[FWDLK] MoPar Hardtop Names, '50s

["Mike Sealey" <mopar2ya@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Someone was asking about MoPar hardtop model names in
the '50s.  For those who do not know, this was an era
where pillarless hardtops were considered a big enough
deal to warrant their own model name or subname.  It was
not unusual for these hardtop subnames to evolve into
names of whole series (Plymouth's "Belvedere", and for
example Chevy's "Bel Air", being good examples.

Plymouth = "Belvedere" '51-'53 (Belvedere became a series
designation in the US for '54, the name having been extended
to 4-door sedans in the Canadian market in spring of '53)

Dodge = "Diplomat" '50-'53
        not sure about '54
        "Lancer" '55-'59

Dodge (Canadian Plymouth-based) = "Mayfair" '51-'53
      (see "Belvedere" history under Plymouth; the
      Mayfair followed suit AFAIK exactly)

DeSoto = "Sportsman" '50-'59
         Less fancy models offereed under "Seville" name
         in '56 and '59

Chrysler = "Newport" '50-'56 at least ('55 and '56 saw
           Windsors offered under "Nassau" [low-level]
           and "Newport" [high-level], and New Yorkers
           offered under "Newport" [low level] and
           "St. Regis" [high-level]

Imperial = "Newport '51-'55 (Imperial still a Chrysler
           model thru '54)
           "Southhampton" '56 through at least '59

Hope this helps.



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