the TRUE story how Plymouth was named.

[Roadkingcoupe]

Depending on what year Plymouth you look at the vehicles are covered in the image of ships. On a 1939 Plymouth the ship emblem is found on the tail light lens', on the hubcaps, hood ornament, grill medallion, horn button, dash medallion, and asst other locations.

It would be easy to assume that "Plymouth" was named after the pilgrims, Mayflower, Plymouth Rock or any number of romantic links to the sturdy/hearty people that settled the land. Well so much for that idea....

The real reason that "Plymouth" received the name is from a simple "Binder Twine" Co. called Plymouth. More commonly found on a farm then the city most people were familiar with the brand of twine representing value! So around the table it went and the name Plymouth was selected. And in 1928 the Plymouth marque was born. Affordable and dependable was the ticket.

I am thankful that there are NOT emblems of binder twine on the car. So you may think of Pilgrims and the like but binder twine is the icon for which our cars are named.

[Plymouthy Adams]

while the name Plymouth may have some connection to the thread..I think a bit more research is in order..if indeed the name was chosen priorr to the theme or general direction Mopar went with the name, the Mayflower ship icon and the actual images of indians "presenting corn" on the Plymouth offical emblem are not there by chance..

here is a good read..I recommend this article...

http://www.hemmings.com/hmn/stories/2008/11/01/hmn_feature17.html

Edited December 10, 2010 by Tim Adams

[Roadkingcoupe]

What's in a Name? (How Plymouth Was Named)

by Lanny Knutson. Copyrighted by the Plymouth Bulletin. Reprinted by permission. Transcribed by David Hoffman.

"Product of Chrysler engineering and craftsmanship, Plymouth has been so named because its endurance and strength, ruggedness and freedom from limitations so accurately typify that Pilgrim band who were the first American Colonists."

That was the official line.

It sounded quite logical. The name came from the Plymouth colony of the Pilgrims who journeyed to North America on the good ship Mayflower.

And the official line was backed up with pilgrim garb supplied to each dealer with which to dress up some willing (?) employee to lead a Plymouth Parade introducing this new low-priced car for the young Chrysler Corporation.

It was not entirely new, this "new" low-priced car. When Walter P. Chrysler took over the bankrupt Maxwell company in 1923, he finally had the foundation to bring out the car of his dreams; one bearing his own name. However it was soon apparent that the Maxwell name, corrupted by a series of poorly built cars that had brought the company to bankruptcy, was an irretrievable liability. Therefore in 1926, he put a Chrysler radiator on the Maxwell and rechristened it the Chrysler 58 (its supposed top speed).

Yet this move was but a holding action. Already in 1926 Walter Chrysler was planning a full-fledged entry into the low-priced field dominated by Ford and Chevrolet. Indeed, Henry Ford had warned Chrysler, "You'll go broke! Chevrolet and I have the market all sewed up!" But WPC wasn't one to fear to such warnings. In fact he was more likely spurred on by them to prove such warnings wrong. And Ford's rapidly declining Model T sales seemed to indicate that the giant was vulnerable and that the warning could indeed be proven wrong.

To take full advantage of this vulnerability, Chrysler needed the "perfect car with the perfect name." That name was to be "Plymouth." Named after Plymouth Rock, that great American symbol, right? Well, not quite.

Behind the "official line" is a story that surfaced years later. It is about what really happened behind those closed boardroom doors. "What we want," Chrysler had said, "is a popular name, something people will recognize instantly."

In that room was Joe Frazer, later to become president of Graham Motors and still later to join Henry Kaiser in a post-war automotive venture. "Well, boss," replied Frazer, "why not call it Plymouth? That's a good old American name."

The other assembled executives looked askance the notion of their car bearing such a puritanical sounding * name. Yet against his colleagues' misgivings, Joe Frazer persisted. "Ever hear of Plymouth Binder Twine?" he asked.

" Well," boomed out Chrysler, "every goddam farmer in America's heard of that!" The hidden appeal wasn't wasted on this one-time Kansas farm boy. Every farmer had to have a car, and most of them at the time were driving Fords. Now here was an opening to the giant's vulnerability. "Every farmer uses Plymouth Binder Twine," he said, "let's give them a name they're familiar with!"

And so the name was Plymouth. The Mayflower ship on its radiator suggested the rock and the Pilgrims, but if it wasn't for the binder twine, there would never have been a car named Plymouth.

On January 11, 1928 the first Plymouth was produced. As it turned out, this was the best of times for introducing a low-priced car. Ford was just beginning Model A production after nearly a year's shutdown. Chevrolet's six was yet a year away. Hudson's Essex was in decline. Willys' Whippet was selling like hotcakes, but it had already peaked. And, most importantly, the stock market crash of 1929 was yet a year away.

The new Plymouth sold well, reaching Number 15 in production its first (half) year. By 1931 it had already reached the Number Three position, which it would hold until 1954. In 1932, while Chevrolet and Ford sales were dropping drastically from pre-depression highs, Plymouth was the only car to gain in sales over 1931. In fact, all through the Great Depression Plymouth continued to gain in sales, a remarkable feat considering the times.

Henry Ford, as it turned out, was almost right. He had left out one word in his warning to Chrysler. He should have said, "if you don't build a Plymouth, you'll go broke."

[Don Coatney]

I have read the bailer twine story before. Here is another read on Joseph W. Frazer the guy who supposedly named the Plymouth.

http://www.enotes.com/topic/Joseph_W._Frazer

A quote from the linked webpage.

"While at Chrysler, Frazer offered his opinion to Walter Chrysler about Chrysler's new low-entry automobile. "Well, boss," replied Frazer, "why not call it Plymouth? That's a good old American name. Ever hear of Plymouth Binder Twine?"[1]According to Frazer, Chrysler (himself once a farmer) replied, "Every farmer in America knows about Plymouth Binder Twine." Sources: "Kaiser- Frazer:The Last Onslaught On Detroit", by Richard M. Langworth; Collectible Automobile, April, 1988"

[Plymouthy Adams]

the twine story I must admit is new to me..learned a bit more..that is the key here....can see the way they wanted a catchy name but I still like the Pilgrim/Indian twist that is clearly dispicted...

[B-Watson]

the twine story I must admit is new to me..learned a bit more..that is the key here....can see the way they wanted a catchy name but I still like the Pilgrim/Indian twist that is clearly dispicted...

Binder twine to catch the buyers' attention and the ship with Pilgrims and Indians to play on the buyers' patriotism. Not a bad marketing ploy.

Willys's Whippet, by the way, was starting its downward plunge during Plymouth's first year. The car was popularly known as the car that stops at every pole (just like the dog it was named after). It was said you didn't need a speedometer - just take note of what shook loose and/or fell off. The engine supposedly shook itself to pieces. W-O sales went from over 200,000 in 1927 to less than 20,000 in 1932.

The Whippet was renamed the Willys 4, but W-O did nothing about the engine. Thus Willys-Overland went bankrupt in 1932. WPC permitted his old boss John Willys to use Floating Power in the new 1933 Willys 77, but it was not until Joseph W Frazer ran W-O in the late 1930's that the engine problems were dealt with.

The resulting tough, reliable engine would be used in the Jeep well into the 1960's.

When Joseph Frazer was alive there were many interviews with him regarding his experience with Henry J. Kaiser and the Kaiser-Frazer Corporation. However, little has been written about his days at Willys-Overland, and none about his reasons for leaving Chrysler. Considering the job that Frazer did at W-O and K-F, I have oftened wondered what would have happened had Frazer succeeded WPC, and not Keller.

Frazer had a great respect for engineering, his work on getting the Willys 4 engine reliable and keeping K-F vehicles with 1940's engineering (dumping FWD, for one) proved that. But he also had an eye for styling and had a finger on the pulse of what the public wanted, both due to his sales experience.

Bill

Toronto, ON

[greg g]

Yes, and Fraziers answer to the engie problems was to cease in house production and purchase engines from Continental.

[40plyrod]

Not sure who's story this helps, but I picked this out of the bottom of a box at a swap meet for a toonie a few years back. I liked it because I like plymouths and I'm also a farmer and use baler twine.

[P-12 Tommy]

Thanks guys for the interesting read!

Tom

[B-Watson]

Yes, and Fraziers answer to the engie problems was to cease in house production and purchase engines from Continental.

If you are referring to K-F, they did not have engine production at the beginning, thus they had to buy from an outside firm, in this case Continental.

K-F did purchase a plant from Continental around 1948 and began making their own engines, with Continental supplying when K-F needed more than the plant could supply. The K-F six lasted into the 1960's.

The K-F six was actually based on the pre-war Graham, but the Graham six was built by Continental to Graham specifications. Lycoming supplied the straight 8 engines.

And for Willys, they built their own engines all through the Frazer years and right up to the AMC takeover. Engine blocks were purchased from Wilson Foundry, but Willys had been doing that long before Frazer came on board. W-O owned Wilson Foundry for a while but had to sell it off when it went bankrupt.

Bill

Toronto, ON