Overview of Chrysler and the Plymouth brand from World War II through the early 1950s. Emphasis on the early 1950s and the development of the Hemi engines. Ends in 1954 with the arrival of Virgil Exner.
The disastrous 1954 model year. The semi-automatic Hy-Drive transmission. The superior PowerGlide automatic, and the TorqueFlite. Some words on fleet sales. The exciting new 1955 lineup. Plymouth's stillborn answer to the Corvette and Thunderbird.
1955: a defining year for Plymouth. Competition in fleet sales. Patrol and squad cars, taxis. Promise to give Plymouth standalone stores, making it a real brand, separate from Chrysler and Dodge. Buick cheats the numbers. Brand new Chrysler 300 sets a record. Chevrolet and Ford sandbag Plymouth. Conspiring to create the amazing new Fury. Germination of the Forward Look.
Corporate turns down a specialty vehicle for Plymouth. Building the Fury. Chrysler 300 draws the crowds. New 303 polyspherical-head V8 engine for Plymouth. Sneaking the engine past the Board and top executives. Chrysler works to kill the Fury. Dad has a heart attack. 300B wtih a 354 cid Hemi. D-500 option. Confusing engine sizes - different bores for different countries, models. First complete police package. Excellent braking systems. Squad cars. Fury sets a speed record.
Racing the Fury. Engine tuning. DeSoto Adventurer. Fastest Plymouth in history beats the Chrysler 300B - and the consequences. Dash lever and pushbutton transmission controls.
Details on the Torqueflite. Chrysler sells Torqueflite design to Ford. Severe problems with the attractive new 1957 product line. Dealership mobbed. Impromptu race. Triple orders.
New Chrysler 300 C. Incredible sales. Seeds of discontent grow as quality issues appear. Aerodynamics prevent the 300C and DeSoto Adventurer from reaching a new record speed. DeSoto gets 1 hp per cubic inch with their standard engine, while Chevrolet advertises itself as the first to reach it. The last run at Daytona as the American Manufacturers Association bans advertising that showcased horsepower, performance, and racing. The State Police switch to Plymouth after using Fords since 1917 (they stay with Plymouth until the end in 1989). Mopar power and brakes save many lives by preventing a severe truck accident. Three police models for three types of police work. Virgil Exner's risks pay off. The incredible torsion bar suspension. Chrysler reaches #3. The 1958 models, though, sell very poorly. The Board ignores its promise to start Plymouth on its own.
1958 and 1959 models. Quality issues addressed. Japanese steel leads to rust. Sales slow at Chrysler and Ford. Chrysler 300D. Air conditioning available on all models thanks to Airtemp; all components under the hood. Dodge loses the Hemi. Available engines. Squad and pursuit cars. Special Golden Commando available on any Plymouth. Plymouths fly off the lots and into police fleets as Dodges are adopted by highway patrols. Bendix fuel injection for one year only. Plymouth makes overtures to Oldsmobile's Richard Petty. Curtis' first car - bought for $10! Making it a tad faster.
Early 1959; heavy quality improvements. 413 rushed into production, yet has high quality.Two different 383 engines! Backroom deals lead to high parts reject rates. Finned out. Plymouth #3 in 1957, 1958, Chrysler Board reneges on its word. DeSoto squeezed out, one model a reskinned Dodge. Price ranges of all marques blend together. 1959 squads. DeSoto's fate sealed, its factory closed, due to Edsel and despite a proposal to concentrate DeSoto on fleet sales. XNR, birth of the Valiant, the S series.
Plymouth gets Lee and Richard Petty, who take the flag. Recap of Chrysler politics from the Airflow on. Instead of getting promised standalone stores, Plymouth finds that Dodge has standalone stores, and Plymouth is lumped with DeSoto and Chrysler. Dodge gets a Plymouth size car. Adding insult to injury, the new Valiant is set up as a standalone!
1959, 1960: New Ram Air system. 400 hp Chrysler 300F sets a 144.9 mph speed record. DeSoto lumped in with Chrysler and Plymouth, dies the next year. New 225 slant six created for the new Dodge Dart; 318 created from Canadian 303. 383 Dart police option aimed at killing Plymouth fleet sales. Plymouth styling goes back to 1957 but doesn't pull it off. SonOramic Commando. Slant six pushes fleet sales: reliability, fuel economy, and torque. Unibody design a tremendous success. Pursuit cars do 0-60 in seven seconds. New Valiant appears with the first alternator. New Hyper-Pak. First new compact sedan race; Lee Petty wins easily in his Valiant, followed by 14 other Valiants, as the Valiant takes all top 15 places.
Introduction of the Valiant, car without a marque. Writing on the wall for Plymouth; clear it would never stand alone. Pettys race Furys. Dodge tries to drive a wedge between Pettys and Plymouth. William C.Newberg takes over Chrysler and almost detroys the company. Virgil Exner down with a heart attack. Ill-fated, rushed downsizing. Sweetheart deals with suppliers finally come to light. Dodge gets the Lancer, a Valiant clone.
Both Newberg and Colberg forced to resign. Horrible styling, nobody in charge. Lynn Townsend takes over. Valiant and Dart have amazing first year runs. Valiant added to Plymouth to raise sagging sales figures. On November 18, 1960, with a terse 165 word statement, DeSoto is gone, with a final 1961 production of roughly 3,000 cars. Chrysler Newport created from Dodge platform. Valiant sells well. Plymouth Savoy police package does quarter mile in 15.2. 383 outgunned by GM at NASCAR. Richard Petty mildly injured, Lee Petty nearly killed in crashes in the same race. Stuck with ugly 1962 models and strange corporate edicts. Order sent to merge Plymouth and Dodge, and cancel the body progrma for Chrysler, DeSoto, and Imperial. Large Dodge line cut to just the Polara; Dart made into a Plymouth copy. Good brakes added. Chrysler Newport Enforcer police package with excellent brakes, but hard to sell Chryslers to Dodge and Plymouth buying panels; California gets special run of Polara pursuits. 1,100 DeSoto dealers given Chrysler/Plymouth status rather than Plymouth standalone. On seeing the 1962 models, 20 franchises leave on the spot. Dodge, with no unique car - only a Valiant clone and badly priced Newport equivalent - no longer considered an upgrade from Plymouth, causing permanent damage to both Dodge and Plymouth brands.
Taxi specials. Townshend puts his accounting stamp on Chrysler with inane beancounter orders. Plymouth, Dodge slip badly despite good fleet sales, with Valiant and Chrysler saving the day. 1963 models provide welcome relief.
1962. DeSoto decision final. Exner's last designs - the 1963 lineup. Dodge has no big car, and Chrysler moves in on Dodge turf with the Newport. 300H, 300. 426, bored out 413, offered for the first time. 30 inch long ram tubes. Dodge usurps Plymouth with the Lancer, a Valiant clone. Dodge 880 is rebadged 300. TorqueFlite gets a Park position. Weight savings with better body stiffness. Sealed suspension parts save money on service. Some brake improvements, some deficiencies - but Chevy and Ford brakes turn out to be worse. Squads go to Plymouth Savoy with surprisingly good performance from the 361. Dodge bids "Plymouth bid minus 10%." Lynn Townsend polls his kids and the dealers and finds a need for more hi-po presence; Sport Fury is the first result. New 413 Savoy is the second, built up to 500 hp, managing a 13 second quarter mile. Petty gains #2 in NASCAR. Plymouth "Melrose Missile" breaks the 12 second barrier. Curtis' grandfather dies.
1963 models prove to be a welcome relief, thanks to last-minute redesigns. 200 dealers lost due to 1961-1962 models. DeSoto almost resurrected. Lancer clone (Dart) becomes hot seller. 5 year/50,000 mile warranty. Chrysler becomes picky with administrivia. High-power brake system makes it up to larger models. Plymouths generate excitement led by 383 Sport Fury. Valiant restyled. Plymouth wins racing on some tracks, Ford on others. Early development of 426 Hemi. Ford wins many squad car deals though their performance is not up to Plymouth or Chevrolet standards, with poor brakes, handling, and acceleration. More strange edicts from Corporate.
1963 models sell quickly. Development of the 426 Hemi - problems with cracking blocks, last minute changes. Hot 383 squad cars dominate and sell to departments across the country. A heart attack, coupled with more strange edicts and actions from Corporate, lead Curtis' father to sell the dealership. Shortly after, Curtis helps police capture a gun-toting thief and joins the department. Final segment. Link repaired.
After you've read the series, come back to Bill Watson's commentary, which focuses on 1960-62, including the various engines, corporate realignments, DeSoto, and the S bodies.
