Chrysler Plymouth 3.3-Litre Sedan

Click Here for Full Screen Image - Click Here to Download Image

Part of the Chrysler empire, the Plymouth marque was aimed at the low-cost segment of the market, and by 1933 had captured one quarter of new car sales in the United States.

Not one to sit on his laurels, Walter Chrysler decided that in ’34, Plymouth would market a new model, which would incorporate features from the ‘luxury class’ that would not be found in competitors’ models. Included in the list would be features such as independent front suspension and hydraulic brakes.

Launched at the New York Auto Show in January 1934, two models were offered initially, the Deluxe Plymouth PE and the smaller New Plymouth PF. The latter would essentially become the ‘standard’ four-door sedan. The model was very well received and over the course of production, other variants would be added to the model range; a ‘Business’ Coupe, a ‘rumble seat’ coupe, a rather rakish drop-top roadster and a full-sized convertible tourer. As for the PF sedan, 16,789 would be built over the model year with a cost to the customer of around $600.

The big engineering news of the year – and one of Chrysler’s ‘luxury’ features – was the introduction of independent front springing incorporating unequal length A-arms. Plymouth was the only car in the low priced sector to use such a system. The front coil springs combined with double-action shock absorbers to achieve a much smoother ride than had been so far possible. ‘Oilite’ leaf springs were fitted at the rear. To further dampen the ride, the front springs were fitted with a rubber cushion mount, while the rears featured a silent U-shackle.

The 3.3-litre straight-six engine had been introduced the year before on the Plymouth PC as an answer to both Chevrolet’s six-cylinder and Ford’s V8. Mounted on Plymouth's famous and much-advertised ‘Floating Power’ rubber engine mounts, it developed 77hp with the standard cast iron head and 82hp with the optional aluminium head. A strong engine design that would survive into the Sixties, it featured four main bearings, a seven counterweight crankshaft, a ‘silent’ timing chain and a bypass thermostat control system. Plymouth adverts also boasted heat resisting valves that ‘put an end to valve grinding’.

In period-evoking blue with black wings and running boards, this 1934 Plymouth was first registered in the UK in 1989 and has been owned by the Stondon Motor Museum since 1997. The tan vinyl interior appears to be in very good order and the opening windscreen is an interesting feature.

The car starts and runs, but has not been used on the roads for some time so precautionary recommissioning is advised before it ventures forth once more. There are few papers with the car; the blue V5 registration document, a 1997 service bill and a couple of MOT certificates. A true classic from the days of Al Capone’s Chicago, a couple of violin cases and a wide-brimmed trilby are all that are needed to transport you back in time.