1979 Dodge Diplomat: Last of the Boattails?

Some of you may think I have strict, scheduled plans for my weekly column fodder. But I assure you nothing could be further from the truth. Sometimes I mean to write up a car I really love—like a friend’s gorgeous 1976 Continental Mark IV Givenchy Designer edition, seen last summer at the Geneva Concours d’Elegance. I still haven’t even gotten started! Even though Humberto was nice enough to let me sit in it and take my picture behind the wheel. Car people are some of the best people.

Now where was I? Oh yes. Well, I still haven’t written up that car yet, but I have found my ’76 Mark IV brochure and have made up some notes with original MSRPs and production figures. It’s been sitting on my kitchen table for at least a month.

And then there are cars I see, and somehow, by some miracle, I manage to write up immediately. Today’s subject is a case in point. I spotted this pale yellow ’79 Diplomat coupe last Sunday as I was driving home after having dinner with my parents.

I do so frequently because since my dad retired, he has gotten into cooking—and is really good at it. After cars, my favorite thing is food, so you can easily connect the dots. Anyway, I passed this little car lot in Moline and immediately zeroed in on a pastel yellow relic, in apparent showroom condition, out of the corner of my eye. Holy cow, a Diplomat! And now, the following Thursday evening, gin and tonic in hand, I’m writing it up!

As a child of the ’80s, I remember Diplomats well. In probably first grade, Officer Friendly visited my school and was driving a black and white circa 1985-86 Diplomat patrol car. And they were so common in 1980s movies as police cars and taxis. But the coupes are a different breed.

First of all, the coupe was only made through the 1981 model year, as was the wagon. Yes, there was a Diplomat wagon, but I never saw one as a kid, and even now, I’ve only seen one or two online. But the coupes like you see here were only made in this body for 1977-79.

The Diplomat essentially came about thanks to Chrysler Corporation wanting to get in on the “compact luxury” trend that started with the Cadillac Seville in 1976. And the result, the Chrysler LeBaron, introduced as a “1977 1/2”, was a clean, attractive design, “upside-down” headlamps notwithstanding.

So as you’d expect, a Dodge version was also offered, but with a different nose with “right side up” headlights. Coupe, sedan, and station wagon variants were all offered, just like the LeBaron.

While I’m sure Chrysler wanted prospective buyers to think this was a brand-new car, their F-body was the basis for the new car—the same chassis that underpinned the Aspen and Volaré. But all the sheetmetal was new, and the cars were positioned much further up on the price/prestige scale.

And both the LeBaron and Diplomat coupes had a nifty neoclassical boattail look out back. While not as prominent as the over-the-top (and much loved!) 1971-73 Buick Riviera, they still caught one’s notice. And looked great!

The initial 1977 1/2 Diplomats came only as a coupe and a sedan, in base trim or upscale Medallion versions. Riding a 112.7″ wheelbase, prices ranged from $4,943 for a base coupe to $5,471 for a Medallion sedan.

But in 1978 the station wagon was added as well, and now there were three trim levels: base ‘S’, the midlevel Diplomat (simply labeled ‘Diplomat’), and the upscale Medallions.

The wagon, at $5,538 was technically the midlevel model but leather and all sorts of other goodies could be ordered on them. Only 11,226 wagons were built that year, explaining why I’ve never seen one.

Of course, all of this was going on while Chrysler was on the rocks, so to speak. A lot of new car buyers were worried about Chrysler going the way of Studebaker and Hudson, and sales suffered accordingly.

1979 Diplomats returned with revised grille and taillamps as the most noticeable changes. The trim levels were shuffled again, with base, mid-level Salon, and the Medallion remaining top Diplomat.

Per the brochure I found online (I have the ’78 catalog, but sadly no ’79 in “The Vault” at home), it appears today’s subject is a Salon coupe. Salon two-doors based at $5,482; 6,849 were built. In addition, 8,733 base ’79 Diplomat coupes and 6,637 Medallion coupes were built.

Which explains why this is the first one I’ve seen in thirty years or more, other than a black over red LeBaron coupe at a show in Geneseo circa 2012.

And this car was in remarkable condition. As I mentioned, I saw this car on a Sunday. On Monday afternoon, I was driving home from work and suddenly thought, “The Diplomat! I must get pictures of it! I need to go right now in case I forget and it’s gone the next time I drive by!”

Fortunately, it was still there. The lot was still open, judging from the brightly lit sign in the window, and the door to the office was ajar, but the whole time I was taking pictures and gawking at it, no one came out.

So I can’t tell you anything about the car’s history, or even the asking price. But it was remarkably nice, with only a couple of minor dings to detract. It even still had the original pinstripes and “Unleaded Fuel Only” sticker above the gas door!

It was really sharp, and the beige plush seats looked so comfy. Hope it goes to a good home!

As for the Diplomat itself, it was redesigned for 1980 with a more boxy theme. The wagon and coupe continued, but the coupe lost the nifty subtle boattail rear deck treatment for a squared-off trunk lid with long, rectangular taillamps, just like the sedan.

Both wagon and coupe were gone starting in ’82, but the boxy four-door sedan would endure as a popular choice for local constabularies and taxi companies all the way through the 1989 model year—when final-year models even got a driver’s side airbag! Its flossier sibling, the Chrysler Fifth Avenue, lasted through ’89 as well.

And nothing really replaced it until the Charger and 300 came out in 2005. A case could be made for the LH front-wheel drive cars of 1993 but they didn’t take hold as police cars, unlike the ’05-23 Chargers.

A plush SE sedan was also available, complete with LeBaron/Fifth Avenue “upside down” headlights, all the way to the end. It was a good run, by all accounts.