Dodge Aspen
I haven’t posted a car in what feels like ages. I’ve had buildings on my mind lately, so I haven’t stopped to shoot automobiles as much. Admittedly, this time of year is the worst for shooting cars. The weather is prohibitive, and many people cover their babies with tarps or covers for the winter.
I’ve passed this Dodge Aspen a few times without documenting it. I’m not certain why—they’re really neat pieces of history. The Aspen and its twin, the Plymouth Volaré, were made for less than a half-decade. They were a new breed of compact car that, in hindsight, wasn’t so compact.
The Aspen and Volaré won MotorTrend’s Car of the Year award in 1976, the first year they were produced. Many were made in the first three years, but sales faded as other compacts hit the market and the cars suffered numerous recalls. If you look either of them up today, you’ll find multiple articles and blog posts discussing how awful they were.
In the TV show Bob’s Burgers, the Belcher family drives a 1976 Plymouth Volaré Stationwagon.
I found this car near East Poletown. Odds are, this car was manufactured at Dodge Main before it was demolished in 1981. I can’t help but wonder whether the owner of this car bought it while they worked at Dodge Main and drove it back and forth to the plant until they lost their job when the factory closed. Or, perhaps, after decades of working there, an oldtimer purchased it when they retired. That’s conjecture, but cars are natural storytellers.
This car has been sitting here for at least a decade and a half. I haven’t ever seen it move, anyone working on it, or even looking at it.
Eventually, this one will probably be hauled off for scrap. That’s a real bummer, as it’s a beautiful car; however, considering all the recalls the Aspen faced, it might not last long if it were restored anyways!
