After three years without a true full-size car to compare to Ford or Chevrolet, Plymouth returned to the big-car ranks with the 1965 Fury line.
Sport Fury Convertible
When the formerly full-sized Plymouth and Dodge were trimmed down to near-intermediate dimensions by the Chrysler Corporation in 1962, that left both brands without a true big car to compete against Ford and Chevrolet. At Dodge the issue was resolved late in the ’62 model year with the Chrysler-based 880, but Plymouth had to soldier on for three seasons with a full-sized product that wasn’t quite full-sized. Plymouth sales certainly suffered for it, as volume fell below the half-million cars level.
That situation was finally remedied for 1965 with the overhaul of the Chrysler/Dodge corporate C-body platform, when Plymouth received its own version as well. While all three brands now shared the same basic package, the wheelbase at Chrysler was 124 inches, 121 inches at Dodge, and 119 inches at Plymouth. (However, wagons all shared the Dodge 121-in wheelbase.) Some said that at 209.4 inches in overall length, this was the biggest Plymouth in history. But actually, the ’65 was nearly identical in size to the ’57-’61 Forward Look cars.
Fury I Two-Door Sedan
Trim level designations were a model of simplicity: Fury I, Fury II, Fury III, and Sport Fury. The Fury I was the bare-bones base model, stripped down for fleet use, while the Fury II and Fury III included carpeting and other deluxe features. The glamorous Sport Fury stood at the top of the lineup with a classy all-vinyl interior and optional bucket seats, available as a two-door Hardtop Coupe (lead photo above) or a Convertible. A full complement of Mopar’s capable engines was offered, from Slant 6 to 426 CID wedge-head V8.
Fury I (left) and Sport Fury interiors
Exterior design was now firmly in the hands of Elwood Engel, vice president of styling. He’d come from Ford to Chrysler at the recommendation of Ford styling boss George Walker, replacing Virgil Exner. The ’65 C-body cars, Plymouth included, bear his signature. The Plymouth version opted for vertical quad headlamps, which were definitely a thing in the mid-sixties. Pontiac came first in ’63 in this cycle, while Ford, American Motors, and Plymouth jumped on the bandwagon in ’65.
Fury II Two-Door Sedan
With prices ranging from $2,378 to $3,209, Plymouth now had a full range of full-size cars to compete directly with the big cars from Ford and Chevrolet. The four-door post sedans were the volume leaders, just as we would expect. The big cars contributed 330,000 units to Plymouth’s total volume in ’75, pushing the brand back up over the 700,000 mark, its historic level. In various forms, all rear-wheel drive, there was a Fury in the Plymouth lineup through 1989.
Sport Fury Convertible Indianapolis 500 pace car 
In the mid 60s, Wisconsin, and many other State Patrols used 1965-1966 Plymouth sedans. They ruled the highways and for good reason. Several years later, a neighbor bought a repainted, decommissioned 1965 Plymouth ex-state patrol car, when that practice was allowed. I found out why they were the king. It had a 383-4 barrel, 3 speed column shift, cop shocks, cop suspension, cop brakes, and 3:23 gears and before converters, so it ran on regular gas,( that was our premium today), it was the 1st time I went 120 mph in that car. I believe Plymouth was a #4 seller, and while they had huge success at the dragstrip with the Belvedere,( 1st funny cars) that spilled over to the showrooms, the Furys were the cars they drove at home. They were wonderful cars.
My daily is a Vapor Grey ex-Ohio State Highway Patrol 2014 Dodge Hemi Charger Pursuit, last of the good ones. Nobody ever tailgates it or pulls out in front of me for some odd reason. Runs like a scalded dog, bone stock it cracks 100mph in the quarter…
Always enjoy Howard’s comments (even though he might be younger than I).
1965- no more pushbuttons: it’s the year of Chrysler Kokomo transmission factory’s one-year-only cable column shifted Torqueflight automatic with a slip yoke.
(’64 was last year for ball and trunion style U-joints). But put that clutch pedal, four speed and a 413 wedge in my full-size Plymouth-only two-door hardtop Fury 1 police pursuit special, any color with any interior but no AC please…
my dad had a beater wagon he paid about $100 for when I was 15-16 so that’s what I got taught to drive in, that and the new B210s used for driver’s ed. The Datsuns were much easier to drive as they weren’t huge
That lead photo is a peculiar one. It’s probably not prudent to show people peering under your product, presumably to figure out where that horrible noise is coming from. And at first glance, it looks like that woman is trying to push a disabled car toward the Indy 500 pits.
It’s hard to determine whether Elwood Engel’s influence is the reason why the 1965 Fury’s front end looks so much like a 1965 Ford but it’s an attractive car. And that hardtop’s roof can’t be mistaken for anything but a Mopar. I very much like the styling of the 1964-1972 Plymouths. Even the Valiant was looking decent by then.
Ha! You know what’s great about MCG, is the interaction and interpretations. I got a chuckle out of your comment, it never occurred to me why they were looking under a new car, the guy in back appears to be digging a hole of some sort, and the 2nd pic seems awfully suggestive. After all, it was the swingin’ 60s. As far as the front end, I never cared for stacked headlights, they all seemed to look the same.
The ads of the time called these “The Roaring 65s”, and this car was featured in several ads, one with a woman and a rifle of some sort. That wouldn’t fly today.
Big smile. “Come judge a Fury – you be the jury.”
My neighbor bought a brand new 1965 Sport Fury. Proud as all get out as he brought it home from the dealership. As he was bragging about it to my dad, I opened the passenger door. When I slammed the door shut, the window fell down inside the door. Really embarrassing but it was indicative of the quality of the day.
One of my neighbors had a VIP – what years were those offered? I remember it was a nice car
1965, the only year that a Plymouth paced the Indy 500.
A “VIP”,( whistles) who was sportin’ that kind of cash in Pressboard Estates? I read, the “VIP” was offered from 1966 to 1969, and stood for “Very Important Plymouth”, even though buyers thought otherwise. A Pontiac “Executive” was another. The $2378 was a base Fury, and the $3209 was the VIP, I believe. The VIP was the top of the line( except convertible) and had a slew of options.
VIP never sold as well as the Ford LTD or Chevy Caprice relative to total division full size sales. It showed each division’s real place in the pecking order.
Ford corporate gave Ford Division free reign to innovate upmarket. After all, the boss’ name wasn’t Henry Mercury. Chevrolet was held back in their own innovations by the 14th Floor wanting them to leave roo for B-O-P but could match Ford model for model since their “USA-1” sales position was so important for bragging rights. Plymouth had neither division management nor dealers to itself and the purchase of a Plymouth VIP required fending off at least one upsell attempt to put the buyer in a Chrysler Newport.
The VIP was new for ’66. It continued through the ’69 models, and then was replaced by the Gran Sedan and Gran Coupe.
Perhaps I’m reading this wrong…”The big cars contributed 330,000 units to Plymouth’s total volume in ’75…”
That said, I was a kid when these came out; I found it oddly coincidental that both Ford and Plymouth stacked their headlights in ’65, following the Pontiac style point from ’63. I still don’t like the tapered C pillar of the Hardtop Coupe (nor on the intermediate models as well). I did think the dash design was the best of the big 3 low priced models.
My first ever car was a ’66 Belvedere I that I paid $15 for in ’75. An old phone company car, it had the 225 and three-on-a-tree. A few pieces of shag carpet remnants to cover the holes in the floor and a larger deck speaker for the AM radio and I was good to go. I got my $15 worth out of that car that summer…
I’m 19 and my first car is a 1966 Plymouth Fury I 4 door with a carbureted LS.
My first car in 1972 was a 1965 Fury III with a 383, Hurst factory 4 speed, posi rear, bench seat. I bought it from a family friend who bought it new. He said it was called a ” Ski Package”. Fast and fun! I killed it…another one i wish I had the brains to keep.
I had two.a 67 and a 69 drop top. Both 318 mills. Nice ride in both. Just under powered.
My second car was a 65 sport fury. 426 wedge bucket seats and a 4 seed tranny. 28 gallon fuel tank that cost 10 bucks to fill with premium gas. Wish I still had that one.