Confidential 1952 Ford Vs Plymouth Dealer film

I am a big fan of both, but I have to admit the Ford got ahead of Plymouth in 52.

[@LaPabst]

I watch endless filmstrips from this era... GREAT job on fades instead of the beep/jump. Excellent idea and solid a gold post!!!

[@autochronicles8667]

eh the work to remove the beeps is crazy... i cant normally spend this kind of time :) hmm i am checking AI tools to remove beeps, let see how much that costs :)

[@LaPabst]

@@autochronicles8667 I'm an auto mechanic in my mid 60s. I worked on many vehicles from this era forward. Its great to see people dedicated to the preservation of these films. Sadly, I had volumes of the companion literature that went with strips of this nature... All lost in a garage fire in the early 80s.

[@proofbox]

Ford needed to make the automatic transmission a big deal, far more significant than any other improvements it was in its second year at that time and Chevy was in its third year . Plymouth at that time had a solid track record for build quality and reliable operation , although its styling was behind the times .

[@autochronicles8667]

I have the 52 Ford vs the Chevy film also... I will try to put it out this weekend.

[@herman452]

Chrysler Corp was slow to realize that even consumers in the low price field wanted some luxury. 52 Plymouth was a well built, reliable car, but it was the only one of the low priced three that did not have an optional automatic transmission. Plus it was dowdy in appearance next to the Ford. On the other hand, Ford brags about its superior cooling on the ground that its cylinders were all completely surrounded by coolant. They don't mention that the flathead Ford V8's exhaust passages ran between the cylinders, significantly heating that coolant. Ford had an OHV six in 52, but Plymouth's six was still a flathead as late as the 1959 model year.

[@michaelbenardo5695]

@@herman452 Also, the Plymouth/Dodge 6, despite some disadvantages to the new Ford 6, was an extremely rugged and reliable engine.

[@herman452]

@@michaelbenardo5695 I know - I have one.

[@jamesmooney8933]

My mom had a '53 Ford with V8 stick shift. It lasted her from '56 to '62. It was the greatest car we ever had.

[@autochronicles8667]

Those were some good years, I really like 52-54 Ford

[@jamesmooney8933]

@@autochronicles8667 I agree but they are popular as the shoe box,

[@saxongreen78]

The Flathead was a chunk of pure value...it was _proper._

[@rongendron8705]

We had a brand new 1951 Ford, which costs $1,650. but only lasted until about 1960-61! So, those Fords (ours & your Mom's), only lasted less than 10 years! That's not very good, by today's standards!

[@jamesmooney8933]

@rongendron8705 The reason the '53 Ford's motor broke a piston was that my mother put high detergent motor oil in the engine. The old flat head engine couldn't take it. The detergent oil loosened up metal shaving at the bottom of the oil pan, and destroyed the engine.

[@formerice]

Ford vacuum whipers were a pita when you were in low vacuum conditions, score 1 for Plymouth.

[@autochronicles8667]

Definitely.... these dealer videos went deep in the woods to find "fault" with the other makes... Chrysler would strike back... Seems they used this video.... as all these issues would "flip" in the upcoming years.

[@jonnycando]

@@autochronicles8667 manufacturers were always at one another’s heels…no doubt all had moles in each other’s offices and certainly they heard their customers, though sometimes it seems maybe they paid us no mind…but eventually they all give us what we want…and it’s now really hard to differentiate one brand from the other….except for styling

[@jonnycando]

@@Rick-S-6063 having grown up with those colors I am like “what were we thinking” some of them were awful….but on the other hand there were some that withstand the test of time. What really makes the difference is the durability of modern finishes. Those horrible colors actually weren’t quite so bad when new and shiny…but is was an uphill battle keeping them that way.

[@michaelbenardo5695]

If you ordered the optional double-action fuel pump, they would work fine, but with the standard conventional pump, not so good. I also say score 1 for the Plymouth.

[@rongendron8705]

About 1952-53, I remember seeing a Ford t.v. commercial stating that the company was abandoning its planned car, for the next year & 'leaping ahead' two years in styling! They stated that this 'new' car would be 'way ahead' of other car's design & they were right! A year or so, before, my family had bought a new 1951 Ford & I wished that they had waited!

[@DavidSmith-fr1uz]

I love how objectively they present the benefits of Ford over Plymouth. That isn't done today. All marketing is based on the feeling the product or service gives you. The marketing was based on logic and reasoning. Not feelings and emotion. Seems that has extended to every aspect of today's culture.

[@autochronicles8667]

They did take some "liberties" :) I am putting up the 52 Ford vs the Chevy today... They did the "spring" tuning which most manufacturers didn't do i believe by models. I think they spring tuned everything the same.

[@tomservo56954]

This is an informational film for salesmen, not a commercial...so it doesn't necessarily hew to the concepts of "marketing"

[@loumontcalm3500]

Ford was absolutely the strikingly modern style leader in '52. New OHV 6 (they nearly dropped the V8). Chevy and Plymouth still had rear fenders- and dowdy Plymouth looked... and was, in realty, still stuck in pre-war.

[@autochronicles8667]

yeah 49 they made the real move...

[@michaelbenardo5695]

That's because K.T. Keller wanted Chrysler Corporation cars to look something like the 38 - 41 Cadillac 60 Special, refusing to accept the fact that what was daringly modern in 1938, was quite old fashioned looking by 1949. Plus Chrysler did it a cheaper way - full doors instead of the convertible-style doors with separate chrome uppers on the Cad.

[@loumontcalm3500]

And KT wanted to wear his hat😉

[@saxongreen78]

It may have looked dowdy, but it was a rather _good_ car - solid and highly durable, inexpensive to run. When Mopar caught up in style for 1954 (after the butt ugly 1952 body), they really wiped the floor with the other two...'54-'55 Mopar is gorgeous.

[@loumontcalm3500]

Saxongreen- you probably mean '55-6 Plymouth, as the '53-4 were also a bit dowdy and small. In hindsight- yes, the '49-52 Plymouth was a very sturdy well built car, but that doesn't change sales figures and public perception at the time. Conversely, the stunning '57 Plymouth (and Ford) trumped the '57 Chevy and made it the dowdy car in the day. This fact is lost to most- because it, like the '52 Plymouth, was the sturdiest of the three, and easiest and cheapest to repair over time. It also had enough mid-fifties flair to become nostalgic with the collector car boom starting in the '70's.

[@tbamagic]

The Ford certainly looked more modern. Plus, it offered a V8 and Ford-o-Matic. But the Mopar was very reliable.

[@carlmontney7916]

From 49 through 54 Ford certainly had the edge in styling and engines. Plymouth and Chevrolet look dated next to the Fords of that era.

[@toadamine]

Love these! And the 1949! I'll take one of the Ranch Wagons!

[@michaelbenardo5695]

Everything Ford said is true, BUT, the Plymouth had double leading shoe front brakes, which are considerably stronger than conventional one leading and one trailing shoe, and the Plymouth was known world-wide as a superior quality car over other low priced cars.

[@craigjorgensen4637]

Except the Plymouth brakes were more difficult to work on and tricky to adjust. Pulling off the rear drums was usually a nightmare requiring a special puller and a lot of work!

[@michaelbenardo5695]

@@craigjorgensen4637 True, but still, there is no denying the fact that they were better brakes, if set up correctly.

[@matrox]

21:33 I like how the guy on the desk has Ford 52 displayed on on his computer screen.

[@scrambler69-xk3kv]

Back then Chrysler products lacked a lot in the styling department, but they were well engineered cars. My father had a 1953 Chrysler Saratoga with a 331 inch hemi, and I believe a fluid drive transmission. To get it to shift up you eased up an the accelerator and you would hear this click click sound when it shifted.

[@jobamasux]

I liked the 49 and 50 Ford body style more than the 52 and Hot Rudders seem to agree!

[@kenschmidt6522]

Vacuum wipers? Ford dropped the ball on that one.

[@autochronicles8667]

horrible horrible idea... and the knee knockers..

[@juanmanuelmontana9633]

In the FORD V 8 1940 vacum wipers too and the RAMBLER CROSS COUNTRY 1962 In Argentina used vacum wipers... ( the vacum in take from engine instake. Horrible . When acelerated stop wipers. In my VALIANT 1962 factory used electric wipers and... still runs .

[@PatrickFoley-vf3lr]

I had a 53 Ford coupe standard overhead 6 and it was almost as powerful as the flathead 8.

[@autochronicles8667]

yeah flatheads would not last long...

[@ngauruhoezodiac3143]

My choice in 1952 would have been the Oldsmobile 88 Rocket.

[@TheDejael]

No contest! Ford is the winner. The 1952 Plymouth was old-fashioned, outdated, and underpowered. The same car for 1949 over again for four model years. That was why Chrysler was in financial trouble in 1953.

[@loveisall5520]

The damage that KT Keller did to Mopar post-war was never able to be undone.

[@TheDejael]

Oh yes it was! Keller hired Virgil M. Exner Sr. and it saved Chrysler from bankruptcy in 1955 with his fantastic "Forward Look" line of five cars. All extremely competitive products to Ford and GM, after a major reorganization of Chrysler in 1953-54.

[@AnthonyEvelyn]

To a certain extent yes because he made Ford become the number two automaker with his too conservative designs. However Chrysler build quality suffered over time after he left, having lovely looking cars with powerful engines but severe body rust issues also fit and finish problems causing them to not keep up with competitors.

[@marciasantos4180]

vamos voltar a fabricar estes veiculos eram melhor que os atuais

[@waynerhodes2286]

I love both but I've had my 52 Plymouth for 17 years and love it in my opinion the Plymouths are still built like the 1940s style. I love the Plymouths big curves better then how the ford was more flat and square but the next year Plymouth went with flatter panels in 53. But I noticed that they didn't mention all of Plymouths safety features like the double wheel cylinders in both front wheels for faster stopping and some other things. I will stick with my Plymouth for my choice but Ford has a better wagon

[@Greatdome99]

Chrysler's K T Keller was famous for liking tall cars: "I want a car I can sit in, not piss over."

[@autochronicles8667]

until Exner got there... and the board was like CMON your designs suck Mr Keller

[@dicksanders8206]

In the early '60s, my brother bought a '52 Plymouth sedan for a few hundred dollars. We took it on surfing trips. Fond memories, except that he wouldn't let me drive it!

[@autochronicles8667]

Damn... that's harsh...

[@greglechowski5030]

Oh back in the days where an engine change was pat of a cars life….. If it was in by 8 and was out by 5 the same day with a replacement engine for under 400 bucks!

[@autochronicles8667]

wow... not today...

[@timothykeith1367]

The '52 Ford got a new OHV six, that probably made more horsepower than the Ford v8

[@mikes2460]

Mileage Maker 6 made 101 hp, Strato Star v8 110... kzbin.info/www/bejne/fmOVq3Wde5J0edE

[@craigjorgensen4637]

The new Ford Six was actually a better engine than the outdated flathead eight!

[@timothykeith1367]

@@craigjorgensen4637 I the Ford tractors used a related four cylinder OHV motor

[@michaelbenardo5695]

Not so sure, but with it's overhead valves, it probably was more responsive. But still, prospects would see only six spark plugs, just like the Plymouth and Chevy, whereas it was well known by everybody that the V8 could be made MUCH faster than stock without any difficulty.

[@michaelbenardo5695]

@@craigjorgensen4637 Not necessarily. I have a dim view of integral valve guides. Notable is the fact that Ford gave the new for 54 223 cube version of the 6 quite a few improvements.

[@DMBall]

"Breathtaking new beauty"? Only somebody whose horizons were limited to the car world would use that expression about an automobile.

[@LewdCustomer]

A car this good must cost hundreds of dollars.

[@wanderleyapparecidovieira2282]

In 1953 Plymouth and Dodge appeared a new and beautiful style design,and a robust body structure.

[@autochronicles8667]

I do like the early 50s stuff... the single headlight look lasted until 57-58.

[@wanderleyapparecidovieira2282]

Appereance: FORD is the best design: Panoramic windshield, and back window, more modern lines it appear light and clear car

[@autochronicles8667]

I think I would have choose Ford also in 52

[@kipbrown1549]

I will take a Plymouth please !!!!

[@cindys1819]

A buyer wants first and foremost a carvthat can be FLAMED easily with great results......

[@AnthonyEvelyn]

Still wouldn't go for the Ford. I like KT Keller engineered Mopars.

[@ziadkadi]

Ok take my money

[@autochronicles8667]

Which one? :)

[@ziadkadi]

@Auto Chronicles ford hahaha 😆

[@gabrielvalentino6282]

Why doesnt it register in people's heads that pride is evil??!??

[@autochronicles8667]

Wait Ford?

[@Santor-]

The ageold rediculous comparisons of random things that can be measured; " our door opener knobs have 300% more surface area, and are 205.4% easier to operate".

[@autochronicles8667]

some comparisons did get "nit picky"... Ford did have the edge styliing wise though. I think Chevy had the performance edge for 52 but I will check. Chrysler often had the performance edge and showed it, if they didn't have it the manufacturer someone "forgot" to include the drag race in the slide show :) I guess you don't want to say "our car is slower" :)

[@glennso47]

They don’t have to worry about getting people out of Plymouth since Plymouth hasn’t been sold for years.

[@glennso47]

How do the valves rotate?

[@glennso47]

Vacuum windshield wipers don’t work when you have to accelerate or climb a hill.

[@autochronicles8667]

@@glennso47 they mean "floating" which means they can spin... but they dont... just some hype...

[@saxongreen78]

Vacuum wipers are a _benefit_ over electric ones? 😂😂😂

[@autochronicles8667]

lol yep :) and you want cast cranks... not those forged ones! Chevy said the oil air cleaner was better... all our paper filter ones would get clogged up

[@MrSloika]

Ford was one of the last big automakers to switch to hydraulic brakes. While the competition offered juice brakes, Ford advertised their old mechanical brakes as a feature. “The safety of steel from toe to wheel”

[@kennethreed2186]

Vac wiper s Are not that Good During a Heavy rain Or up hill Acceleration I know Had a 54 olds 98😊 Electric far Better

[@autochronicles8667]

anything vacuum was garbage, but it saved them money.

[@ngauruhoezodiac3143]

Some cars had a vacuum pump built into the fuel pump which eliminated the problem.

[@VladimirPutin-cz5zy]

Plymouth was cheaper though.

[@Cemeterygatepro]

This place is not for me...🥱😂

[@autochronicles8667]

we welcome everyone :)