Virgil Exner, the Vice President of Styling for the Chrysler Corporation, created 'His Forward Look', as it was termed, and would guide the Chrysler design of all their passenger cars. His talent and the postwar sales boom gave Exner the necessary financial freedom to bring his visions into reality. These Detroit Dream Cars were then shown around the country, allowing the American buying public a view into the future, and to behold the latest styling trends, technologies, advancements in engineering, and innovations.
For buyers seeking a modern station wagon, Exner created the Plainsman dream car. The Italian coachbuilding firm, Ghia, was tasked with transforming his ideas and sketches into reality. Ghia was supplied with a fully functional Chrysler chassis with a complete drivetrain. The body that Ghia built was finished in a bronze metallic paint with an ivory-white padded top. It was given an extensive amount of stainless steel and chrome including the headlights, and bumper. The headlights were housed in exaggerated reverse-canted housings. The large bumper was flanked by simulated air intakes on the outer edges. In the back was a set of cathedral-style taillights, mounted into the peaked quarter panels. The concealed gas filler tube could be found under one of the taillights.
The Plainsman was a two-door model with a wide B-pillar that was decorated with a handcrafted steers head badge. The Southwestern motif continued into the interior, with the seats crafted from a combination of leather bolsters, with genuine unborn baby calfskin inserts. There was seating for up to eight individuals. Up to six adults could sit comfortably on the center and front bench seats. In the back was a rear-facing power seat which could be accessed from the fold-down power tailgate. This type of seating arrangement would later become known as the Spectator Seats. Another innovative feature was the unique storage of the spare tire, which was concealed under a flip-panel comprised found on the right rear quarter panel.
Many of the design details found on the Plainsman would later be used on the station wagons offered by DeSoto, Dodge, Chrysler, and Plymouth.
The Plainsman was built as a functional and utilitarian vehicle with over 106 cubic feet of cargo space with the tailgate lowered and the rear and center seats folded down. When the tailgate was lowered, the Plainsman had over seven feet of depth for storage and a width of five feet.
The western-style Plainsman Concept was displayed at a number of shows and events before it was retired. Many idea and concept cars from this era were destroyed after their show life came to an end. Fortunately, the Plainsman was spared due to its Ghia body which had been created in Italy. U.S. Customs told Chrysler that the car would have to either leave the country or pay the duty in 18 months. Thus, in 1957, the car was sent to Cuba where it was loaned to the president of the Cuban bank who used it as a family wagon. The car was later purchased by Elwood Parrish, the Chrysler Export Manager, who was living in Cuba. Mr. Parrish was later forced to escape Cuba and Castro's government in order to avoid being arrested. When he left, he took the Plainsman with him and went to Puerto Rico.
In the 1960s, he was assigned to Australia. During this time, several modifications were made to the vehicle, with some being mandatory in order to comply with local laws, including its conversion to right-hand drive. The Plainsman had originally been powered by what was described as a Chrysler Special V8. However, this engine was replaced by a modern 440 cubic-inch V8.
When Mr. Parrish retired, he and the Plainsman returned to the United States. The car was driven as a family car for nearly two decades. It was then acquired by a private collector who returned it to left-hand drive.
More recently, the car has been treated to a restoration.
by Dan Vaughan