(first posted 4/3/2011)
I’d been admiring this Plymouth’s blocky solidity for ten years, whenever its owner and I happen to work out at the Y simultaneously. I can count on its reassuring, unchanging, seemingly immortal presence at least a couple of times a month, an anchor of constancy in this turbulent world. And you can’t get much more anchor-like than this cast-iron 1951 Plymouth Cranbrook. But anchors sink, and this car began Plymouth’s long dive into the deep blue.
Chrysler products of this vintage developed a rep early on for their build quality. But the Plymouth wasn’t just solid; it was also stolid. And that’s not what folks were looking for in 1951 (or pretty much anytime). After almost a full decade with few new models, Americans after WWII were more than ready for a little excitement. They wanted sleek, and low. Ford and GM delivered; Chrysler . . . not so much.
Ironic too, since Chrysler’s meteoric rise in the twenties was in good part to their handsome looks. And when Chrysler boldly launched the attractive low-price Plymouth brand in 1928, it was an instant hit. Within three years, Plymouth captured the number three sales spot behind Chevrolet and Ford. That was no mean feat considering the dozens of brands competing back then—think China 2009.
And Plymouth stayed a solid number three for over twenty years. But after Walter Chrysler died in 1940, the baton was handed to K.T. Keller. Chrysler styling now . . . wasn’t. “Cars should accommodate people rather than the far-out ideas of designers,” Keller said. Was he referring to Harley Earl and his GM Motorama dream-mobiles? The fedora-wearing Chrysler prez dictated that the all-new ’49 Chrysler products accommodate hat wearers, with room to spare: “the styling won’t knock your hat off, but neither will getting in one of our cars…We build cars to sit in, not to pee over.”
The result is self evident. Abe Lincoln in his stovepipe hat would feel at ease in this tall-boy. Well, the stovepipe-hat-wearing market was small, if non-existent. But the market for anything new was huge. Americans’ pent-up appetite for new wheels in 1949 created the biggest seller’s market ever. And the stodgy un-Dodge sold well enough.
That is, until the market caught up. In 1951, Plymouth still moved 600,000 fedora-mobiles. But the unchanged 1952 model crashed, down by a third. And by 1954, Plymouth tumbled out of the bronze. There was a brief return after 1957 with the dramatic Virgil Exner-styled “Suddenly it’s 1960” models. But after two more cameo appearances in 1971 and 1974, Plymouth’s days on the low rung of the winner’s podium was over.
Plymouth had developed a reputation for dullness and styling stodginess (or quirkiness in some years, like 1962) that it could never quite shake, despite some good efforts along the way. A rep it took all the way to its grave.
But this original Cranbrook is far from its final resting place. At the rate it’s aging, it’s got another sixty years in it easy—before it needs a restoration. And, ironically enough, its proportions actually look more contemporary today than they did in the low-slung sixties. Tall boxy cars and crossovers are in, the benefits in seating comfort rediscovered. Keller was a genius, ahead of his time. And fedoras are in again too.
Sitting in one of these old tanks is a joy. Driving one . . . well, you have to change hat and mindset to 1951. Or even 1933. That’s the year the Plymouth’s 218 cubic inch flathead six first saw the light of day. These long-stroke (4.38″) chuffers deliver a gentle but steady dose of torque, right from idle speed (max. 175 lb·ft @ 1200 rpm). Just the ticket for chugging around town and not sweating the not-fully-synchronized three-speed transmission.
On the highway, these gentle cars are happiest at a pre-interstate system 55 or 60 mph. The advertised horsepower was 97 gross @ 3600 rpm—maybe 85 horses in today’s net rating. That might take you up to an equivalent number of miles an hour. But you wouldn’t want to. Everything wants to happen slowly, like the unassisted steering, and gently, like the brakes. And the word “handling” hadn’t entered Detroit’s dictionary yet.
This car brings back a raft of memories. They were ubiquitous in Iowa back in the early sixties. Ironically, I hated them then for their durability. They were a blot on the carscape, which in my mind should have consisted of nothing but dazzling 1960 Pontiac Star Chiefs and the like. In those first years in Iowa during the early sixties, I knew of three families that had Plymouths of this vintage. And they all looked utterly solid still, not so common for 12-15 year old cars back then. They were the Plymouth Valiant and Camry of their time.
On one of my hitchhikes from Baltimore to Iowa in 1972, I got a ride in one of these, right through a blizzard in the mountains of Pennsylvania. It was piloted by a young guy who understood how to drive it properly: steady as she goes. Everyone else was stuck or off the road. The already elderly Plymouth didn’t have enough power to spin its wheels and just chugged on through. Right into a special place in my heart.
This Cranbrook plays a special place in the heart of its owner too. His teen-aged son bought this car some years ago, on a whim. After he passed away in tragic circumstances, he and his other kids took on the Plymouth as a family project, and continue to maintain, improve and drive it regularly. It’s a living and driving memorial to the son, who unwittingly chose well in picking a nigh-near immortal car for that role.
Allpar has a good article on the ’51 Cranbrook with a look in the prehistoric engine compartment.
http://www.allpar.com/cars/plymouth/cranbrook.html
This article brings it to life.
What’s up with that guard behind the door handle? Must be an add-on.
Thats a accessory scratch plate. Chrysler in Aussie restyled these into their Royal model and kept stamping them out into the 60s
Women’s jewelry and rings wreak havoc on car paint under and around door handles!
These cars were built right here in my home town
Evansville Indiana…
http://www.ply33.com/misc/vin
Look Dad — a Nissan Versa!
When I was just starting elementary school our next-door neighbor had two of these, a gray one and a blue one. You could buy these things in pretty decent shape for almost literally nothing throughout the sixties, and while they were stodgy for the times, even then I marveled at the solidity and comfort they offered. Another neighbor had a mid-fifties Nash Ambassador, which was my all-time favorite at that age. The Plymouth was up there, though.
The fully exposed B-pillar is structurally efficient
This car may be the reason for my general indifference to 1950s cars. My buddy’s dad inherited one of these when we were kids, and parked next to it in his garage was a 73 Javelin. Jeez that thing is boring, especially when parked next to that AMC..
None of the 50s cars really lit my fire until the “Suddenly it’s 1960” cars came out.
I have always admired the post war Chrysler products because they represented good engineering, driving dynamics and comfort. In my university days, my dad had a 1949 Chrysler Windsor as a toy and I drove it quite a lot. I was impressed how well it drove and how good the basic engineering and materials were. The interior materials were excellent and the car was easy to drive. Now, I would never autocross it, because it was not designed for that kind of thing. But I do remember taking it up the Malahat north of Victoria and the “Spitfire” six never missed a beat. At 60 mph the torque pulled it up the steepest grades without missing a beat. It also admired the Fluid Drive. In my opinion, it was a better engineering solution to the early automatics, especially the Powerglide, which in its early iterations didn’t automatically shift anyway. Fluid Drive was totally reliable and a huge cost savings. In the city, you could leave it in second great and it would pull just fine from a stop, with more than enough acceleration to keep up with traffic.
I loved that car and I always used it as my “first date car.” Whenever I met a new sweetie, I would always use the Windsor for my the first date, which caused quite a few strange impressions from my dates. If she loved the car, I knew we would have a great time that night and if she hated it, I would take her home early. Then on the second date, I would show up on my Honda 500 Interceptor, just for contrast effect.
I have always admired sound engineering, driving dynamics, quality, value and fit and finish over flash and these has been the criteria I have used whenever I buy a vehicle. The stuff Detroit made after this Plymouth was throw-away trash. The much vaunted ’57 was a rust-bucket that leaked like a sieve. My dad went from a 1952 Chevy to a 1957 Plymouth. He loved the power of the V-8 but not the leaking trunk and door seals. By 1961 it was a rust-bucket and had to be scrapped and he bought a 1961 Chevy Biscayne with 194 six and three on the tree because he wanted a good car that was cheap to run.
I could go on, but perhaps my family car stories might get a little dull….
Dull? We’re the audience for old car stories! Maybe I’m being presumptuous, but I love it when people recall the old cars they remember.
About the build quality, I do recall that the finmobiles didn’t last nearly as long as cheap, daily drivers as the previous generation had. In the 60s we went from the ’46 Chevy Master sedan to the later fifties cars — a ’57 Pontiac, ’57 Buick, and a ’59 Chevy — the befinned cars were practically disposable compared to cars of just a few years before. I loved the glamour as a child (especially the pink and white Starchief), but they were junk compared to the car featured here (and the ’46 Chevy). Even as a 6 year old I could plainly see the drop in quality.
Yes, they lasted a long time. Yes, they were dull and stodgy, so much so that a lot of their owners simply got tired of them. My friend, just out of high school, somehow ended up with a light blue Chrysler Windsor sedan that had the beautiful red leather and flannel Highlander interior. I saw it at the wrecking yard one day; when I asked him what had happened to it, he said he’d been running it flat out in low range to try to blow the engine.
Now you’ve done it! This car really brings back memories. My parents had a 1950 Plymouth. gray, two-door, stick shift, pretty much like this example. This car was the inspiration for me buying our dearly-loved gray 1990 Plymouth Acclaim. My dad had his Plymouth for 10 years until the driver’s seat was literally falling through the floor. We had our Acclaim for 10½ years, after the third time my daughter wrecked it. Come to think of it, both cars looked remarkably similar, too. I always referred to the Acclaim as my “1950 Plymouth”! Similarly, I regard my Impala as if I’m driving my dad’s 1966 Impala! By the way, I do wear a fedora, and my 2007 Miata has plenty of hat space with the top up! Ditto for my Impala and CR-V! I own a half-dozen hats and know how to use them! The ’50 Plymouth was the car I almost fell out of when I pulled the door handle instead of pushing it to lock the door, and where I ate half a box of Baker’s coconut in the back seat that cured me of ever eating coconut again! That car was the newest car my dad would ever own, too. He bought it when it was only 6 months old and always kept it in the best condition he could. A stodgy design? You bet! When I got to ride in relatives’ cars, they were always flashier, newer and much more modern and I wondered why we didn’t have a car that was fancy like theirs, but that’s another story. Thanks for a great article Paul, as the memories just keep on coming with car features like this! You made my day!
My grandad’s first car was a 1950 Plymouth, which he bought new. He refused to subject it to the winter snow and road salt, so he took the bus to work, and on his off-time, overhauled the engine in a 36 or 37 Dodge which became his winter beater. The Plymouth was his “good” car, which meant it rarely got driven. Then in 1966 he bought a new Chrysler sedan and the Plymouth became the daily driver. I assume it soldiered on far a long time in that role, my guesstimate would be about another 10 years. The first daily-driver I remember my grandparents owning was an early-70s Olds, which would have been purchased used and probably replaced the Plymouth.
I don’t like the car , but I love the story that goes with it. Long may it survive.
It seems to me there was a period of time after WWII that Detroit still built the cars they built in the 30’s & 40’s. But GM and Ford stole a march on Mopar and others during the mid fifties. I think though that these cars would be out of step in the states, they would have sold well in Europe. Think of the British Daimler sedans, that resembled something rather similar to this car all the way through the mid 1960’s! Even Rolls Royce’s and Benzes had this kind of high three box set of proportions well into the 60’s and even the early 70’s. As others have noted, we’re headed back to this type of proportion, not a bad development IMO.
The timelessness of styling applied *after* considering the business of accommodating real human bodies is undeniable. A lot of people target CUV/minivan/SUV/pickup drivers as “evil” nowadays, but most of us just want reasonable comfort, utility, and visibility (and not to be blown into the next lane by the first 18-wheeler that goes by).
Give me a break!
This car isn’t real.
They made these cars a long time ago for old television and movies about gangsters, teen pregnancies, or rubber mushroom aliens attacking Centerville USA. These cars never came in colors because they were always shot in black and white.
The reason it looks so odd and boring is because when these cars were filmed, the camera lenses back then stretched their shapes horizonally so that they ended up looking like stainless steel ashtrays on wheels. And they smelled like giant rolling ashtrays too. See that dashboard? No instrumentation beyond a giant ashtray with a cigarette lighter the size of a door knob. You see, the actors in those movies back then lived off cheap whiskey, Coke, Luckies, Sen-Sen, and had to put toothpicks in their mouths in order to speak their lines.
All the actors back then wore hats, even Lassie. So, they had to make the roof of this car accommodate hats designed by a French harlot who once was a collaborator with the Nazis in Paris. The headlights on this car didn’t even have wiring because all the night scenes shot for the movies were shot during the day and they just used a filter to create a night effect.
So, don’t feed me any bull Paul! This car was never mass produced beyond whatever was necessary for a Warner Brothers film starring Ronald Reagan or Fred MacMurray.
Or for that Superman TV show where they used the gray and light blue Superman outfit – George Reeves was in it, I think.
I, too, have seen this car in films and on TV–though I missed the episode where Lassie wears a hat.
But as the owner of the car, I can vouch for the truth of Paul’s fine piece, every word. After finding the build sheet under the seat springs during an upholstery job, I looked up the 1951-52 production figures for the P23 Cranbrook: 586,597, of which 388,785 were 4d sedans like ours.
Just got it repainted for my daughter’s wedding. Looks even better now than when Paul found it.
I had a 1953 Chrysler Windsor 2DR in 1965. A $300 beater. 332[?] 180hp Hemi; Fluid Drive; green unborn mouse fur seats. Just depress the clutch; put it in 3rd and let the many solenoids do the shifting for you [you lifted your right foot to tell them when to upshift]. Tranny fluid was separate from engine oil. Maybe 15mpg, highway. If you started off in 2nd gear, that was the “Power” range. Unbreakable solid build quality throughout. Sold it for $300 a year later after the radio and heater refused to report for the onset of winter. I’d love to have one now, though….
In the 90s a friend of mine bought a light green 51 Dodge Meadowbrook sedan. It was in similar shape to the car in this story. The big differences were the 124 inch wheelbase and the Fluid Drive mated to the 3 speed manual tranny. I drove the car briefly, and it was a real experience. He bought it as a daily driver. Other than mounting seat belts in it, he had to do virtually nothing to it.
This car was made for driving in all the little county-seat towns of the early 50s. This was one of the first cars with the starter incorporated with the ignition key. Then, just leave the car in second gear and you were good for 90% of your town driving without the clutch. It was kind of like a fast, comfortable tractor. It is unfortunate that Chrysler never again built such solid cars. Like some of you, I too am a fan of function over form, and love these old flathead 6 Mopars.
Fun fact of the day: The emergency brake was just that in these cars – a big drum brake on the driveshaft. This was the kind of over-engineering I loved in these cars.
Thats called a carden shaft brake
would you know of a manual that covers the installation for the emergency brake? Chilton’s doesn’t cover it.
thanks!
gene.
I was waiting for pie outside of a pizza parlour in Black Diamond, WA tonight and wandered around outside and found the car in the image.
I looked at the name plate, Plymouth “Cranbrook”. Gee what a name for a car!! It sounds like the name of a man servant from a 50s show like Bachelor Father or something.
Of course, this one is no where near restored (the rear wheel is flat and covered in moss).
So I appreciate reading your blog gaining even more knowledge about this fascinating car…especially the insight about a return to the vertical cab style…yes, after driving a Mitsubishi Eclipse rental on vacation — which I thoroughly enjoyed for a few days — I was happy to get back to my KIA spectra and its easy to enter and exit doors and utilitarian design!
Still…I guess I’m craving a Cranbrook right now!
Love it, would be better as a coupe. Found one for myself and bought it right away. Great to drive, and love the looks people give when I drive by. Still need to do some customizing but for the most part im keeping it stock for the time being.
+1, and bonus point if it’s the 1951-52 Belvedere hardtop.
Not the Belveder hardtop. Thought about getting rid of the pillar though. Someday I will get it chopped I think instead.
My dad had the business coupe version of this car with just one bench seat and a huge trunk.
a 51 Cranbrook is the car my family owned from just before I was born until I was about 17. Ours was a blue two door. By the time I was old enough to drive the car was virtually undriveable by anyone who hadn’t spent the last 17 years gradually getting accustomed to the various idiosyncrasies that it had developed, in other words, anyone but my dad.
I’ve had 2 of these cars. Still have the second one I bought locally here in Ottawa Ontario. The reason I was attacted to this era Plymouth Cranbrook is my parents had essentially the same car badged a Dodge Regent. The Regents were made in Canada and harder to find than the Cranbook. I like the symplicity of these vehicles and the fact they are easy to work on without all the comuter related stuff in the modern cars of today.
Well good to know this nice looking Plymouth is still moving right along.
The older I get the more I like this period of cars. They really had figured out the right proportions to things.
I’d be very interested to see what the H-point and overall height of this compared to my 2014 CRV are. I’d say they are pretty close and just about right for me and a lot of other folks. Fortunately the health issue that forced me in to a small SUV has decided to go away, but I don’t see returning to a sedan again – maybe I should get a old Plymouth like this!
Yes and that’s what I’m trying to do with my sons 1992 cadillac fleetwood brougham. The car was beautiful until a few years ago; his condition deteriorated as did his vehicle, I guess I didn’t realize how bad things were for him as he died of a drug overdose Dec 2013. So far new Cooper tires (whitewall of course) , Interstate battery, rear axle seals and brakes, new wipers, oil and filter change, new motor for front pass window, seat belt unstuck from inside the door and new driver seat belt latch. We found the wire wheels in the trunk and discovered a 9/16 socket wrench will work as a lock (which was missing) I found an extra set of keys wedged in the seats. License, ins and registration were more expense, and I got specialty lic plate “in God we trust ” with his email address as his plate # MrBr 1977 it needs more and I plan to do it a little at a time as I get extra money. It won’t bring him back but I think Brian would approve. I’m crying now and have to sign off
My Dad has the same pain as you do, Ivana. Had to bury a son who passed in similar circumstances. We don’t have a car of his as a remembrance: It’s good that you are able to put love into something that remains a link with him.
Thank you for UR kindness and I wish the best for ur dad
I pray that both you Barko and Ivana find peace amongst your unimaginable (to me) losses.
Thank you
I am sincerely sorry for your loss. I say this as the father of three children, so I understand that you must have a terrible sense of loss. Drugs are a scourge, and it seems to me we don’t deal terribly well with what really is a public health epidemic. What is so ill about our culture that this must happen so often?
It is wonderful that you can keep his car up. These are solid, simple cars, and parts are cheap and easy to get. There are many competent techs around for them, too. Just ask a local club. Even if you drive it every day, it is still very economical, especially now.
Yes Canuck it is a living nightmare; Instead of jail I dont C why we as a block of people can’t help addicts more instead of punishing them, my son only did 3 weeks of incarceration when he was 19 and passed away at 36 I realize now he suffered in silence ; anyway I did not realize what a comfort this car would b to me, I have a nearby garage with longtime friends who work there and they r so helpful to me,the head mechanic said”as long as u change the oil this is an easy car to maintain” and so IM trying to do that, thank u for ur compassion
Your kindness will get you through this. I am not sure how I would handle such a scenario, or if I even could.
Yes, get the oil changed twice a year and have your mechanic check things over. This car will run for many, many years.
I am having seat belt fastener (word ?) issues if anyone knows where I can get new ones or old ones repaired ; I’m not sure junk yards are the answer here ; thank you for your help
Ivana ;
Does the vehicle have seat belts now ? .
Installation of seat belts to a Vintage Motor Vehicle isn’t difficult but it’s important to be done correctly , I have one in my stable now that was improperly done and I need to address it ere long .
IRC , the seats in your Plymouth are rather high from the floor so choosing the correct length seatbelt will be important .
What color belts do you want ? .
Are old tech chrome plated metal buckles O.K. ? .
Where are you located ? I may be able to help here .
-Nate in Southern California
Hey Ivana, very sorry for your loss…
Being a non-practicing drug addict (I don’t like that term “recovering”), I can tell you that if your son was able to keep the car at all, it certainly meant a lot to him, and I’m sure he’d be extremely happy to know that you’re fixing it up. Looks great!
That is a very good thought and I thank you very much for mentioning it ; it actually makes sense
Thanks again for your reply; I xm having trouble finding seat belt fasteners can not really take a passenger as they can not properly fasten their seat belt! If anyone knows where new ones can be bought or old ones repaired please let me know .My garage is having same issue
I’m Sorry for your loss! You should be able to keep this Brougham on the road for many years. There are tons still on the road (Even in ‘rust belt’ Pittsburgh! All mechanical parts are common. (Trim pieces may require a junkyard visit.) ( The 1992 version itself should rise in value as many consider it to be the last “real” Cadillac. (the 1993-96 are mechanicaly related but just not enough “Cadillac” style for some.)
Thank you yes I researched it is the last “real” cadillac that it’s meant to b driven in not to drive which is ironic since I’m a recently retired taxi driver; new headliner and hardtop are in my plans I got a quote for both for $1G which I thought very reasonable
Ivana it is my sincere desire that you post here again and let us know about how you and of course, the car, are doing.
I drove a car identical to this one when it was “just” a 25 year old car. I was amazed and delighted at the precision and ease in which it shifted, steered and how light and direct the clutch operated.
It is amazing how styling has changed in the last 60 years. Paint this Dodge silver including the bumpers and most of the chrome, install spoke wheels with black wall tires (maybe cut the rear wheel well to be the mandatory half round shape) – and the car will look sort of contemporary. Tall, boxy, short overhangs, short trunk, and plain styling. Much newer looking now than anytime in it’s history. Not a good thing, but true.
I just can’t believe that a 1951 Dodge looks more contemporary today than a 1957 Dodge! I think I am going to cry!
When the current Chrysler 300 came out I thought they reminded my of the early post war Mopars. Like the “downsized” 1962s, They may have been “wrong” at the time, but make more sense as time went on!
Sweet looking car. I’ve always liked cars of the early 1950s, between 1949 and 1954.
Great story, Paul. The end is so very sad, yet uplifting at the same time. Seeing this Plymouth sent me back fifty years. The first things I thought about were Harvey Brooks and K.T. Keller. You said everything about K.T. that came to my mind. Harvey, on the other hand was a nice old retired farmer who drove a black ’51 Cranbrook into the mid sixties. Around home, old folks and teenagers kept early fifties cars on the road longer than anyone else. No generation gap there. In hindsight, these cars held up well, even at a time when road salt was literally heaped up at the center line of the highway. Their longevity may have been due partly to the fact that older folks did not drive as much as the next generation. I loved those old cars. Their shape, the soft high seats, large steering wheels with big chrome horn rings and the sound of their horns. Most of all, I loved peering out the windshield, down the round narrowing hood, and seeing that ornament at the end guiding you down the road. Harvey’s Plymouth met an unfortunate end when he pulled out in front of an oncoming car and was hit broad side. His great nephew suffered a broken arm. Fortunately, that was the only injury. Harvey moved on to a ’56 Chevy which was parked in the back meadow, rusted, in 1968. Up until just a few years ago, I’d still go out to the back meadows of these one time farms and visit the old holdouts which escaped the crusher. When I see them, I remember the old folks who drove them so long ago. May this old Plymouth roll on for a long, long time.
Looks like a perfect choice if you wanted just basic, reasonably comfortable transportation back in 1952. A Camry of its day, indeed. I’ve seen one of these cars in person, but that was a “DeSoto Diplomat” – essentially a Plymouth 4dr sedan body with a DeSoto-style grille.
Chrysler flathead engine… you can still purchase it brand new, built by Zavolzhsky engine plant as a replacement part for elder GAZ trucks, rated at 76 HP (it’s converted into Metric system, but basically is the old good 218 CID). A sort of immortality, too.
These cars were all over the place when I was in college in Iowa in 1957 – 1959. There was Russ’s dark green 1949 Plymouth 4-door with the split manifold and dual exhausts. It met its end when Russ took his eyes off the road momentarily to light a cigarette, wandered across the center line, and hit a car almost head-on. (Everyone was uninjured though….) Glenn had a beautiful deep red 1949 Plymouth convertible that was kept in close to show condition – not such an easy feat on a college campus. Chris had a light blue 1951 Plymouth 2-door sedan with overdrive that was great for the Iowa highways. Ron had a 1952 Dodge Wayfarer 2-door sedan – this was the humpy rounded body style. Although these were all midwestern cars, none of them showed any body rust.
Later on in my WPC Club days, one of Don’s one hundred or so cars was a very nice original 1951 New Yorker sedan that was a very smooth-riding big brother to the various Plymouths, and with surprising hemi-powered performance once third gear was attained. Joe and Bobbie could be counted on to appear at every club function in their beautifully restored maroon 1950 Plymouth 4-door sedan. Phil had a very nice original light green 1950 DeSoto 2-door. These are just the ones I remember offhand.
My parents had 2 Plymouths (a 51 and a 49) from this era….or 3 if you include a 54. The 51 was a business coupe and the other 2 were 2 door sedans. The driving experience is EXACTLY as described here…though I always preface my descriptions as “…sitting up high, like at a dining room table, but your chair is an elevated sofa”.
I learned to drive on the 49 sedan and that car and the 51 coupe sparked my appreciation for Plymouths….which the PUG UGLY 54 nearly killed.
Stylistically, these cars look taller and boxier than their Ford contemporaries yet plainer than their Chevy contemporaries. (My grandparents had an early 50s Chevy….though neither one had a driver’s license, and even the instrument panel was more special than that of the featured car.).
Not just stylistically, Plymouth(Chrysler Corporation) took it’s role as a “low priced car” WAY too seriously.
I like this car. The practicality it oozes compares in a lot of ways to the 1980 Plymouth Reliant, another car built in a no nonsense style.
Actually, the styling seems to compare well to the ’49-’54 Chevy in a lot of ways – perhaps just a bit stubbier.
Where Plymouth (Chrysler as a whole) really went wrong was the lack of an automatic transmission.
Chevy introduced Powerglide in the 1950 Deluxe. By October 1952, Chevy had built over a million Powerglide equipped cars. The automatic was firmly planted as a common feature in the “low price field.” Plymouth did not offer a fully automatic transmission until 1954!!
Plymouth also doubled down on bad decisions with the 1953 restyle which introduced some weirdness that was made even odder by some minor updates for 1954. The ’54 is absolutely worthy of the title of Mother of the ’62 Plymouth, another bad year, this time due to styling, a perfect decade after the 1952 sales melt-down.
I wonder what if Plymouth had continued to offer 2 wheelbases for 1953-54 (the short Suburban wagon and the 2-door fastback sedan was on a 111″ wheelbase) along a fully automatic transmission and a V8 more earlier?
A good friend of mine had a 1950 Plymouth when we were in high school (late sixties). Then it was just an old car that was picked up for minimal cost; Wes drove it for a year or so until something on it broke that would have cost more to fix it than it was worth. These cars were slow but solidly built; one day leaving the high school parking lot Wes had to stop short and a girl in a mid-sixties Chevelle ran into his rear. The Plymouth came through with a couple of scratches on the bumper while the Chevelle sustained massive damage to the front bumper, grille and headlights.
The interior looks surprisingly comfortable and roomy. I’d gladly take a nap in back whilst being driven through a midwest blizzard.
My mom’s first car was a ’49 Plymouth. My dad’s first car was a ’50 Plymouth. Both of them loved the chair-high seats.
The first thing that struck me was how close the overall proportions are to the current Chrysler 300 series.
Good solid cars but ~ FlatHead engines ! GAH .
I thought the ‘ Spitfire Six ‘ was only in DeSotos , non ? .
Dual leading shoe front brakes made these pretty decent stoppers too back before vacuum boosted brakes became the norm .
I remember the clutch pedals in ” Gyromatic ” equipped cars had ” SAFETY CLUTCH ” casted in in cursive script .
Mostly all gone now , more’s the pity , I am pleased to see this one being taken care of .
A Parent outliving their Child is an awful thing ~ my heart goes out to you .
-Nate
Nice post.
One question I had is where did the name Cranbrook come from, and what image were Plymouth wanting from it?
Whenever I hear “Cranbrook”, I think of Eminem in 8 Mile rapping “you went to Cranbrook, that’s a private school!”
Some of the names used by Plymouth were also names of large/expensive hotels….usually in NYC. Savoy, Belvedere, Plaza are hotel names. Cranbrook? Chevy used the name Brookwood on it’s wagons…I wonder if there was a connection there?
I just did a Google search…Cranbrook PROBABLY came from the Cranbrook Air Institute, located in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, a “stone’s throw” from Detroit.
This soooo reminds me of my Dads ’54 Chevy BelAir. Similar shape, size, bench seating, steering wheel, three-on-the-tree, etc. Only thing missing is the hand grab that was along with the back of the front sheet. May have been a BelAir exclusive.
I’ve got a 1951 4-door Cranbrook in that same blue color, still all original interior. I am the third owner; It was purchased new by a lady school teacher in Dayton Ohio, and she drove it until she stopped driving some 40 years later.
I was born in 1953, and I bet a good many folks my age were conceived in the roomy back seats of those early ’50s sedans.
Your post jogged my memory ~
A couple years ago in Tehachipi , Ca. I met a nice older fellow who had a really nice unrestored light blue Plymouth Business Coupe ~ it was well equipped with radio (! working !) and heater plus a Fulton Sun Shade ~
He was a retired Auto Trimmer and so re did the entire interior then sold it , it was nice but @ $12,000.00 it was WAY out of my league .
-Nate
I’ve had 2 of these wonderful cars. They are a joy to drive when you are not in a hurry to get anywhere. It’s nice to own a year-of-birth car as well. They certainly were solid and comfortable and you feel strange not having seat belts to buckle when you get into the car.
My paternal Grandfather had a 1952 Plymouth Cranbrook sedan – which was basically the same as the 51 – the difference being minor changes in trim. Granddaddy’s car was a dove gray color (which Plymouth called “Mariner Grey”) with a grey interior. The dash was gray metal and was painted – no woodgrain or padding here! This was a really a “plain vanilla” car – no radio, no clock – only a cigar lighter and heater. It had the venerable flat head 6-cyl engine, with a three speed manual transmission – no power steering or brakes. My grandfather gave the car to my brother, hoping he would restore the car, but which he never did. We had a lot of fun memories with that car! Loved riding in it as a kid.
In the mid-1970s, a young neighbor of my grandmother drove one of these – a gray sedan in almost perfect condition. It was his daily driver. He was well-known as a carpenter and all-around handyman – he even bought and restored the childhood home of my grandmother. The car seemed perfect for him.
Regarding the sales figures – I believe that the 1952 model year was a down year for the entire industry, thanks to the Korean War. The government issued production restrictions for each company. A company’s production quota was based on its market share during 1950 and 1951, although the government was supposedly more generous with the independents. These restrictions were not lifted until 1953.
Plymouth was also hurt by Chrysler Corporation’s dealer organization. Plymouth was sold through all three dealer networks – Dodge, DeSoto and Chrysler/Imperial. That meant lots of dealers sold Plymouths – in some cases, too many dealers. Dealers in one area were faced with stiff competition for Plymouth sales from other Chrysler Corporation dealers. They therefore preferred to move potential customers up to the more expensive (and profitable) corporate sibling, if possible.
I was about to tell my 1949 Chrysler story yet again but it is posted above.
In my opinion, there has always been a market for a solid, reliable car for family use. The kind of car that always starts, stops and runs with no issues. The kind of car that is reasonably cheap to run and won’t rust to pieces in five years.
That car was the 1951 Plymouth. The owners loved them and they were so well built there are still plenty of them around. Here is one at a rather inflated $7500:
https://classiccars.com/listings/view/1373581/1951-plymouth-cambridge-for-sale-in-winchester-kentucky-40391
Although I am reluctant to do a big “what if” scenario, I wonder what would have happened had Plymouth been kept on as the boring but exceptionally good car in the Mopar line. For example, Plymouth could use the previous Dodge’s body and restyle it in a Plymouth way.
The “Spitfire Six” was in my opinion the best motor made in Detroit and perhaps the world. The 250 in my dad’s car was smooth, torquey and silent. It never gave a lick of trouble. In fact, Chrysler put five of them together to make the A-57 Frankenmotor. It had five of everything!
What was the A-57 “Frankenmotor” used for? It appears that it could have been used in a tank or some other application? Just curious!
One of my favourite CC’s, probably because this car epitomizes the automotive landscape of my early childhood – and of course has virtually disappeared from view.
It stirs a lot of memories. It’s also nice to be re-introduced to a car that my only slightly older self would regularly dismiss as a dumpy embarrassment to the modern world (late-50’s version), appreciating instead with fresh eyes the fundamental quality in its design and manufacture.
I don’t know how this car is anymore stodgy than the 1950-52 Chevrolet Deluxe? I just saw one on Saturday in dark blue, blackwalls, standard hub caps, and with dual exhaust and headed towards the Bay Bridge. Nothing fancy and similar to the car above but moving along at 62 mph. Ages and ages since I’ve seen one much less seen one tooling along a freeway.
My grandfather bought a 1951 Chrysler new which looks very similar to this car. The shot from the rear seat brought back early memories of riding in it. He replaced it in 1961 with a new Buick LeSabre.
Found one just like this one this passed weekend (sans the whitewalls). Truly the CC effect in action.
My Father drove a 1951 Dodge Wayfarer (short wheel base) off the showroom floor in December 1951.I was 5 and in heaven. No rear seat or rear side windows. A bus seat from the junkyard was recovered in dark red oil cloth to semi match the front.
It was totaled in December 1955 by a red light runner. My favorite Christmas Eve was spent shopping for a replacement which was a 1951 Dodge Diplomat 2 dr ht. It was joined in January 1956 by a 1955 Desoto Firedome v8 2 dr ht. 4 years apart,but very different.
It is interesting that Mercedes copied the design language of the 1949-1952 Chrysler products, which of course included Plymouth. Take a look at the MB 180/190/220 of the mid ’50s, their Pontoon models. Take off the MB grille, and you essentially have a 80 to 90 percent scale Chrysler product.
I have a 51 Plymouth Cranbrook that has been in the family since new. Purchased by my grandparents in 51. It was passed down to me and after a few years decided to do a total restoration (was still in great shape but decided to go over everything.) The first ride when complete went to my grandmother who could not wait to see the car that was their daily driver back on the road. Still enjoy driving it and talking to people who are interested in it