Obscure Dodge you’ve likely never heard of was built only for women

This obscure Dodge is one you’ve likely never heard of, but it was built specifically for women.

Cars are often geared towards different audiences, with some being more family-friendly, while others are more suited to a bachelor lifestyle.

But a car geared specifically towards women isn’t all too common.

That’s where the Dodge La Femme comes in.

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If you want a car that screams ‘old school cool’, you’d want a Dodge.

Even when left to collect dust for 15 or 20 years, the cars from this manufacturer are classic Americana.

Couldn’t you imagine heading to a drive-in movie in this 1969 Dodge Dart GTS?

Or how about pulling up to a diner in this 1960 Dodge Dart Phoenix?

A more obscure choice of car, though, would be the Dodge La Femme, designed specifically for women.

You heard that right.

This car, based on the Custom Royal Lancer, was introduced in 1955 with exclusively utilized V8 engines.

In a show of how successful it was, it was dropped within two years.

So why was this car made – and how come it bombed so badly?

In the years following World War Two, more and more American women were driving cars.

During the war, many more of them had learned to drive, due to a lot of men being stationed overseas.

By the early 1950s, 49 percent of all licensed US drivers were women – a massive increase from 25 percent in 1935.

Getting wise to this, Dodge released a car specifically geared towards the female demographic.

In stereotypical 1950s fashion, the vehicle came in pink-on-white, before expanding to an orchid color for the 1956 model year.

The interior would be pink or red, with rosebud seat patterns for the 1955 model and lavender patterns for the 1956 model.

Not only that, but each car would also come with a matching purse, raincoat, and purse accessories.

Purse accessories being lipstick, make-up, a cigarette case, and lighter.

This was the 1950s remember. And while those accessories and enticements are interesting, it’s not a rolling home on wheels, like this woman’s car.

In terms of handling, the La Femme was basically identical to the Customer Royal Lancer.

The car was discontinued after the 1956 model year.

The reasons for its failure aren’t entirely clear, but there’s a ton of speculation.

It may just be down to the fact that women didn’t appreciate being pigeonholed with one specific car.

Or maybe slapping pink onto a car isn’t enough to win a female customer over, even with the enticing factor of additional freebies.

Approximately 2,500 La Femmes were reportedly built.

They’re seldom seen nowadays, but they’re still out there.

So next time you see a pink car pass you by, take a second look – it may be a La Femme.

That, or another one of Paris Hilton’s cars.The post Obscure Dodge you’ve likely never heard of was built only for women appeared first on Supercar Blondie.