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| Hey Guys. Back in the mid-50's (while in high school), my late father worked part-time at our local Plymouth-Desoto dealership. He told me once about a two-seater show car that was trucked in from Chrysler that was put on display in front of the showroom for some special promotion. He recalled the Chrysler rep who came with the showcar being highly irrate when he went to load it up because someone had stolen the emblem from the dash! Recently I ran across this photo taken in front of the same dealership, showing some type of concept/custom two-seater on display. I have a book showing many 50's Chrysler concept cars and cannot find a match for this one. If you look closely, it seems to have an early version of the "'56 Desoto" tail-lights. Anybody recognize this car? What do you guys think; Is this the concept car my father spoke of, or is this a mid-50's radical custom? Thanks.
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Expert 5K+
Posts: 7207
  
Location: Victoria, BC, on Vancouver Island, Canada | A Re-size of the photo here so its easier to see .... It doesn't look like the typical "Exner-Ghia" type concept car...
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Member
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| Thanks for the resize. I should've made it smaller the first time.... 
I forgot to mention, the Plymouth-Desoto dealership was located in my hometown of Bastian, Virginia. It burned down in late 1960 and never reopened. The remaining structure reopened as a Gulf station and is currently a repair shop. |
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Location: Parts Unknown | There is a photo, possibly more than one(?) of this car in a book I have back home.
I have not seen it in years and am questioning whether is was GM or Mopar related,
as I was once into Buicks pretty heavy, but I have this vague recollection of Harley
Earl standing with it. I could be all washed up on that, but it does look familiar.
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Location: Parts Unknown | Alright. I hate this CRS brain fade and did a little world wide web search. Found the car I
was thinking of .... 1951 LeSabre concept / show car designed by Harley Earl. Is it the same
car or just using certain design queues ?
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 1049
Location: PL / EU | I'm sure this is not the same car |
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Expert
Posts: 3575
Location: Netherlands | It carries some lines of the 1954 Plymouth Belmont, but it's different.
Could it be this car has been redesigned later on perhaps?
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54plymouth_belmont_br1.jpg (19KB - 161 downloads)
1954_Plymouth_Belmont_Concept_03.jpg (72KB - 158 downloads)
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 1049
Location: PL / EU | see double bumper in a X car and windshield has a different shape
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Location: Parts Unknown | Definitely not the same car, but the kick-up fin and tail lights are somewhat similar.
The Belmont survives intact.
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Location: Under the X in Texas | The tail lamp treatment is LeSabre-like and that styling element was used many times by the Spohn Carrosserie in Ravensburg, Germany on custom cars they built primarily for US service men after WWII. Examples at http://www.kustomrama.com/index.php?title=Spohn I would suggest your photo possibly shows a Spohn custom however it is just as probable that it is a homebuilt custom. A Spohn could have been done on a Mopar chassis thus giving the owner reason to visit the dealership. There were so many customs done in the '50s though and the LeSabre was a popular piece to emulate. I'd almost guarantee that car is NOT a product of Chrysler Corporation; their designers would not be caught dead copying Harley Earl. |
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Location: Parts Unknown | Wayne,
Your knowledge of the obscure is certainly impressive. I always look for your posts just
to see what little tidbit you have let loose with. Thanks for being such an asset to the forum
and the hobby.
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Expert
Posts: 1508
Location: new york | Looking at the steering wheel windsheild and body . I would think its a Kaiser ! Custom! The windsheild looks like a Kaiser darren and the wheel also looks Kaiser. Who knows? HAPPY MOTORING! Victor.... |
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Member
Posts: 6
| Wow, lots of good guesses! It resembles all these cars that have been mentioned "a little" but still seems unique. Notice that it has a frameless (or very thin framed) windshield like the Belmont, and only a slight tailfin bump. The Spohn's all seem to have an exaggerated rear fin and wide, solid windshield frames. Plus, the Spohn's all have straight top door edges, while this car has a "dip" in the same place. The tail-lights definitely resemble those on the Spohn's. I know the Belmont survives intact today, but to me this car looks a bit like a "Belmont II". Unfortunately, the guy who used to manage this dealership (and who lived about a mile away from me) passed away last week in his 80's. I only ran across the photo after he passed. If I had found it before I would have definitely asked him about it. I do know from speaking with my late father over the years that there is no way they would have allowed a GM anything to be displayed out front like that! Whatever this car was, I'll bet it had some sort of Mopar connection.
BTW....How many of you guys noticed the neon "FIREDOME" sign hanging inside the showroom? Wouldn't that be a cool thing to have! I do have a small showroom "spinner" that hung from the ceiling of this showroom announcing the arrival of the new '55 Desotos. It's a two-sided paper item, shaped like a small rocket. I also have a "dealership invite" notice printed on fancy vellum paper officially inviting people to come down to the unveiling of the same all new '55 Desotos. Cool stuff. |
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Location: Parts Unknown | They didn't seem too concerned about someone parking a Mercury up front and center ! 
Those are Motor Wheel wire wheels, aren't they ?
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Member
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| Mercury maybe......GM never |
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Wise Old Village Idiot
Posts: 3591
Location: Dellslow, West ("By God") Virginia ! | BigBlockMopar - 2011-05-14 5:48 PM
It carries some lines of the 1954 Plymouth Belmont, but it's different.
Could it be this car has been redesigned later on perhaps?
Now ain't that something. Has a '53, 4 Plymouth REAR bumper on the front,,,,,, |
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Location: Under the X in Texas | Thank you Dr. DeSoto. Here is the answer: http://www.kustomrama.com/index.php?title=Donz_Lancer I had help from friend Sondre K, webmaster of Kustomrama. Sure enough, it is a Mopar chassis; a '52 Chrysler !!!
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Member
Posts: 6
| You da man! Thanks so much for solving this riddle. The old photo I ran across had this car labeled as a Cadillac, which I knew was incorrect.
Now it makes me wonder why such a high profile custom made a stop in our sleeply little town. I wonder if the car was "borrowed" by Chrysler to draw crowds to the dealership...
Thanks again! |
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Member
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| Forgot to mention...if you look at the other Donz Lancer photos on Kustomrama's site, you'll notice the car has wheel covers, while the photo at the dealership shows it sporting wire wheels. I wonder which was installed originally? Do the folks at Kustomrama know anymore about the history of the Donz and whether or not it's still around?
Thanks |
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Location: Under the X in Texas | Kustomrama has provided some hyperlinks in the article for further information.
If there is one thing that is the most often changed on a customized car, it is most certainly wheel covers or wheels. Those would appear to be stock '52 Chrysler wheel covers in the other photos so it isn't surprising at all that when a set of wires showed up on eBay or Craig's List, OH NO -- not back then ---- when a set of wires showed up at the local salvage yard, he got them and mounted them. Tires wear out too, so note the whitewall width on the wires is narrower also so he got a deal on a SET of chrome wire wheels and nice newer tires. |
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Exner Expert 19,174 posts. Neil passed away 18 Sep 2015. You will be missed, Neil!
Posts: 19146
Location: bishop, ca | I love everything about this car, except for the antenna location and treatment (WTF were 'they' thinking??)
and the front bumper execution.
On the bumper, the car would have looked so much less bulky and cumbersome if only the upper section of it would
have been left off of it.
Otherwise, this car is just about the best looking full-custom 50's creation that I've ever seen.
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Plymouth/DeSoto Concept Car?
