1954 Plymouth Belvedere

The Plymouth Cranbrook held the distinction of being the company's top-of-the-line model from 1951 through 1953. In 1954, those duties were bestowed upon the Belvedere series and positioned to compete with the Chevrolet Bel Air and the Ford Crestline.

The entry-level 1954 Plymouth was the Plaza, followed by the mid-level Savoy, and then the Belvedere. All three were powered by a 217.8 cubic-inch inline six-cylinder engine that offered 100 horsepower at 3,600 RPM. An optional L-head six had a 230.2 cubic-inch displacement and boosted power to 110 bhp. A three-speed manual transmission was standard, and overdrive was a $99.55 option, and the semi-automatic transmission was priced at $145.80. The Powerflite fully automatic transmission was $189.

Previously, the Belvedere nameplate had been used to distinguish the two-door pillarless hardtop. For 1954 it became a model designation with body styles that included a sedan, hardtop coupe, convertible coupe, and 2-door suburban (station wagon). A rolling chassis was also available and 2,031 examples were sold. The sedan had a factory price of $1,933 and 106,601 examples were sold. Next was the hardtop coupe, which listed for $2,125 and 25,592 examples found buyers. The convertible coupe sold for $2,280 with 6,900 sales.

Standard equipment included bright metal frames, full-length rocker sill and side body moldings, chrome gravel shields, Belvedere front fender script, chrome rear fender top fins, and full wheel discs. The Suburban had fin-less rear fenders. The interiors were the most luxurious and well-appointed in the lineup, with richer combinations of fabrics, Deluxe steering wheel, clock, garnish moldings, special dashboard trim, and extra armrests.

Plymouth continued to use the Belvedere name to distinguish its full-sized cars until 1965 when it became an intermediate and was replaced after the 1970 model year by the Satellite, a name that had originated on the top-trim level Belvederes.

by Daniel Vaughan | Aug 2020