1950's

Plymouth

The all new styling for the Plymouth for 1950 was based on the "box styling" of Chrysler Chairman K. T Keller., emphasizing practicality over beauty.

1953 Plymouth Cranbrook Belvedere 2 door hardtop

1953 Plymouth Cranbrook 4 Door

Plymouth also introduced a Suburban station wagon. Also, Plymouth introduced a ignition/starter switch and automatic electric choke. Sales plummeted between 1951 to 1954, from 3rd to 5th, due to styling and the dated and boring L head 6 cylinder engine that had been used for 17 years.

Flat head 6 out of a 1948 Chrysler Windsor. This 6 cyl engine was used on all Chrysler products. It is capable of 95 mph in a 1 1/2 ton car

Note: 30 years later, a four cylinder engine can produce the same Hp as that six(116 hp). Plymouth did however offer a two speed Power Flite transmission in 1954.

1954 Plymouth Belvedere

But in 1955, Plymouth made a heroic return, with the "Forward Look" by Virgil Exner. You could also get a optional Highway Hi-Fi (High Fidelity) record player in any Plymouth. In 1956, a limited edition Fury finished in white and gold with dual exhausts and a new 303 cubic inch V-8.Introduced in 1956 with a 303 V8, the Fury had sharply peaked tail fins, a Cadillac-like logo, and typical 1950s styling. Other models available were the Plaza model, the Neon of yesterday, the Savoy, the mid price car. The Fury was the top of the line.

1956 Plymouth Fury

From 1957 on, Plymouth was back in 3rd place in sales. In 1957, Plymouth entered the police car market. In 1958, a 350 V-8 was made available on the Fury, for the first and only year.

The rare 350 V8 used on the Fury

In 1959, Plymouth introduced the new "Golden Commando" 361 ci V-8 which produced 305 hp. 1959 brought immense tail fins and a "tire bulge" on the trunk lid, a garish shape to the Fury.

Chrysler

Chrysler had the 25 Anniversary styling that was carried through 1954. 1950 was the last year for the Royal Series. The Royal Series was a wagon that looked like the Town & Country wagon. The Town & Country was based on the New Yorker chassis. Note: The New Yorker/Town & Country used a L head 8 cyl engine pumping out 135 hp, the 4 cy Neon engine has 150 hp.

1950 Chrysler Town & Country

1951: The Royal Series is dropped, and the sheet metal on all Chrysler's was done. the egg crate grille was gone. The brand new HEMI V8 that put out 180hp was available on all Chrysler's. The 3 models that were offered this year were Windsor, Saratoga , and New Yorker. An automatic transmission was offered on all models, called Fluid Drive. In 1952, only minor cosmetic changes were done on the cars. The L head 6 cylinder gained three hp to go to 119 Hp. The Town & Country model was dropped. In '53, the Windsor/Windsor Deluxe hat striking new sheet metal and a slopping roofline and one-piece windshield. The New Yorker grille and rear fender changed, but the HEMI power plant was surpassed in horsepower by Buick. 1954 said bu-by to the low priced Windsor, only the Windsor Deluxe was available. 1955 brought the new "100 Million Dollar Look" by Virgil Exner to the Chrysler line. The L head 6 is dead on the Chrysler line. An all new 301 ci V8 with 188 hp. But the big news was the beautiful Chrysler 300, with a modified HEMI with 300 hp. It had 2 4 barrel carburetors, a racing inspired camshaft, Imperial grille, and full leather interior. interior. 1956 carried the 100 Million Dollar Look with only minor changes. Some new features on all Chryslers was a 12 volt electrical system, Oriflow shock absorbers, new safety door latches, independent parking brake, and center plane brakes. The 300 B series was available with 2 HEMI engines and push button PowerFlite transmission. The 300B was Americas fastest car at Daytona Beach, Fla, averaging 133.9 mph. The 1957 cars now had tail fins like a Cadillac in the 2nd version of the "Million Dollar Look." Dual headlamps came standard on all cars. The Torsion Bar Suspension was an innovation on all Chrysler cars. It replace the normal coil spring suspension. The Saratoga came back after 5 years of absence, replacing the Windsor series. In 1958, the Windsor series used a Dodge chassis. New features on the series was a Auto-Pilot speed control and a third row seat on station wagon models. The Auto Pilot allowed the driver to dial in his speed and take his foot of the accelerator. The Saratoga series did not change allot in the '58 form. The dashboard now had the rearview mirror mounted on the center. The 300D only had minor cosmetic changes for 1958. A limited number of 300's had a electronic fuel injection by Bendix. The EFI's mostly failed and were recalled. It was also the last year for the "Firepower" HEMI engine. The 1959 Chrysler Windsor had a new wrap around grille with vertical bars. The interior upholstery came in 14 color and fabric choices, . Swivel chairs were available on all models on the Windsor , except station wagons. They were standard on all Chrysler 300E's. The Saratoga rode on the 126in wheelbase. It looked like the Windsor in the front, but was different everywhere else. The interior was all vinyl. The TorqueFlite transmision was available on all Chrysler's.

Dodge

The all new styling for the Dodge for 1950 was based on the "box styling" of Chrysler Chairman K. T Keller., emphasizing practicality over beauty. Also, Dodge introduced a ignition/starter switch and automatic electric choke on the carburetor. Sales did o.k between 1951, despite model cutting. The Sportabout was one of the models that was dropped. Dodge was still using the dated L head 6 cylinder engine that had been used for 17 years, and it was hurting sales. In 1953, Dodge offered a "Red Ram" V8 with HEMI heads and 140 hp. Dodge did offer a two speed Power Flite transmission in 1954. But in 1955, Dodge made a styling change with the "Forward Look" by Virgil Exner. The styling program clicked and sales jumped 160.3%!. A new "Super Red Ram" V8 based on the 270ci power plant was offered. In 1956, two new engines were offered on a 315ci V8, a Super edition Fury finished in white and gold with dual exhausts and a new 303 cubic inch V-8. Introduced in 1956 with a 303 V8, the Fury had sharply peaked tail fins, a Cadillac-like logo, and typical 1950s styling. Other models available were the Plaza model, the Neon of yesterday, the Savoy, the mid price car. The Fury was the top of the line. From 1957 on, Plymouth was back in 3rd place in sales. In 1957, Plymouth entered the police car market. In 1958, a 350 V-8 was made available on the Fury, for the first and only year. In 1959, Plymouth introduced the new "Golden Commando" 361 ci V-8 which produced 305 hp. 1959 brought immense tail fins and a "tire bulge" on the trunk lid, a garish shape to the Fury.