Poll: Which '63? (3/22/2023)

This was tough because I don't really care for any of them for '63.  But if forced with a gun to my temple to pick just one, it's the DODGE.  And if had to pick between the Pontiac and Mercury, just pull the trigger.  

For 1963, my choices are Pontiac, Mercury and finally Dodge. Choice was based on proffered styling.

Pontiac for sure!

Dodge, so different !

Pontiac next and Merc last as I prefer the fastback roofline styling.

Nice choices John, thank-you. 

Steve

Pontiac, Mercury and because it's included here Dodge. All things considered; I'd never look twice at that Dodge. Now if the Dodge had been an 880, I would have taken it 2nd.

Two full-size against one mid-size, to make it fair here is the full-size Dodge:

 OOPs it is a '64. The difference was in the back.

I choose the Pontiac. The mid-size Dodge pictured in the poll is one of the ugly early '60's but the full-size Dodge 880 looks quite a better in my opinion.

Thanks to Barry, I'm well aware of the 880s, I've used them in prior comparisons. Truth is I can't recall ever seeing an 880 live and in person.  On the flip side, I've seen countless Darts and Polars competing with full size Chevys, Pontiacs and Fords on the streets and drag strips.

Pontiac by a mile: it looks so good. Then Dodge for its size.

Mercury with its breezeway window. Pontiac second and Dodge last.

My brother had a 62 Dodge and I loved the diagonal headlights, so I went with the Dodge.

PONTIAC FOR THE EASY WIN; MERCURY SECOND THEN DODGE.  I HAVE WARMED UP TO THIS YEAR DODGE A LOT IN RECENT YEARS AND THIS 2DRHT EXAMPLE IN BLACK LOOKS IMPRESSIVE.

Posted by: @sizedoesmatter

Thanks to Barry, I'm well aware of the 880s, I've used them in prior comparisons. Truth is I can't recall ever seeing an 880 live and in person.  On the flip side, I've seen countless Darts and Polars competing with full size Chevys, Pontiacs and Fords on the streets and drag strips.

I have actually owned one, what a boat.

My wife drove it most, thank goodness. 360x2 big block, push button auto, open rear.  The trunk was big enough to live in, not to mention the back seat.

@brush - Appears they used a Chrysler body/platform with a Dodge front clip.

The 880 was a stop-gap model for Dodge. Chrysler had anticipated that GM was downsizing their full-size cars for '62 and shortened their full-size offerings to match. While the new designs were actually Dodge's full-size cars, the public didn't see it that way. Aside from the controversial designs originally intended for a much larger platform, the size kept people away in droves. Dodge and Plymouth we hemorrhaging money. Chrysler quickly cobbled together a  hodgepodge (hodgedodge?) of pieces to make the 1962 880. Here's what the wiki says, "Without lead time sufficient to develop an all-new full-sized Dodge, Chrysler approved the sharing of the full-size body used by the Chrysler Newport and the non-letter 300 series. The models were differentiated by mating a modified 1961 Dodge Polara front clip to the Newport's de-finned rear quarter panels and passenger compartment. Since the 1962 Newport sedans had themselves been created by mating a modified 1961 Newport front clip to the de-finned bodies of 1961 Dodge Polaras, this meant that the 1962 Custom 880 was essentially the reunion of the front and rear ends of the 1961 Dodge Polara, updated for 1962 by way of the 1962 Newport." Voila! Dodige had a "new" full-size offering built on a body they had used in 1960. 

For '63, they cleaned up the front end and make it look more contemporary. There was another upgrade in '64.