Finned Mopar
Written by Keith Fudge

When most folks think about rare and collectable Mopars, they have visions of Hemi Cudas, Superbirds, and Daytonas.  However, there are some “finned” Mopars that are also valued in the world of collectible cars, especially by the folks who own them!  Meet Aivar Lejins, the owner of an outstanding collection of these classic finned Mopars from the 1950s and 60s.  Recently, Dennis Gage and the crew from My Classic Car traveled to Duarte Mesa, California to meet Aivar who was kind enough to show them some of his remarkable vintage cars.

The first car that Aivar pointed out to Dennis was a stunning 1958 Chrysler New Yorker convertible.  Dubbed “The Emerald Queen” because of its Spruce Green paint, Aivar told Dennis that this car was rescued from a junkyard some 20 years ago.  To him, Aivar says that Virgil Exner (the legendary Mopar design engineer) is an artist and these cars are his finest works.  Powered by a 392 cubic-inch Hemi engine, this car is one cool cruiser!  The next beauty that Aivar showed to Dennis was a 1959 Plymouth Sport Fury convertible.  Painted in black, the inside featured a tri-toned interior of black, red, and white.  The original plastic steering wheel adorns the dash and is always a conversation piece.  Featuring “fabulous fins of the 50s” and a pseudo-Continental kit, this car looked custom from its humble beginnings!  Aivar said that he was destined to purchase this car because its license plate sported the letters “AVR,” a variation of his name.  Aivar’s daily driver was the next car on the list, and what a daily driver it was:  a 1960 Dodge Phoenix convertible!  This car is really rare and has such features as the high-low front seats and a multi-level space-age dash featuring a “turret” clock!  Although it was known as the “compact” car of its generation, this classic spared nothing under the hood featuring a D-500 engine with what Dennis called the “biggest cross-ram manifold ever.”  Aivar says that this remarkable engine gives great performance and outstanding reliability.  Finally, Aivar showed us the gem of the collection, his ultra-rare 1960 Dodge Matador Coupe.  Dennis was completely overwhelmed when he saw the car and told Aivar that this one was the only one that he had ever seen.  Aivar responded that there were only 20 or 30 of these vehicles still in existence.  Another of the Mopars designed by Virgil Exner, this car featured a rear “Astro Window” and tail lights located in the fins.  Aivar told Dennis that the car was in outstanding condition when he located it and that it had been garaged for 18 years.  In addition, when he purchased the car it only had 49,000 actual miles!  Featuring factory air conditioning, the famous “push-button” transmission shift, and a 361 cubic-inch V-8, this car was one cool ride back in the day, and it is even sweeter now!  Since it was such a beautiful day, Aivar agreed to take the Matador to the streets.  He even gave Dennis a turn behind the wheel!  As they traveled the streets of Duarte Mesa, Dennis commented that the car “drives like new,” and he and Aivar talked about how fantastic these vehicles truly are.  After they returned, Dennis and Aivar planned a return visit to take a closer look at these finned Mopar beauties.  That’s it from gorgeous Duarte Mesa, California.  So until our next trip, “Honor the timeless classics.  Happy Motoring!”