Favourite Automotive Advertisements: 1956 Dodge La Femme | The Every day Drive

October 6, 2023

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Dodge is aware of what a girl desires.

1956 Dodge La Femme — 1955 Dodge La Femme Mailer

The great thing about nuclear-family period sexism is how self-revealing it’s. On this very actual, and really forgotten, print advert from 1956, we be taught that of all of the fashions Dodge provided that yr, ladies—with their restricted wants and easy pursuits—might be fully placated by a single choice package deal, so long as it made the automotive pink.

Extra traditional automotive advertisements

Favourite Automotive Advertisements: 1956 Dodge La Femme

The Dodge La Femme, was made accessible to the women of the Union in 1955 and 1956, and addressed all of the automotive considerations your higher half may need, which apparently had been restricted to paint, inside trim, and matching equipment. No worries, hubby can fear concerning the technical stuff, and apparently pay for the automotive.

The La Femme was first seen in 1955, and per a letter despatched to sellers that yr, the automotive was an enormous success. So standard, the truth is, that it could be provided once more in 1956.

The La Femme was not truly a mannequin, however an choice package deal provided solely on the topline Customized Royal hardtop coupe. The La Femme was provided solely in a single exterior shade mixture (Sapphire White/Heather Rose for 1955, and Misty Orchid/Regal Orchid for ’56), and single cabin trim package deal, which was up to date for ’56. Once more, this as a result of ladies’s wants are easy.

Included each years was a cabin-matching purse, which got here stocked with such journey requirements as a face-powder compact, lipstick case, cigarette case, comb, cigarette lighter, and a change purse. The purse fillers had been all fabricated from both faux-tortoiseshell plastic and gold-tone steel, or pink calfskin and gold-tone steel, and all had been designed and produced by jewellery maker Evans Case Firm of North Attleboro, Massachusetts.

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The La Femme package deal didn’t come low cost. The choice listed for $143 each years it was provided, which involves roughly $1600 immediately.

Regardless of employment of a tri-fold mailer/brochure which opened with the catchy line, “By Particular Appointment to Her Majesty… the American Lady,” American ladies just about stayed away from the La Femme. It’s onerous to know, some 70 years therefore, precisely how patronizing this advertising effort was perceived to be, however even within the Father Is aware of Finest period, the La Femme needed to be appeared upon cynically by most of its supposed viewers.

Stable numbers should not available, however educated guesses put whole La Femme gross sales at about 2500 mixed unites for 1955 and 1956.

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Some ideas on the La Femme:

This automotive was virtually actually a resale catastrophe. As most automobiles offered within the Fifties had been finally offered the boys, the La Femme’s shade scheme, and troubling mannequin title, meant the universe of seemingly second-hand patrons was essentially restricted.

Most La Femme purchases would seemingly have been as second vehicles. As such, they’d function backup for the first automotive within the family, nonetheless no male head-of-household—particularly within the Fifties—was going to drive his spouse’s pink-on-pink Dodge, even in an emergency. I’d argue the automotive’s gender-specific mission damage gross sales to housewives because of this.

Phrase is, the La Femme was a right away hit with an sudden buyer base: Pimps. I can discover little to assist this declare, however multiple particular person round on the time has advised that this was the case, and it was perceived to be an issue by the parents at Dodge. Sounds loopy, nevertheless it additionally sounds attainable.

What might be the most-galling aspect of this specific advert is the suggestion that the La Femme is “completely yours.” If, by unique, Dodge means the single-spec, single-trim, single-body-style mannequin designed to suit the wants of half the nation’s inhabitants, then yeah, certain, the La Femme was unique. This whereas extra sophisticated male clients had been served by the opposite 30 or so Dodge choices accessible in 1955 and 1956, together with six station wagon fashions. The La Femme is each uncommon, and solely considerably fascinating, as such, it’s worth is troublesome to find out. As of this printing, no La Femmes can be found on the market on line, although current gross sales however the good-condition transaction worth of Dodge’s ladies-only coupes at round $40,000. And in the event you can’t discover a purchaser for it once you’re able to promote, perhaps you’ll be able to lease the automotive to a brothel. Is perhaps a enjoyable factor to park within the entrance lot.

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