Chrysler found itself in a desperate situation in the beginning of model year 1962. After a rumor that Chevrolet was downsizing all of their cars for that year, Chrysler performed a last minute downsizing on all of their designs. The downsizing did not translate well from the already approved larger stylings to the new smaller cars and resulted in an awkward looking car that was hard to sell. Compounding the situation for Dodge Division in particular was the fact that DeSoto had ended the year before and left Dodge as the sole place for a mid-priced full-sized car from Chrysler. A car they didn't have.

By January of calendar year 1962 this was remedied by borrowing the Newport platform from Chrysler and giving it a facelift with some Dodge parts. The result was christened the 880.

For 1964, the half century mark of building automobiles was cited by Dodge. From the beginning they based their trademark on dependability, careful design, solid construction, and the skills of the craftsmen in the factories. For 1964 the largest and most luxurious of the Dodge automobiles was the elegant 880 Convertible. It has definitive sports flair and made no apologies for being big, both in size and in luxury.

The 880 received its biggest makeover and became arguably the best looking of the four years the 880 was offered. This makeover was proven out by 1964 being the highest sales year for the model. Highest production year or not, the fact is that only 1,058 of the 1964s were assembled as convertibles such as the lot offered here. This example has been the recipient of a full cosmetic restoration of a solid original platform. The luxury convertible is loaded with options, including air conditioning. The lucky bidder will go home with a fascinating example of Dodge full size history and be able to enjoy it in top down style.