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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 7 ก.ย. 2024
- This wagon demonstrates the interesting evolution of the American stationwagon. Plymouth first offered an all steel version in 1949, but continued to produce wooden sided ones through the 1950 model year...by 1951 only all steel models were produced. In 1953, Plymouth offered 3 transmissions, standard manual, overdrive and by March of the year, HyDrive which was their semi automatic transmissions its other Mopar mates had offered for some time. By 1954, unbelievably, Powerflite two speed fully automatic was offered! It was a time of transition.
I had a mint green 53 Plymouth Cambridge 2 door that I drove to work every day back in the early 70's. Great motors.
The corner storekeeper had one of these too...it took him to and from his business to home (about 8 miles) everyday. It seemed to be indestructible, and he had a Cadillac as the Sunday "go to meeting" car. Thanks! :) Jack
Very nice looking car. That's when cars were great. I'm too young to remember when these cars were around, but I have seen cars like this, and I've always admired them. My favourites have always been sedans, station wagon, trucks, panel vans and passenger vans.
The reflection of the palm trees in the glass and paint just makes it look even cooler👍
Hey, Abbaby! Canal street in New Smyrna is a very picturesque site for a car show! They have a show every second Saturday. Thanks! :) Jack
I have no doubt that rust was a major problem..and being a stationwagon, highly prized in destruction derbies! I'm glad this one is around..it's cool to see one in pretty original condition! Thanks! :) Jack
Hey, Jason! I think it took a little convincing for the stationwagon traditionalists..but when they remembered how much maintenance was demanded by those wood body wagons, I think they embraced the steel ones! Thanks! :) Jack
Hey, guys! It really is pretty cool..and you sure could haul stuff in a wagon like this! Thanks! :) Jack
Hey, Mr. Sam! Yes indeed..ivory colored steering wheels were very popular at the time! They were quite a step up from the usual black wheel of the 30's and early 40's! Thanks! :) Jack
you need a practical and useful second car and are into classics cars this one would certainly fill the bill. This one would probably fit into the survivor category, but not only a survivor a perfect survivor. You asked where did they all go, well Jack I don't know. I know I don't have one, but I wished I did. Now if it only had a BW OD it would a terrific highway cruiser.
Hey, Chester! That's true...it's nice to have a classic car that you occasionally can haul things in! It would serve a dual purpose! Overdrive would be a great addition...I'd hold on the Hy-Drive! Thanks! :) Jack
It sure is nice to see one of these again - especially a low end model. It seems we're particularly impoverished on those as the years go by.
These really were a step toward modernization of design at Plymouth....they even introduced HyDrive in the line as a semi-automatic. However, it just wasn't enough to make a real breakthrough...that hinged on Virgil Exner. Thanks! :) Jack
Hey, Jason! I remember the drastic change in the nature of stationwagons when the 49 all steel Plymouth wagon was introduced. It stirred a lot of interest and magazine articles because it was such a change! Thanks! :) Jack
People loved the all-steel Suburban 2 door wagon, as it was all-steel - no need to constantly re-varnish it - and cheap as as well. But that is a 54 steering wheel. The correct wheel for 53 has 2 spokes.
Hey, Jason! Whenever something is brand new technology, I've always felt it best to wait a bit to see how well it's working. Thanks! :) Jack
Hey, Barry! Exactly...I don't know why we have to go to sport utility wagons to have a configuration like the old time stationwagon. My Vega Kammback was a very nice accommodation for hauling! Thanks! :) Jack
The radical environmentalists convinced people not to buy station wagons, so the automakers quit making them, then people realized that they WANT station wagons, so they had to turn to Suburbans, Tahoes, and Ford Expeditions, as those rebodied pickup trucks were all that was left.
Utilitarian, functional beauty. Those Mopar flathead sixes would run forever, and that era of Mopars you could steer one-handed all day. I'd never heard of the Cambridge before. Didn't Austin have a Cambridge as well?
Hey, Brad! That's certainly true...Plymouth made very utilitarian vehicles, while the accent at Chrysler was luxury first! And it's true also that although there was a great gap in price when new, the fact that they survive today gives them a much more equal place in the automotive archives. I think too that we can appreciate the beauty of simplicity in the more basic models. Thanks! :) Jack
I have a 54 Chrysler wagon, and that is true of the 53. My 54 does not have as nice an interior as the 53, or as nice as the 54 DeSoto wagon either, but it does have more power than either of those - a Hemi with a 4 barrel and duals.
A great preserved wagon. We would have to thank Plymouth for starting the trend to all metal wagons. When Plymouth brought out this 2 dr Suburban in 49 it was about $500 less than their 4 dr woodie. $500 may not sound like much but a $20 bill would pay for a family of four groceries for a week and you would even get change back. I came across a video of Plymouth's promotional slides of a 50 Suburban. Some of the street scenes remind me of where I grew up.
/watch?v=cxUr7i2_Yew
Thanks for the peek, Jack. It's fun getting to see the little cousin of our '53 Chrysler wagon. Many similarities, but this certainly seems to have been aimed at the utilitarian and middle-class family market, while ours - with full wood bed, more chrome and a dramatic rear slope - seems to have been styled for the country club crowd.
It's fun to see how time has placed them all - from Plymouths and Chevys to Imperials and Caddys - on equal aesthetic footing today.
That's because they are all badge-engineered versions of each other. Before, a high-priced car like a Lincoln, Cadillac, Chrysler Imperial, or a Senior Buick was not merely a more expensive version of a Ford, Chevy, or Plymouth, they were bigger, better, more powerful, and nicer longer lasting better built cars.
Plymouths were the "low line" of cars from Chrysler, so even the "fancier" models were mostly added chrome and nicer looking interior fabrics. I'm sure these cars didn't survive because they weren't "special" and they were well used for the most part. My father's 1st New car was a 1954 Plymouth Savoy Club Sedan with Hy-Drive. It was big, beautiful and stayed with us for 6 years! My mom loved that car because with Hy-Drive she didn't have to shift that much. Not a great system, but better than shifting until "Power-Flite" was available.
+Intrepid 51 My aunt had a brand new '48 model that she kept for years of faithful service. Nothing really fancy, but I noted that the interior fabrics wore like steel...and the car had little to go wrong. I think New York taxi drivers loved their Fluid Drive DeSotos because they really could get along in heavy traffic just using the brake and accelerator! Thanks! :) Jack
+Jack R I can't believe I was lucky enough recently to see for sale a '54 Plymouth Savoy with Hy-Drive. I hemmed & hawwed a bit, but ultimately I bought it and can't wait to get it. That car brings back so many memories. It really is sad that so few of them remain, but they were low-priced cars back then, and weren't "treasured" when they got old.
+Intrepid 51 I'm glad you found a '54 with HyDrive! Now that has to be a rare car indeed. I think you're right about Plymouths of that era being thought of as "disposable" after they gave years of service! Thanks! :) Jack
Our family had a dark green '53 Plymouth wagon from 1961 until 1966. It was still running when Dad gave it away to a neighbor kid before we moved out west from Ohio. But I remember he said more than once that it had rust on it. My dad was not one given to repeat himself. So maybe being especially rust prone was one reason not too many survived. But also, homey plain Jane looking station wagons tend not to be "discovered" by collectors until they are very old and very few left anymore. That's my theory.
Hey, Marshall! I'm not surprised by the rust at all! I'm from PA, and it suffers from the same conditions that OH suffers from..heavy use of salt on the roads during winter snowstorms. I think most cars of the period began to show rust problems within 3 years, unless they didn't move from the garage during the winter. And I agree that stationwagons weren't really considered very collectible at the time, with the possible exception of the venerable "woodie" wagons. Thanks! :) Jack
Hey, Jason! They were very practical in the days before minivans and SUVs. I miss them! Thanks! :) Jack
Thank the radical environmentalists. They convinced people to refuse to buy station wagons, so the automakers quit making them. That's why SUVs like the Suburban/Tahoe and Ford Expeditions are so popular. People realized that they need a wagon, and those are the only full-sized examples around, even if they are rebodied pickup trucks.
I definitely agree about the spartan observation...the fanciest element was the steering wheel! Thanks for the reference for the series names...much better than the earlier "Special Deluxe" classification! :) Jack
That's good. When it comes to cars, I've always been old-school. I was skeptical (to be putting it mildly) when front-wheel drive cars first took off in the 1980s.
I still don't like Front-Wheel-Drive, and I don't like the looks of most of today's cars. I still have my "old school" cars.
@@michaelbenardo5695 I hear ya. I'm not a big fan of today's cars. I find most of them hideous to look at.
Nice hinges on the tailgate. Blends right in! Haha can you imagine them doing a hinge like that today? OMG. NOW THAT WOULD BE RETRO.
I sure appreciate the reference video! Plymouth sure took a chance with the all steel model..and it definitely was a hit. Wood was certainly on its way out...beautiful but impractical..heavy, maintenance intensive. Thanks! :) Jack
Hey, Brad! I think it all started in the early '50's when stylists hadn't quite got up to speed with new designs..so one way of differentiating the new model from "last year's" was to add chrome! It certainly got carried to extremes! Thanks! :) Jack
I've had a 53 sedan for a little over a year now and its currently being restored... From what I've heard is that due to the steel shortages from the Korean war, Plymouth used extremely low quality steel in their vehicles so they could still keep costs low which led to vehicles succumbing to rust quite quickly... Plymouth even used an extremely low quality chrome and covered it with a clear coat, but it didn't hold up well. During this time other car brands were adding new engines and creating longer cars and unfortunately the 53-54 car design was not well liked by the public. It was the 1st time in a long period that Plymouth saw sales drop. Personally, I love the design... but rusty lol.
Hey, Drew! Thanks for the inside story on the situation at Plymouth. I remember the shortages during the Korean "police action". I had a brand new Lionel steam engine that unfortunately could not be shipped with "magna traction"....a shortage of the material that was used to make magnets. Too bad for customers that were caught in the middle, not knowing that their brand new car was destined for the rust heap in quick time! I'm glad you have yours...it is a pleasing design to my eyes! Thanks! :) Jack
@@coolrides They lasted pretty good in areas that did not salt the roads. They were well built cars.
We had one, a Savoy, it was slow and one could say it did its job of transportation with few frills.
Hey, Jack! Definitely not the most spritely 6, but what it lacked in getaway, it made up for in dependability! Hope this car brought back happy memories! Thanks! :) Jack
@coolrides not all that dependable, it over heated a lot, plus we had that semi automatic transmission. It was OK in town but not on long trips.
Hey, Jack! Sorry to hear about the overheating...and that funky HyDrive, I sure can understand that. Plymouth was late to the party with that transmission...Powerflite two speed in '55 was a much better alternative, and Torqueflite in '56 even better. Thanks! :) Jack
Hey, Gene! You like the way those hinges were disguised! LOL! I think it goes back to the very elementary nature of those woodie wagons of the 40's...beautiful woodwork, but fasteners that are very elemental but practical. Thanks! :) Jack
That's true! Plymouth was getting more style! Thanks! :) Jack
I absolutely agree - there are endless examples where a car's beauty comes from what was left off!
Nothing says that to me quite like the giant fins and dripping chrome in the '57 Chevys and '59 Caddys: they're fun and Elvis-y, but frankly I wouldn't give you a nickel for 'em. But if you pulled up in a little Aston DB3 from the same period? Swoon!
the 50 ford also had that ivory colored sterring wheel
Hey, Roger! Yes indeed....my aunt's 48 Plymouth ran forever! You are correct...Austin had a Cambridge model! I really have no idea why Plymouth settled on the name of a distinguished British University for a series of their car! Thanks! :) Jack
It sounds sophisticated.
Our family had a '53 Plymouth station wagon from 1961 until 1966. I remember my dad saying that he gave it to a neighbor kid just before we moved out west from Ohio. It was still running at 13 years old, but dad also said that it had rust on it. Being a kid back then, I did not pay that close attention. But perhaps they were more rust prone than most other 1953 cars. Also, they were kinda "homely looking", and less powerful, compared to later '50's cars. And most station wagons never were keenly popular. So perhaps people who bought used station wagons in the later '50's, '60's and '70's preferred more stylish, and more powerful family hauler rust buckets, than these had to offer.
Hey, Marshall! The fact that your Plymouth was running after 13 years suggests to me that it was a very dependable and capable car. Chrysler Corporation put the emphasis on dependability and longevity back in those days...not so much on styling. So it appeared to be behind the curve in 1953 in that respect. I think most cars of the period rusted fairly quickly, especially in the "rust belt". I'd say that most wagons of this period were more utilitarian, although there were high priced wagons out there, like Buick woodies! Thanks for your recollections! :) Jack
Pre 52 Chrysler products were VERY rust resistant, but the Korean War must have led to steel with a lower chrome content, as the 52 does not have the rust resistance of the earlier models. Neither did the 53 - 56 cars. The beautiful 57 ChryCo cars were MADE of rust, sadly.
I can imagine. For a while you have cars with bodies made from wood and fabric, and then suddenly, an all steel car.
Maybe at the time plenty were around and rust ate them up most were abused and used in crash up derbies making the number of surviving ones really small might be a few uncounted for in barns on farms forgotten is my theory why so little of them are still around making them Rare .. Real nice example of one here.
Nice to see the detail but it would have been really great if you panned the camera out and showed the whole carshowed the whole car
It would be nice...but I can't video license plates...and often bystanders block the view. :) Jack
Jack R I just meant the side views, but no biggy it was just a suggestion not meant to be rude in any way. By the way, you actually did video the front plate as that shows in the opening shot
albertapeet I appreciate that. I don't exclude the front plate if it's not the current registered plate. :) Jack
Hey, Jason! That's why I wouldn't buy an electric car right now. Thanks! :) Jack
I know the feeling. That's kind of how I am.
Jack...it always seemed to me that 2 door wagons were sort of a contradiction in terms.. I recall back in the '50s anyone in the neighborhood who had a wagon went the 4 door route...usually a family with 3 or 4 kids...hauling things, little league sports equipment, folks going in and out of the car constantly...seemed so much more convenient to have the 4 doors....any reason why the 2 door wagons sold...or might have been preferable for some folks?
+daniel lack Hey, Daniel! It is a mystery to me too....why have all that storage area with self limited access to it! My only conclusion may have been that it was slightly cheaper than the four door model...or most probably, there were children on the back seat, and two doors may have been a way to make them secure without the possibility of opening doors unexpectely back there. Thanks! :) Jack
The 2 door station wagon was a fad of the 50s and 60s started by the 49 Ford and Mercury wagons. Some folks liked them because little kids didn't have any doors that they could open. (Little kids sometimes do that) Ditto for 2 door post sedans.
estes veiculos eram bons confortaveis nao dava mecanica pelo menos esta marca espaçosos otimo acabamento isto sim era luxo os veiculos atuais lataria fraca sem conforto sem espaços caros e ruim acabamento de plastico borracha
Oi, Márcia! Este Plymouth se especializou em transporte confortável e confiabilidade diária. Os carros de hoje estão tão sobrecarregados pela eletrônica que a ideia de simplicidade e baixo custo parece não ser importante hoje. Obrigado! :) Jack
@@coolrides este modelo de veiculo de 1953 era um carro valente demais meu pai tinha um mais o veiculo nunca deu mecanica nunca furou o peneu para mim e uma das melhores marcas obrigado eu ate me emociono quando vejo este modelo
It.s too bad that american cars don;t offer station wagons anymore you had the confort of a car but with lots storage capacity.