Dearly Departed: Plymouth Sets Sail

Welcome to Dearly Departed; A weekly feature here on AN&C where we look back and remember some of the automotive marquees lost over the years.

What do you think of when I say Plymouth? By now, unfortunately, most non-gearheads will probably have to jog their memories before remembering Chrysler's budget brand which was put out to pasture in 2000. The Plymouth marquee died with a lineup comprised of badge engineered models and only one unique product. It wasn't always like this, though, as the brand spent much of its life going head to head with Ford and Chevrolet at the affordable end of the US market.

The Plymouth brand was launched by Chrysler in 1928 to compete head to head with affordable cars from Ford and Chevrolet. The Plymouth brand's affordability likely ensured Chrysler Corp's success throughout the Great Depression.

Plymouth continued to grow through the 1930's and surpassed Ford in 1940 and 1941 as the country's 2nd most popular brand. Advanced styling moved Plymouth through the '50s and '60s, but darker days were ahead.

The heyday of Plymouth happened in the '60s and early '70s, with the iconic Barracuda, Road Runner, and Super Bird keeping the brand in the hunt.

The brand reached its peak sales in 1973 with 973,000 units sold, and it all seemed downhill from there. From this point forward, the Plymouth lineup was comprised of poorly rebadged cars and vans that were also available from the Chrysler and Dodge brands.

Plymouth's last resurgence came in the 1990s when Chrysler moved the brand back to their roots as an affordable, value oriented offering. A new logo featuring a sailboat was unveiled, but the product was still basically stripped down Chryslers and Dodges.

The last glimmer of hope came in the from of the Prowler roadster in 1997, based off the 1993 concept car of the same name. The retro-inspired roadster didn't sell in large quantities but got the brand back on buyers radars. The PT Cruiser was originally supposed to be a Plymouth too, which would have given the brand an identity (something it had lacked for 30 years) with stylish, retro designs. When new management came in after the "merger" with DaimlerBenz, Plymouth was put on death row and the PT Cruiser program was moved under the Chrysler umbrella where it ultimately found great success.

Plymouth was laid to rest after a short run of 2001 models, though the Prowler lived on under the Chrysler marquee through 2002. It's hard to think about what could have been, but trying to guess that now is a fool's errand.

I'll always remember Plymouth as the brand of the Barracuda, the Road Runner, and the wild Super Bird. Fifty years from now, it won't be Espressos, Voyagers, or Neons (the Plymouth variation, everso different) drawing crowds at car shows. Instead, I expect a cherry-looking Barracuda or Superbird to still be a showstopper, and allow the next generation to learn about the storied brand that saved Chrysler (the first time).