The traditional American convertible will not be the highest collectible in our continent, nevertheless it ought to be. Huge American barges eat up highways whereas carrying the entire tribe with aplomb. Nonetheless, most of them featured run-of-the-mill engines missing the horsepower to run onerous, however not our Choose of the Day, a 1968 Dodge Polara convertible. It’s listed on the market on ClassicCars.com by a dealership in New Braunfels, Texas. (Click on the hyperlink to view the itemizing)

The Polara title was first launched in 1960, changing into the top-of-the-line Dodge. In 1962, the Polara 500, a buckets-and-console mannequin out there as a hardtop and convertible, was launched, pushing the Polara down a notch however nonetheless serving the identical function as a prime trim degree with a number of physique types out there. However this was the “downsized” Dodge, and the Customized 880 was created midyear as a senior Dodge to placate the seller community and the car-buying public.

In 1965, the all-new full-size C-body was launched. On the prime was a brand new coupe known as the Monaco, created to compete with the Pontiac Grand Prix. The Customized 880 then turned the highest mainstream full-size Dodge, leaving the Polara on the backside. However, bear in mind, this was Dodge and never Plymouth, so commonplace V8s had been a part of the equation, on this case the 383 two-barrel V8.

For 1967, Dodge C-bodies had been restyled in time for the Dodge Riot. By then, Monaco had changed the Customized 880 as probably the most luxurious of the mainstream huge Dodges, with the Monaco 500 taking part in the function of the sporty personal-luxury coupe. The Polara continued to play the bread-and-butter function, with the Polara 500 nonetheless that includes bucket seats and the no-cost possibility of a console. There additionally was a brand new, cheaper Polara 318 that may ultimately change into the usual Polara for 1968, although the engine was redesigned.

Although it could be straightforward to suppose that huge vehicles typically had highly effective engines, that’s merely not the case. Probably the most highly effective engine generally present in Polaras appears to be the 383 four-barrel, with most being the 318 and 383 two-barrel. Discovering a 440 Magnum — the identical engine discovered within the Coronet R/T and Charger R/T, is kind of uncommon, particularly in a convertible. That’s what makes this 1968 Polara convertible stand out, and it’s 100% legit per the VIN and fender tag. Complementing the white hue are Magnum 500 wheels, which had been a respectable possibility for this automobile. Take a peek inside and also you’re greeted by “an expensive inside by way of deep black vinyl bench seats in the back and front that sit properly with matching door panels, carpet and sprint,” per the vendor. That’s actually no lie because the convertible’s inside was extra upscale than different Polaras. “A two-spoke steering wheel sits forward of a 120-mph speedometer and manufacturing facility auxiliary gauges that embody a gasoline gauge, water temperature, battery cost and oil stress.”

With the odometer displaying 75,000 miles on the clock, this huge American cruiser nonetheless has sufficient life in it to tackle each freeway you throw at it. Thumbs up come up as typically as a Hemi-something, so why mortgage your own home for that elephant when you possibly can have a whale for $29,000?

To view this itemizing on ClassicCars.com, see Choose of the Day.