Secret code

[BobDeSoto]

What do these and other designations stand for such as:

 

        P15

        D24

        D15

        S........

[maok]

P = Plymouth D = Dodge S = DeSoto C = Chrysler

[Ivan_B]

Was that a serious question? ?

[TodFitch]

51 minutes ago, BobDeSoto said:

What do these and other designations stand for such as:

 

        P15

        D24

        D15

        S........

They are the engineering codes for the cars. First letter indicates the make as @maok pointed out.

[maok]

The numbering after the prefix letter started in 1935 (or was it '34?) for Chrysler, each model in each year had a specific number. C1 is a standard '35 Airflow, C2 is an Imperial '35 Airflow, C3 is a custom Imperial Airflow in '35, etc Odd one in the Airflows was the CW, which went from '34 to '37.

 

This system applied to Plymouth, Dodge and DeSoto models all the way to late '40s (?)

[desoto1939]

SO a 1939 Desoto is model S6, 1938 Desoto is an S5, 

 

Rich Hartung

[TodFitch]

1 hour ago, maok said:

The numbering after the prefix letter started in 1935 (or was it '34?) for Chrysler, each model in each year had a specific number. C1 is a standard '35 Airflow, C2 is an Imperial '35 Airflow, C3 is a custom Imperial Airflow in '35, etc Odd one in the Airflows was the CW, which went from '34 to '37.

 

This system applied to Plymouth, Dodge and DeSoto models all the way to late '40s (?)

There was a phase over to that scheme that took a year or two. In 1931 Plymouth switched to using a “P” for the first letter but used ascending letters instead of numbers (PA, PB, PC, etc.). They switched to using ascending numbers in 1936 and often used more than one number per model year. For example, in 1936 the P1 was the low trim car while P2 was the Deluxe.

[maok]

Yes, that occurred with Chrysler, DeSoto and Dodge models as well. It appears the Chrysler models were the first to change to the numbering system in '35 and the other three changed in '36.

Though, the Dodge trucks did not change, they had a reversal of the letter system ie KC, LC, MC, etc

 

Chrysler from its inception in '24 used the speed the vehicles could reach, ie series 60 represented 60mph, though the Imperial models were always series 80 from 1926 to 30. This model coding was used until 1930 with Series 66, 70, and 77. Note, they had a series 70 in 1926 as well...lol

 

Then in 1931 CA.., PA.., DA.., SA.. for each of the makes. 

 

Edited December 7, 2023 by maok

[harmony]

This is a good question BobDeSoto. 

So didn't anyone at the big table on the top floor of the Chrysler building, including Walter himself, think that it all sounded a little confusing?  lol

 

Besides,,,,  why bother?  What would be wrong with just referring to the actual year and model of the car?  Or would it be that by using a letter/number designation it would magically make someone sound more knowledgeable? Personally I think not.

 

My 1948 Windsor is a C38.  From years of thumbing through the service manual and my parts catalog, I've learned that the #38 referred to the 1946-1948 6 cyl, cars.  But can anyone tell me what the number 38 actually represents?

 

In all the years of owning my 1948 Chrysler Windsor,  I have never referred to it as a C38.  

Edited December 7, 2023 by harmony

[TodFitch]

1 hour ago, harmony said:

This is a good question BobDeSoto. 

So didn't anyone at the big table on the top floor of the Chrysler building, including Walter himself, think that it all sounded a little confusing?  lol

 

Besides,,,,  why bother?  What would be wrong with just referring to the actual year and model of the car?  Or would it be that by using a letter/number designation it would magically make someone sound more knowledgeable? Personally I think not.

 

My 1948 Windsor is a C38.  From years of thumbing through the service manual and my parts catalog, I've learned that the #38 referred to the 1946-1948 6 cyl, cars.  But can anyone tell me what the number 38 actually represents?

 

In all the years of owning my 1948 Chrysler Windsor,  I have never referred to it as a C38.  

Chrysler was engineering driven and I think the branding was done at the end of the cycle. In the meantime they needed a way to describe and document the project being developed. So all the drawings and thus the later parts books all used the engineering codes for the cars rather than the marketing name. And they kept it up in some respects until at least the 1980s as I recall that the service manual used engineering codes for the various cars lines. Heck, I noticed that in the service manual for the 1992 Jeep I once had too.

 

That probably wasn't to out of line with general industry standards. Boeing used fancy names for their commercial aircraft, things like "Stratocruiser". But they hadn't come up with a name they liked when they started flying the prototype for design/project 707 so they just turned that into the marketing name.

[maok]

1 hour ago, harmony said:

This is a good question BobDeSoto. 

So didn't anyone at the big table on the top floor of the Chrysler building, including Walter himself, think that it all sounded a little confusing?  lol

 

Besides,,,,  why bother?  What would be wrong with just referring to the actual year and model of the car?  Or would it be that by using a letter/number designation it would magically make someone sound more knowledgeable? Personally I think not.

 

My 1948 Windsor is a C38.  From years of thumbing through the service manual and my parts catalog, I've learned that the #38 referred to the 1946-1948 6 cyl, cars.  But can anyone tell me what the number 38 actually represents?

 

In all the years of owning my 1948 Chrysler Windsor,  I have never referred to it as a C38.  

 

As far as I know, the actual number didn't represent anything specific eg., engine size, wheelbase or any feature of the vehicle, just a sequence number starting from C1 in 1935.

[harmony]

28 minutes ago, maok said:

 

As far as I know, the actual number didn't represent anything specific eg., engine size, wheelbase or any feature of the vehicle, just a sequence number starting from C1 in 1935.

Chrysler must have had cheat sheets printed out that employees would carry in their breast pocket inside that handy pocket protector, that had all the numbers identified and associated with the particular car and years it represented, since there is no rhyme or reason to it.  

Edited December 7, 2023 by harmony

[andyd]

My 1940 Oz Dodge is a D15D, 2nd D is for Deluxe AFAIK, I've had a P11 1941 Plymouth, DD6 1968 Oz Dodge Phoenix 4dr Hardtop(actually a rebadged 1968 Plymouth Fury 111, a 1973 VJ Valiant Wagon....also I've played with Oz 1957-1962 Chrysler Royals which were given the AP1/AP2/AP3 description and being based on the 1953/54 US Plymouth with 1955/56 Plymouth fenders its thought that the AP stood for "Australian Plymouth....or Production"..................but who knows.......... as has been mentioned these alpha-numerical codes are just a way mopar identified a particular type or series of vehicles........andyd 

[JerseyHarold]

I always thought the 'P'-series for Plymouth models was based on the number of years after 1928 (the Plymouth intro year).  For example, P14 is model year 1942, which is 14 years after 1928.   P23 started in 1951, which is 23 years since 1928.  Just conjecture on my part... 

[BobDeSoto]

SO, MY 1951 DESOTO IS A S17

[Plymouthy Adams]

may be apples and oranges, but some numbered drawings/designs never make it to production and so the design number sequence represents the one selected.  This I know is true in one particular design office for automobiles....may well be the manner in others.   Where in the case of Plymouth, one design number is for the years the shorter wheelbase was produced alongside the larger chassis and thus car model is then different designation.  HOWEVER the engine designation did not change for the shorter wheelbase and was that of the larger wheelbase car.  In the only year that Plymouth offered two sizes of L6 engines did the larger engine get identified by addition of a special symbol.  

[SteveR]

19 hours ago, JerseyHarold said:

I always thought the 'P'-series for Plymouth models was based on the number of years after 1928 (the Plymouth intro year).  For example, P14 is model year 1942, which is 14 years after 1928.   P23 started in 1951, which is 23 years since 1928.  Just conjecture on my part... 

I don't know how that works, my 37 Plymouth is a P4. Hmm

[TodFitch]

On 12/8/2023 at 7:07 AM, JerseyHarold said:

I always thought the 'P'-series for Plymouth models was based on the number of years after 1928 (the Plymouth intro year).  For example, P14 is model year 1942, which is 14 years after 1928.   P23 started in 1951, which is 23 years since 1928.  Just conjecture on my part... 

They used different schemes at different times. Ignoring export versions:

 

Q is 1928

U is 1929

30-U is 1930

PA is 1931

PB is 1932

PC & PD are 1933

PE, PF & PG are 1934

PJ is 1935

P1 & P2 are 1936

P3 & P4 are 1937

P5 & P6 are 1938

.

.

.

[BobDeSoto]

So, my 1951 DeSoto is a S17 ???

[TodFitch]

2 hours ago, BobDeSoto said:

So, my 1951 DeSoto is a S17 ???

My 1974 vintage Pictorial History of Chrysler Corporation Cars shows:

 

1950 models as S14-1 (DeSoto Deluxe) or S14-2 (DeSoto Custom).

1951 models as either S15-1 (DeSoto Deluxe) or S15-2 (DeSoto Custom). 

1952 models as S15-1 (DeSoto Deluxe), S15-2 (DeSoto Custom) or S17 (DeSoto Firedome Eight).

1953 models as S18 (DeSoto Powermaster) or S16 (DeSoto Firedome).

[BobDeSoto]

Clear as mud!   

Thanks