Chrysler’s low-cost Plymouth division did very well in the US after the guns of World War II fell silent, with strong sales of cheap and affordable cars throughout the early 1950s. However, by 1954, Plymouth dropped down the charts, its sales numbers being surpassed by Oldsmobile divisions and GM’s Buick surpassed that year. Much of the reason for that was the increasingly dated appearance of the ’54 Plymouths, which no longer existed. Much has changed since 1949but more than 400,000 cars still left Plymouth Gallery like the 1954 model today Junkyard gem is one of those cars, found in a self-service yard in the Denver area recently.
The name Plymouth Belvedere began its existence on Cranbrooks two-door hardtop in the 1951 model year, then became the model name in its own right in 1954.
During that year, The Plaza is the cheapest Plymouth, with the Savoy being the mid-range offering. Belvedere stood at the top of the Plymouth pyramid in ’54, just priced lower its most affordable Dodge sibling that year. We have seen a scrapped purple ’54 Savoy in this series a few years ago.
The car’s MSRP is $1,933, while the four-door Plaza starts at $1,745 (those prices would be $22,444 and $20,261, respectively, in 2024 dollars). Meanwhile, a new 1954 Chevrolet Bel Air four-door sedan listed for $1,884 ($21,875 after inflation).
The Chevy had an inline six-cylinder valve under the hood, while the Plymouth used an old-fashioned valve. straight flat head six (To be fair, the Plymouth engine produced 110 horsepower, only 5 horsepower less than Chevrolet’s Stovebolt engine).
Chrysler stuck with it flat head six on cars produced in the US market through 1959, although production continued long after for use in military trucks and generators.
ONE Automatic transmission “Hy-Drive” was available on 1954 Plymouths, but this car had the base Three-speed column shift instructions.
This car does Optional automatic accelerationadded $97.55 ($1,133 at today’s exchange rate) to the car’s price.
It also has an optional single-speaker AM radio, priced at $82.50 (now $958). Note the Civil Defense symbols at frequencies 640 and 1240 kHz; those things point out CONELRAD emergency frequency The Americans should have paid attention when Soviet bombers carrying atomic bombs were on their way. These markings were required on radio stations in the US market from 1953 to 1964.
Original Plymouth subdivision takes its name from a rope brand popular with American farmersbut then the branding shifted emphasis the May flowers and Plymouth Rock. In the mid-1950s, the Plymouth logo included depictions of Wampanoag people give gifts to their future conquerors.
The car is pretty solid and well-rounded, but people’s sedans of this era weren’t worth much even when in good condition.
I carrying a 100-year-old Ansco film camera when I found this car, as one does.
