Curtis Redgap's Inside History of Plymouth - Part 5b

Installment V, Section 2

Saturday we sold 30 cars. Over 200 new ones were in the process of either having been delivered in or on the way. I set up a mini-Max kind of inventory so I could keep track of when to place orders. I had gotten the idea from a friend of mine that stocked shelves over at the A&P grocery store.

Sunday we got to the store at 1:00 p.m. It was quiet. Not one person from our crew stayed home. More deliveries arrived. They were checked, cleaned, matched to the paper work, and set on the lot ready to go. We labored far into the night on Sunday. We also sold 17 units in 6 hours! Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday, it was more of the same. By the end of the first week, our store had moved 173 units! We had nearly completely turned the inventory over. Mrs. Weed explained the mini-max inventory to Dad. He was so impressed that he offered me my first true regular job. After school when all my homework was done, I was to insure that the inventory was complete along with having the cars on the line, ready to go. He was going to pay me the princely sum of 75 cents an hour. I was ready to take it until my Grandpa scoffed and called him cheap. My Dad then offered me $2 an hour. I couldn't believe it. I was going to be the richest kid in the whole world at that price! Most kids didn't get two dollars a week! One thing Dad did make me do however, is open a saving account with my first check. He never asked if I was contributing to it. I did anyway. I liked to see the sum add up, especially when the interest was calculated in.

In January, the new Chrysler 300 C arrived, along with the DeSoto Adventurer, and the first of the new Plymouth Furys. It was almost as mobbed as it had been on introduction day! I had ordered 12 of the Fury model. 5 of the 300, and 6 of the Adventurer. I got the Furys, but only one 300 showed up. A red hardtop, very sharp. The Adventurers were the smash attraction of the January introductions. The new Furys did not stay on the lot more than 2 days. They were just gone! One Adventurer got sold the very first day. Yes, Grandpa took one look at a black on white 2 door hard top, and that was the end of his hold out. Dad finally got to keep a Fury for his own. They just seemed to sell themselves. However, as much as I don't want to admit it, out in back in the warranty area, Mr. Greene was busy... very busy. The seeds of discontent were blossoming.

February 1957 approached real fast. We did not make our usual "business" trip to Florida to see the speed weeks. It was just as well. It really wasn't Chrysler's year on the beach. Oh, they did well enough, but not as had been expected. The highly touted 300 "C" set a two way mark of 134.108 miles per hour. That was some 5.5 mph off the 1956 mark. Yes, it was still the fastest car on the beach, but something was sort of lost. It was especially confusing when the Hemi engine was bored to 392 cubic inches for an output of a standard 375 horsepower. A 390 horsepower 392 was available, though not recommended for street use.

DeSoto made a good showing for itself, however, the same type of body held its speed down as it had the 300. Both had a metal strip at the top of their windshields that later tests proved had acted just like an air brake! Chrysler also missed the opportunity to assert that DeSotos engine had reached the engineer's dream of one horsepower per cubic inch displacement. They had not taken advantage of that same opportunity in 1956 with the 300 "B." Chrysler felt that since the 355 horsepower 354 was an "optional" engine that it didn't meet the exact criteria to stake the claim!

DeSoto's top engine was bored to 345 cubic inches. its measured output was 345 horsepower. Over at GM, Chevrolet ads were touting their 283 cubic inch V-8 making one horsepower per cubic inch! So, then who was right? Bluntly, it was DeSoto. Theirs was the "standard" engine, available across the board in a standard model. Chevrolet's 283 horse engine was an expensive ($500 big 1957 type dollars) option, and not standard at all!

Dodge, as expected, equated itself in a class showing. The D-500 option was a 325 cubic inch Hemi engine that had 310 horsepower. The Dodge boys also had another option that was not widely known. There was a D-500-1. It was about 100 or maybe 150 of the lightest, cheapest Dodge bodies had the 354 cubic inch Hemi installed in them for NASCAR racing compliance. We never got one at our store, however, one example has turned up and rests comfortably in the hands of a Florida collector. These cars should have been formidable contenders in any contest.

The Plymouth models did not do well at Daytona. The Fury was dismal in its showing, winning nothing at all. The Canadian 303 engine was bored out to the ubiquitous 318 cubic inch engine that soldiered on in various corporate applications until 1967! However, in the 1957 Fury form, the V-800 developed 290 horsepower with 2 four barreled carbs, high lift camshaft, and low restriction dual exhaust. Despite the great potential, several testing magazines were critical of the 318 for its lack of low end "punch." It was fairly quick, running out to 60 miles per hour in 8.5 seconds, with an observed top speed of 120 miles an hour. However, torque wins races, and the 318 lacked that at the low end of its operating range. In an interesting move, however, Plymouth made the Fury V-800 available through all its car models! All in all, a wash for Chrysler at Daytona. It was just as well. The American Manufacturers Association banned advertising that showcased horsepower, performance, and racing right after the close of speed weeks. There would be no more formal gatherings of horsepower festivals. 1957 was the last run at Daytona's famous beach.

The arrival of the fleet cars started at the end of January. Most manufacturers will run their fleet line early in the production schedule, and then again about its halfway mark. In that way, fleet customers can, if they choose, change with the model year, or change with the seasons. Police departments in the North, where winters are tough on cars, usually wait until Spring to put their new cars in service. In that way, they are just about broken in well, and ready for full performance over the summer months. No one is going to run a car at 100 miles an hour on a snow covered road... unless they are nuts.

In the usual procedure, Chrysler had shipped down several cars for the State Police to test. I expected them to come back thrashed; they had been using Fords since 1917. I knew something was up when they didn't come back after three days... then a week... then on the tenth day, a truck carrier arrived from the State Capital with all the tested Plymouth cars on it. They were stunningly clean! In fact, they had been polished to a high sheen of clean with a nice wax coating. The last one that backed off the carrier had a big sign in the back window, sorta made up like a Christmas present sticker. It read: "Dear PLYMOUTH CLAUSE, can we have about 1,150 stocking stuffers just like this one"? I thought I was going to faint! Dad made me go home and get the Brownie so he could take a picture. Yes, it was in the local paper.

The State bid cars were the Savoy. They were all equipped with Torqueflite, a 3.36 rear axle ratio, and the four barrel, dual exhaust 301 cubic inch engine that developed 235 horsepower. Keeping its eye on Dodge, Plymouth had come up with a "Police Pursuit" package on its own for the 1957 models. It was every bit as tough as the Dodge, and if you equipped it with (if you wanted it) the 318 cubic inch 8 barrel, 290 horse V-8, faster than a D-500 Dodge. Plymouth however, had put together a series of packages that appealed to a cross section of police work. Dodge wondered what was happening when Plymouth started grabbing orders that they had expected to get. Most fleet managers though are leery about multiple carburetor packages. They tend to be difficult to keep in tune. Hence the single four barrel on the 301. Which is the package that Plymouth sold the most of in 1957. There was one other advantage that I always wondered about. Plymouth put 12 inch brakes on all its Pursuits, where Dodge stayed with the 11 inch drums until the Polara model of 1961. If you thought the Dodge brakes were tough, the ones on the Plymouth were formidable!

A Nevada Highway State Trooper, while patrolling in the mountains near Sparks in his 1957 Plymouth, spotted a tractor-trailer going down the mountain. The driver signaled wildly that the air brakes had gone out. The Trooper wheeled around in a "bootlegger's turn" at 40 miles an hour. He then accelerated to over 120 mph to catch the run away truck. Momentarily blocked by on coming traffic, the Trooper had to stay in line behind the free wheeling 18 wheeled monster. He clocked it at 85 mph, as it was accelerating climbing towards 90. As soon as he got clear, the Trooper accelerated past the roaring 60 tons of rolling menace. Once in front of the tractor, he backed off the throttle, slowly allowed the tractor's front bumper to contact the rear of the Plymouth. Using his service brakes, the Trooper steadily pumped the brake pedal, keeping the front bumper of the truck against his car. At first, it didn't seem to have much affect. However, with smoke coming from all four of the Plymouth's service brakes, the speed began to steadily decrease. Slowly, then more rapid. 80...75...65...60...50...then 40...30...and finally down to 20 miles per hour where the tractor driver was able to stop by using his transmission downshifting, and the soft edge of the road. It was a good thing because the Plymouth had precious little left to give. As the Trooper stopped the two front tires explosively blew out from the tremendous heat. The fins and truck area were bashed in, as well as pushed downwards from the force of the weight of the truck. However, Once again, MoPar engineering had saved lives! Had that truck entered the small town at the base of the mountain, who knows how many could have been injured or killed. It would have easily surpassed 120 miles an hour on the 25 mile long grade, becoming a 60 ton road rocket with disastrous destructive potential. Bashed, bruised, and burnt out as it was, after the tires were changed, the Plymouth brought the Trooper safely back to his station.

Plymouth had a bit of brilliance when it put its Pursuit on the market. Instead of offering a whole gamut of mix and match hardware, Plymouth targeted three specific areas of Police work that covered the whole spectrum of the job. They had their Sentinel package that revolved around economical city operations, much like a "taxi." The six cylinder was a featured engine. Then they had their "Metro Patroller," that concentrated on the Sheriff's Departments around the USA. Sheriff's squads had usually city, suburbs, and wide open spaces to cover. The featured engine was the Hi-PO 301 V-8 with the four barrel and dual exhausts. Then, of course was the State Police/Highway Patrol "Pursuit Special" that centered on the 290 horsepower Fury V-800. By 1959, Plymouth's marketing strategy set the tone of fleet purchases that still lasts into today's markets. Cleverly, of course, you could buy whatever you wanted, but with the most popular options on the packages, it not only allowed for lower bids, it made the fleet manager's job a whole lot easier. Dodge was making the headlines, but Plymouth was making the sales orders by out delivering Dodge at a 4 to 1 unit rate!

My Uncle Harlan came in with his set of specifications. He really liked the way those Plymouth models handled. He was also impressed that the State had chosen Plymouth after 40 (read FORTY) years of Ford products. It was a relationship that would last in my state, up until the plug was pulled on ChryCo's police units in 1989!

Uncle Harlan wanted a new fleet, period. In the usual bid for the city, they bought about 20 to 25 units every year. As it was, it was a mixed bag of cars, with about a third of the fleet rolling over into new models. The oldest were then turned over to the Detective bureau and support units. Uncle Harlan wanted the city to buy 80 (4 shifts, 20 units apiece) brand new Plymouth Pursuits. He was tired of all the maintenance headaches older cars made when they broke down. He had 1954 Fords, 1955 Chevrolets, and 1956 Fords. In service the 1956 Fords had been good cars, since Ford had designed them to be a Police Package. They withstood an inordinate amount of abuse, and kept on going. The 312 V-8 was an adequate performer. The only problem, remained Fords brakes. They were just abysmal!

My Dad, Grandpa, and Uncle Harlan got together. They put a bid package up that centered on the State Bid specifications, just like the Troopers. Along the way, they brought in the County Sheriff. He was looking for a buy of 100 cars this year. He too liked the State Bid, and wrote his specifications around the 301 Plymouth. Between them all, they finally persuaded the City Board to accept the Plymouth Bid. Uncle got his new fleet. 60 came in all black, and we painted the roof and doors white, just like the Sheriff's department. The remaining 20 were various colors and he distributed them to himself, the Detectives, and the support bureau. The Sheriff got his 100 units. For the first time, the entire world seemed dominated by Plymouth Police Pursuits. Me? Hey, I was one busy young man with all the fleet sales we had that year. I made some pretty good money too. It wasn't always easy since I couldn't play baseball as much as I had before. I also had a lot of pressure to keep my school grades up. Dad felt that was more important than working at his store. I did manage to stay on the honor roll. It wasn't the high honor that I had been on, but Dad was satisfied enough with my 88 average.

In reflecting on the 1957 models, it was Virgil Exner at his absolute genius best. He was awarded the new position of Vice-President of design and fashion. He deserved it! Chrysler did take an awful risk that year on the engineering side. It was considered a taboo to make design and engineering breakthroughs in the same year. However, in 1957 1,296,063 units represented the absolute best year in Chrysler's history for sales, so that taboo didn't count for much. Plymouth alone counted for 752,874 of that over 1 million units. Fury sold 7,438.

The engineering of course included the standard Torqueflite across the board for all engines. And, the single most significant contribution to American car handling ever, the Torsion-Aire suspension system. OK, General Motors had an ill fated air bag system for some of its top models, so the "Aire" part was obligatory, even if there was no air involved in the Torsion system. Simply put, a Torsion bar was like a spring that had been straightened out. It was remarkably simple, and unbelievable in application. No nose dive in hard braking. A standard Plymouth could out handle any car in its class on a twisty road. Award after award was given to Chrysler. Motor Trend, (which they do not mention in their anniversary issue by the way) named Chrysler Corporation the "Car of The Year" for superior handling and roadability in all its cars. Plymouth was touted as the most roadable car ever built in America. Imperial was awarded the "easiest handling car weighing over 2500 pounds."

The only failure point was the decided and obvious lack of quality control. The 57s started to rust within several months of being built. They leaked water on both sides of the windshield posts on all models. Torsion bars broke leaving cars looking like fallen over Towers of Pisa. Upholstery split, seams tore, seat springs popped through, paint flaked off in huge chunks, hubcaps wouldn't stay on, rear view mirrors vibrated, door handles broke with ease, locks froze easily, and interior appliances fell off. However, in all fairness to Chrysler, they were NO worse than Ford or Chevrolet in that era. Ford quality was just as bad, if not worse. They managed to survive because they were bigger and could absorb the costs. By the way, 1957 Fords outsold 1957 Chevrolets. There is a dispute of 131 cars, but for that amount when put beside over a million and a half, who is counting? The Chevrolet dealer down the boulevard from our store had taken to offering TVs, stoves, washers, and other devices to lure customers.

Christmas time in 1957 was a great year of rejoicing. It was absolutely the best year we ever had. Dad was absolutely shining that year, playing "PLYMOUTH CLAUS," (Thank you State Troopers!) to the biggest bonus checks ever. Mr. Greene got a big bonus, however, he deserved it, since the quality chickens were just beginning to come home to roost. We more than doubled 1956 sales figures. Plymouth alone accounted for more cars than we sold totally in 56! We moved 771 1957 Plymouth models to new homes. 101 Imperials went through the books. 291 Dodges found owners. 251 DeSotos, (including the one that my Grandpa said he wouldn't get)! And Chrysler with its smashing looks moved 255 models. We also sold 5 of the tremendous Chrysler 300 "C" models. Grand total of 1,674 units. It contributed in a small way to Plymouth being able to claim 3rd in the overall production race, displacing Buick quite handily. Dad truly was a large frog in a sort of small pond. That total does not include the fleet units. I never added those up because in a lot of cases, they were just units going through our store like a "depot." And at times, in later years, we never made a profit on some of them.

Of course, by the time Christmas came around the 1958 models were two months old already. Sales were dismal. Grandpa left right after Thanksgiving to his home in Florida, and did not return until late Spring, his action thereby sort of "retiring" himself again. There was no Daytona speed weeks to look forward to. Fleet sales were excellent, running much like the 1957 models. But retail nose dived. Dad went on several trips to conferences where the promised separation of Plymouth as its own division with its own sales and dealerships were openly discussed. However, the politics was hot and heavy. No one wanted to give up any turf. Chrysler had been playing coy with some of the franchises, in that they were not re issued. There were close to 700 open spots for franchising from either sales, closures, or lack of interest. It would have been a good basis to start Plymouth on its own without hurting anyone else. The Board vacillated. And, the chance fettered away.