1956 Plymouth Belvedere Convertible – The American dream car of the post-war era
1956 Plymouth Belvedere Convertible – The American dream car of the post-war era
The 1956 Plymouth Belvedere Convertible embodies the Chrysler Corporation's audacious design philosophy and the cultural optimism of the mid-1950s like no other American automobile. With its exceptionally elegant, nearly 5-meter-long body, airy open convertible design, and distinctive, forward-looking exterior, this two-tone light yellow and dark blue vehicle embodies an American lifestyle that is fundamentally different from European concepts of luxury. The characteristic, rakish rear fins – a completely new design innovation at the time – the horizontal chrome trim, the wide, effectively dimensioned radiator grille, and the striking round lights characterize a face that is immediately recognizable as the embodiment of the legendary “Forward Look,” the revolutionary design philosophy of Chrysler's chief designer Virgil Exner.
The Belvedere convertible was available exclusively with a V8 engine, representing Plymouth's engine strategy for the 1956 model year. The engine of this vehicle develops 200 horsepower from 277 cubic inches (4.5 liters) of displacement – a remarkable performance that is smoothly delivered to the rear wheels via the revolutionary push-button automatic transmission (Powerflite), a Chrysler world first. The Belvedere convertible was not intended to be a raw performance vehicle, but rather a consummate representative vehicle for personalities who valued optimistic mobility and open-top driving. The chassis characteristics, with their tightly tuned suspension, guarantee a sufficiently cushioned, safe ride even at higher speeds – characteristic of American automotive design in this decade.
The interior – finished here in luxurious white leather – presents itself as a spacious sanctuary for open-top driving. The expansive front seats with generous shoulder room, the generous width and the airy proportions of the interior reinforce a design philosophy in which a sense of space and optimum comfort were not compromised in any way. The fully motorized convertible top allowed passengers to switch from an open to a closed vehicle in a matter of seconds – a comfort feature that was only available to wealthy buyers. The dashboard, with its elegantly arranged round instruments and distinctive steering wheel, is testament to the well-thought-out ergonomics of this vehicle class.
The 1956 Plymouth Belvedere convertible is an extremely rare specimen in automotive history – only 6,735 convertibles were produced in this model year. The 1956 model year places this vehicle squarely in a transitional phase of design evolution, with the first incarnation of the “Forward Look” reaching its purest form before the series underwent further evolution in subsequent years. The convertible body has special historical significance, as this body style directly reflects the technical and design confidence of the Plymouth brand. On the international market for classic American automobiles, the 1956 Belvedere series occupies a cult icon status and embodies the golden age of the American mass automobile in its purest and most optimistic form – a driving manifesto of post-war modernism that left the past behind and promised an unlimited future.
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