1943 Plymouth

[larryconnors]

A fellow in Rhode Island has a 1943 Plymouth four door sedan for sale on craigslist (with pictures). Did they make Plymouths in 1943?

[mrwrstory]

Pretty sure there's no such animal.  42 production was minimal and shutdown because of the war.

[GlennCraven]

Yeah, I'd say it's a typo, though if it is supposed to be a '42 those would be extra-collectible because of short production.

 

Did any maker manufacture a handful of sedans annually for government use? To supply staff cars, keep the police in cruisers, etc.?

 

This Plymouth below is listed as a 1943 on a Web page I found, but it's quite possibly incorrect, too.

 

Edited August 13, 2013 by GlennCraven

[Plymouthy Adams]

as the later 42 were clearly blackouts..why would a 43 be a full dresser?

[1940plymouth]

The "Standard Catalog of Chrysler" 1924 to 1990, makes no mention of any Plymouths made after Jan 31, 1942, until after the war

[JIPJOBXX]

Interesting a neighbor of my dad many years ago had a 1943 Cadilac and of course it was plain jane car and OD green.

[JerseyHarold]

Some states used the first year of titling as the year of the car.  During WWII, the government stockpiled new cars and would release them to worthy individuals (like doctors) as necessary.  This car may have been mothballed unitl 1943, hence that year is on the paperwork.  The serial number would solve the mystery.

Edited August 13, 2013 by JerseyHarold

[Don Coatney]

The picture Glenn posted sure looks like a P-15

[larryconnors]

The car on craigslist looks like a P15 from the side but there's an excellent picture from the front and it's clearly a different animal. 

[Plymouthy Adams]

please post a picture of this beast

[1940plymouth]

Just googled the ad on Mass Craigslist, it sure looks like a 1942 to me

[larryconnors]

This is the guy's ad

 

 

http://southcoast.craigslist.org/atq/3990107892.html

[Young Ed]

Yes that is most likely a 42. I have heard that some were stockpiled as Harold mentioned.

[greg g]

looks like a 42 to me.  Probably as mentioned some states registered new cars in the year they were registered.  So if this was a new 42 bought in 43, it may have been registered and titled as a 43.  That happened to my 46, bought on Dec 28, 46, titled Jan 3 47, paper work called it a 47.

[JIPJOBXX]

Here is a 42 blackout

[Niel Hoback]

That may be a p-14, but its got a p-15 rear fender of thr left side.

[Young Ed]

That may be a p-14, but its got a p-15 rear fender of thr left side.

 

Two different cars. The one in the link is all 42. The yellowish looking one above is all p15.

[Don Jordan]

The one on Craig's List from the picture doesn't have a starter button. Was that on the floor?

[GlennCraven]

This thread has been fascinating. Now I really want a '42 blackout car.

[De Soto Frank]

Re: Starter control -  De Soto used a starter-pedal on the floor through 1942.  After the war, they went to a dash button.
 

I would presume that Dodge and Plymouth also kept the floor starter until after the war.

 

 

The Craigslist " '43"  is a "full-chrome" '42... it may have been held-back and released during the war, and therefore being titled as a "1943"...

It has always been my understanding that once factories converted to war-time production, there were no more civilian vehicles produced until late 1945...  the only vehicles being produced 1943-'45 were trucks, specifically GI versions, like the Chevy & GMC four & six-wheel drives, Studebaker US-6, Dodge power-wagons, etc.

 

[BobT-47P15]

Yep.........looks like a 42 to me.......on c list.

The other one certainly resembles a P15.

 

Sometimes people hear stories about what a car is, they believe it, and try to tell others that's what it is.  

One would probably want to prove the seller wrong.....by serial number.     

[jcmiller]

There is some great information in the Plymouth Bulletin #216 regarding the war's impact on production of Plymouths.  It sounds like the military ordered 2,028 1941 P11 4-door sedans.  These cars had "blackout" lights and other features.  None were known to still exist at the time of the article.  In early 1942 the military froze new car dealers' stock, shut down production lines, and requisitioned whatever was available.  Those cars were taken as-is, and included other models besides the 4-doors.  None of the 1942's, so far as can be told from existing photos, had the special military features such as blackout lamps.  A service package including the special lamps was issued by the military in November 1942.  I think copies of this bulletin can still be purchased from the club.

[greg g]

The bulletin is also available on line through the POC website through the Store Section.  A click on the colored Bulletin number will open a PDF file of the copy.

[John Reddie]

The one on Craig's List from the picture doesn't have a starter button. Was that on the floor?

Yes. The 1942 Plymouth's had the foot pedal starter (the final year for this type).

John R

[42 DeSoto Fifth Avenue]

I have sales records from Kline Motors, a Plymouth/DeSoto dealership in Shamokin, PA from August 18,1937 through December 15, 1956. These are both new cars and trade ins. Looking at these for the war years it is clear, as was stated above, that cars were held back and then sold, registered and titled. When I find where I put them I wil scan one and post it here.

On another note, DeSoto did offer a dash mounted push button starter for the 1942 S-10 models. It was part of the "Fifth Avenue Ensemble" special order package. It also could be order seperately. My DeLuxe Town Sedan has it and the turnsignal option.

More blackout Plymouths were produced as these were used by the armed forces. There were just about 3000 B/O Desotos built. Contrary to what might think, although B/O only models were mandated after December 15th (this was in place before Pearl Harbor) up until the end of DeSoto production in late January, regular Custom models also were produced. These were most likely specific customer orders through dealers that were in the pipeline before January 1st. As you would expect, the conversion to war production and the halting of civilian production was an exercise in controlled chaos. I have in my collection publicity photographs of the last civilian Plymouth and the last Chrysler produced. I have never been able to find one for the DeSoto.

Ed K