What is it?



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Faulkner
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Re: What is it?

Post by Faulkner »

...wait for it...
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Faulkner
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Re: What is it?

Post by Faulkner »

Wait, what was I doing? Damn CRS (Can't Remember Sh*t). Well, it will come to me.
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Matthew Keij
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Re: What is it?

Post by Matthew Keij »

Post the full pic and let me figure it out!
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Faulkner
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Re: What is it?

Post by Faulkner »

OK Matthew! And here it is:

4drSF.JPG


Does anyone have a copy of the October '58 issue of Motor Life? (There are several on eBay even now.) Bernie tells me there is a picture of the car in that issue - perhaps he meant to say, even this picture.

MotorLife.JPG


A true Unicorn! Whatever happened to this car, do you think...

Thanks, Bernie, for the pix and all of the good fun!

Dan
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Matthew Keij
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Re: What is it?

Post by Matthew Keij »

Look at the top of the front window, it's a 4dr hardtop.

Wow, that's rare!!! I wanna see the build sheet!
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Matthew Keij
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Re: What is it?

Post by Matthew Keij »

Checking the magazine right now. There are more pics
image.jpeg
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Matthew Keij
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Re: What is it?

Post by Matthew Keij »

Checking numbers in the parts manual, the section with the roof trim only has 2 part numbers for Plymouth and it is for a quarter panel medallion.

No part number for that roof trim for a plymouth
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Bernie B.
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Re: What is it?

Post by Bernie B. »

Congrats, Matthew -

The one - and only one - 1959 Sport Fury 4-door hardtop. Appears to be white with blue interior. (Can't be more than one, right?)

And you whipped up on us by having the Motor Life issue at your fingertips. I have one somewhere, but was just going by memory when I sent the pictures to Dan. Thought there weren't any more photos of it inside, must be another magazine with a Plymouth on the front without anymore inside I had in mind.

I wonder how real it was, a running car or just a mock up? While I've seen other pictures of Chrysler products in various states of styling development on that same turntable, this is the first one with the notations on the photo, the "degree wheel" for posing from different positions, etc. Wonder if more pictures exist. Highly doubtful the car still exists, but if it did, I'd consider it the "Holy Grail" of 1959 Plymouths.

Does anyone else know anything about this car, or the Chrysler styling studios and this secluded location for the photos?

And kudos to Dan for catching the unique "C" pillar ornament, I never looked there once I saw 4 doors and Sport Fury trim.
The part number I found is listed under DeSoto and is a bit different, but since my book is dated March 1959 it might have been listed in an earlier version.

Dick, great shot on the Turbine Car, another one-off that slipped my mind as a possible answer once I saw the 4-door Sport Fury. 1959 was quite a year for firsts, lasts, oddities, and curiosities. Perhaps we should keep these brain teasers coming on a variety of subjects relating to '59 Plymouths, hoping that this exercise was more entertaining than anything else. Everyone can chime in, start your own themes.

Thanks to all, especially Dan. I think he's earning is Plymouth Owners Club (POC) adviser pay!

Bernie
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Re: What is it?

Post by Faulkner »

Bernie Brouillet wrote:Hard to believe the stuff that keeps popping up, think this is what belongs "in the box."
This eBay link will eventually expire, so I've snagged some photos...
Japan.JPG
Japan2.JPG
Japan3.JPG
Love the upside down vent window!
Japan4.JPG
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Re: What is it?

Post by Faulkner »

Bernie B. wrote:Does anyone else know anything about this car, or the Chrysler styling studios and this secluded location for the photos?
Dave Stragand's banner photo with Virgil Exner for the The Forward Look MoPar Network on Facebook is cropped, but if you view the photo, you can see that the venue is the same - the fence pickets and posts are identical:

Exner.jpg
4drSF.JPG


Seems to be a different pad, but looks to be the same location.
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Dick Koch
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Re: What is it?

Post by Dick Koch »

Wasn't that model on ebay? The thing that struck me most was the upside down vent windows.
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Faulkner
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Re: What is it?

Post by Faulkner »

Dick Koch wrote:Wasn't that model on ebay? The thing that struck me most was the upside down vent windows.
Dlck
Yup - the link to eBay is in the post.

In other news - I put the question to Dave Stragand, about where that photo shoot location might be:
From: Dave Stragand
Sent: Monday, June 13, 2016 6:42 AM
To: Dan Morton
Subject: Re: '59 Plymouth Unicorn

I believe that is the courtyard of the design studio...
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Re: What is it?

Post by Faulkner »

Ah, and now this...
From: Dave Stragand
Sent: Monday, June 13, 2016 9:24 AM
To: Dan Morton
Subject: Re: '59 Plymouth Unicorn

I tried to dig up the thread with discussion, but couldn't find it. I believe part of the discussion was the big light pole in the background being identical to those around the test track, located adjacent.

Hope all is well with you!
Sounds like there was a discussion on Dave's Forward Look Discussion Forums. Does anyone recall that discussion, and can you find it?
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Faulkner
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Re: What is it?

Post by Faulkner »

Dave is still at it! He sent me these two links from the same venue - I include a couple pix from the links.
From: Dave Stragand
Sent: Tuesday, June 14, 2016 6:50 PM
To: Dan Morton
Subject: Fwd: '59 Plymouth Unicorn

http://www.carstyling.ru/en/car/1956_chrysler_dart/

http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h220/ ... esign6.jpg
1957_Ghia_Chrysler_Dart_Concept_01.jpg
DesotoDesign6.jpg
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Bernie B.
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Re: What is it?

Post by Bernie B. »

Dan,

Thanks for taking this discussion to a wider audience on The Forward Look Network.

I see there's a recent biography of Virgil Exner - here's the Amazon link: https://www.amazon.com/Virgil-Exner-Vis ... rgil+exner

Perhaps there's more photos of the outdoor photography setting in there.

The comment about it being at the test track, I assume that means the one in Chelsea, Michigan? Some distance from Detroit as I recall. Perhaps a search on that subject will lead to more photos. The earliest date for any styling photos at this site that I came across was springtime 1956.

BB
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