392 CI Chrysler Hemi V-8 engine built by Art Chrisman
Richmond 4-speed manual transmission
Ford 9-inch rear end with limited slip differential
Watts link
Anti-wrap leaf springs
Custom upper control arms
Oversized sway bars in front and rear
8-point roll cage
Fuel cell with redundant fuel pumps and water separator

Racing for the future and to secure sales to a fickle buying public, the Big Three consistently revised and redesigned models for the coming year, subsequently ensuring the previous year would be obsolete in just a few short months. Dodge was no different, and in 1954, under the direction of Virgil Exner, Dodge celebrated its 40th year of business and introduced what’s been called the most luxurious, elegant car to bear the Dodge name: the Royal. Topping out the Dodge line above the Meadowbrook and Coronet, the Royal was not only delightfully trimmed and luxuriously appointed, but an interesting choice for performance-minded people as well.

The 1954 Dodge was one of the lightest yet most robust Chrysler products available at the time and the lightest Chrysler vehicle to pack the company’s powerful Hemi V-8 engine. A 1954 Royal convertible was chosen to pace the year’s Indianapolis 500, and a number of Dodges participated in the La Carrera Panamericana, a grueling road race famous for its challenging and dangerous roads that ranged through low, hot valleys to mountainous heights that affected both cars and drivers with ever-changing conditions. The volcanic ash that was mixed into the asphalt shredded tires at an alarming rate, and changes in elevation and temperature forced drivers to perform regular maintenance on their racers to keep them running through the entire ordeal.

The 1954 Dodge’s double-channel, box-section frame supported an independent front suspension with coil springs and semi-elliptical, grooved leaf springs in the back; that, combined with Oriflow shocks, hydraulic brakes with Cyclebond linings and steel wheels with safety rims made it a remarkably solid vehicle. Under the hood was the 241/150 HP Red Ram Hemi V-8. Free breathing and high revving, the Red Ram Hemi mated to such a light, stiff vehicle created a perfect storm of agility, quickness and solidity. It was a hard car to beat on many fronts and a fabulous competitor in many races.

This 1954 Dodge Royal Club Coupe was purchased in Los Angeles from a collector who supplied cars to the movie studios. The car was bought for the sole purpose of building a La Carrera Panamericana race car and was built with numerous performance enhancements, including a 500 HP engine built by Art Chrisman. In 1998, it was entered in Martin Swig’s La Carrera Nevada, where it scored a best of seventh place in the unlimited class and was clocked at 153 MPH. It has also participated three times in the La Carrera Panamericana race. In the 2003 event, it finished 17th overall out of 76 entrants with a time of 3:59:01 through the seven-day event under the control of driver Robert H. Primmer and co-pilot Robert W. Primmer.