Plymouth Suburban
The Suburban for 1950 was accompanied by a four-door Special Deluxe wagon, the last of the "woodies", for those wanting something a little more traditional.
There were two Plymouth wheelbases, with the Suburban riding on the shorter 111-inch (2,800 mm) platform (the Special Deluxe was 118.5 inches).
[6] A "taxi package" was recommended to owners expecting to carry heavy loads, featuring heavy-duty chassis springs and shock absorbers, a 100 amp/hr battery with a heat shield, and even heavier grade springs in seats and seat backs.
The 1954 models benefitted from a power upgrade to 117 bhp from the ageing L-head six, as well as an optional two-speed "Power-Flite" automatic.
[8] For 1956 the Plymouth station wagons were grouped in their own separate series [9] instead of being a part of the standard range of models (the Deluxe in 1950, the Concord in 1951-1952, the Cambridge for 1954 and the Plaza and Belvedere in 1955).
The V was moved down into the grille center for 1956 models and block P-L-Y-M-O-U-T-H lettering appeared on the hood front.
[11] Styling on both Suburbans (and the entire line) was cleaner, without the hugely ornate grille castings Plymouths had worn before.
Preferring to maintain the exclusive nature of the Town & Country, the company based all wagons on the larger bodies and smoother suspensions of the senior divisions.
This made it difficult for Plymouth to compete in price with Ford and Chevrolet, but did allow them to claim the roomiest wagon in the low-priced field.
Although based on the same body, 1959 Plymouth Suburbans featured an 'egg-crate' grille and side trim changes, while the front bumper lost its raised center section and larger tail lamps set the 1958s apart from the rear.
[13] The separate Suburban series was discontinued for 1962, and the new and now smaller Plymouth station wagon models were instead included within the Savoy, Belvedere and Fury lines.
[16] Similarly, the Dodge Custom 880 also mated its 1962 front end to the 1961 Plymouth wagon body.
