We have a lot of fun here at Jalopnik. Sometimes, that fun comes at a certain automaker’s expense. Now, in our defense, Dodge can be pretty goofy, and we’re certainly not above seizing the low-hanging fruit. There’s no denying, however, that Dodge makes cars and at least a few of them are good. Which one is your favorite?

Dodge doesn’t have much of a lineup at the moment. It technically only sells three cars; the Dodge Durango and the electric Charger in two- and four-door versions. More are coming, as Dodge will eventually get the Ram treatment, but right now the lineup is sparse. There was a time, however, when Dodge displayed some of the most colorful and powerful vehicles in the United States. There’s a lot of history there, going as far back as old Hank Ford himself, and a ton of options to pull from. So what’s your favorite product by those rascally Dodge boys and their company?

This is what peak automotive performance looks like

Did the Dodge La Femme sell well? No, it did not. Was it just a pink and tan Dodge Royal Lancer? Yes, sure. But it is what this car represents that I find so cool.

Okay, maybe marketing a car to an entire class of people unable to work or engage with credit was always doomed, but I love that they tried. In the early history of the automotive industry, cars were seen as quirky machines built for recreation and leisure. In that vein, men and women engaged cars for drives with friends to scenic areas or down specially built cruising roads. Automakers marketed their cars—especially early electric ones—to women specifically, as such cars were quiet, produced less soot, and didn’t require nearly breaking your arm to crank the motor over.

After that initial period, women were largely forgotten by the mainstream automotive industry. If you ever wonder why women don’t have the same enthusiasm for cars as men historically, a large part of it has to do with how cars were advertised and conceptualized. Cars meant freedom, independence, and status to men, but for women, cars were often marketed as just another appliance to complete household tasks. It is inherently difficult to cultivate genuine automotive enthusiasm when a product is framed in the exact same category as your washing machine or kitchen blender.

That is precisely why I just love the La Femme. In 1954, someone at Dodge said, "Hey, women exist. What about a car for them?" Now, I am an entirely modern lady, but 1954-era me would have been absolutely floored by a Dodge sedan finished in Dusty Rose pink with a unique gold exterior badge and a matching purse filled with coordinated accessories. I don’t even like carrying a purse normally, but I bet the 1950s version of me wouldn’t mind at all. The rosebud fabric interior is straight-up adorable. Back then, if I had my own independent money and hadn’t spent it all on pharmaceuticals, this would undeniably be the car for me.