In 1955, A “Woman’s Car” Actually Existed, And It Came With A Purse!

#1 The year was 1955, when times were good and the war was over, and family life was at it's peak.

People were doing well, the job market was booming, and the working man was driving into the city on a daily basis and families having considerably larger bank balances. Soon, houses were being built and purchased, and many began to consider purchasing a second car.

#2 Enter The Dodge Motor Company...

Dodge Motor Company designed an apparently "female friendly" version of the Royal Lancer hardtop known as the 1955 Dodge La Femme. It was made just for the purpose of being that second car, for the wife to drive around town to do errands. The car was painted in "Heather Rose" and "Sapphire White" and complete with pink rosebud upholstery, AND, the hyper-feminine car included a driver's accessory pack that featured a rain cape, rain bonnet, and umbrella plus a pink, calf-skin leather purse which contained a powder compact, comb, lipstick case, a lighter, and cigarette case.

#3 LaFemme By Dodge...A Car Fit For A Queen.

The car was for a "discriminating" and "modern" woman, as the advertising promoted. And the advertising was heavy. Dodge pulled out every gun on this campaign, spending a record amount of money on promoting their new vehicle than they had ever spent previously.

#4 Despite All The Hullabaloo The Car Remained Unsold.

Despite employing rhetoric such as "her majesty" when describing who would drive the car, women failed to flock to Dodge's 1955 model. Cars sat unsold in showrooms, collecting dust. Perhaps it was the fact that they all looked identical and were so pink.

#5 However, Despite Low Sales, Dodge Remained True To It's Women's Car

Dodge was undeterred by the slow sales and soon came out with a 1956 model which was even pinker in color, and sleeker in style. The 1956 model of the Dodge could be custom designed with a "La Femme exclusive" that included pink/burgundy two-toned carpet, and the equally hideous feminine "Misty Orchid" and "Regal Orchid" exclusive lavender paint.

#6 They Dropped The Gender Accessories For The '56 Model.

Dodge decided to dump the gender based purse and accessories on the newer model, and instead opted to paint gold flecks in the paint and interior to match the gold emblems. Of course, men would not purchase a pink, pepto-bismal colored car, and the car business was a man's world.

#7 The 1956 La Femme Had Very Few Takers.

Sales were terrible. the 1956 La Femme had few takers less than 1,500 by most counts. Showrooms had cars lined up that never got sold, and it turned out to be the Dode Motor Company's biggest flop. Males just could not wrap their heads around spending good money on a car that served only females. However, it did teach car companies that gender based autos are not going to sell.

#8 The Cost Of The Girl Mobile... A Mere $2,800.

Between the increased cost of the bespoke paint and trim and carpet and the decline in the number sold compared to 1956, the economic justification for Dodge's girlmobile was no longer there, and there was no La Femme option offered in the 1957 model year.

#9 Women Didn't Dislike The Car, But The Men Had Control Of The Cash In The 50's.

Of the 2,500 or so La Femmes sold, it is estimated that only forty of the '55s and twenty of the '56s (including three with the 260 HP Hemi) have survived. The car's very rarity has made it highly collectible. A restored La Femme is a fascinating cultural artifact, and one must at least respect it and its designer for achieving its artistic objectives so completely.

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