Dodge Town Panel and Town Wagon

The Dodge Town Panel and Dodge Town Wagon are respectively a panel truck and a carryall, manufactured between 1954 and 1966 in the US and between 1954 and 1971 in Argentina by Dodge.[1] The Town Panel and Town Wagon trucks were based upon the design and chassis of the Dodge C Series pickup trucks with round fenders and wraparound windshields. Even after the Dodge D Series "Sweptline" pickup trucks with square fenders and flat windshields were released, the Town Wagons retained the 1958 sheet metal design of the C Series pickups and heavy-duty trucks (although they replaced the old C series pickup chassis with the newer D series platform, thus effectively mating the old body with the new chassis).[2]

Dodge Town Wagon
Dodge Town Panel
Overview
ManufacturerDodge
Production1954-1966 (USA)
1954-1971 (Argentina)
AssemblyWarren Truck Assembly
Body and chassis
ClassVan (Town Panel)
SUV (Town Wagon)
Body style2-door van
2-door SUV
LayoutFR layout
RelatedDodge C-Series
Chronology
PredecessorDodge B-series panel van and carryall
SuccessorDodge Ramcharger (passenger)
Dodge A100 (van)
Dodge Durango

Town Panel
U.S. Dodge Town Panel truck
1963 Dodge D100 Town Panel

The Town Panel truck was introduced in 1954 along with the other Dodge C Series trucks.[3][4][5][6] At the 1954 Chicago Auto Show, a golden Town Panel truck in a "jewel box setting" was used to celebrate the 50th (golden) anniversary of the Chicago Automobile Trade Association.[7] The new Dodge Town Panel styling was heavily promoted.[8] It proved to be popular with local delivery companies, such as Montgomery Ward.[1] The Town Panel had no windows or seats behind the driver and was a commercial-use vehicle. It was designed to protect loads from weather and pilferage.[1] Dodge previously had built panel delivery trucks on their Dodge B Series and older truck chassis prior to the Town Panel, but did not specifically market them separately.

The Town Panel vans were produced until 1966, when the unibody Dodge A100 commercial and passenger vans eliminated the need for the pickup chassis version, thus effectively replacing the Town Panel as a more modern, compact, and fuel efficient vehicle.[9]

Town Wagon

The Town Wagon was introduced in 1956.[1] It was a passenger version of the Town Panel with rear passenger windows.[1] It had two bench seats and upholstery for a passenger vehicle.[1] It was competitor with the Chevrolet Suburban, a station wagon body built upon a truck chassis. The Town Wagon, along with truck-chassis wagon competitors from Chevrolet, Jeep, and International, were precursors to the SUV.[9] As American cars were built lower to the ground to run on newer highways and interstates, sportsmen needed higher-riding vehicles to go onto more primitive roads, and this was a market where the Town Wagon proved popular.[10] After the discontinuation of the Town Wagon, a passenger sport utility version of the Dodge D series truck was not again developed until the third generation D Series based Dodge Ramcharger, a competitor to the Chevrolet Blazer.

The Dodge Durango, released in 1997, is considered to be the modern descendant of the Town Wagon.[11]

Town Wagon Power Wagon
1965 Dodge Power Wagon W-100 Town Panel

Dodge also produced four wheel drive versions of the Town Wagon and Town Panel vehicles, using the Power Wagon moniker and badge, along with its W series "Sweptline" pickup variants, linking them to the Dodge Power Wagon WC300 "Military Type".[12][13] These trucks were offered starting in 1957.[9] The Dodge C Series trucks were given the W-100 designation for their now available half ton four wheel drive versions.[13] These versions had a higher stance and large fender flares.[14]

References
  1. Bunn, Don. Dodge Trucks. United States: Motorbooks International, 1996.
  2. "The Unofficial Dodge Town Wagon and Panel Page". Pinztrek. Retrieved 16 October 2023.
  3. Power Wagon. United States: n.p., 1953. Chicago, Illinois, The Power Wagon Publishing Company (Volumes 90-93)
  4. Western Trucking and Motor Transportation. United States: Motor Transportation, Incorporated, 1954.
  5. Commercial Car Journal. United States: Chilton Company., 1953.
  6. Dun's Review and Modern Industry. United States: Dun & Bradstreet Publications Corporation, 1954.
  7. Trucking News. United States: n.p., 1954.
  8. The Saturday Evening Post. United States: G. Graham, March 1954. Volume 226 Issue 5
  9. DeLorenzo, Matt. Dodge 100 Years. United States: Motorbooks, 2014.
  10. White, Slaton L. 100 Years of Motorized Sportsmen. Field and Stream Oct 1995 Vol. 100, No. 6
  11. "1961 Dodge Town Wagon: Pre-Durango". Barn Finds. Jeff Lavery. Retrieved 1 October 2023.
  12. Dodge Builds Tough Trucks, 1963 Dodge Truck Sales Promotion Department, Detroit, Michigan
  13. Ackerson, Robert C.. Standard Catalog of 4 X 4's: A Comprehensive Guide to Four-wheel Drive Vehicles Including Trucks, Vans and Sports Sedans and Sport Utility Vehicles, 1945-1993. United States: Krause Publications, 1993.
  14. Town Wagon / Town Panels through the years

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