By the time Dodge released their 1955 model lineup, the marque’s convoluted naming scheme had finally been sorted and simplified. The “Custom Royal” had replaced the “Royal” as the top V-8 powered trim, and the Lancer name was applied to three of the four Custom Royal body styles: a sedan, a convertible, and a hardtop coupe.

The 1955 Dodge Custom Royal also saw significant upgrades, with all-new body shells and a Hemi-headed Super Red Ram V-8 engine bored out to 270 cubic inches. This model was wider, longer, lower, and more powerful than its 1954 predecessors.

Other new features for 1955 included a four-way power front seat, power windows, and Full-Time Coaxial Power Steering, along with an automatic transmission control lever integrated into the instrument panel. The Custom line further distinguished itself with chrome “pinched” tailfins, and new taillight surrounds.

This attractive 1955 Custom Royal Lancer Convertible showcases Dodge’s premium offering in the first year of Virgil Exner’s celebrated “Forward Look” styling. While Maury Baldwin designed the 1955 lineup, Exner’s influence is evident in features like the wraparound windshield and intricate grille shape.

Though its early history is unknown, by 1983 this splendid Custom Royal had entered the stable of a California-based collector. While under his care it was lavished with the comprehensive, well-appointed restoration with which it presents today. The exemplary quality of this prior restoration remains plainly evident, despite signs of graceful aging. The car remained with this same owner until April 2006, at which point it was purchased by the consignor and moved to his storage facility in Connecticut.

With its dazzling Heather Rose and Sapphire White paint combo, complemented by matching Cordgrain vinyl upholstery and a sleek black convertible soft-top, this car turns heads at every corner. Beneath the hood roars the optional Super Red Ram 270-cubic-inch V-8 engine topped with two-barrel Stromberg carburetors and mated to a smooth PowerFlite automatic transmission.

As Dodge’s top-tier model, it is loaded with luxury features: power steering, a push-button radio, cabin heater, power-operated convertible top, dashboard clock, dual side mirrors, integrated fog lamps, and wheels with chrome covers shod with period-style wide whitewall tires.

Elegantly restored to the highest standards and then driven only modestly since, this Custom Royal Lancer Convertible embodies the timeless allure of mid-century American automotive design.