1937 Plymouth Suburban

This 1937 Plymouth PT50 Westchester Suburban is one of 602 examples produced on the company’s first-year commercial chassis and is fitted with a wood station wagon body by U.S. Body and Forging of Buffalo, New York. It is said to have been purchased new by the Greystone Lodge in Antrim, New Hampshire, and subsequently spent time in Vermont, Massachusetts, and New Hampshire again before it was acquired by the selling dealer in 2019. The car features steel body panels finished in dark blue with rear wood bodywork over brown vinyl upholstery, and power comes from a 201ci L-head inline-six paired with a three-speed manual transmission. Features include quad brake lights, turn signals, a side-mounted spare wheel, and a third-row bench seat. A 2020 service reportedly included a rebuild of the fuel pump, an ignition switch wiring repair, and carburetor, ignition, and brake system adjustments. This PT50 woodie wagon is now offered by the selling dealer with a factory service manual, period advertisements and accessories, and a clean Massachusetts title. The PT50 was Plymouth’s first light-duty commercial chassis and was offered for 1937 before being replaced by the PT57 in 1938. The company sent 602 PT50 chassis with painted steel fenders and panels from the cowl forward to U.S. Body and Forging of Buffalo, New York, for the installation of wood Westchester Suburban bodywork. This example was reportedly delivered from the factory in Middy Blue and was repainted in its current dark blue lacquer under previous ownership. Features include dual brake lights with twin aftermarket units mounted below the split tailgate, a vinyl top, wood Greystone Lodge plaques on the front doors, a Mayflower hood ornament, turn signals, and a chrome front bumper. Plymouth and U.S. Body and Forging plaques are affixed to the wood body and can be seen in the gallery below. Areas of paint cracks are noted by the selling dealer. The body-color steel wheels wear chrome hubcaps, trim rings, and whitewall bias-ply tires. A matching spare wheel and tire are fitted behind the right fender. The PT50 rode on a 116″ wheelbase and featured semi-elliptical leaf springs and hydraulic shock absorbers at all four corners. Braking is handled by hydraulically operated drums that are said to have been adjusted in 2020. The cabin offers seating for seven across three rows of benches trimmed in brown vinyl. Matching door panels are fitted, and features include six manual crank windows, a glovebox, and a column-mounted turn signal switch. A repair of the ignition switch wiring was reportedly performed in 2020. The three-spoke steering wheel fronts a painted steel dash housing an 80-mph speedometer and a combination gauge. The five-digit odometer shows 18k miles, approximately 120 of which were added under current ownership. Total mileage is unknown. A flaw in the passenger side of the front seat and a crack in the gauge glass is noted by the seller. The 201ci L-head inline-six features a Chandler-Groves A-2 carburetor and an oil-bath air cleaner as well as a factory rating of 70 horsepower and 145 lb-ft of torque. Service performed in 2020 reportedly included a rebuild of the fuel pump, adjustments of the carburetor and ignition system, a vacuum leak repair, and an oil change. Power is sent to the rear wheels via a three-speed manual transmission. A collection of period accessories can be seen in the gallery along with a factory shop manual and period literature.