| Dodge La Femme |
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The Dodge La Femme was a product of the Chrysler Corporation 's ''' Dodge ''' division between 1955 and 1956 . The La Femme's ''Raison D'être'' stemmed from Chrysler's marketing department's observation that more and more women were taking interest in automobiles during the 1950s , and that women’s opinions on which color car to buy was becoming part of the decision making process for couples buying an automobile. The La Femme was an attempt to gain a foothold in the women's automobile market. The La Femme concept was based upon two Chrysler show cars from the 1954 season. Named Le Comte, and '''La Comtesse''', each was built from a Chrysler Newport hardtop body, and each was given a clear plastic roof over the entire passenger compartment. While the Le Comte was designed using masculine colors, the La Comtesse was painted "Dusty Rose" and "Pigeon Grey" in order to convey femininity. Favorable responses encouraged Chrysler to pursue the La Comtesse concept. Dodge received the project and renamed the concept the La Femme, which began as a 1955 Dodge Custom Royal Lancer hardtop, painted "Sapphire White" and "Heather Rose". From there, the exterior received special gold colored "La Femme" scripts that replaced the standard "Custom Royal Lancer" scripts on the cars front fenders. The interior of the car also received attention and features. La Femme interiors were upholstered in a special Tapestry material featuring pink rosebuds on a pale pink background and pale pink vinyl trim. The La Femme also came with a rectangular purse that coordinated with the interior of the car. The purse could be stowed in a special compartment built into the back of the passenger seat. Each purse was outfitted with a matching set, which included a compact lipstick case, cigarette case, lighter and change purse, all by designed and made by “Evans”. On the back of the drivers seat was a compartment that contained a raincoat, rain bonnet and umbrella, which was coordinated to match the rosebud interior fabric. Dodge marketing brochures for the La Femme stated clearly that the car was made ''"By Special Appointment to Her Majesty... the American Woman."'' For 1956 , the La Femme returned, with no less fanfare; letters to dealers from Dodge’s marketing department called the La Femme a "stunning success". For 1956, Dodge replaced the Heather Rose and Sapphire White scheme with a Misty Orchid and Regal Orchid color scheme. The interior of the car in 1956 did not take its cue from the 1955 model, and instead featured "La Femme" only seat patterns, headliner, interior paint and carpet. The boxes behind the seats were also changed for 1956 to accommodate the rain coat, rain cap and umbrella that came with the model. Dodge dropped the La Femme for 1957 and did not revisit the concept. Because the La Femme was a $143 option package, its total production was never broken out from Dodge's production numbers, although research suggests 1,500 were produced in 1955 and 1,000 produced in 1956. SOURCES
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