Every once in a while, I ponder upon what things in the past were like. This 1960 Plymouth definitely falls into that category.
At the time I found this car, I had been encountering a string of vehicles that could be better described as Fence Row Classic instead of Curbside Classic. This Plymouth also made me stop and consider whether or not sharing the best of the intact (but not drivable) vehicles I found ran counter to the intent of Curbside Classic.
Heck no, I decided. This beast is simply too rare to keep in anonymity. Plymouth only made 5,503 of these two-door wagons for 1960. Oddly enough, it wasn’t the least-produced Plymouth wagon for that model year; both the Suburban Sport six- and nine-passenger wagons were produced in smaller quantities. How small? Try a mere 4,253 for the nine-passenger, and only 3,333 for the six-passenger.
Despite a strong visual relationship to the 1957 to 1959 models, Plymouth was all new for 1960 (as were Dodge, DeSoto, and Chrysler), right down to the “stabilizer” tail fins and the newly-available 225-cu in (3.7-liter) slant six. Laurence Jones did an excellent job of outlining Chrysler’s conversion to unibody construction here.
Let’s see what one looks like from behind:
Plymouth offered wagons in three trim levels for 1960: the low priced Savoy, the mid-range Belvedere and the high-end Fury. The Deluxe, seen here, was based on the Savoy and was the only trim level to offer a two-door wagon.
According to one source, Plymouth had a “Fleet Special” series for 1960; For production counts, these fell into the Savoy or Deluxe series. This made me wonder….doing a Google search for “1960 Plymouth Wagon” revealed all of two wagons similar to this (both seen in this article), but many Suburbans. So despite the lower production, the high-level wagons can still be found. I wonder how many of these two-door Deluxe wagons were dumped into fleets and used up, thus making them so scarce today.
While I have had this Plymouth as a smattering of electrons for a short while, it is good to know they are now able to spread their wings and be seen. It does seem to salve the misfortune of the original being banished to a field beside the highway.
I’m a little biased in that I am attracted to junk obviously, but I see this site being “about the cars” primarily; “Condition” being secondary. Chances are, you won’t see one of these on the street so if seeing it in a field or a junkyard is the only way to see it, so be it. I personally find these scenes quite picturesque anyway.
I stumbled across a ’64 Dodge Wagon in the local scrapyard a few weeks ago…a vehicle I did not know even existed. I took camera-phone pictures of it & it was in similar, if not worse condition…But it was just so interesting… Probably not worth junking up the Cohort for though.
If I had time or the brains, I’d love to crank out a similar site/blog capturing my weekly scrapyard discoveries… something like Junkyardlife…but that’ll never happen.
perhaps another catagory could be added to the Curbside Classics roster…
CC Retirees…interesting cars in junkyards or found abandoned behind barns and such!
I love junkyards and the monuments they contain, this Plymouth if found here would get revived.
Dinosaurs…may they all rust in peace…
Man, how I miss Plymouth – AND the “Fury” name!
True confession: this is my current lust object. Actually, it has been since I used one for the lead picture in my two-door wagon article a little while back: http://www.curbsideclassic.com/automotive-histories/automotive-history-the-short-and-odd-life-of-the-two-door-station-wagon/
I’ll take one with a very slightly-warmed over 2 barrel slant six, and three-speed manual with overdrive. And with about or slightly less patina than this one. A perfect work wagon, and a very unique one at that. Love it.
It’s on Route 87, just south of Glasgow, Missouri….as if you are seeking more time consuming projects!
Mein Gott, daß ist sehr schön.
I love these too. If there was ever a body style that made the lines of the 1960 Plymouth look good (please note the “if”) it would be the wagon, either 2 or 4 door.
It is unfortunate that those strange arches that start behind the front wheels and resolve over the headlights had to ruin both the 60 and 61 Plymouths, cars that were otherwise not bad looking.
Paul, while you are looking for your slant 6/3 speed, let me know if you come across a V8/pushbutton version.
Those arches are a serious turn off for me as well. They just don’t make sense.
Those arches mirror the rear fins; wouldn’t be right without them.
Jim, I’m not sure I’d pass on a V8/auto either…sorry.
The arches make it look like there is another car peeking out from under the sheetmetal, emphasised on this car by the different color
The beauty of used cars is that “those unfortunate strange arches” don’t cost any more. My ’60 Fury 4-dr hardtop came with them, a 318, and a pushbutton Torqueflite, all for $300. The car was only seven years old but in the late ’60s that meant it was just about ready for the junk heap. I bought it with 65,000 mi (104,000 k) on the clock and put another 65,000 on it in the next four years. By that time the body had rotted out, but the 318 ran fine (some blowby, maybe a lot of blowby) and I could still bang shifts. Not bad for $300.
God I love these! Growing up my family had not one, but two 60 Plymouth suburbans .
For a short while we had them both at the same time.
The kicker is that both of them were also the same copper over white color combo as this one…the default color for Plymouth wagons that year?
I think the fins really fit the wagons much better than the sedans.
The two door Mopar wagons are a rare sight indeed. In my lifetime, I’ve only seen one – a ’55 Plaza wagon . . . . six and three on the tree. At a second tier, mom and pop used car lot when I was about 15 . . . .
If anyone is out Point Loma way and drives on out to the sub-base/training center, right before the gate is an apartment building and sitting idle in the driveway (and has been ever since I can remember whenever I’m in the San Diego area) is a straight bodied ’60 Fury hardtop. white over gold with the contrasting white in the fender cove. I know it hasn’t moved from it’s spot since at least 2006 . . . .
I was there a couple of years ago, and I think I remember seeing it!
FWIW, the ‘Wagon Queen Family Truckster’ from the original ‘Vacation’ movie was actually a 1958 Plymouth Sport Suburban Six (not too far off from this feature vehicle).
Without junkers I would be in deep Kimchi. Just drove by a junkyard with multiple cars in not much worse condition than that today. Obviously had to stop and snap. I like this one pretty well anyway. Plymouth should still be here.
I spotted a New Yorker wagon of this vintage, on the 405 of all places, last Friday on my way home. Looked nice from the rear, but in the traffic I couldn’t catch up with it and get a photo (not that I should be trying to take cellphone photos on the 405 anyway).
A friend had a Corgi of one of these (or close to it); it was always one of my favorites.
The ’60-’61 Plymouth is one of the few two-door wagons that follows the design philosophy seen in a variety of four-door wagons, from Rambler to Volvo to Saturn, of using what appears to be a sedan roofline with the wagon bits tacked on. Coupe, in this case. I think it really adds to the style of the car here. The ’57-’59 Plymouth two door wagons are bland by comparison.
Are the blue and gold wagons in the same place? Someone needs to get the two of them and save at least one.
Awesome! Yet another model variation I never knew existed, but am now fully informed about, thanks Jason. Curbside Classic rocks!
My buddy in Tampa has this car, of course, completely restored in “Evening Orchid” with a white top. We take her and my 1960 Oldsmobile to the shows and our girls are the most popular girls at the dance.
Just sent him this link via Facebook. I’m CERTAIN he will be posting her photo soon. Jody…….please take the floor now…
I actually have a plastic model kit of the ’60 Suburban, 4 door wagon. JO-HAN brand made some ‘USA Oldies’ kits in the 70′s. One other model was a 62 Chrysler 300 letter series coupe.
These beauties are very rare indeed. Here is a picture of my 4 door that still drives like a dream. My Grandmother bought it brand new and left it to me when she passed away in 1999. She loved this sweet ride, as do I.