Plymouth

1942
Plymouth Business Coupe

Description:

Engine : n/a
Body Style: Hardtop
Miles : 53331
Stock # 131339
Interior Color: Gray
Exterior Color : Air Wing Gray
Certified Price:  $45,900

I’m a fan of muscle cars, especially NASCAR related, and I seldom get too enthusiastic about pre-50s stuff. Every once in a while, though, I see a car that just makes me smile and this is one of them. I sit behind the wheel and imagine I’m Junior Johnson on a high stakes shine run through the North Carolina hill country, the law hot on my tail. Painted a blend-into-anywhere gray, I don’t know how they caught on to me, but we’re off! A few quick turns later I’m free, thanks to my intimate knowledge of these roads.

I’m brought back to earth by the restoration of this beautiful car, though. No fat Lincoln motor, no double-stacked truck leaf springs, and certainly no cases of hooch in the trunk; just a perfectly restored car from top to bottom. What we have instead is a 2006 AACA Grand National (senior) First Prize winning, nut-and-bolt restoration of the last of the pre-war Plymouths, and a darned good looking one, too!

Remember, this is wartime, and automakers weren’t stupid when it came to marketing, and an easy way to connect with buyers was with an appropriately named color palette. This cars Airwing Gray, which is a touch darker than Flight Gray. That’s too cool! Other choices included Aviator Blue, Battalion Beige, Marine Blue, Pilot Green, West Point Gold Poly and Artillery Green, you could support your boys in uniform, even with your paint choice! Application of that said shade of gray is spectacular from top to bottom. It’s an understated color and it looks fantastic. Plymouth still got small touches of chrome and stainless (a product of the Art Deco movement) and they’ve been straightened, polished, re-anodized, replated or rechromed. It’s all beautiful. The car’s old enough to proudly display the Mayflower up front as its brand identity, which is neat to see. It’s on the nose of the car in cloisonné and the sails are in glass trimmed in chrome on the leading edge of the hood. The trunklid has a vertical Plymouth badge reminiscent of period theatre marquees, especially with the upward shining license plate light and license plate accent bar underneath that looks for all the world like a torchiere-style searchlight!

Check out the undercarriage shots and see how clean this car is! No attempt has been made to modernize anything other than using higher quality finishes that better stand the test of time! The driveshaft’s extension boot is made of leather, as original, and the rear leaf spring wraps are full of grease. The frame, rear axle and the suspension components are gloss black while the floor pans are satin. All lines, hoses and cables are new, as is the exhaust (and boy is this car quiet!) The cast iron transmission body is bare as is its extension housing in cast aluminum. The parking brake hanging off the rear is completely rebuilt and functional, as well. Even the shock absorbers are held on with proper Marsden castellated nuts! A set of BFGoodrich Silvertown 6.00-16 tires wrap body-color wheels accented by svelte polished stainless trim rings and large domed center caps, both beautifully trimmed with red inlays. Of course, all bushings, bearings, seals and suspension parts were refurbished and are as new, nothing less is expected of a car of this caliber!

I open the trunk and see why these business coupes were so popular with bootleggers; it’s huge! Whether it was your business to haul vacuum cleaners, encyclopedias or dead bodies this car has you covered. If you could get it to float you could have gone abroad with it carrying enough clothes for a month! The correct ribbed rubber floor mat lies over the correct insulation and fuel tank while the fully detailed spare and jack are in their respective locations. I get a touch of tail gunner claustrophobia, though, when I look at the bottom of the decklid the inner reinforcement panel’s full of bomberesque stamped holes rather than the now-standard bracing pattern and by the era this car was built I don’t think it’s by chance that it looks that way!

Inside you’ll find neatly trimmed seats and door panels in beige cloth while the upper door frames and dash are finished in their correct ‘tiger stripe’ grain pattern in gray. Art Deco gauge backgrounds are copper colored are beautiful to look at, and again all brightwork and trim is nearly perfect. Stunning Mayflower emblems in a copper sunset reside on the door panels above delicately crafted door handles and window cranks featuring the same ivory color knobs as the steering wheel and dash controls. Chrome presents itself in the center of the dash as an understated accent with its waterfall inspired vertical bars and Mayflower emblem. The seats are super comfortable, the visibility is great and it’s beautiful in here!

Twist the key on the dash, pull out the throttle a tad and give the floor mounted start pedal a push. The motor turns over effortlessly and settles to a nice and smooth idle. Push in the clutch, grab the appropriate gear on the column and drive away – the straight 236ci six cylinder is remarkably smooth and has plenty of grunt to get you going. Stop and open the hood to see why it’s perfect in here! Again, no stones were left unturned here and correct details abound from the woven cloth wiring harness to the unprotected spark plug terminals and the original air cleaner to the correct shade of silver on the engine. I honestly wouldn’t know where to start describing the tags, markings, stamps and labels in here; suffice to say they’re everywhere! Clamps, straps and fasteners are correct and in mint condition. Even the horns are finished to perfection!

If you’re a serious World War II-era collector or whether you’re just looking for something different and beautiful look no further. I dare you to find another 1942 Plymouth in this condition that runs as well as this one does! This is a 100%, end to end restoration effort that’s miles ahead of most 1940s cars you’ll find and it has the AACAs blessing to prove it! This car also represents the end of an era of automotive design with a mix of 1930s touches and wartime sensibility, both of which were lost after Chrysler converted their Detroit plant to a tank factory. This car won’t be carrying any more cargo, either salesmen samples or contraband and war bonds may have faded away but this cars condition and credentials warrant a place in your collection!

Specifications;

Basic
Year
1942
Make
Plymouth
Secondary Make
n/a
Model Name
Business Coupe
Secondary Model
n/a
Vehicle Type
Passenger Car
Hobby Segment
Classic
Mileage
53331
Engine / Transmission
Engine Type
Gasoline
Engine Size
n/a
Engine Number
n/a
Fuel Specification
n/a
Fuel Delivery System Type
n/a
Transmission Type
n/a
Transmission Spec
A727 Torqueflite
Transmission Number
n/a
Misc
Entertainment System Type
n/a
Battery Location
n/a
Battery Shut Off
n/a
Battery Charger
n/a
Interior
Interior Color
Gray
Seating Type
Bench
Seat Material
Vinyl Cloth
Shifter Type
Column
Center Console
No
Body
Body Style
Hardtop
Doors
2
Body Color
Air Wing Gray
Paint Type
n/a
Stripes
No
Chassis
Front Suspension Type
n/a
Rear Suspension Type
n/a
Axle Specification
n/a
Front Wheel Specification
n/a
Rear Wheel Specification
n/a
Front Tire Specification
n/a
Rear Tire Specification
n/a
Front Brakes Specification
n/a
Rear Brakes Specification
n/a
Spare
n/a
Exhaust Type
n/a
Muffler Type
n/a
History
Restoration Status
n/a
Mileage Since Restoration
n/a
Awards Summary
n/a
Historical Documents Summary
n/a
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