Vehicle Description
To be OFFERED AT AUCTION at Auctions America's Auburn Spring event,
May 11-13, 2017.
Chassis No.
8618983
Estimate:
$ 25,000 - $ 35,000 US
Plymouth entered the light-duty truck market in 1937 with four body
styles built on a truck chassis shared with Dodge. Labelled the PT
series (for Plymouth Truck), body types included the Express
(pickup, like this vehicle), a cab-and-chassis (with full-length
running boards and rear fenders), Commercial Sedan (sedan
delivery), and wood body station wagon. The panel delivery would
remain on the truck chassis for two years, the wagon for just
one.
The reasons for Plymouth entering the light-duty truck market were
simple. Every Plymouth dealer in both the United States and Canada
was paired with another product from Chrysler. Dodge/Plymouth
dealers had a commercial vehicle, but those dealers paired with
DeSoto or Chrysler were left without an alternative to offer
prospective buyers. It must have seemed like a perfect solution for
little investment; Chrysler Corporation could duplicate the Dodge
pickup and sell it under the Plymouth brand.
With a strong economic climate (1937 would be a banner year for
Plymouth, setting sales records that stood until 1950), timing was
perfect to enter the light-duty truck market.
The Plymouth PT57 came with a 201.3-cid, 70-hp inline, L-head
six-cylinder engine that is backed by a floor-shift manual
transmission. This 1/2-ton pickup appears to be freshly restored in
a very nice manner and the odometer indicates only .6 miles driven.
Finished in two-tone green over black with a black belt molding and
has great styling cues in the form of bullet-shaped headlights,
side-mounted spare, artillery-style wheels, wide whitewall tires,
driver's sideview mirror and skirted fenders. The shapely Plymouth
grille was also seen on the Plymouth passenger cars of the 1937
model year, although there was no interchanging of sheetmetal
between the two.
The popularity of pickups continues to expand to this day. It is
always rewarding to see these vintage workhorses still on the road;
especially when the care this one has received is so evident.
