Few classic cars have been fortunate enough to come through the
decades in as strong a fashion as this 1951 Dodge Wayfarer
Convertible. With its striking blue paint still showing nicely, and
its assortment of brightwork and badging looking clean, this
open-air cruiser appears as if it has time travelled from its
vintage era straight to the present. It rides on a set of
convincingly authentic whitewall tires that are in surprisingly
good shape, and its tan cloth convertible top is in downright great
condition, ready to be lifted into position to protect you from the
elements. If you want a classic with bona fide rarity, this Dodge
warrants a closer look. There were very few Wayfarers manufactured
in convertible configuration, most of them have long since dropped
off the map and, of those remaining, it's a safe bet that few can
match the solid driving condition this one features.
Climb inside and you'll be impressed with your surroundings. This
interior is in uniformly clean shape, with a bench seat that's
covered in tan vinyl free of any marked wrinkling or discoloration
and door panels that still cling firmly to their surrounding steel.
The dash area has been left in its native configuration, is
color-matched to the exterior and harbors an extensive array of
original gauges, all of which sit behind clear lenses. A little
fine tuning here and there will quickly bring the functionality of
this cabin back to top form, but rest assured, it's very much ready
to enjoy in its present form.
You wouldn't normally expect an early '50s cruiser that's been left
almost entirely in original configuration to deliver a particularly
strong driving experience, but this Dodge does just that. Its
period-correct 230-cubic-inch inline six-cylinder engine, fed by a
one-barrel Stromberg carburetor, starts up eagerly, holds a smooth
idle and offers solid acceleration. The accompanying
"three-on-the-tree" manual transmission also shifts through its
gears with no issues. It tracks nice and straight, with none of the
wandering you might anticipate, and its quartet of manual drum
brakes brings it to a stop with no fanfare. A glance below will
show that the frame is still structurally sound and ready to
provide plenty more miles of driving enjoyment.
HIGHLIGHTS
• EXCEEDINGLY RARE WAYFARER IN CONVERTIBLE CONFIGURATION
• PERIOD-CORRECT 230-CUBIC-INCH INLINE 6 CYLINDER ENGINE
• 1-BARREL STROMBERG CARB
• 3-SPEED, "3-ON-THE-TREE" MANUAL TRANSMISSION
• ULTRA-SHARP BLUE EXTERIOR
• TAN VINYL UPHOLSTERY
• TAN CLOTH CONVERTIBLE TOP
• PERIOD-CORRECT 6.70-15 FACTORY WHEELS
• AM/FM RADIO (CURRENTLY INOPERABLE)
A rolling automotive tribute to a bygone era, this 1951 Dodge
Wayfarer Convertible offers rarity, striking aesthetics and a solid
running condition and would be an outstanding acquisition for the
collector who prizes this hard-to-find combination. Call today!
ClassicCars.com has been recognized as one of the fastest-growing private companies in the United States, successfully making the Inc. 5000 list in both 2015,
2016, 2017 and 2018. This prestigious accolade represents the continued growth of the company, and ClassicCars.com's dominance as the world's largest online marketplace for
buying and selling classic and collector vehicles.
The Stevie Awards, the world's premier business awards recognized
ClassicCars.com's first-class Customer Support team with a Stevie Bronze Award in 2019, celebrating the team's skills as exemplary customer support specialists.
In 2016 The Journal, brought to you by ClassicCars.com, was celebrated as the SECOND MOST INFLUENTIAL automotive blog in the world by NFC Performance.