Talk about a unique survivor. Maybe “unique” doesn’t even do the design of the ’61 Plymouth Belvedere and Suburban wagon justice. I think it’s a winner, design-wise, but I like my vehicles a little on the weird side. The seller has this nice weekend project 1961 Plymouth Suburban Deluxe wagon (that’s redundant, I know) listed here on eBay in Sherman Oaks, California, there is no reserve, and the current bid price is $3,650.
“Johnson, throw everything at this grille that you can think of, let’s really make it stand out.” “Yes, sir, we’ll make it so unique that only tall skinny people in the upper Midwest will like this design!” Ok, maybe that’s not exactly what happened in the hallowed halls of Plymouth’s design studios, but they’re right about me loving this thing. I’m in all day long at $3,650, but then I remind myself how much money it takes to get a car back in shape that’s been parked for years or even decades. Ouch. Since this car isn’t currently running, we don’t get to see the passenger side other than in this photo, and one more.
Plymouth made the Suburban a separate series for the 1956 through 1961 model years and then they would go away until just before the Fuselage era in 1968. The ’61 Suburbans were available in a very, very cool two-door version, and five four-door versions, in various trim levels from the Deluxe as seen here, then the mid-level Custom, and finally the top model was the Sport Suburban. It seems like they should have made a Sport Suburban in a two-door wagon, doesn’t it? The details on this car make me want to sell every vehicle I currently own, buy this car, and have it nut-and-bolt restored.
How’s that for a cool, space-age dash layout? It looks like a menacing robot! This car appears to be in really nice condition on the exterior, surprisingly nice. The story goes that the current owner, the seller, “bought/bartered” this car from an elderly woman neighbor years ago and intended to restore it, but it’s been sitting now for years in their driveway. It was last moved a dozen years ago and it ran at that time. I hope mice haven’t wreaked havoc here since it’s been covered in the driveway.
The interior looks great, but I’m a bit worried about what’s under the carpet – it looks a little sus, as the kids say. The seller confirms that there is no rust on the floors, at least rust holes. The seats look great both front and back, and the rear cargo area, with a power rear window, also looks nice for a car that’s even older than I am. Hagerty is at $12,500 for a #4 fair-condition example and it sure looks like this car could be brought up to that level and still keep it under that number.
The engine is really shiny, is that some type of “Armor All”-type product? It looks good, though, despite looking like it’s been dipped in Crisco. It’s a Chrysler 318-cu.in. OHV V8, which would have had 230 horsepower and 340 lb-ft of torque. It sends power through a push-button three-speed TorqueFlite transmission to the rear wheels. As I mentioned, this one hasn’t been started in 12 years so it’ll take some work, but the body looks solid and the interior looks nice. Am I the only fan of the design of the ’61 Plymouth Suburban out there?
I love this! Go through the mechanicals, get everything in working/safe order and drive and enjoy!
You will be the only one of its kind at every car show.
I remember my Mom and Dad owning a 61 Plymouth 4 Door. Idk if it was a Belvidere, but the grill looks very familiar. I remember my Mom saying that she paid like $1,900, new, for it, in 61′. My Parents traded in in in 1967 for a Blue Ford Galaxie.
Not carpeting ; its got a rubber mat that has disintegrated . other than a dented door with a missing trim part and the parking lot damaged headlight eyebrow trim , it looks really complete , and the hard parts like the door panels ,cargo area and tailgate are in exceptional shape – The 61s were a love it or hate it look ;I think they look better with lower trim level like this one
The praying mantas of design indeed. The mfg. actually redesigned a new style virtually every year. What was in their water???
Virgil Exner was searching for a new direction for 61with Plymouth and Dodge becoming controversial. Unfortunately DeSoto was DOA while Chrysler and Imperial shouldered on as last of his fabulous finned fantasies. IMO, Plymouth suffered the most. But 61 Plymouth was still much better than 62 Plymouth and Dodge some of the ugliest cars ever. Originally designed for full sized cars, misinformation that GM would downsize its full line, led to frantic downsizing of Dodge and Plymouth. Dodge quickly brought out the Custom 880 while Plymouth was stuck! Can’t love this one with a face, I’m not sure even a Mother could love. But hope it does find a happy restoration.
Someone is going to get a nice project at what will most likely be a reasonable price.
Steve R
I like it. 2 different friends had one and yes odd, well, odd then and awesome now. 318 and pushbutton Trans. I think 1961 was the year John Glenn first orbited the earth. Cool times
A BIG YES!! I had a convertible years ago and would have rather had this.
And it is an ac car
yep….that’s kinda rare even for Cali….
They used the sedan version of this in “Hot Rods To Hell”, which was one of my favorite flicks as a kid!
“They’re gonna keep chickening us, that’s what they’re gonna do! They wanna crack us up!”
Looks a lot like they just got the motor wet for appearance sake. Probably to wash away the “SPIDERS”. Sitting right next to the bushes I’m sure it became the home of many arachnids. Man the interior looks nice. Clean the fuel system. Rebuild or replace the carb. Tune it up. Drive. Man those were the days right?
GENIII from a RAM in POWER TOUR !
Slowly starting to make sense Mike! Bravo 👏
I believe that the “Sport” in Sport Suburban refers to “Sportsman”, including fishing and hunting. Aimed at the “Man’s Man”.
This is a pretty cool old long roof. Fix as little or as much as you want. You’ll surely have about the only one. Just don’t scare the children.
It continues to amaze me, just how many unusual vehicles continue to roll out of the woodwork of barns and garages across this great country! No other country has vehicles this elaborate, period!
God bless the USA!
Is that factory A/C? It would be cool if that could be working again. God only knows what this car needs to be drivable again, but if the seller is reasonable, it’s worth it for someone who likes to tinker.
yes……
I’m rooting for you to buy it, Scotty. With the exception of awful pale green paint, no add-on a/c and rear-facing back seat this is the car I grew up in. Plus, Mom’s had a more oval with squared off corners steering wheel. The 3 girls in the middle seat, us 3 boys in the back. Plus the coolest speedometer ever. Great times.
We had 61Belvidere sedan growing up. Always remember the pushbutton trans, the ” pull out, press down” written on the parking brake release lever and the rearview mirror on the dashboard. And don’t forget the lug nuts were right handed threads on the passenger side!
Miss the car and my parents
I would pay $3650 just to have this in my driveway. I would sit in it and make car sounds while swinging the wheel left and right. At night, I would put my sleeping bag in the back and fall asleep. Maybe I would get it on the road. But I would, without hesitation, spend my whole summer living in that car.
I smiled. Unusual for me.
Nice looking wagon, except for that front end, that’s just bad, the 60 Plymouth was much better looking, the 61 Dodge was even better looking. Just my opinion. Hopefully it gets restored properly, ugly mug and all, these are quite rare
It’s so ugly that it’s beautiful. I would love to see this left alone, except maybe with a motor home 440 under the hood and doing nasty burn outs, Roadkill style.
Let’s try this again. BTW, I was assured by the staff, there are problems and not to take the omissions personally.
To most seasoned viewers, this cars front end will forever be immortalized in the 60s TV show “Car 54” (where are you?) starring Fred Gwynne( Herman Munster) and Joe Ross( oooo-oooo) in a comical rendition of a NYC police officer, and the car was a red ’61 Plymouth. Being B&W we never knew that. My connection to these is the 1st car I remember my folks pulled a camper with was a blue ’61 Plymouth wagon. I don’t remember much about the car, except that front end made a lasting impression on me.
Do you all like my avatar pic?
It’s Howard 2.0! and Car 54 was a true classic.
Grandpa has nothing on you HoA!
A car this ugly would certainly give you PTSD HoA
Okay really what are going to do with this ugly old car it would cost a ton of money to make right sorry sell it by the pound
I don’t know about that mileage claim, the arm-wear on the passenger side door seems excessive?
Nonetheless it’s a pretty complete example of something you definitely don’t see every day.
First, I’m surprised that Chrysler and GM co-existed all those years using the Suburban moniker; lawyers would be all over that today like a cheap suit (no pun intended). Second, that front end is so ugly it’s beautiful; I call it sinister ugly because it has that look you don’t want to see in your rear view mirror. Probably the reason this has been fairly well preserved is its plain-jane nature; a more loaded car would have been used to the point of being worn out. Surely an attention-grabber at C&C.
IMHO, this car deserves a benefactor with sufficient funds to restore the mechanicals and then address the appearance without destroying laugh and frown lines.
There has never in the history of the automobile industry has a car ever looked this Awful bar none !! This includes the inside and the outside. What were they thinking acompany that made some of the most beautiful cars ever made?
Cool as hell now, embarrassing when they were new.
My dad was a Mopar fan in the ’50s, had a nice ’54 Belvedere when we moved to Huntsville Alabama in 1959 for him to work at Chrysler Corp. Aerospace at the dawn of the US manned space program. A year later with a promotion and a growing family he wanted a new car. I remember going with him and looking at new Plymouths. He bought a new ’60 Pontiac Catalina, then four more new Pontiacs in the next four model years. So many CA workers bought non-Mopes that the company rented a ‘remote’ lot.” for them.
Your dad had good taste!
It was ugly when Tootie & Muldoon drove one and it’s still ugly. Virgil, what were you drinking?
Virgil may have been drinking a lot trying to find a new direction for the Forward Look 🤔. See my original post on Feb 29. Loved DeSoto, but at least it went out with FINS soaring high! 👍
Very cool dinosaur and ya don’t see many of anymore. Clean it up do what ever mechanics need to be done . Drive it and turn some heads. I’d buy it if it wasn’t so far away.
Those ’61’s…..I remember reading an article years ago that said that a plymouth/dodge dealer back in the day got a promotional dealer packet for the future ’61 models, and decided to dump the franchise and switch to another because they thought the ’61 models were so ugly. This was of course right after the Edsel debacle that had a lot of dealers take it in the shorts because of it’s ugly face.
Send it to Iron Resurrection, new frame chassis lowered, Hellcat motor fat tires leather, tinted, leave the patina, and irritate the Vette, Challenger, Mustang crowd at the stoplight
Till I got my license in 1970 I bummed a ride to hs with a friend who had red 4 door 60′ Plymouth with black rims,ugly car but it was better than riding the bus.
Resurrect her please!
Whenever I see a ’61 Plymouth it reminds me of the old Leave it to Beaver TV series
My cousin who lived next door and died of leukemia at age 15 had a four door 61 Belvedere with slant 6. It was a nice car. That was in 1968. I was 12 at the time and thought it was a very cool car. Of course the only time I ever got to ride in it was if my aunt or uncle drove it. Eugene had a permit but often drove it without a licensed driver. Mostly just him and his friends!
Even though these are scarce, you would never make back what it would cost to restore it.
Reminds me of a song. Hey man. Yeah man. I saw your car the other day and it sure is ugly. Yeah man it’s ugly but it sure can cook. Put a hemi in it for cooking on the street.
A very weird car. My grandfather and I had Cadillacs but he bought a 61 Belvedere as a junk car to take to yard sales and get parts in etc. My grand mother would never ride in it. The guys at my school called it the blue bomber. It looked worse than most of the junk cars in the salvage yard. Big rust holes in the side into the trunk. I used to slide my books into the trunk that way. One day I stepped into the back seat area and went through the floor. His would not back up for 8 years. We made a long wooden wedge with a rope and we drove forward onto it then coasted backwards and pulled it in. The e brake which I think was on the drive shaft(am I right) never worked and it had no park. It was fun though. He removed the 318 and installed a 440 and then a Sears A/C unit. It really moved. Finally I stripped it and we sold it to a race guy. I still have the back up lights(optional and this one does not have them)and many other things.
I have just pulled a 2 door 1961 belvedere home, let me know of any parts you may have
To each to his/her own but from the beautiful ’57-58 models to this?! It is unique in it’s own way, no wonder Chevy and Ford sold so well in that year.
I for one have always loved the 1961 Chrysler products. This looks like a relatively easy restoration. If it’s been in CA all of its life, the body should be as sound as it looks.
The Polysphere V-8 and factory AC are the icing on the cake.
Some of you folks are really throwing down the Gauntlet on this car. I wish my Wife liked it as much as I like it. The more people slam it, the more I like it. I’m probably wrong, and often am, but I think there is a lot of money waiting to be harvested from this car.
I think its begging for paint, wheels and not a lot more. Factory AC, nice easy to work on V8 nostalgic pushbutton trans, room to haul a bunch or camp in Perfect.
Medicine 💊 has really advanced since then.
Laughing Frog Touche’ good one
For all of the folks thinking this car has ‘weird’ or ‘out there” styling: Nope. It was futuristic. I don’t mean it was a “false profit”, It in fact DID predict the future. Look at any modern Lexus!
While not exactly fond of this car, as a long time lover of the GREAT AMERICAN LAND YACHT, I refuse to even GLANCE at ANY Lexus! 🤮 🤮 🤮 🤮. But I have always loved Packards Predictor show car! 😉 😜. On to VERSAILLES! 🏰
🎵 It’s super 🎶 futuristic 🎵 somewhat 🎶quite 🎵 atrocious!
The lexus is also a faul looking mouse trap with its chicken wire grill as a matter of fact just about every car out there today is the same uglly shoe box just try to tell them apart !!
Yes and if you get things backwards, you would buy a
Dis-Lexus!
Brings back a lot of memories. My folks bought this same car brand new in 61, save for a red interior, IIRC. Was the first car I can remember them buying.
I always wondered how in the heck they ever sold any of these when new, now they are so weird looking that they are cool!
Wow. Neat wagon that could really respond well to some hard elbow grease. Just airing up the tires and putting the wheel covers on would really perk it up. Too bad they just left it sitting out. Probably saved it from some questionable restoration work though.
There’s an old family photo of my Mom and older siblings standing alongside one like this they had. It was a metallic mist purple with a white top. My mom nicknamed her Violence!
These are pretty fantastic from a mid century design standpoint. Their look has better context now than then. And it really doesn’t look any more ridiculous than just about anything else from 1961. Those “flashlight taped on” taillights are genius!
I think you need to take a closer look at other makes from 61 lol
Mentioning the custom 880 starting in 62 was correct because they overheard at a dinner party or something they were downsizing gm products. The truth of course was they were planning new smaller vehicles and keeping full sized. They had the 880 and the custom 880. Custom 880 had better trim and all.of them were rust proofed at the factory. I have a 64 custom 880
Yes, rumors can cause serious problems. But the proposed full size Dodge and Plymouth (actually built as a DeSoto) had that Chicken Wing styling which became even more awkward looking when downsized. Two years ago, at a car show, I saw a red 63 Custom 880 CONVERT. It was a beauty! As a long time DeSoto fan, I wish the Marque had survived, but the 880 filled a spot for Dodge! Happy motoring in YOUR 880! 👍
That instrument cluster looks like it could light up at any moment and say, “Danger Will Robinson”!!
Auction update: this super unique wagon sold for $5,619.61. I wish I could say that I bought it, did one of you?
Sold $5600 I think somebody got a great deal. Wouldn’t be surprised to see it soon with new carpets, set of rims and tires, a Maaco paint job, and a spray can overhaul under the hood.
What a fun unusual car.