1955 Plymouth

The 1955 Plymouth lineup was as different from the previous year’s offerings as Charlottetown is from Montréal. Internal office memos enthusiastically described it ‘a Plymouth like no other’. Suddenly, Plymouth was all glorious glitz and glamour. The sassy, seductive look was courtesy of Chrysler Corporation’s new stylist, the visionary Virgil Exner. Plymouth’s metamorphosis was under the direction of Exner’s protégé, Maury Baldwin. ’55 Plymouth, bigger, brighter, more beautiful than ever! And all new from roof to road,” was the fanfare.

Virgil Exner was one of the world's foremost automotive  designers.

A gifted designer, Exner held the firm belief that form and function were an inseparable couple—a notion that every engineer in the automotive industry despised. Exner successfully wrested power from the Engineering Department in order to turn his dreams into reality. The only thing held over from 1954 seemed to be the models’ names and possibly the air in the tires.

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The Plymouth styling team was given carte blanche to create a new model from the ground up. It took eighteen months in the studios for the magic to happen. First, the wheelbase jumped to 2 920 millimetres (115 inches), accompanied by a breathtaking 26-centimetre (10.3-inch) stretch in overall length. Rooflines were dramatically lowered and front tread was widened. Low-slung and sleek—even when standing still—its fluid lines continued to surge, teasing the eye with the air of eager power.

The tasteful Plymouth Belvedere Club Coupe, equipped with the eight-cylinder engine, cost $2,601.

Plymouth’s elegant face was extroverted. A simple but disarming convex-bowed bumper was graced with attractive bumperettes. Above that was home to the parking light/turn signals, enwrapped in a pair of  chrome bars that raced  from the fenders, nearly to the centre before taking a dramatic dip. Suddenly, the outer bars were joined together by a tie bar—sassed up with a series of sharply-vee’d  slender vertical bars—evoking the trendy and fashionable Remington razors. A line of chrome accented the lip of the hood and melded sweetly into chrome bezels where headlights shone under a tasteful, rakishly visored brow.

Crowning the hood was a modern interpretation of the good ship Mayflower, long associated with the saga of religiously-persecuted refugees, their arduous trek to the New World and finally, safe harbour at Plymouth Rock. 

The side view of the Plymouth began with that a fast cant in the front fender. It empowered an absolutely serene slab-side design. They eye floated lazily until encountering a riptide crease that arose above the rear wheel well. It raced at breakneck speed to the rear of the car. 

The wrap-around “Full View” windshield was new, as was the design of the push-button door handles. 

Most people would see the newest Plymouth, from the rear. Trunk space was upped to 957 cubic litres (33.8 cubic feet).

Taillights brooded from slick reverse-canted fenders. The Plymouth script was affixed to the lower right of the trunk lid while a bold vee-shaped medallion emblazoned its centre. With the grace and power of Niagara Falls, the trunk lid’s lines flowed effortlessly to a pronounced cove that rode above the rear bumper. 

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A masterful understatement of speed, Canadians could catch Plymouth fever in any of 24 models. “Opening the door of the Plymouth is like opening a fashion magazine! The very latest in fabrics and colours pick up and compliment the exterior tones. The artistry of Plymouth stylists has brought high fashion to the highway!” All Plymouths came with suspended pedals, replacing the through-the-floor arrangement in use since 1928.

This Plymouth Plaza Suburban wears optional full wheel covers.

Plaza docked on shore with a quintet of cuties. People were dazzled by the modest-mannered beauty. Sales reps enthusiastically trotted out their finest spiels. “Advanced styling, with its big-car air, this is the lowest priced car in the Plymouth line!” 

While it was the least expensive Plymouth in the harbour, it was hardly a plain Jane. The style was stunning; the lines stood head and shoulders above the competition, even without adornment. Ornamentation was limited to a chrome strip at the belt line and the identifying Plaza script placed forward of the front wheel well.  

The good ship Mayflower.

Canadian Plymouth Plazas were shod with dog dish hubcaps with the good ship Mayflower emblazoned in the centre. This was in contrast with  ChryCo’s American cousins, where Plaza models were dressed in full wheel covers.  Plazas were built both in Windsor, Ontario and the Lynch Road Plant in Detroit. 

The base model offered a trio of cabin colour compliments. Built in Windsor, Ontario, 6,487 Plaza 6s rolled out the doors. The Business Coupe  sold for $2,213, the Club Sedan listed at $2,296, the Four-door Sedan cost $2,353 and the Two-door Suburban was priced at  $2,646. 

 The Savoy Club Coupe was not offered in Stateside. The six-cylinder, five-passenger sedan carried a list price of  $2,232.

Savoy was moored at the mid-price dock. Built both in Windsor and minutes away, across the Detroit River in the Lynch Road plant, Savoy was a snappier dresser than Plaza.

More than a third of the Plymouth’s 1955 production was sold in Québec.

As modern as tomorrow, Savoy “had captured in metal, the buoyant spirit of youth!” Ad copy could rightly brag that the Savoy was designed with fleetness as its basic styling theme. 

Promising to ‘carry a houseful’, the 1955 Plymouth Savoy four-door, six-cylinder sedan cost $2,384.

Flowing, finely moulded contours were tastefully embellished with discrete touches of glistening chrome. There was no doubt that the car quivered with the over-all look of motion, even when the parking brake was on. The four-door Savoy with the six-cylinder engine was the marque’s single most popular model. Canadians parked 15,932 of them in their driveways and garages, nearly half
the factory output.

Although built in the US, the 1955 Plymouth Savoy Suburban was not offered there. Canadians could drive one home for $2,847.

The six-cylinder Special Club Coupe cost $2,553. Savoy owners could select among four upholstery choices.

The Plymouth Belvedere V-8 Convertible was imported from the US and was priced at $3,089.

Belvedere was the line’s dashing, dramatic flagship.  With a quintet of six-cylinder choices and a trio of V-8s, this posh and pretty Plymouth was created to seduce. Marketing boys warned in advance: “Hold on to your heart, or you’ll lose it for sure to this lovely car!” Vibrant colours and shining chrome enhanced Belvedere’s clean lines. the flagship was daring and dramatic. 

The all new Full-Flight instrument panel was harmoniously symmetrical,  with a cavernous glove box positioned in the centre, below the radio.

Interiors were hailed as being ravishing’ and ‘so very chic in their rich upholstery’.  Belvedere’s cabin wowed, clad in Black Magic Bouclé fabric adorned with Lurex, a new, glittering metallic thread. Another choice was Ship and Shield, a tapestry-look jacquard material, with Lurex sewn in.

The one-third/two-third seat split, featured in two-door Plymouths, granted easier entrances and exits.

Though the mills were still imported, V-8 Belvederes were now built in Canada. A total of 5,977 were shipped f.o.b. Windsor.  The Club Coupe came with  with a price tag of $2,469.  Four-door Sedans arrived on showroom floors at $2,662 each and Special Club Coupes—a.k.a.-the hardtop convertible, listed for $2,699. The Belvedere convertible cost $3,089 and the priciest Plymouth, the Four-door Suburban could be had for $3,130.

The Plymouth four-door, eight-passenger Suburban was imported from Detroit.

Rare in the auto industry, was a new body and a new engine at the same time. Plymouth was a rare exception. It was the last member of the Chrysler family to get a V-8.

Powered to give the dash of V-8 performance at its best, the Hy-Fire V-8 cranked out 125 Kilowatts.

Engineers outshone themselves with the Hy-Fire, a new polyspherical-cylinder head mill. Wordsmiths let everyone know, “There’s a fiery, high-spirited engine that translates the Belvedere’s look of speed into thrilling reality.”

Emblems for the 1955 Plymouth V-8 and the six.

Much lighter in weight than the previous hemi power plants and using a single rocker shaft for each bank of cylinders, it cost much less to manufacture. Repositioning the spark plugs between the intake and exhaust valves afforded increased efficiency in the open combustion chamber. 

Lifting up the hood, salesmen made their pitch.  “Here is the great new ‘heart’ of the brilliant Belvedere V-8 models.” With a compression ratio of 7.5 to 1, it promised peak efficiency on regular octane gasoline. The 4.2-litre ( 260-cubic inch) engine generated 124 Kilowatts (167 horsepower). 

The PowerFlow Special engine delivered quietness and speed.

Next was the PowerFlow Special. Described as ‘husky’, the L-head 6-cylinder power was declared to be exceptionally smooth and responsive. This engine was required for all Plaza and Savoy models equipped with the corporation’s  PowerFlite automatic transmission—a $215 upgrade.  It was standard equipment on the Belvedere 6 models. 

The modest PowerFlow Six benefited from new carburettor setup—one that offered more power under all driving conditions. This base power plant was found in all Plaza and Savoy models equipped with standard Synchro-Silent transmission or Overdrive.  Wordsmiths announced,  “Here is smooth economical power to give you the extra driving pleasure that stems from peak engine performance!”  The 3.7-litre (228 cubic inch) mill punched out 85 Kilowatts (115-horsepower).

On Plymouths equipped with the optional $215 PowerFlyte automatic transmission, the lever was moved from the steering column to the instrument panel.

Optional equipment included such niceties as Full-Time Power Steering, Power Brakes, the two-way electric seat adjuster, electric window lifts, two-speed electric wipers, safety belts,  a heater, a heavy-duty oil filter, a plastic steering wheel for the Savoy, turn signals and back-up lights for Plaza and Savoy models. Two-tone colour paint schemes were an extra-cost addition. 

The Plymouth Division of Chrysler Canada hit a record of 33,325 cars built in Windsor, for the model year. Three Plymouths were exported. Chrysler Canada production jumped from 18% of the domestic market in 1954 to $23% in 1955 model year. W. J Blais, of the Shipping Division, was Chrysler Canada’s tallyman. After signing off, he thoughtfully added a handwritten sentence at the bottom of his report. He soberly noted Ford Canada’s 110-day strike that lasted from October 10th, 1954 to February 4th, 1955.

On Dec. 28, 1955, records showed the corporation carried 11,287 employees on payroll and 1,143 dealers from St. John’s to Victoria. And the good times at ChryCo were just beginning.

(will give credit for this photo or remove it)

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© James C. Mays 2018 All rights reserved.

1977 Dodge Monaco and Royal Monaco

 The 1977 Dodge Royal Monaco two-door hardtop carried a $5,126 price tag.

The biggest Dodge in the clan returned for its fourth year on the same body shell. There were minor changes. Riding on its well-established 3 0861-millimetre (121.5-inch) wheelbase, the Grand Monaco was a vast land yacht. The four-door models weighed in at more than two tonnes. Royal Monaco models carried the 5.2-litre (318-cubic inch) V-8 as its base engine. That power was coupled to Chrysler’s tried-and-true TorqueFlite automatic transmission. All Royal Monaco models were sourced from Chrysler’s factory in Belvedere, Illinois.

The 1977 Dodge Monaco was last year’s Coronet. The intermediate Brougham four-door sedan with the six-cylinder engine listed for $5,491, f.o.b. Windsor.

In a surprise move, last year’s attractive intermediate Coronet name was dropped though the car itself was continued on its 2 921-millimetre (115-inch) wheelbase. The big difference was that the intermediate line was rechristened as the Monaco. Dodge Monaco models were imported from the Lynch Road plant in Detroit.

The name change required some explaining. “This year, Dodge has extended the continuing prestige of its Monaco to two sized by giving you a choice of mid-sized or full-sized Monacos. And the beauty of it is that both sizes continue to carry the quality and luxury tradition you’ve come to expect from the top-of-the-line Monaco.”

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“Now you can choose the mid-sized Monaco or the full-sized Royal Monaco. Both engineered to Monaco quality standards. Both available with a wide selection of Monaco options. Both reflecting the luxury image for which Monaco has always been known. “

Monaco was a slippery package to look at with its long deck and short, crouched-cat rear. Monaco carried a perfect Coke-bottle swell in the rear quarters. Stacked halogen quad headlamps accentuated the split grille that featured crosshatch openings. A stand-up hood ornament topped the hood. From the rear, large trapezoidal taillights were imbedded in a massive bumper.

The 1977 Dodge Monaco could be ordered with the optional 6.5-litre (400-cubic inch)  or the 7.2-litre (440-cubic inch) engine with Chrysler’s Electronic Lean Burn system.

The Monaco was delivered with the two-barrel Super Six engine a.k.a. the “slant six” and a three-speed manual transmission. Many chose to spend the extra bucks for the 5.2-litre V-8 mill, adding automatic transmission and power steering while they were at it.

The Monaco name meant more attention to detail the Dodge intermediate. Interiors were finer than before with a combination of cloth and vinyl seating. There was a centre armrest on the Brougham. Monacos were kissed with colour-keyed carpeting throughout and that was upgraded to genuine shag carpet in the Brougham. 

This 1977 Dodge Royal Monaco two-door hardtop carries the exclusive and posh extra-cost Diplomat dress-up package.

The Royal Monaco was “for those who like traditional value and comfort with an added touch of luxury in a full-sized automobile.” It was square, boasting an egg-crate grille and hidden headlamps at the fore and large rectangular tail lamps set deep in the rear bumper.

In the biggest Dodge the 5.2-litre (318-cubic inch) V-8 loafed under the massive hood. Chrysler’s TorqueFlite automatic transmission, fibre-glass-belted radial ply tires, power steering, power front disc and rear drum brakes were all standard equipment.” The Royal Monaco Brougham upped the ante to the 5.9-litre (360-cubic inch) V-8.

With a sticker price of $5,409, f.o.b. Windsor, the 1977 Dodge Royal Monaco four-door station wagon was the most expensive Dodge in the stable.

Colours for Monacos and Grand Monacos were Vintage Red Sunfire Metallic, Jade Green metallic, Burnished Copper Metallic, Firest Green Sunfire Metallic, Mocha Tan, Moondust Metallic, Russet Sunfire Metallic, Coffee Sunfire Metallic, Eggshell White, Black Sunfire Metallic, Jasmine Yellow, Silver Cloud Metallic, Golden Fawn, Mojave Beite, Cadet Blue Metallic, Spanish Gold Metallic, Starlight Blue Sunfire Metallic and Wedgwood Blue. Monaco models could also be had in Bright Red and Inca Gold Metallic was reserved for the Royal Monaco.

Roofs could be decked with full vinyl, Halo vinyl, Canopy vinyl with opera window or a padded landau roof that included a 12-centimetre (five-inch) wide “Over the Top” stainless steel band at the front edge of the padding.

Instrument panel of the 1977 intermediate-sized Dodge Monaco was simple and straightforward in design.

One could customize one’s Monaco with air conditioning, tinted glass, a Sure Grip axle, a 100-amp alternator, a 500-amp battery, an electric clock (digital available on the Royal Monaco), a rear window defroster, door-edge guards, floor mats, the Fuel Pacer System, locking gas cap, dual horns, dual remote-control outside mirrors or Dual Sport remote-control outside mirrors, power steering (standard on V-8 models), power brakes, power windows, power door locks, power bench seat, power bucket or 60/40 split-back seat (driver side only).

Then there was entertainment. An AM radio could be ordered or an AM/FM radio or an AM/FM stereo with or without eight-track tape system and even a rear speaker. 

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One top of all that one could have a sun roof, a tilt steering wheel, a luxury steering wheel, a trunk dress-up kits for the sedans, undercoating, deluxe wheel covers, premier wheel covers or genuine chrome-styled road wheels. For the wagon one could order a luggage rack, a rear bumper step pad, assist handles and an air deflector.

If ordering options was confusing, one could order numerous options brought together in specific packages. There was the Easy Order package, the Light package, the Deluxe Insulation package, the Luxury Equipment package, several Light- and Heavy-Duty Trailer-Towing Packages (good for wagons), the Roadability Package and for the Royal Monaco Brougham, an exclusive Diplomat package.

Combined sales for the Dodge Monaco and Royal slipped to 8,160 units for the 1977 calendar year. That was off considerably from the Coronet 12,579 units and the 11,244 full-sized Monacos delivered in 1976. Consumers visiting Dodge showrooms were far more interested in the compact Aspen, taking home 34,025 of the sassy compacts—making it the fifth best-selling nameplate in the country.

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Copyright James C. Mays 2007
All rights reserved.

1984 Dodge Caravan & Plymouth Voyageur

Chrysler had a huge hit on its hands when it introduced the Dodge Caravan and Plymouth Voyageur minivans in the fall of 1983.

When Chrysler execs made the momentous decision to develop a “garageable van” in 1980 and market it to families they were pretty much standing on the beach, shooting at submarines in the dark of night. Not a one of them had any idea how well the idea would be received by the public. This was uncharted territory. When the plan was unveiled to Chrysler Canada workers in Windsor, they were highly skeptical. 

Three generations of Volkswagen buses are seen here, the 1980 version in the foreground.

Volkswagen had a vaguely similar product on the market and while the VW Type 2 was well known to North American consumers, it was a marginal seller at best.

No sooner did the Dodge Caravan and Plymouth Voyageur hit the market than designers fueled the fires of desire with a Plymouth Voyageur Concept Vehicle.

Chrysler Canada president Moe Closs braved a very cold, blustery day in March of 1982 to break ground for a new paint shop so that the old factory could be gutted, renovated and consecrated solely to the manufacture of this new vehicle. The last of the rear-wheel drive passenger cars was built on June 10, 1983 while crews ripped up the line behind it. Industry insiders openly taunted Chrysler saying the conversion could not be completed in 16 weeks. The soothsayers were dead wrong. The 304 800-square metre (1-million square foot) building sparkled on time and there were 24,000 cubic metres of scrap steel to be hauled away to prove the point.

The very first Dodge Caravan leaves the line in Windsor, Ontario on November 2, 1983.

Whether one called it the T-115, the Magic Wagon, the Dodge Ram Van, the Plymouth Voyageur or Dodge Caravan, the newest Chrysler baby was born on November 2, 1983. It was ingenious in design. 

The T-115 had enough seats for a private Grey Cup party.

Absolutely cavernous inside and blessed with an exceptionally tight overhang, these beauties were easily manoeuverable. The step-in point was low, to the delight of women. Despite its truck platform, it didn’t drive or ride like a traditional hauler. A T-115 was small enough to fit in virtually any existing garage. Because it made use of front-wheel drive, the floor was completely flat.

Weaning customers from the traditional station wagon was a bold gamble but designers and engineers had created a package so delectable that it would practically sell itself. That was a good thing because the price tag for creating the T-115 was a very cool $700 million. The boys at Chrysler didn’t have to sit on pins and needles for long. Press reviews were highly favourable and so was the reaction from the public.

The 1984 Dodge Ram Van.

Sales were so hot a second shift was required almost immediately. A breakdown of sales revealed that an astonishing 67 percent of new Magic Van buyers in Canada traded in a competitor’s brand. Tom Pappert was Chrysler Canada’s VP of Sales. “This is the highest conquest sales rate ever reported for a Chrysler-built vehicle,” he bragged proudly. He also told the press that 23 percent of the people who came to look at the T-115s had never been in a Dodge or Plymouth dealership before. He could also share that the buyers were “younger, in a higher income bracket, better educated and more often married than in previous years.” This translated into a sweet symphony of cash for the company’s coffers.

The 1984 Dodge Caravan was given clean but distinctive lines.

A letter to Lee Iacocca from a happy Dodge Caravan owner in Georgia tells the tale best. “I am the very proud owner of a new and beautiful Caravan LE. I wanted to thank you for designing the perfect size van for my lifestyle.”

I am a mother of three small children. At least half of my time is spent behind the wheel of my car. I constantly carpool to two different schools, soccer, ballet and horseback riding lessons. I am also the leader of a Brownie Troop of six girls. For all these activities I can actually seat safely and comfortably all of my children… This is the first American car that I have ever been in love with. The only problem I have with the Caravan is that when I come out of a store people are all over it (which I love).”

Instrument panel was carefully planned. Dials were large with white numbers-on-black.

I truly wish to thank you for remembering the needs of my family and so many others. Please thank your employees in Windsor for doing such a fine job.”

Piloting the futuristic Plymouth Voyageur would be state-of-the-art as a live satellite feed would present road maps and information to the driver.

Not content to rest on its laurels, designers were immediately put to work to develop a Voyageur for the future. It bristled with innovations including a massive centre console in between the rear seats housing a television monitor that could be used as a personal computer, watching videos or playing video games. Overhead storage bins kept things neat and tidy while travelling. The front passenger’s seat swiveled around into a club car configuration for easy chatting with rear-seat passengers. A Modular Tailgate Convenience Package provided a trio of flip-up grocery bag holders or a picnic “shelf” complete with ice chest, wet sink, cutting board, cutlery storage and a paper towel dispenser. Another storage bin held a dust buster and an electric shaver along with DC outlets for electrical convenience. 

Clever airplane-type overhead bins keep clutter and fuss to a minimum in the Plymouth Voyageur Concept Vehicle.

The Voyageur was fitted with a satellite navigation map unit built directly into the instrument panel. To gild the lily, the concept vehicle was decorated with soft leathers, natural fabrics and warm domestic carpeting to “speak quietly of home comforts” as one travelled in the Voyageur of the future on tomorrow’s roads.

The Plymouth Voyageur Concept Vehicle included a Picnic Package with ice chest, a wet sink and places for cutlery and paper towels.

With or without the Plymouth Voyageur Concept vehicle to spur the imagination, Chrysler had a huge hit on its hands and would continue to be an innovative market segment pioneer and sales leader for the next two decades and beyond.

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Copyright James C. Mays 2005
 All rights reserved.

1931 Plymouth

President and company founder Walter P. Chrysler poses with the first 1931 Plymouth in the PA series.

The gloom and doom that settled over the nation in 1931 was every bit as thick as the dirt left behind after one of those horrific Prairie dust storms. From coast to coast, millions of Canadians eked out a pitiful existence because the nation’s economy had been crippled by a worldwide business depression. No sector of the economy was exempt. Wheat prices collapsed, the value of pulp and paper plummeted, fish prices sank, companies went bust and factories fettered their doors.

So many Manitobans were unemployed and homeless that in January of 1931 the Premier was forced to turn, hat in hand, to Ottawa in hopes that the federal government would pick up the tab for 80 percent of that province’s relief. The Keystone Province's coffers were empty. As the ranks of the unemployed swelled, relief (welfare) applicants mushroomed to numbers that reached the stratosphere. The provincial treasurer could not even cover Manitoba's commitment to Ottawa for its part of the Old Age Pension. The Keystone Province was headed for bankruptcy when the federal government finally intervened.

The 1931 Plymouth PA Four-door Sedan sold for $795 f.o.b. Windsor, Ontario. A total of 3,292 Plymouths sold throughout the Dominion that year.

Thousands of jobless men in British Columbia were organized and loud in their demands for work and relief assistance. Politicians feared these desperate citizens might embrace Communism or worse, commit acts of violence. Emergency loans from the chartered banks covered relief cheques to BC's unemployed added up to a a stunning $2 million in 1931.

  The most expensive Plymouth PA in the 1931 lineup was the Convertible Coupe, listing for $825.

Unemployment in Ontario spiraled dangerously upward toward the 10 percent mark in 1931. While the treasury at Queen’s Park was still in the black, revenues were down by shocking $8 million in 1930 and would fall another $3 million by the end of 1931.

If things were bad across Canada, they were positively bleak in the Dominion of Newfoundland where the public debt had skyrocketed to $110 million. Britain, to whom Newfoundland was closely tied, abandoned the gold standard that year. Newfoundland’s economy was based primarily on its fisheries. Fish products were priced in Pounds Sterling and without gold to back the currency, competitors opted for catch from Canada’s Maritime Provinces. The House of Assembly in St. John’s scrambled to stay afloat. Desperate to shore up the economy, legislators voted to borrow $8 million but no financial institution would loan the government any money. The handwriting was on the wall for the island nation as it skated on thinner and thinner ice and would soon plunge into the black and icy waters of  bankruptcy.

Against this stark backdrop, the automakers soldiered on. Canadian passenger car production had been 125,442 units in 1930 but as the depression deepened daily, orders for new cars and trucks dwindled. Still, motorized vehicles were a necessity and as long as there were any buyers out there, the manufacturers would beat the bushes for customers. Sales would be far and few between, the domestic output would drop by nearly half to 65,093 units at year’s end and would tumble even further in 1932.

Plymouth started 1931 with the warmed-over Model U. The Four-door Sedan weighed in at 1,238 kilos (2,730 pounds).

Chrysler Canada started out the year by selling off last year's Plymouth 30-U models. Records indicate that when the last of the 802 units of the “Finer U” was shipped from its Windsor, Ontario plant, the Division then fielded an all-new Plymouth PA in six body styles. As the first cars came down the assembly lines in May, salesmen were taught how to sell the finer points of the new Plymouth. 

The svelte automobiles created  excitement within the industry and with the public as well, because the PA represented the first restyle for Plymouth since its debut in 1928. Salesmen soon learned that the car's beauty would play second fiddle to engineering, economy and national pride. The twin battle cries were, “The Smoothness of an Eight--The Economy of a Four” and “Canadian-built for Canadians!” 

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This year’s Plymouth was not just another pretty face. The low-bucks beauty, intended to duke it out with Chevrolet and Ford, bristled with innovation. Engineers blessed the Plymouth’s four-cylinder engine with an innovative pair of  three-centimetre thick (one-inch) thick, live rubber mountings that “allowed the engine to rock or oscillate on this natural axis, this dissipating the power impulses.” The cushion between the engine and the frame was dubbed Floating Power. This engineering breakthrough promised to deliver the “smoothness of an Eight with the simplicity of design and the economy of operation that are the birthright of the Four.”

The 56-horsepower mill delivered smooth acceleration. It “whisks you to stop-watch speeds of 65 (110 kilometres) to 70 miles (120 kilometres) an hour (ancient Canadian units of measurement).” Drivers were invited to take their foot off the accelerator at top speed and note the quiet deceleration in comparison to the “noise of other fours, and even of inferior sixes.”

The most expensive Plymouth PA in the 1931 lineup was the Convertible Coupe, listing for $825.

The car featured a Double Drop chassis and a 2768-millimetre (109-inch) wheelbase. Other standard equipment included Free Wheeling, “which permits quick and noiseless shifting of gears in all forward speeds without declutching. Easy-Shift transmission, permitted drivers to go from “second to high and back again at speeds of 25 (40 km) and 45 (80 km) miles an hour without clashing or grinding gears” Safety-Steel Bodies made the structure more rigid and more quiet. Plymouth salesmen could brag that this was the only car in its price class to offer internal hydraulic brakes.

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The Business Roadster listed for $655, while the Roaster with a rumble seat carried a price tag of $760. The Business Coupe sold for $775, the Four-door Sedan could be had for $825 and the snazzy Convertible Coupe cost $825. All prices were f.o.b. Windsor, Ontario and included five wire wheels with freight and taxes tacked on. A total of 2,576 units of the Plymouth PA were shipped during 1931.

A 1931 Dodge Brothers truck.

Making bold moves in a miserable market, Chrysler Canada aggressively added Dodge Brothers trucks to its list of domestically build products and then began producing the luxurious Chrysler Imperials in its Windsor plant, too.

A 1931 Chrysler Imperial dual cowl Phaeton.

To keep the dealer body solvent, executives in Windsor wisely made Plymouth available through all of Chrysler Canada’s dealerships. Every Chrysler, Dodge and DeSoto dealer in the Dominion carried the stylish, inexpensive Plymouth. Those folks who still had a few bucks didn’t need crystal balls to see the value in Plymouth and snapped them up. 

Records show that 3,222 units were built domestically and 14 Model U and 46 of the Model PA were imported from the USA for domestic sale. Another long-ago entry indicates that 3,378 Plymouth passenger cars were shipped from Windsor in 1931. The latter figure included vehicles built outside of Canada for trans-shipment to customers in other parts of the British Empire.

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Copyright James C. Mays 2005
All rights reserved

1964 Chrysler Turbine

Photographed in Dieppe Park, in Windsor, Ontario with the Detroit skyline as its backdrop, this 1964 Chrysler Turbine was one of fifty built.

Engineers at Chrysler Corporation launched studies into turbine engines as a power source for their product lines well before World War Two. Early research showed promise and before long, they had the American government interested, too. A department within the US Navy gave the automaker a grant to build an engine on its behalf. Engineers were able to create a turbine that was in every way efficient as or superior to a traditional gasoline-powered piston engine.

The first generation of turbine-powered automobiles from Chrysler was the 1954 Plymouth Turbine.

Determined to build a viable gas turbine for the road, they kept at it, solving the problems one by one until, in 1954, they finally had a practical version that was ready to be installed and tested in an ordinary production Plymouth.

1959 Plymouth Turbine

The next generation of vastly improved turbine engines debuted in 1959. To showcase this engine’s advanced capabilities, a new Plymouth was sent on a publicity run from Detroit to New York City. Two years later, a third generation engine was demonstrated.

The 1962 Plymouth Turbine Fury.

A Dodge Turbine Fury sedan was evaluated in 1962, this one fitted with a fourth-generation turbine engine. On its run to Los Angeles, it got better mileage than its production gasoline cousin. 

Unveiled to the world on May 14, 1963, the company announced to the press that it was poised to produce the latest Chrysler Turbine car in quantity. As a first step, officials let it be known that a limited production of prototypes would be manufactured and outlined a plan to loan the futuristic vehicles to ordinary citizens for testing. Each one selected would drive the Chrysler for two or three months and record detailed impressions. If response was good, the car of the future was just around the corner and it was Chrysler. More than 30,000 people promptly sent in requests to head office, volunteering to put the experimental cars through their paces. 

These cars were not only revolutionary; they were drop dead gorgeous. Their stunning design was penned by Chrysler’s new chief stylist. Elwood Engel had recently come to Highland Park after a stint Dearborn where he had been influential in the creation of the1961 Ford Thunderbird’s classic lines. He rolled up his sleeves to work his magic on the Turbine Cars.

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Up front, single headlights were enthroned in turbine-like bezels that were in turn ensconced in enormous chrome halos. The bumper was vast, flat and sharply canted, with turn signals and parking lights ensconced deep in the bumper’s ends, directly beneath the headlamps. The license plate holder cut into the bottom of the grille. The grille was simplicity itself; ten flat horizontal bars ran across the front. A discrete Chrysler Corporation badge adorned the right side of the hood with the word Turbine spelled out in script above it. A careful crease ran down the hood to the stand-up hood ornament.

From the side, the body was fluidly fuselage shaped, punctuated with a substantial decorative rocker moulding. A trio of brightwork mesh hash marks rode on the front fender, between the headlight trim ring and the front wheel well opening. A black accent chrome strip ran from the top of the headlight through to the rear fender. The hardtop’s rooflines were as gracious as the body, its thick C-pillar was decidedly formal with a soupçon of sass in the rakish cant.

 The brilliant design waxed equally poetic from the rear. Two deeply recessed, heavily chromed, ovoid pods--that doubled as the bumper--were home to a pair of long, slim tail lights sunk deep in the cavity while bold, projectile backup lights in elongated pseudo-jet exhaust extensions protruded.

This sophisticated Chrysler turbine made use of twin regenerative gas turbines or rotating heat exchangers. The power plant weighed a trim 185 kilos (410 pounds) but it generated 130 horsepower at 3600 RPM. It was designed to run on peanut oil, kerosene, jet fuel, diesel fuel or even over proof rye. This author was ten at the time and had a neighbour who was one of the lucky ones chosen to test the car. Your author remembers being allowed to pour bottles of cheap perfume, collected for the demonstration, into the gas tank.

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The turbine was capable of 193 kilometres (120 miles) per hour or more and needed less than two seconds to go from idle to full output. The achievement was accomplished because a new fuel nozzle varied the angle of the jet stream to the turbine blades. The engine ran hot—between 676C and 1 093C (1,250 and 2,000 degrees Fahrenheit)—though it was only a rumour that it could melt pavement. Careful exhausting prevented that, and the ingeniously designed exhaust system was cool enough to touch while in operation!

The engine made a characteristic jet turbine whine when starting or spooling up as it is called. Once ignited, it ran very quietly. Since the engine had no moving parts, it did not vibrate. Chrysler Canada president, Ron Todgham, demonstrated for the press that the engine really was vibrationless by balancing a nickel on the running motor. The beaver on the backside of the coin didn't budge at all.

Chrysler Canada president, Ron Todgham, shows the press that the engine of the Chrysler Turbine has no moving parts and doesn’t vibrate by placing a nickel on edge on the running motor.

Inside the posh, four-passenger luxury car, the driver-cum-pilot sank into a bucket seat and faced a trio of deeply recessed gauges. A clock was tucked inside of a tachometer (redline at 44,000 RPM), a fuel gauge nestled inside of the speedometer and a trio of indicators in the third pod carried a dummy gauge at its centre. The transmission hump was lavishly embellished with a rich turbine fan decoration that gave way to a padded centre console. At the driver’s fingertips were aircraft-like controls for lights and wipers. An emergency hand brake was located between the seats. The aircraft throttle-style gearshift selector offered choices of low, drive, idle and reverse. Each of the passengers rode in a plush bucket seat.

Chrysler ordered fifty of the Turbine Cars and handed the job of building the running prototypes over to Carrozzeria Ghia located in Turin, Italy. One was turned out each week from October of 1963 to October of 1964. Each of the four-passenger hardtop coupes was finished in a rich orange-coloured Turbine Bronze and given a black top. Loaded with power accessories and automatic transmission, a completed vehicle weighed in at a hefty 1 859 kilos (4,100 pounds). 

A pair of the Turbine Cars arrived at Chrysler Canada’s headquarters in July 1964. Starting in Windsor, the engineering marvels set out across the country on a three-month tour, hosted by 143 specially selected dealers. Accompanied by two lecture guides, the cars travelled in a special Dodge transport. The trailer was emblazoned with the new corporate pentastar and special Turbine Car Exhibit markings. The pair of engineering marvels gathered crowds wherever they went. In Sarnia, Ontario 2,400 good citizens came to see the cars. In Kitchener, Ontario the Turbines drew 2,600 admirers. Torontonians began lining up at dealership at eight o’clock in the morning so as not to miss the beauties.

The 1964 Chrysler Turbine Cars travelled across the Dominion in this special transport truck.

In Montreal, 4,400 folks flocked to see the Chrysler Turbines in a single day. Another day in a Montreal suburb brought 5,900 members of the public, all of them keen to see the cars. But none of these viewings topped the folks in Sherbrooke, Quebec, where 7,900 people lined up to see the Turbines in a single day. Crowds in Quebec City came close, topping the 7,000 mark. 

All of Canada wanted a glimpse at the technically advanced and stunning Chrysler Turbines. In a one-day exhibition, nearly 8,000 citizens turned out to see them in Sherbrooke, Quebec.

On July 17, the Turbine twins were shipped to Victoria, British Columbia to begin the western leg of their national tour. After wowing folks in Western Canada, the stunning vehicles headed east for a tour of the Maritime Provinces. Hundreds of thousands of pamphlets filled with facts about the fabled cars were distributed to curious Canadians.

Over a three-year period, 203 ordinary families tested the unique vehicles. They racked up more than a million miles on the gas-turbine Chryslers. Most loved the styling, and the fact that the engine was vibrationless, but a full third disliked the lag in acceleration and the poor gas mileage. It only got 11.5 miles per US gallon. And therein lay its downfall. No matter how cheap fuel might be, consumers expected better from the revolutionary Chrysler. After careful evaluation the project was scrubbed.

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Because they were built abroad, US Customs stood ready to collect a hefty duty if Chrysler were to keep the cars. To avoid paying what the company considered to be an exorbitant fee, all but ten of the Turbine Cars were cut up in front of Customs officials. Chrysler paid the duty on the remaining cars. They initially kept four vehicles for further study and donated six others to important museums around the country. Ironically, a fair number of the richly detailed turbine-styled wheel covers found their way onto the desks of Chrysler executives, where they were used as ash trays, souvenirs of the programme. 

The new pentastar spoke proudly of the company’s forty years as an automaker in Canada. The five divisions were Valiant, Plymouth, Dodge, Chrysler and Imperial. The corporation also built Fargo trucks for the domestic market.

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Copyright James C. Mays 2006
All rights reserved.