The history of any vehicle (old or new) is a big factor in any purchase.
History is particularly important in the world of classic iron because a paper trail is very important–documentation adds big dollars to the bottom line.
The history behind this mint ’57 Dodge Custom Royal Super D-500 was the major selling point.
Jerry Sutherland
Bruce and Carla Robertson knew the couple who owned this rare fin car, so there was no doubt they were confident about its biography. They knew this car had been driven thousands of trouble-free miles across North America because the previous owners were car show gypsies.
Bruce said, “They put heart and soul into the car. It was like a child to them”. That’s why it was so hard for them to let the car go, but they were confident the Robertsons were the right people for the ’57 Custom Royal. They wanted the car to go to someone they knew.
The Dodge has been to Chryslers at Carlyle and Hot August Nights and many other major shows under the previous owners’ watch. Bruce said it was incredibly reliable for them, so it ran many trouble-free miles on those road trips.
This is a Super D-500 model, so it came with a 325 cubic inch, dual-quad, hemi engine as part of the package. The Super D-500 produced 310 horsepower, so its horsepower to cubic inch ratio was amazing for the era.
The ’57 Custom Royal has some-period correct custom touches like the fake lakeside pipes on the side of the car. This was a typical add-on back in the 50s—you could find these pipes advertised in most custom and street rod magazines.
The real exhausts exit out the back via large dual tailpipes.
The car also has the Mopar dual rear antennas—these were optional back in the late 50s, but you saw them on many fin cars in 1957-59.
There’s a functional aftermarket air conditioning system in this ’57 Dodge. They were rarely seen in 1957, but today’s drivers like the cool air option—and the previous owners spent a lot of time in hot summer weather on the car show circuit.
The Dodge is a people magnet at car shows and Bruce admitted, “A lot of people had stories about them”, but they only built a few hundred with the Super D-500 option and very few survive to this day. In other words, this ’57 Custom Royal is a rare sight at any car show.
The Robertsons don’t mind the attention and the nostalgic stories the car gets at a car show. In fact, they’re happy to answer any questions and happy to show the Custom Royal to a world where cars like this are almost extinct.
The history of the car extends to the driving experience because Bruce is very comfortable behind the wheel of the D-500. He said it tracks down the road like a dream, and it definitely has a passing gear when needed.
He doesn’t push the ’57 Dodge hard because there aren’t many 325-cubic-inch first-Gen hemis sitting on the shelf at your local Chrysler dealer. Bruce admits he has a backup engine, but he never wants to face that day.
That’s because Bruce has a standing offer from the previous owner to sell it back—who can blame him for missing this classic Mopar?
Jerry Sutherland
By: Jerry Sutherland
Jerry Sutherland is a veteran automotive writer with a primary focus on the collector car hobby. His work has been published in many outlets and publications, including the National Post, Calgary Herald, Edmonton Journal, Ottawa Citizen, Montreal Gazette, Saskatoon StarPhoenix, Regina Leader-Post, Vancouver Sun and The Truth About Cars. He is also a regular contributor to Auto Roundup Publications.
- CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR THE NEWSLETTER
- CLICK HERE to Like us on Facebook
- CLICK HERE to Follow us on Twitter
- CLICK HERE to Follow us on Pinterest
