Dodge C series

The C series is a line of pickup trucks sold by Dodge from 1954 until 1960. It replaced the Dodge B series of trucks and was eventually supplanted by the Dodge D series, introduced in 1961. Unlike the B series, which were closely related to Dodge's prewar trucks, the C series was a complete redesign. Dodge continued the "pilot house" tradition of high-visibility cabs with a wraparound windshield introduced in 1955. A two-speed "PowerFlite" automatic transmission was newly available that year. The Dodge Town Panel and Town Wagon also used the new design.

Dodge C series
1957 C-100 Sweptside
Overview
ManufacturerChrysler Corporation
Production1954-1960
AssemblyWarren, Michigan, United States
Los Angeles, California, United States (until 1955)[1]
Body and chassis
ClassFull-size pickup truck
Body style2-door pickup
LayoutFR layout
Powertrain
Engine230 cu in (3.8 L) I6
315 cu in (5.2 L) V8
318 cu in (5.2 L) V8
331 cu in (5.4 L) V8
Transmission3-speed automatic
2-speed PowerFlite automatic
Dimensions
Wheelbase108 in (2,743 mm)
116 in (2,946 mm)
Chronology
PredecessorDodge B series
SuccessorDodge D series
Dodge LCF series (for medium/heavy-duty trucks)

Chrysler called the Hemi-powered Dodge trucks "Power Giant" in 1957, and introduced power steering and brakes, a three-speed automatic, and a 12-volt electrical system. From 1957 to 1959, Dodge offered the Sweptside pickup, a rival to the Chevrolet Cameo Carrier, but it never became a bestseller.[2] A flat-sided (and thus wider) "Sweptline" cargo box came in 1959. The company also adopted the standard pickup truck numbering scheme, also used by Ford and GM at that time. Thus, the ½ ton Dodge was now called the D100. The traditional separate-fender body "Utiline" version remained available, with a GVWR of up to 9,000 lb (4,100 kg) on 1-ton models.

After an agreement between Dodge and Studebaker, the C-Series' pickup bed also saw use in the Studebaker Champ pickup truck range.[3][4][5]

Four wheel drive W-Series Power Wagons

Starting in the 1957 model year, factory four wheel drive versions of the Dodge C Series trucks were produced and sold as the W-100, W-200, W-300, and W-500, alongside the older WDX/WM-300 "Military Style" Dodge Power Wagon. The pickups had the "Power Wagon" badge on the fender.[6] The heavy duty four wheel drive W-300 and W-500 trucks were marketed as "Power Giants".[6][7]

Engines
  • 1957-1960; Flathead I6, 120 hp (89 kW)
  • 1959; 331 in³ FirePower V8, 172 hp (128 kW)
  • 1957-1959; 315 in³ Red Ram V8, 204 hp (152 kW)
  • 1959; 318 in³ A-type V8, 200 hp (150 kW)
  • 1954–56 model
    1954–56 model
  • 1957 model (Sweptside pickup)
    1957 model (Sweptside pickup)
  • 1958–60 model
    1958–60 model

Medium-duty/heavy-duty C series
Main article: Dodge LCF series

Since it still used the older cab design, the C series name was continued for Dodge's line of medium- and heavy-duty trucks (better known as the LCF series) through the 1975 model year, long after most of Dodge's other trucks had moved to the newer D series designation.

Four Wheel Drive also utilized C series cabs for many of its medium- and heavy-duty trucks; however, because Chrysler needed plant capacity for its newer light-duty truck models, manufacture of these later C series cabs — for both Dodge and FWD — was outsourced to Checker in Kalamazoo, MI.[8]

References
  1. VIN classification
  2. "1957-1959 Dodge D100 Sweptside Pickup". HowStuffWorks. Retrieved 28 April 2015.
  3. "Cohort Outtake: 1963 Studebaker Champ – The Most Ill-Fitting Bed Ever". 29 March 2018. Retrieved 30 July 2021.
  4. "A look at Studebaker's last trucks, 1960-'64". Hemmings. Pat Foster. Retrieved 4 October 2023.
  5. "Cobbled Carrier: 1964 Studebaker Champ". Barn Finds. Russ Dixon. Retrieved 4 October 2023.
  6. Ackerson, Robert C.. Standard Catalog of 4 X 4's: A Comprehensive Guide to Four-wheel Drive Vehicles Including Trucks, Vans and Sports Sedans and Sport Utility Vehicles, 1945-1993. United States: Krause Publications, 1993.
  7. Petroleum Week. United States: McGraw-Hill Publishing Company, Incorporated, 1958. advertisement: "De Soto and Fargo four-wheel drive models combine all the features of a conventional two-wheel-drive. Available in Body styles, a chassis-cab , chassis-cowl , or the famous military-type Power-Wagon ( W-300M ) are now available ."
  8. "Checker and the Dodge C-series Truck Cab". 24 February 2017.
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