I had a dream, a crazy dream…Of aquatic, purple leviathans.

The sleep aid Ambien has known side effects, with the warning label clearly stating a user might experience crazy, lucid dreams. We wonder if Chrysler stylist Virgil Exner was having trouble with shut eye and was prescribed a 1960’s version of aforementioned sleep aid because only in a foggy dream could someone conjure up a big purple catfish with no whiskers and huge reverse fins.

Pristine “Polyfire” 318

This 1961 Dodge Catfish, er I mean Seneca, for sale on Hemmings, is a reminder of the long gone days of Detroit when a single stylist could will his concepts past the bean counters and marketing guys, even if it was based on a crazy  “Visionquest” or something like that.

Sleep aids aside, Chrysler “Forward Look” author Virgil Exner DID have a heart attack while the 1961 Mopar styling bucks were awaiting approval and in his absence the clay models were pushed into production while he was hospitalized. Whether these ’61 models would have been tweaked before approval we’ll never know, but WOW. If you think this Dodge is weird, check out the Plymouth line for 1961.

At any rate, Mopar sales were off almost a third and these models were Exner’s swan song and contributed to his termination and replacement by Ford head stylist Elwood Engle of suicide door Continental fame. Note: Engle was head styling honcho til 1974, so Exner’s termination paved the way for our beloved Coronets, Chargers, Cudas and Challengers.

All systems “Go!”

This particular Texas car is a base Seneca sedan that has received what can charitably be described as an over-restoration. That someone chose to lavish this type of rejuvenation on a 4-door post is interesting to say the least. We’d wager that most 4-door posts (which were probably police cars or taxi cabs,) were wrung out and sent to the crusher making this car arguably rarer than a 2 door or convertible. Who knows how many are left?

With torsion bars and a “Polyfire” 318 with three on the tree, it sparkles in highly rubbed “Rose Mist Poly” paint and spinner caps from a higher trim model, although it has been previously offered for sale with police spec dog dish caps. The black and silver interior is as new with probably one of the coolest dash designs of the golden postwar era of Detroit. It’s over the top “Atomic” with a Sputnik style instrument cluster and a sharp eye will notice the plug where push buttons should be if this were an automatic transmission car.

It is absolutely fresh as can be and we think its a bargain at $20K. Can you imagine rolling up to a coffee shop in this thing? Not the car to have it you’re a shy wallflower.

In hindsight, what was once a lackluster model relegated to the scrapheap of automotive history, is now a rolling purple vision amongst the tepid, throw away, blandtastic cars of today. So thank you Virgil Exner, even if you were (allegedly) high as a kite on medication.

That’s quite a “face.” Where’s the whiskers?