The Dodge 600 is a

mid-size car Mid-size—also known as intermediate—is a vehicle size class which originated in the United States and is used for cars larger than compact cars and smaller than full-size cars. "Large family car" is a UK term and a part of the D-segment in ...

that was built by

Dodge Dodge is an American brand of automobiles and a division of Stellantis, based in Auburn Hills, Michigan. Dodge vehicles have historically included performance cars, and for much of its existence Dodge was Chrysler's mid-priced brand above P ...

. It was introduced in 1982, as a 1983 model, based on the

Chrysler E platform The Chrysler E platform referred to two separate and unrelated car ranges. The "E" designation was initially used for the following rear wheel drive cars in the 1970s: * 1970-1974 Dodge Challenger, wheelbase * 1970-1974 Plymouth Barracuda, {{conv ...

and was discontinued after the 1988 model year. It was

Chrysler Stellantis North America (officially FCA US and formerly Chrysler ()) is one of the " Big Three" automobile manufacturers in the United States, headquartered in Auburn Hills, Michigan. It is the American subsidiary of the multinational automotiv ...

's answer to the GM A-body, whereas the M-body

Dodge Diplomat The Dodge Diplomat is an American mid-size car that was produced by Dodge from 1977 to 1989. At launch, it shared a common design with the Chrysler LeBaron and for much of its later production run was the counterpart of the Chrysler Fifth Aven ...

would compete with

full-size car Full-size car—also known as large car—is a vehicle size class which originated in the United States and is used for cars larger than mid-size cars, it is the largest size class for cars. In Europe, it is known as E-segment or F-segment. ...

s. It replaced the

400 __NOTOC__ Year 400 ( CD) was a leap year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. In the Roman Empire, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Stilicho and Aurelianus (or, less frequently, year ...

. (Dodge 600 coupes and convertibles were, essentially, rebadged 400s.) Like the preceding 400, it was positioned between the Aries and

Diplomat A diplomat (from grc, δίπλωμα; romanized ''diploma'') is a person appointed by a state or an intergovernmental institution such as the United Nations or the European Union to conduct diplomacy with one or more other states or interna ...

Debut

The 600 was intended to be Dodge's answer to the European sedans of the day. Its numerical name and rear-end styling was designed to evoke thoughts of

Mercedes-Benz Mercedes-Benz (), commonly referred to as Mercedes and sometimes as Benz, is a German luxury and commercial vehicle automotive brand established in 1926. Mercedes-Benz AG (a Mercedes-Benz Group subsidiary established in 2019) is headquarte ...

models, however it fell more in line with North American contemporaries such as the

Chevrolet Celebrity The Chevrolet Celebrity is a mid-size automobile that was produced by the Chevrolet division of General Motors from the 1982 to 1990 model years. Replacing the Malibu, the Celebrity was initially slotted between the Citation and the Impala wit ...

Pontiac 6000 The Pontiac 6000 is a Mid-size automobile manufactured and marketed by Pontiac for model years 1982-1991 in 2-door coupe, 4-door sedan and 5-door wagon body styles – as one of four rebadged variants, including the Buick Century, Chevrolet Celeb ...

and the

Ford Fairmont The Ford Fairmont is a model line of compact cars that was manufactured by Ford from the 1978 to 1983 model years. The successor of the Ford Maverick, the Fairmont marked the third generation of compact sedans sold by Ford in North America and ...

(the 600 actually resembled the Dodge Mirada more than any European car). It debuted as a four-door sedan, available in two trims: Base and ES ("Euro Sport"). Power was provided by Chrysler's 2.2 L 4-cylinder engine, with the Mitsubishi-built 2.6 L

4-cylinder The engine configuration describes the fundamental operating principles by which internal combustion engines are categorized. Piston engines are often categorized by their cylinder layout, valves and camshafts. Wankel engines are often categorize ...

available as an option. File:Dodge 600 coupe.jpg, 1984–1985 Dodge 600 coupe File:'86-'87 Dodge 600 Convertible.jpg, 1986 Dodge 600 convertible File:1988600.jpg, 1988 Dodge 600 sedan File:1986-88 Dodge 600 SE rear.jpg, Rear of 1986-1988 600 SE sedan Sales of the 600 nearly doubled in its second year. This was in large part due to the addition of the former 400's coupe and convertible body styles to the 600's range (which continued to stay on the K platform). Like most midrange-to-upscale K-car derivatives, digital dashboards and the Electronic Voice Alert were options.

ES Turbo

Midway into 1984 Dodge introduced a sporty new "ES Turbo" package for convertibles. It featured Chrysler's new 2.2 L Turbocharged engine (which also became an option on sedans and coupes) and a special sport-tuned "ES" suspension. The interior came with standard leather seats, digital dashboard, and four-spoke steering wheel (redesigned in 1985). Visual exterior cues differentiate ES models from base convertibles by way of blacked-out trim (replacing much of the chrome), 15-inch "pizza" style aluminum wheels, "ES" decklid badges, Turbo fender badges, and functioning dual hood vents. Sales of the ES Turbo were initially slow, with only 1786 copies being sold for the 1984 model year. Output increased to 5621 for 1985, then eased to 4759 for 1986, after which the model was discontinued along with all 600 convertibles. Base price for the 1986 ES Turbo convertible was $14,856.

Midlife changes

Several changes were made to the 600 in 1985. The former base and ES trims were dropped, replaced by a new SE trim. This was due in part to the introduction of the

Lancer A lancer was a type of cavalryman who fought with a lance. Lances were used for mounted warfare in Assyria as early as and subsequently by Persia, India, Egypt, China, Greece, and Rome. The weapon was widely used throughout Eurasia during the ...

, which would have competed directly with the 600 (the 5-speed

manual transmission A manual transmission (MT), also known as manual gearbox, standard transmission (in Canada, the United Kingdom, and the United States), or stick shift (in the United States), is a multi-speed motor vehicle transmission (mechanics), transmission ...

was no longer offered as well, in an attempt to keep competition between the

and 600 to a minimum). The

coupe A coupe or coupé (, ) is a passenger car with a sloping or truncated rear roofline and two doors. The term ''coupé'' was first applied to horse-drawn carriages for two passengers without rear-facing seats. It comes from the French past parti ...

and

convertible A convertible or cabriolet () is a passenger car that can be driven with or without a roof in place. The methods of retracting and storing the roof vary among eras and manufacturers. A convertible car's design allows an open-air driving expe ...

remained relatively unchanged except for minor trim and interior changes. The only significant advancement was the replacement of the 2.2 L engine's two-barrel Holley electronic feedback

carburetor A carburetor (also spelled carburettor) is a device used by an internal combustion engine to control and mix air and fuel entering the engine. The primary method of adding fuel to the intake air is through the venturi tube in the main meteri ...

by an electronic throttle-body

fuel injection Fuel injection is the introduction of fuel in an internal combustion engine, most commonly automotive engines, by the means of an injector. This article focuses on fuel injection in reciprocating piston and Wankel rotary engines. All com ...

system. The sedan's base trim returned in 1986, while all 600s were given new, restyled front and rear fascias (the front in particular adopted the now familiar "crosshair" grille, dropping the Mirada-inspired horizontal slats). The 2.6 L engine was replaced by a modified 2.5 L version of the Chrysler 2.2 L.

End of production

The phase out of the 600 started in 1987 with the coupe and convertible versions being discontinued in that year. Production of the sedan ended in 1988. The 600 was replaced by the 1988 Dodge Dynasty (badged as a

in Canada, whereas the Canadian successor is the

Dodge Spirit The Dodge Spirit is a mid-size 5- or 6-passenger sedan that was introduced in January 1989 as a replacement for the similarly sized Dodge 600. The Spirit was Dodge's version of the Chrysler AA platform, a stretched variation of the Chrysler K ...

). There were negotiations to build the car in China after production ended. Hongqi imported a couple of 600s and applied a new rear end and Hongqi badging, intending to sell them as the Hongqi CA750F in China. However, Volkswagen's long-term outlook convinced the Chinese otherwise and Hongqi chose to build the

Audi 100 The Audi 100 and Audi 200 (and sometimes called Audi 5000 in North America) are primarily mid-size/executive cars manufactured and marketed by the Audi division of the Volkswagen Group. The car was made from 1968 to 1997 across four generations (C ...

instead, albeit fitted with a locally built version of Chrysler's 2.2-liter inline-four.

Production

Production Figures:

References

{{Dodge Canada Timeline 600 Front-wheel-drive vehicles Mid-size cars Coupés Convertibles Sedans Cars introduced in 1982