42 Years in a Barn! 1949 Plymouth Business Coupe
Don’t ask me why, but I’ve always been drawn to a 2-door, 3-passenger business coupe. Especially those made by the Chrysler Corporation from 1949-1952. I guess it’s the odd proportions due to the humongous trunk and how “unsporty” this coupe looks given how tall, boxy, and bulbous the styling is. Visual awkwardness aside, from the 30’s through the ’50’s, business coupes like these were popular and practical for salesmen who needed to keep their wares protected from rain and snow and under lock and key. Plymouth was a popular business coupe choice because of the brand’s reputation for being affordable, dependable, economical, roomy, and comfortable. Here’s a survivor that’s been sitting 42 years in a barn and ready for restoration. It’s currently located in Lindsey, Ohio and is for sale here on craigslist for $6,500. Another shout out to “Mr. Takin’ Care of Business,” Gunter Kramer, for sending this tip our way.
I wish I could tell you more about Rip Van Winkle, but the seller is playing his business coupe cards very close to his vest, and only giving out a small amount of information in the ad: “Clean title. 6500 firm. 42 years sitting in barn. all original with newer tires. all the body is rock hard. Only 08901 miles. I’m located in Lindsay Ohio. Come take a look.” The photos supplied are skimpy, too. There are only 11 and three of those are of the “newer” tires. No photos of the engine, or underneath, or what that cavernous trunk looks like are supplied which is a shame. If it’s indeed the original black paint, it still has a shine. Playing photo detective, I notice a strap across the top securing the doors in place, the rear bumper is rusty and the ribbed front bumper looks good but may have been painted silver at one time. The ’49’s cool, very Art Deco multi-slat grille is all there and looks very good. The glass that’s shown looks good as well and it appears to be a pretty solid car.
There’s only one vertical photo of the interior showing the Plymouth’s original dusty dog dish wheel covers resting on the front seat. The black vinyl and cloth front bench seat isn’t period correct, but it’s appears to be in good shape with no major wear, rips, or tears visible . The passenger door panel is interesting as it has a ’70’s vibe in its patterned, faded color, and your can see a “Brougham” script centered on the faux wood strip. Unfortunately, there are no photos supplied of the floor, instrument panel, headliner, or the parcel shelf behind the seat. Like the ad says, “Come take a look.”
Here’s the front of the restyled-for-1949 Plymouth, and under that hood should be a 217-cubic inch, 97 horsepower L-head six that’s mated to a 3-on-the-tree manual transmission. This engine first rolled into production in 1932 and was used with updates until 1959, and earned a reputation for its long life, dependability, and fuel economy. I’m assuming this car hasn’t run (or had to stop) in 42 years and will need need the usual check list of work performed to make this 75-year-old Plymouth roadworthy again. Plymouth touted their ruggedness and thriftiness by boasting in a dealer brochure that “over half of all standard built cars registered as taxicabs are Plymouths!”
The 30’s and 40’s were the business coupes heyday, but by the 50’s, business coupes were being replaced with other options, including paneled trucks, and in the early 60’s, the Big Three introduced its first vans. It was, indeed, a car for a niche market, so production was never huge. I couldn’t find production numbers for the 1949 model, but in an online forum I found the following for the little-changed 1950 model: 16,861 business coupes were produced from a total run of 610,954 Plymouth cars; less than 3 percent. That makes these cars a bit on the rare side today. I think these Plymouth (and Dodge) business coupes are cool, and if you search online, you’ll find some impressive photos of how these coupes look as hotrods. Whatever restoration direction the next owner takes this survivor, I just want it to be roadworthy, driven, enjoyed, and shared with people who’ve never seen or heard of a business coupe before. Long may you run!
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Comments
Lee Petty special !
Also the High and Mighty. The first car built by the gus who would become the Ramchargers team.
It’s not “all original” if the interior is different, and the skimpy wording of the ad tells me the seller is lazy or he’s hiding a lot, especially for that price. The strap across the roof is the least of this car’s issues..
My dad had one of these. He bought it from the 93 year old original owner who had to sell it because the DMZ wouldn’t renew his license. First car I ever drove, at the tender age of 12. As I recall, it took absolutely forever for it to blow heat in the winter.
My first car was 46 Plymouth business coupe, paid $55. If you rested your arm on the door with the window down, it would pinch a blood blister on the underside of your arm. When you hit a bump the window would rattle and pinch your arm. I’m 75. Ow and I still raise up my arm when I can see I’m gong to hit a bump! Pain is a wonderful teacher…..
Ugly.
I have the exact car with 19k, original, dry-garage-kept, miles. If that car has 8,900 miles, it was a horrible/brutal/painful 8,900 miles. The wear on the steering wheel (barely shown) says it all. Beyond that obvious clue, the door upholstery as well shows the car had lots of use and someone decided to replace the panels with the ugliest thing they could find (not even close to original). BTW, the original material was a very, very durable vinyl (no 60s arm rest, etc). Also, the original paint at this point would have severe hairline cracks simply due to age. 108,900 miles? These are great cars. The trunk is a trip. You can literally put water skis facing foward, and easily close the lid on the massive trunk. Not exactly a sexy ride, but extremely durable, and well-built. They really are a great example of the level of engineering and quality of manufacturing that Chrysler offered at that point in time.
Surely the seller cannot expect us to believe that odometer reading. Except if there is actually a “1” in front of it. No pictures of interior (except to show the hubcaps, but revealing some cheesy work on the door cards – NOT original at all. No pictures of the engine bay or trunk. No word on mechanical condition, although if it’s been in a barn for 42 years I would presume the worst.
It’s possible that this car is indeed worth the asking price, but me thinks the seller is catering to the naïve buyers who have no idea what they’re getting into. I was there once…
The red tape may be there to hold up the headliner , no way it could hold a door up . Drove through an intersection on Route 20 twice last week , sign with arrow Lindsay 2 miles . Thought about it , but had to keep moving . Seen the ad on Craigslist 3 weeks ago .
Another Mopar business coupe pops up in BF. Woowe! As I’ve said before I’m a fan. Just something about that long trunk and small passenger compartment that is pleasing to my eye. Not a very good advertisement. I can’t imagine why people don’t make a good effort to completely present the item they are trying to sell. I guess the only way to get necessary information is to call the seller. Even then you have to see it for yourself. Ohio is too far away from me so I will pass. Too bad. Appears to have good potential if the drive train is functional.
Well, unless they fed the car a “little blue pill” when they brought it out of slumber, “rock solid” might be more appropriate terminology lol. Sorry, I couldn’t resist. I think this two Plymouth business coupes in the last two weeks. Although their proportions may be a little out of proportion, I think they’re neat looking cars. I would do a mild custom, leaving it mostly original
i have a 52 coupe 360 v8 518 overdrive 8 3/4 rear.Its primer gray i get alot of compliments with that car poeple like it but most dont know what it is . is that a studabaker?
what I really remember from the 50 s is the 1949 Plymouth bumper was in high demand if you where building or customizing they where rubbled not smooth like most and this Plymouth has them