Finding a model name for a car is a tricky task to complete. First and foremost, it must be marketable. The model name must appeal to a broad audience without being so bland that it turns people away. And you have to be able to invoke emotion with a single word that will, for better or worse, stick with the car. Think of all of the good model names out there for a second. Now, imagine it’s the mid-1950s and deep within the offices of Plymouth, a company that up that point had been making cars with names like “Special Deluxe”, “Cranbrook”, and “Plaza”. What kind of reaction took place when the name “Fury” was uttered? Fury invokes the state of mind that occurs when anger boils over into something more. It’s that moment when the consequences vaporize, de-escalation is no longer an option, and all hell breaks loose. It’s amazing to see that Plymouth allowed it at all.

Looking at this 1964 Plymouth Fury, however, it makes perfect sense. Dark red paint with just enough chrome to be flashy, not gaudy. All of the right looks from Mopar’s super stock racers, fitted onto the top-of-the-line Plymouth. A 500ci big-block that is producing enough grunt that even the 31″ Mickey Thompsons out back can be turned molten at will. There was no way that anyone in Auburn Hills could’ve seen what this car would’ve become decades after the fact, but whoever approved Fury as a model name earned their pay that day. Plymouth had many good model names later on…Barracuda, Road Runner, Scamp, Valiant, and others…but none had the grab of that one word.

eBay Link: 1964 Plymouth Fury