The seller’s photos were in a long and low format; my apologies for the composite photos. Without that, it would have cut off the ends of this beautiful 1950 Plymouth Special DeLuxe sedan, and that would have been a crying shame. The seller has this survivor posted here on craigslist in Somers, Montana, in the far northwest part of the Big Sky State, and they’re asking $6,500. Here is the original listing, and thanks to Curvette for the tip!
If I didn’t do these composite images, both ends would have been cut off in order to fit the format here, and that would be a shame for such a nice car as this 1950 Plymouth Special DeLuxe sedan. In case you ever see photos with fuzzy edges here on Barn Finds, that’s the reason; it’s the original format of the seller’s photos. Another thing you’re probably wondering about: yes, this car has some sort of “shine juice” on it to give the original patina some gloss. This particular car also has slightly taller tires, giving a nicer highway ride.
A lot of the Shore Green paint has gently worn off this hat-friendly Plymouth sedan, and many small dings are visible. I’d tone down the shine a bit, but that’s just me. I might keep it original, at least on the exterior. In case you were wondering, yes, those wide whitewall tires would have been the original look for Plymouth’s high-zoot trim-level car for this series, the Special Deluxe, code-named the P-20 in this case, which meant a 118.5-inch wheelbase. The Special DeLuxe came in a two-door sedan, a four-door sedan, and a four-door station wagon. A lot of us would prefer a two-door, three-passenger Business Coupe without a rear seat, which wouldn’t have been available in the Special DeLuxe trim. Here’s what the trunk compartment looks like, nice and clean. Here’s a two-page brochure showing the different models for 1950.
The interior is a bit rugged in this car, unfortunately. At least the fabrics, door panels, kick panels, and things like that. Thankfully, those are all fairly easily repairable. The seller doesn’t mention the rust situation at all, but they say this car had been sitting for years and was recently gone through to bring it back to life again. I’d for sure want to redo the interior, as I mentioned already (sorry), and make sure it’s mechanically perfect, and I’d drive the H (heck) out of this beauty. I may even wear a hat while driving, as the President of Chrysler, K.T. Keller, intended for their high-roof cars of this era.
Here’s a Barn Finds article about a 1949 New Yorker from 2019 where I chatted about that a bit. The seat covers here are said to be NOS, but they’re pretty loosey-goosey. They would work until new upholstery could be sourced and installed. They say that everything works but the radio and the horn. Speaking of the horn, a tell-tale sign of a Special DeLuxe is a horn ring rather than just a horn button. The pistol-grip emergency brake handle is pretty cool.
The engine was easy to choose, as buyers didn’t have a choice at all. This is Plymouth’s 217.8-cu.in. L-head inline-six with just under 100 horsepower and 175 lb-ft of torque when new. Power passes through a column-shifted three-speed manual transmission to the rear wheels, and the seller says this one has plenty of power, starts right up, doesn’t turn oil, runs cool, and runs like a sewing machine. The wheel bearings were repacked, and it had a tune-up, new fluids, new brakes, and more. 1950s cars are a hard sell these days, especially when they have “too many doors,” but this is a car I’d be proud to own and drive. How about you?
Yes I would too – own and drive – regularly, even daily – and tone down the shine.
Nice and honest Plymouth, thanks for sharing.