Car : Plymouth
Year : 1928
Engine : 4 cylinders in line
Bore and stroke :92.75×104.77 mm
Cylinder capacity : 2844 cc
Gears : 3 forward
Brake horse power : 45
Maximum speed : 60 mph
Wheelbase : 9 ft 1½ ins ( 2.78 m)
Suspension : front and back : semi-elliptic leaf- springs
Plymouth was the creation of Walter Chrysler, in Detroit. Founded in 1928, it was intended to be a rival to General Motors and Ford at the lower end of the market. The imaginative and enterprising Chrysler thought of Plymouth as a ‘fighting’ company–an image which it still, to a certain extent, retains. Its first car (4 cylinders) came out in June 1928, and by the end of the year 58,000 had already been built.
The 1921 PA represents one of the milestones in the company’s history, in incorporating engine mountings using rubber bearings. This innovation was adopted by all other manufacturers, as it solved one of the major problems of comfort. The man responsible, Fred Zeder, one of the most versatile of American engineers at the time, and who, together with Owen Skelton and Carl Breer, provided the technical expertise with which Walter Chrysler was able to start his company. His faith in the future of the car persuaded Chrysler to build a factory specially for Plymouths in 1929. Such a decision appeared folly at the time, but in the event proved justified. It celebrated production of its millionth car in August 1934, only six years after its foundation, thanks essentially to its very sensible price policies.
The Erskine had a 6-cylinder in-line engine rated at 40 bhp, crankshaft on four bearings, pump cooking, and sindle-disc dry clutch. Among the car’s innumerable features, included in the price, was a device for locking the steering-wheel and at the same time disconnecting the ignition. Car thefts were thus already considered a problem.
In 1928 Studebaker took over Pierce-Arrow, makers of de luxe cars. In 1933, however, Pierce-Arrow became independent again, the company announced that it was going to cease production.