Vehicle Description
Handsome frame-on restoration. Great-running 241 HEMI V8 with
automatic transmission. Attractive, restored interior, gauges all
work. Recent service including top-end engine rebuild. A great
entry-level collectable with a great surprise under the hood.The
Royal was Dodge's top-of-the-line and as such, enjoyed the benefits
of corporate engineering-notably, the HEMI V8. Downsized for work
in the Dodge, the small Hemi nevertheless transformed the Royal
from ho-hum commuter to surprisingly quick street brawler almost
overnight. Add in the handsome bodywork that was conservative but
modern, and you got a pretty nice package for not a lot of cash.
That remains true today where this 1954 Dodge Royal sedan offer a
lot of style, comfort, and yes, performance, for a very reasonable
price. Owned for decades by a well-known restoration shop owner, it
has been properly maintained and freshened as needed along the way,
including a repaint a few years ago in the original two-tone Willow
Green over Berkshire Green combination. It's definitely subtle but
you have to admit that it's perfect for a mid-50s cruiser. All four
doors close with a solid sound that Chrysler had to make Chrysler
proud and you can see the beginnings of tailfins sprouting atop the
rear fenders, albeit in chrome instead of sheetmetal. In fact, all
the stainless and chrome on this car is in pretty good condition,
with the stainless having been polished when it was painted while
much of the chrome is original. Big bumpers make the Royal look
substantial, but it isn't as big as it looks-it's definitely a
mid-sized car (for the 1950s, anyway). It's just the right size to
make a fun, easy-to-live-with hobby car.The interior was freshened
at some point, wearing reproduction seat covers in the original
pattern. Wide bench seats are comfortable enough for the whole
family and there's a durable rubber floor mat up front with carpets
in back. The simple dashboard houses a full array of gauges, and
they all appear to be working properly. Secondary controls are just
underneath, with sliders to control the heater and defroster (also
fully operational). The factory AM radio is still in the middle of
the dash and it powers up but we haven't been able to tune anything
with it-that doesn't mean it isn't working, just that we can't pick
up any stations inside our building. The big steering wheel is
color-matched to the interior and features an upscale-looking horn
ring and the column-mounted shifter for the automatic transmission
is easy to control. Of note, even the interior courtesy lights are
working, suggesting that the owner was taking care of the details.
Back seat space is commodious and you get a giant trunk outfitted
with a rubber mat and a full-sized spare tire with jack.Chrysler's
Hemi V8 was a pretty big deal when it hit the market and they
wanted to use it in as many applications as possible to show off
its capabilities. In the Dodge Royal, the 'Red Ram' Hemi displaces
241 cubic inches, which doesn't seem like much until you feel the
torquey feel of the little V8 doing its thing. It's also impeccably
smooth, not the raucous race motor that it would become in the
following decades. That giant air cleaner hides a 2-barrel
carburetor on an intake manifold with long runners-that explains
the nice torque curve. There's a big radiator up front that keeps
it cool and power steering is part of the package, making this
Royal exceptionally easy to handle. The Power-Flyte automatic
transmission is legendary for its rugged reliability, and even with
two speeds it makes the most of the Hemi's output-this is a pretty
quick car for 1954. The independent front suspension is quite
modern, including a recent set of tube shocks, while the rear hangs
on familiar leaf springs. 3.54 gears are a nice compromise between
acceleration and cruising, and thanks to those rather tall
215/75/15 blackwall radials, this is a really pleasant highway
cruiser that's happy at 65 MPH. The gas tank has been restored, the
floors are solid, and the exhaust system sounds just about
right-hushed but with a nice V8 burble at idle. Extras include an
original owner's manual, sales brochures, shop manual, parts book,
and some spare hubcaps.It doesn't grab you at first, but the more
we looked at this Dodge Royal, the more we liked it. The condition
is really nice, it has great road manners, and that Hemi V8 is just
icing on the cake. Add in the affordable asking price and you get
an awesome entry-level collectable that will make you smile every
time you take it out. Call today!Harwood Motors always recommends
and welcomes personal or professional inspections of any vehicle in
our inventory prior to purchase.
