1933 Plymouth Woody??

[Scott Bonesteel]

OK, this is a new one to me.  I have always been told/read that 1934 was the first year for a Plymouth 'woody', known as a Westchester Semi-Sedan Suburban, built by U.S. Body and Forging Co. on a 34 PE 'Deluxe Plymouth' chassis.  For some time I have had the original brochure from USB&F, a copy of which is attached.  All of the authorities say it was the first, including articles by Plymouth Club 34 expert Jim Benjaminson, 'The Plymouth and DeSoto Story' by Don Butler (see page 69), and Tod Fitch's excellent website, 'Plymouth The First Decade'.  Apparently only 35 were built, with none known to have survived.  You can see one in the Bettie Davis classic 'Dark Victory', dropping them off at their snowy Vermont cabin (although I'll bet it was filmed at the local, southern California Lake Arrowhead, probably still in a barn up there somewhere... .)

 

Now I have run across an almost identical USB&G brochure but showing the use of the "new Plymouth '6' chassis", which looks like a 33 PC (or perhaps 33 PD) front end.  Were they actually building these in 33 as well?  Butler's work hints at the distinction by saying 34 marketing was directly through Plymouth with 'earlier years' done through the dealer network.  I have attached a copy of the '33' brochure as well for comparison.  Anybody have any further information on this/clarification?  I doubt any of the 33 models have survived either, see a 34 Dodge once in awhile but never a Plymouth.

[Porsche 68]

On 1/26/2023 at 1:37 PM, Scott Bonesteel said:

OK, this is a new one to me.  I have always been told/read that 1934 was the first year for a Plymouth 'woody', known as a Westchester Semi-Sedan Suburban, built by U.S. Body and Forging Co. on a 34 PE 'Deluxe Plymouth' chassis.  For some time I have had the original brochure from USB&F, a copy of which is attached.  All of the authorities say it was the first, including articles by Plymouth Club 34 expert Jim Benjaminson, 'The Plymouth and DeSoto Story' by Don Butler (see page 69), and Tod Fitch's excellent website, 'Plymouth The First Decade'.  Apparently only 35 were built, with none known to have survived.  You can see one in the Bettie Davis classic 'Dark Victory', dropping them off at their snowy Vermont cabin (although I'll bet it was filmed at the local, southern California Lake Arrowhead, probably still in a barn up there somewhere... .)

 

Now I have run across an almost identical USB&G brochure but showing the use of the "new Plymouth '6' chassis", which looks like a 33 PC (or perhaps 33 PD) front end.  Were they actually building these in 33 as well?  Butler's work hints at the distinction by saying 34 marketing was directly through Plymouth with 'earlier years' done through the dealer network.  I have attached a copy of the '33' brochure as well for comparison.  Anybody have any further information on this/clarification?  I doubt any of the 33 models have survived either, see a 34 Dodge once in awhile but never a Plymouth.

Hi Scott I don’t know much about the Plymouth Woody I also have a1925 Dodge Woody I made into a pick up it has a Cantrell wood body

[Scott Bonesteel]

3 hours ago, Porsche 68 said:

Hi Scott I don’t know much about the Plymouth Woody I also have a1925 Dodge Woody I made into a pick up it has a Cantrell wood body

Nice Dodge woody.  These go back, as your example shows, many years.  Keep in mind, however, that Plymouth only first appeared in 1928.

[Walt G]

Cantrell Bodies were manufactured in Huntington, NY on long island about 45 miles east of where I live. Several articles and brief histories of Cantrell have been written. They would build bodies in quantity ( when I say quantity it probably was a dozen plus cars a year)  for Packard , Buick and Chevrolet/GMC. Also did on request bodies for customers on Franklin , Dodge ( 1930) and other make chassis for local dealers where they could easily obtain a chassis. many times would remove a factory 2 door sedan body and keep the car sheet m,metal and dashboard and cowl  from the door posts /cowl forward and the rear fenders. I knew people who worked at Cantrell 45-50 years ago and interviewed them as well as the son of the man who had the Franklin dealership network in the metro NY area . Cantrell was prolific using Dodge chassis in the mid 1920s era.  Masonite patterns for the wood body side panels, tail gate etc existed up until the early 1970s in the basement of a former employees home that was not far from the Cantrell factory next to the L.I. railroad tracks.