Plymouth Belvedere
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The Plymouth Belvedere was an American automobile produced from 1951 through 1970.
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[edit] 1950s
Introduced on March 31, 1951, the 1951 Plymouth Belvedere arrived as a two-door pillarless hardtop. It was Plymouth's first vehicle of such design and was built in response to Chevrolet's Bel Air. That vehicle, the first two-door hardtop in the low-priced American market, was introduced in 1950 and ended that model year with great success.
The 1951 Belvedere was not a separate model - rather, it was the top-trim Cranbrook. Being built on that car's 118.5 in (3010 mm) wheelbase gave the two-door Belvedere very favorable proportions. Powering the Belvedere was the familiar flathead 6-cylinder engine. Displacement was 217.8 in³ (3.6 L), the compression ratio was a relatively low 7.00:1, and output was 97 hp (72 kW) (SAE gross). First year prices started at US$2,114.
For 1952, Plymouth kept the Belvedere largely unchanged. The biggest alteration was to the color scheme; to further distinguish the top-level Belvedere from other Plymouths, the two toning now flowed from the roof into the trunk, which has been referred to as the "saddleback" treatment. The engine was a complete carry over from 1951. Prices, however, did increase by about US$100 to $2,216. Production for 1951 and 1952 totalled 51,266 units, which was slightly better than a quarter of Chevrolet Bel Air and Ford Victoria production for that same period.
The Belvedere remained a part of the Cranbrook series through 1953. For that year, all Plymouth models were completely restyled. Major style changes included a shorter 114 in wheelbase, a one-piece windshield, flush rear fenders, and a lower hood line. In April 1953, Plymouths received the Hy-Drive semi-automatic transmission. Again, Plymouth was behind the competition with Chevrolet having introduced the fully automatic Powerglide transmission in 1950, with Ford following the next year with its fully automatic Ford-O-Matic transmission. The engine was carried over from 1952 with the only enhancement being a slight increase in the compression ratio to 7.10:1, which yielded a gross horsepower rating of 100. The shorter wheelbase partly led to an overall stubby appearance that was panned by consumers and critics. Even with a reduced starting price of US$2,132 demand was rather low. A total of 35,185 1953 Belevederes were sold.
The Belvedere replaced the Cranbrook as the top-line offering for 1954. Now a separate model instead of just a two-door hardtop, a buyer could choose a convertible, two-door station wagon, four-door sedan or the aforementioned two-door hardtop, now called the Sport Coupe. Slight styling updates adorned the carry-over body design. For the first time, small chrome tailfins appeared on the rear fenders. In March of 1954, Plymouth finally offered a fully automatic transmission, the Chrysler Corporation's well-regarded PowerFlite 2-speed. Also new was a larger standard engine: a 230.2in³ six-cylinder borrowed from the Dodge Division. Power was now rated at 110 hp. Belvedere production slipped to 32,492 for the year.
All Plymouths were treated to a major overhaul for the 1955 model year. This was the first year of Chrysler Stylist Virgil Exner's "Forward Look." The Belvedere returned as top-of-the-line.
For 1956, Plymouth styling evolved from that of the '55s. Most notable would be the more dramatic rear tailfin treatment. In early 1956, the Fury joined the Belvedere line as a special edition high performance model.
1957 would be a banner year for the Chrysler Corporation, and Plymouth was no exception. Plymouth's design was so revolutionary that Chrysler used the slogan "Suddenly! It's 1960!" to promote the new car. The Belvedere line once again included the Fury. This year a new 318in³ V8 with dual four-barrel carburetors was the standard engine in the Fury, and it was availble on all Plymouths.
The Belvedere would once again return as a top level trim for 1958. Styling was evolutionary from the sleek 1957 models. Quad headlights were new, as was a big block 350in³ V8 with dual four-barrel carburetors dubbed "Golden Commando."
After the Plymouth Fury was expanded to become Plymouth's top model in 1959, the Belvedere was demoted as the middle priced model.
[edit] 1960-1970
The Belvedere remained as Plymouth's mid-priced full-size model through 1964, after which the name was applied to Plymouth's new "mid-size" model (which was a lightly facelifted version of the 1964 Plymouth). Belvedere-based models included the higher trimmed Satellite, muscle car GTX and budget musclecar Road Runner. The name lasted through 1970 after which all midsize models took the Satellite name.
The 1964 Belvedere is also notable for being the car used to introduce the 426 Chrysler Hemi engine, which used a canted large-valve arrangement. This was such a significant high-RPM breathing improvement that it won 1st, 2nd, and 3rd at NASCAR's Daytona race. One of the winning drivers was the famous Richard Petty who had immediately recognized the potential benefits of the 426 Hemi engine. The Belvedere was chosen as Plymouths NASCAR contender because of its proper size and weight for the class, and as a result the 1964 body style was given a slightly lower-drag shape compared to other Plymouths of the era.
[edit] In pop culture
- In the film adaptation of Stephen King's Christine, Plymouth Belvederes and Plymouth Savoys were used to portray an evil 1958 Plymouth Fury.
- The first single to be aired by on the Dr. Demento show by "Weird Al" Yankovic was a song called "Belvedere Cruisin'" and was about how much Al liked driving his parents' 1964 Belvedere.
- During Oklahoma's 50th Anniversary, a new 1957 Plymouth Belvedere was sealed in a concrete enclosure as a time capsule near downtown Tulsa. It is to be unearthed June 15, 2007 during the state's centennial celebrations. [1]
[edit] External links
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