Swed with a Strange & Odd bird

[Al Martin]

Hi everybody.

Finally back on track.

Im owner of a a 1950 Plym 4dr, P20, 3 man.

I got i from a guy in Trollhattan, in southern Sweden, March 2006.

He come across it in a barn that a farmer did own.

The farmer got it from some Polish summerworkers in mid 1980.

They had problem to get inuff money to go home in the fall.

So they did lend some money of the farmer and left the car

as a pawn, so they could go home to Poland.

But they never did return, so the car was in the dry barn until Jan 2006.

So the guy in Trollhattan, purchase the car from the farmer, to fix it up for

the road. It hade tires from USSR, stonehard. Nice interior, underside was rust free with a oily surface, a litte surface rust on hood and above the doors.

But the strange part is, that the polish guy hade put a Desoto front on it.

And the a Swedish car organization: MHS, (like AAA) did approved & accepted it as a Desoto. So did the Bilprovningen (the Swedish Motor Vehicle Inspection Company). Swedish government solely responsible for inspecting all vehicles registered in Sweden.

Go figure.

So i got a Lamb in Wolf's Clothing. Ehh?

Pics: http://www.algonet.se/~almartin/p20/p20.htm

A Bullhead Cruiser: www.bullheadcruisers.org

Yours Al Martin.

aka: Alvar Martinsson

PS. Thanks Bill Ward for all help so far. DS.

[Don Coatney]

Al;

I suspect your car is an export Desoto or was manufactured outside the USA boundries. Many cars made in other countries had the Plymouth name but the Desoto front end.

[greg g]

Not necessarily weird. Plymouth models for export and those made overseas (out of US) were plymouth bodies with Desoto trim and grills. These were sold as DeSoto in the Middle east, South America, Turkey and other areas.

Follow the link for some information on the Export Desoto

http://www.allpar.com/world/1950s.html

[Lee Exline]

You have a Desoto Diplomat!

They are an export production model that could have been made in the states and shipped overseas or made in a foreign plant?

Here is my 1956 Desoto Diplomat made in Australia with a 1954 Plymoth body and a truck style rear end. These were only made in OZ

Mine is a SP25 yours should be a SP20?

[T.Tom Meshingear]

Canadian-style Dodges and DeSotos using Plymouth bits were built in the USA for export only.

The only people to see them in the US were the Plymouth assembly line workers.

The US built Dodge Kingsways and DeSoto Diplomats used Plymouth sheetmetal, 23" engines and Plymouth sized Dodge and DeSoto looking grilles.

All the other emblems/nameplates/hubcaps/hood ornament were replaced with their appropriate counterparts.

Note the picture of the SP-18 DeSoto had the same ribbed bumpers as the P-18.

The SP-20 would have the smooth bumper of the P-20.

So it looks like an box stock SP-20 DeSoto to me.

Tom G.

[Lee Exline]

My Desoto Diplomat has a 25 inch block! from the factory. Of course they were a little off in OZ

Also Diplomats were made in Europe and SO. Africa

When it comes to Diplomats we still have a lot to learn and I keep adding to my literature collection

[Guest jtw3749c]

It also looks like it has a 49 DeSoto hood emblem and a 50 DeSoto grill. Hmmm, verlly endresding.

JT

[Lee Exline]

somewhere I have a 1950 Diplomat brochure. It was from a dealership in Hawaii an export market since it did not become a state till 1959.

It has the Three window coupe that was not available in 49 or 50 in the staeside Desoto line (except 49 first series S11) and even a two door wagon.

The hood ornament is correct since they used the Plymouth hood it was different than the stateside unit (notice how short the tail of it is?)

Diplomats first surfaced in 1939 and continued until 1962

[T.Tom Meshingear]

I should have said "were also built in the US for export".

All the Canadian built Plymouth bodied cars used the 25" engine from 1938 on.

All the US built Plymouth bodied cars used the 23" engine and that's the only thing that's etched in stone (I think).

What do the firewall tags in OZ cars say on the "MADE IN " line?

Tom G

[Lee Exline]

Here is the firewall tag from my UTE

[T.Tom Meshingear]

No confusion as to where your Mopar was built.

I note on your tag that it is SP25A - A for Australia to differentiate the US/Canadian SP25s?

The Canadian and US cars used the same style red firewall tag that stated country of origin.

I wonder what the South African and European built cars had for ID plates?

Tom G.