The DeSoto Diplomat was built as a Diplomat on the assembly line. It was
not converted from a Plymouth. Thus your DeSoto Diplomat came off the
assembly line as a DeSoto Diplomat, albeit with a Plymouth serial number.
The DeSoto Diplomat, up to 1956, was a Plymouth with a DeSoto-like grille
and was built using Plymouth serial number spans. Model numbers were
Plymouth model numbers with an "S" added in front. The 1955 DeSoto
Diplomat Custom was basically a Plymouth Belvedere. The model number for
an American-built 1955 Plymouth Belvedere 6 was P-26-2 and the V8 was
P-27-2. The Diplomat Custom 6 was model SP-26-2 and the V8 was SP27-2.
(Diplomats were not built in Canada in 1955, and the Canadian Belvedere was
model P-26-4 for the 6 and P-27-2 for the V8 - just to confuse everyone).
Starting in 1957 the Diplomat used the Plymouth body with the front clip
from the DeSoto Firesweep (which was basically the Dodge front sheet metal
with a DeSoto grille and bumper). In 1958 and 1959 the Diplomat models
were "F" models, instead of "SP". Serial numbers, though, continued to be
mixed with the Plymouth.
In 1960 and 1961 the Diplomat was based on the Dart, using different side
trim. This time serial numbers were mixed with the Dart.
The Diplomat name was used starting about 1949, while the previous export
Plymouth-based models, from 1938 through 1948, did not use the Diplomat
name.
The export Kingsway was similar to the Diplomat, using the Kingsway name
from 1949. From 1936 up to and including the 1950 models, the export
Kingsway used their own model numbers and serial number sequences. With the
1951 models, U.S. Kingsway models used Plymouth serial numbers, although
Canadian-built Kingsway models used the serial number sequences of the
Crusader, Regent, Mayfair, et al.
The export Kingsway's last year was 1959 and was replaced with the Dart for
1960.
As for production numbers, theses are the only numbers I have for the
Diplomat :
1957 : 6 (SP-30) : 3,337 / V8 (SP-31) : 1,235
1958 : 6 (LF1) : 2,286 / V8 (LF2) : 964
1959 : 6 (MF1) : 1,309 / V8 (MF2) : 1,055
The 1959 Diplomat had a version based on the Sport Fury - the Diplomat
Adventurer. Only 22 were built - 14 2-door hardtops and 8 convertiibles.
These numbers were included in the MF2 figures above.
The U.S. production numbers for the 1958-59 Kingsway were :
1957 : 6 (D-64) : 5,423 / V8 (D-65) : 2,322
1958 : 6 (LE1) : 1,674 / V8 (LE2) : 498
1959 : 6 (MF1) : 1,551 / V8 (MF2) : 3,925
Canadian Kingsway numbers are mixed in with Crusader/Regent/Mayfair numbers.
Dodge also offered a Sport Fury version - the Kingsway Lancer. No Sport
Fury equivalent was available in Canada, though.
So, they are rare and were never sold in either Canada or the U.S. Both the
Diplomat and Kingsway were strictly export market vehicles (American
manufacturers almost never included Canada in the export column), although
they were sold in Hawaii before it became a state in 1959.
If you have any more questions, feel free the email me at wwatson@xxxxxxxxxx
Bill
Vancouver, BC
----- Original Message -----
From: PlymouthV8@xxxxxxx
To: L-FORWARDLOOK@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Sent: Sunday, October 27, 2002 7:41 AM
Subject: [FWDLK] DeSoto Diplomat
If anyone here knows this info, could you please email this gentleman
directly... Thanks!
Josh
----- Original Message ----- From: <Jari.Tuuha@xxxxxxxxxx>
To: <sodajerk@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Saturday, October 26, 2002 3:45 PM
Subject: about DeSoto Diplomats
> greetings from Finland I am very interrested about these export models
> because I'll have 1955 DeSoto Diplomat Custom, nowdays that custom is
> written Kustom anyway.... My own car was Plymouth when it got it's serial
> number and my cars serial number tells that it's made in Detroit and model
> is Plaza P-27 four door sedan. So, when and where they were changed to
> DeSoto's and Dodge's and also I'm iterrested at how many they were
produced,
> anyway one thing is sure that those models are quite rare, or are they???
I
> would be very pleassed if you would answer to me via email. I'm sorry that
> my english is not good but I hope that you understand what I'm meaning
> Jari
>
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