FLY NAVY Mopars programs

From 1961 to 1971 the Navy League of the United States (a civilian Navy booster organization) sponsored Chrysler convertibles to help the Navy with its efforts to recruit pilots on college campuses. The cars were all Chrysler Newport 2-door convertibles, except for 1971 when Plymouth Barracuda convertibles were used. The program began in 1961 with a single car sent to the Naval Air Station at Lakehurst, NJ. It proved very popular and the numbers grew to as many as 19 cars each year being sent to Naval Air Stations throughout the country.

The 'Fly Navy' convertibles were a program between Chrysler and the Navy League that lasted for 11 years. They used Newport convertibles from 1961 to 1970, and then changed to Barracuda convertibles for 1971. All these cars had special Fly Navy graphics. Chrysler stopped making convertibles after 1971 and the program came to an end.

The 1971 Barracuda Convertibles were Sno-white with blue interiors, 318, col. autos. It looks like there were between 10 and 18 ordered in 1971. I've spoken to the owner of one in Colorado, and there's a rumor of another in California that might have been turned into a Cuda. Check out the vintage photo from Jax Air News that shows the car that went to the Navy Air Station in Jacksonville. Based on the vintage photos I've found, I recreated the graphics for my car and had it out to a show recently.