Designed by Virgil Exner’s styling department, the Polara featured striking jet-inspired aesthetics, characterized by abundant chrome trim encircling the windscreen and rear glass, reverse tailfins embracing recessed taillights, and a split chrome strip spanning the length of the body.
Available in Sedan, Hardtop Sedan, Convertible, and Station Wagon variants, the most captivating among them was the pillarless Hardtop Coupe, known as model number 542, distinguished by its sweeping rear windscreen.
All Polara models were equipped with a smooth two-barrel 361-cid V8 engine and a three-speed manual transmission as standard. Optional upgrades included a 383-cid V8, known as the D-500, with the possibility of adding Ram Induction. Many Polara customers opted for the convenience of the push-button TorqueFlite automatic transmission.
However, despite its allure, only 1,862 Hardtops were produced in 1961, with the unconventional styling being cited as a factor contributing to its disappointing sales figures. Consequently, surviving examples of the Polara are now a rarity, especially when compared to Chevrolet’s staggering production of 177,969 Impala Hardtops during the same period.
With a design reminiscent of the futuristic aesthetics of the “Jetsons” era, the Polara Hardtop stands as a masterpiece of automotive art. Today, surviving examples of this iconic vehicle are highly sought after by collectors, further cementing its status as a prized automotive relic.
Photo Source: RM Sotheby’s
