Plymouth Reviews

The Chrysler Corporation launched the Plymouth brand in 1928, to take on Ford and Chevrolet. The brand’s first model was a low-cost version of the Chrysler 4.

The Plymouth 4 model was priced slightly higher than the competition, but it also came with more standard equipment. In 1931, the first all-new Plymouth model rolled out, the PA. The 1932 Plymouth PA was lauded for several features that were unusual or new to the industry. These included a fuel pump, hydraulic shock absorbers and an electric fuel gauge.

Despite getting its start during the Great Depression, the Plymouth brand continued to grow. New models and body styles rolled out, including roadsters and rumble seat coupes. By the time World War II halted production, Plymouth was the third best-selling automotive brand in the U.S., behind Ford and Chevrolet.

After the war, Plymouth production resumed and it remained Chrysler’s top brand until the late 1970s. The new models released during the 1950s included V8 engines and automatic transmissions. The first Plymouth Suburban station wagon was one of the company’s better-known models of that era.

The 1960s brought the compact Plymouth Valiant to the market, which is one of the brand’s best-known cars. The Valiant also served as the basis for the Plymouth Barracuda, which is one of the first muscle cars. Later that decade, two performance models based on the midsize Belvedere rolled out, the Road Runner and GTX. Plymouth shared the Hemi engines that powered other Chrysler models, including the Dodge Charger.

From the mid-1970s on, most Plymouth models shared mostly everything with their Dodge counterparts. Badges, grilles and certain other trim differences were the lone distinctions. The Plymouth Horizon was the brand’s compact model, initially sourcing its engines from Volkswagen. Its counterpart was the Dodge Omni. During that time Chrysler began sourcing subcompact models from Mitsubishi for Plymouth and Dodge. Other Plymouth names of that era included Duster and Fury.

By 1981, the Chrysler Corporation was on the brink of collapse, then saved by a government bailout. That allowed Chrysler to launch its “K-based” platform, which yielded the Plymouth Reliant. In 1983 the first Chrysler minivans launched, which were the K-based Plymouth Voyager and Dodge Caravan. Other models of that era included the midsize Gran Fury sedan and the Sundance compact. Later, the Plymouth Acclaim replaced the Reliant.

The 1990s saw the Plymouth brand reduced to a handful of models ahead of its cancellation in 2001. In 1995, the compact Plymouth Neon rolled out, which was offered in coupe and sedan body styles. At the same time, the Plymouth Breeze arrived, which was an entry-level model based on a pair of existing Dodge and Chrysler models. The Plymouth Grand Voyager remained the brand’s minivan offering.

In 1997, Plymouth gained its first unique model in decades when the Plymouth Prowler made its debut. This retro-styled roadster features a 3.5-liter V6 engine and a four-speed AutoStick transmission.

The Plymouth brand came to an end in 2001. Two models, Prowler and Grand Voyager, lived on for a few more years as Chrysler models, before they were discontinued.