Her 
Majesty... the American Woman." Her Majesty? Give me a break. 


Similar vehicles nobody bought included the pink Pontiac Parisienne, (the concept car was black, sorry, the inside was pink, though)

Chevrolet Impala 
Martinique convertible, designed by Jeanette Linder (never saw one of these, either)

and the 1959 Cadillac Eldorado Seville Baroness by Sue Vanderbilt, (sorry, no pix, guess nobody bought one) Ruth Glennie's Corvette Fancy Free, 

 and the Marjorie Ford designed 4 door PURPLE Buick Shalimar. No pix there either. Seems GM had to learn their lesson, too, by producing these feminized cars nobody wanted.  Saxony, Tampico, Rendezvous, Carousel, Bordeaux, and Polaris were the other names of the Motorama cars designed by Harley Earl's Damsels of Design, as they were known. 

Dealers held at gunpoint said of the La Femme: "The crowning touches which personalize the La Femme are its special feminine accessories. Two compartments located on the backs of the front seats are upholstered in Heather Rose Cordagrain."  (What the hell is Cordagrain? Is that anything like Corinthian leather? I want Ricardo Montalban to straighten this out) "The compartment on the driver's side contains a stylish rain cape, fisherman's style rain hat, and umbrella which carry out the Jacquard motif. The other 
compartment holds a stunning shoulder bag in soft rose leather. It is 
fitted with compact, lighter, lipstick and cigarette case."

Stunning, huh? Okay, let's leave that one alone for now. 

The car received  a makeover in the second year of production. The car was now 
wrapped in a ''queenly cloak of two-toned purple'' (Misty Orchid and Regal Orchid) but the new color scheme (worse than the 1955 colors)  failed to move La 
Femme off the showroom floor, and the model was mercifully cancelled. 
Tony Lindsey, a self-styled La Femme historian and  former owner of 
the car, said he had only been able to track down 26 of the 
cars. Good luck Tony, keep looking.