Plymouth, 1928-2001
Part of collection: Z. Taylor Vinson collection of transportation ephemera (20100108-ZTV)
Dates
- Creation: 1928-2001
Scope and Content
The subseries documents Plymouth, which was built by the Plymouth Division of Chrysler Corporation of Highland Park, Michigan (1928-1961) and the Chrysler-Plymouth Division of Chrysler Corporation, which was located in Highland Park, Michigan (1961-1992) and Auburn Hills, Michigan (1992-2001).
Founded by Walter P. Chysler in 1928, Plymouth was for many years the low-priced make in the Chrysler Corporation's product hierarchy. The first Plymouth cars were rebadged Maxwells, but the division was soon building cars of its own design. The low-priced Plymouths sold well and helped Chrysler Corporation survive the Great Depression. By 1931, Plymouth had become the third best selling automobile make in the United States behind Chevrolet and Ford.
Plymouth was merged with Chrysler in 1961 to form the Chrysler-Plymouth Division. That same year, the short-lived Valiant make was repositioned as a Plymouth product. Along with the rest of Chrysler Corporation, Plymouth became part of DaimlerChrysler AG in 1998. Failing to sufficiently differentiate itself from other Chrysler makes, Plymouth experienced declining sales during the 1990s. This led DaimlerChrysler to discontinue the Plymouth nameplate in 2001. See also Chrysler, DaimlerChrysler, DeSoto, Dodge, Eagle, Hillman, Imperial, Maxwell, Mitsubishi, and Valiant.
General Physical Description note
8.5 boxes; 5 folders oversize; 2 folders
Extent
From the Series: 625 Linear Feet
Language of Materials
From the Collection: English
Additional Description
Access Restrictions
Vinson’s manuscript A Collector’s Life: An Autobiography, included in Series XIII, is closed to researchers until 2035.
Repository Details
Repository Details
Part of the Published Collections Repository