The vibe of this Chrysler is a bit different than the usual starchy ones from this era. These folks are off to have a good time, of one kind or another.
Vintage Ad: Dashing 1936 Chrysler Convertibles – Let The Good Times Roll
– Posted on February 6, 2022
Great ad and wishful thinking as the Great Depression was lingering. My grandparents bought a 1936 Plymouth that year. Two-door sedan, no heater, no trunk lid (!), a real stripper. Yet, the good times rolled. With five daughters, they would go camping in the Adirondack Mountains of NY, visit relatives in the Boston area and on, and on. The oldest four daughters all learned to drive on that car. The youngest was too young. Not as much fine as a Chrysler convertible but it sufficed.
I think the starchiness really set in after Walter Chrysler’s stroke. He had been the one who protected Raymond Dietrich’s styling efforts from the engineering people. Once the old man was out, so was Dietrich, and it really showed in the new 1940 line. Dietrich was no Harley Earl, but he was better than what came after.
I am loving those fender skirts!
After what happened to Isadora Duncan, that woman with the scarf should love those fender skirts too.
Don’t laugh; it happened to Isadora Duncan!
The artist got ZOOM into every line of the picture. The real Chrysler phaetons looked dumpy, not zoomy, especially with the top up.
This picture is also unusually wintry; the happy (and full-size!) rich folks seem to be heading for a Catskills ski trip. Normally a convertible is seen on the beach.
I got me a car, it’s as big as a whale
And we’re headin’ on down to the love shack
I got me a Chrysler, it seats about twenty
So hurry up and bring your jukebox money
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9SOryJvTAGs
(includes shots of the awesome 1965 version)
The real thing:
I have a soft spot for the ’36 Chrysler/Dodge/Plymouth line, having bought my late grandfather’s ’36 Dodge from his estate in the early 1990s. Alas, youth and lack of knowledge/funds meant the required restoration was beyond me, and I sold it to get a deposit on my first home. Joyfully though I do have a diecast ’36 Dodge convertible sedan as a reminder. In the (scale) metal it’s certainly not as sleek as the artist’s version above!
My grandfather replaced their big ’30 Buick with a ’37 Plymouth. Grandma and my 9 y.o. dad were not pleased. Dad hated the PT Cruiser too, despite its styling being of his era.
Great art work .
I imagine six guys with Tommy guns going to take care of business……
-Nate