1928 Chrysler-Plymouth Model Q

When Walter P. Chrysler took over control of the troubled Maxwell-Chalmers car company in the early 1920s, he inherited the Maxwell automobile as part of the package. The company's facilities were used to help create and launch the six-cylinder Chrysler automobile in 1924. In 1926, the Maxwell was reworked and rebadged as the four-cylinder Chrysler '52' model. In 1928, the '52' was redesigned to create the Chrysler-Plymouth Model Q. After the introduction of the Plymouth Model U in 1929, the 'Chrysler' portion of the name was dropped.

Plymouth, launched in 1928, was intended for the 'low-priced' market segment that was dominated by Ford and Chevrolet. They were originally sold exclusively through Chrysler dealerships, serving as a low-cost alternative to the upscale Chrysler brand. The logo was the rear view of the ship Mayflower which landed at Plymouth Rock in Plymouth, Massachusetts.

The Chrysler-Plymouth Model Q was powered by an inline, four-cylinder engine displacing 170.3 cubic-inches and delivering 45 horsepower at 2,800 RPM. It used solid valve lifters, three main bearings, and a Carter carburetor. The engine was backed by a three-speed sliding gear transmission with spur gears and a single plate, dry clutch. Hydraulic brakes on all wheels provided the stopping power. Wood spoke wheels were standard and wire wheels were optional.

Body styles included a roadster (with or without a rumble seat), deluxe coupe, two- or four-door sedan, standard coupe, and a tourer. Prices ranged from $670 to $725. Many mechanical and body parts were shared with the six-cylinder DeSoto and for the first few years, both DeSoto and Plymouth shared the same production facilities.

Walter P. Chrysler chose Madison Square Garden on July 7th of 1928 to introduce the Model Q. Amelia Earhart drove the first car as it entered the arena.

Nearly 60,000 examples of the Model Q were built in its inaugural year.

by Dan Vaughan

DeLuxe Coupe

In 1928, Walter P. Chrysler acquired the Dodge Brothers company and launched two entirely new companion lines, the DeSoto and Plymouth. Originally called the 'Chrysler Plymouth' to identify it with Walter Chrysler, the Plymouth Model 'Q' replaced the four-cylinder Chrysler as the company's entry-level price leader. Power was from a 170.3 cubic-inch L-head four-cylinder engine offering 45 horsepower. They were fitted with a three-speed manual gearbox and hydraulic drum brakes in both the front and rear. The wheelbase measured 109.75-inches and had a length of 169-inches.

The Plymouth marque provided Chrysler with a vessel that could compete head-to-head with Ford and Chevrolet, marking the creation of the industry's 'low-priced three.'

The Plymouth's Mayflower sailing ship logo linked the car with the Pilgrims' landing at Plymouth Rock. A thin, ribbon-style radiator shell made the hood look even longer.

Model year production for 1928 reached 66,097 units. The Model Q was available in seven different bodystyles that included two roadsters (one with a rumble seat), a DeLuxe Coupe, a tourer, a 2- and 4-door sedan, and a standard coupe.

by Dan Vaughan

Standard Coupe by Briggs Manufacturing

The Plymouth automobile was introduced to the world at Madison Square Garden in New York on July 7, 1928 as the four-cylinder model Q. The Plymouth Model Q, as well as the Chrysler Four Model, were all based on the Maxwell 4, produced by Maxwell-Chalmers Corporation in 1925.

This car was the first low-priced car to feature 4-wheel hydraulic brakes, full pressure engine lubrication, aluminum pistons, and an independent hand brake - all features that would not be introduced by Chevrolet and Ford for a decade.

The Model Q featured 'Chrysler Plymouth' on the radiator medallion; all subsequent models would be labeled 'Plymouth.'

The Business Coupe, priced at $645.00, was the lowest priced of the 6 models offered by Plymouth.

Although historically debatable, it is said that the advertising of the Plymouth name and Mayflower emblem were derived from the fact that 'This new product from Chrysler engineering and craftsmanship so accurately typifies the endurance and strength, the rugged honesty, the enterprise, the determination of achievement and the freedom from old limitations of that Pilgrim band who were the First American Colonists.'

This particular Model Q has been in the same family since 1961 when the Great Grandfather of its current owner purchased the car from a Shell Gasoline station where it was being used for advertising purposes.