Cargolex
Special Deluxe: 1949 Plymouth
When the first postwar Plymouths debuted in February of 1946, they were more or less identical to the cars Plymouth had sold in the short 1942 model year.
There was little else Plymouth or its competitors could do - America was hungry for cars, with demand pent up from years of depression and war. It was a seller's market for cars the likes of which wouldn't ever be seen again (though the years 2012-2015 have borne some similarity).
The 1942-vintage P-15 Plymouths continued virtually unchanged until March of 1949 - when a new car, the P-17/P-18 series (same car, two wheelbases) - was finally introduced. This was after Ford and Chevrolet had already been selling their brand-new 1949 offerings for some time. The 1949 Ford had first appeared in June of 1948 and the 1949 Chevrolet had been on sale since January. Independent competitor Studebaker had introduced brand new car sin 1947 - getting a drop on the entire field. So Plymouth, perennially the third place seller in the world's largest car market, was late to the party.
Although the 1949 Plymouths were solid, reliable cars, they had another problem beyond lateness - they were square, literally and figuratively. They were upright, plain, and boxy and looked dowdy compared to the new Fords and Chevrolets. They still had their devotees, however, and they sold almost 600,000 1949 Plymouths. The year was most notable for the introduction of the first all-steel station wagon, the Plymouth Suburban. At that time, station wagons wore wood bodies which needed lots of upkeep.
The styling of the cars conformed to a stereotype about Chrysler Corporation's leader at the time, Kaufman Thuma "K.T." Keller - he liked to drive with his hat on, and felt that drivers should be able be dignified and wear their hats in cars. Hats were a standard part of men's clothing at the time - and not hats in the sense of baseball caps. It wasn't until the 1960s that hats became a truly optional accessory for men. Of course, this dictated a tall car, and in the era of longer, lower, and wider, that was anathema. The basic P-18 series would be dressed up for 1953 and 1954 by Virgil Exner, who would revolutionize Chrysler's styling just a few years after this car was built. But that's all in the past now.
This car scene was captured at the fantastic Trust Salvage. Special thanks to Matt C. for the opportunity!
©2015 A. Kwanten.
Special Deluxe: 1949 Plymouth
When the first postwar Plymouths debuted in February of 1946, they were more or less identical to the cars Plymouth had sold in the short 1942 model year.
There was little else Plymouth or its competitors could do - America was hungry for cars, with demand pent up from years of depression and war. It was a seller's market for cars the likes of which wouldn't ever be seen again (though the years 2012-2015 have borne some similarity).
The 1942-vintage P-15 Plymouths continued virtually unchanged until March of 1949 - when a new car, the P-17/P-18 series (same car, two wheelbases) - was finally introduced. This was after Ford and Chevrolet had already been selling their brand-new 1949 offerings for some time. The 1949 Ford had first appeared in June of 1948 and the 1949 Chevrolet had been on sale since January. Independent competitor Studebaker had introduced brand new car sin 1947 - getting a drop on the entire field. So Plymouth, perennially the third place seller in the world's largest car market, was late to the party.
Although the 1949 Plymouths were solid, reliable cars, they had another problem beyond lateness - they were square, literally and figuratively. They were upright, plain, and boxy and looked dowdy compared to the new Fords and Chevrolets. They still had their devotees, however, and they sold almost 600,000 1949 Plymouths. The year was most notable for the introduction of the first all-steel station wagon, the Plymouth Suburban. At that time, station wagons wore wood bodies which needed lots of upkeep.
The styling of the cars conformed to a stereotype about Chrysler Corporation's leader at the time, Kaufman Thuma "K.T." Keller - he liked to drive with his hat on, and felt that drivers should be able be dignified and wear their hats in cars. Hats were a standard part of men's clothing at the time - and not hats in the sense of baseball caps. It wasn't until the 1960s that hats became a truly optional accessory for men. Of course, this dictated a tall car, and in the era of longer, lower, and wider, that was anathema. The basic P-18 series would be dressed up for 1953 and 1954 by Virgil Exner, who would revolutionize Chrysler's styling just a few years after this car was built. But that's all in the past now.
This car scene was captured at the fantastic Trust Salvage. Special thanks to Matt C. for the opportunity!
©2015 A. Kwanten.