Overview & Reviews

In its day, Plymouth was one of the best-selling and most beloved brands in the U.S. Owned first by Chrysler and then by DaimlerChrysler, the marque existed for more than 70 years before being discontinued in 2001.

The Plymouth Motor Corporation was born in May of 1928 as a marketing subsidiary of the Chrysler Corporation, with Walter Chrysler as its president. The first Plymouth, the Plymouth 4, followed soon thereafter, cruising into showrooms in 1929. The car was based on a Chrysler model, the Chrysler 4. Its low price and solid quality established Plymouth as the brand to beat for consumers seeking affordable transportation.

The 1930s saw Plymouth investing in the development of a new vehicle; the Plymouth PA was launched in 1931. Featuring then-innovative rubber engine mounts, the car was a hit, and helped Plymouth sail past more established brands like Buick to nab the 3rd-place spot in national car sales, behind Ford and Chevrolet. By 1939, more than 3 million Plymouths had been built, and its name had been officially changed to the Plymouth Division.

In the years following World War II, Plymouth introduced models like the Cambridge, Suburban and Cranbrook. The look of the vehicles was a departure from the prevailing aesthetic of the time. They were chunky and tall whereas the most popular vehicles were long, lean and low. V8 engines and automatic transmissions were also new additions to the Plymouth brand in the '50s. By the time the decade drew to a close, more than 12 million Plymouths had been built.

The '60s saw the birth of the pony car, and Plymouth was at the forefront of the movement with its legendary Barracuda, which was initially based on the Valiant compact when it was introduced in 1964. As the years went on, the Barracuda offered a range of powerful V8 engines and a choice of body styles, including a convertible. The decade also saw the introduction of a pair of muscle cars based on the midsize Belvedere: the bare-bones Road Runner and the more luxurious GTX. The psychedelic era also gave rise to the brand's potent 426 Hemi V8 engine.

The fuel crisis of the mid-1970s spelled trouble for Plymouth, as high fuel prices caused poor sales for its larger models. Plymouth saw some success with its Valiant, Duster and Volare compacts. But the lone shining star on the sales charts was the subcompact Horizon. Otherwise, the company suffered slow sales due to an aged and dwindling lineup. Things didn't get much better for Plymouth during the '80s. In spite of the debut of the popular Voyager minivan and a couple of other new models like the Caravelle and Sundance, the brand continued to struggle.

By the time the '90s rolled around, Plymouth was no longer a full-line make. Chrysler had plans to reinvigorate the brand with the introduction of new models, but all that changed after the company's merger with Daimler at the end of the decade. At the close of the '90s, Plymouth's lineup had been reduced to just five vehicles: the Voyager and Grand Voyager minivans, the Breeze sedan, the Neon compact and the Prowler sports car. DaimlerChrysler soon decided to pull the plug on the long-neglected brand, with the last Plymouths being made in model-year 2001.

User Reviews:

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  worth the cash - 1999 Plymouth Voyager
  By heatherhop - March 29 - 10:00 am

  with a 3.3 v6, no problemsfor the first 3 1/2 yrs. only had a leaking trans relay (350.00),also alot of road noise from the rear tires at highway speed

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  Great Car for Low Cost - 2000 Plymouth Neon
  By KTB - March 21 - 10:46 am

  Good-looking, comfortable car with great gas mileage. Almost steered clear of buying a Neon, not sure why, but thought they had a junky reputation until I researched the vehicle and found the 2000 year and beyond to have great consumer satisfaction. My daughter and I love this car for its price range. We have been very happy with ours.

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  Great Little Van - 1999 Plymouth Voyager
  By N Bos - March 17 - 9:46 pm

  Our Voyager has been just perfect. It is very dependable; we have had no major repairs and are up to 80,000 miles. Its construction is well thought out and offers lots of good features. Our only regret is no reading lights or temperature controls for the back seat. Our fuel ecomony has been 19 mpg city / 21mpg highway, which is not bad.

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  Best for the MONEY!! - 2000 Plymouth Neon
  By elite_iv - February 20 - 10:00 am

  Many people are of the opinion that Neons are junk, but I tell you I have had one for three years and have never had a problem with it. They revamped the Neon in 2000 to make a statement in both styling and performance. The car is solid handles well and is enjoyable to drive. If you are looking for a sporty little 4 door with a nice factory sound system this is the car for you.

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  Amazingly durable - 1999 Plymouth Grand Voyager
  By Cleo - February 2 - 2:00 am

  I have 110,000 miles on mine and it still feels very solid and has most of the original equipment, original brake rotors, struts, shocks, etc. Only design flaw thats caused me trouble is the placement of the drink holders. Drinks can splash up on the temp controls, causing sticking & malfunction.

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  Head Gastket Woes - 1999 Plymouth Voyager
  By broke one - December 26 - 10:00 am

  This is the 4 cyl. van. Leaking head gasket needing replacement to the tune of $1,600.00! Vehicle has only 41, 000 miles on it! This will be my last American made vehicle. My 2 Toyotas have not given one ounce of trouble, both with over 100,00 miles.

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  Plymouth Prowler Hot Rod - 1999 Plymouth Prowler
  By Plymouth Prowler - November 19 - 10:00 am

  Ive had the Prowler for 11 years and its still as much fun as any car Ive ever owned. Its a hoot.

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  Would buy another - 1998 Plymouth Grand Voyager
  By ztagwil - October 11 - 11:55 am

  We were fortunate to have bought an experimental van by Chrysler. It is an Expresso Grand Voyager, 6-cyl, 3.8L. It has a truck chassie and a towing package. We have pulled a camper for 8-9 yrs. Have 195k. It has been a tank, very comfortable with 4 captains chairs. Replaced transmission once. We need another van, to carry 7, and to pull our camper. We think, that if you can find one of the 1600 ever made, you can trust it. Looking for a sleeper (one with low mileage).

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  DEAD after five years - 1998 Plymouth Grand Voyager
  By ellieirish - October 9 - 10:00 am

  I purchased our 1998 Plymouth Grand Voyager in 1999. In 2000, the head gaskets blew which was an extremely expensive repair for a car just miles past the warranty. After a letter to Chrysler, we were reimbursed for 1/3 the cost of the repair. At 86,000 miles and after consistentr outine maintenance, the drive belt dropped off and the pistons cracked. The diagnosis: not worth the $3,000. to repair it. I had nine months left on my loan and got only half of what I owed for trade in. I wont go with another domestic van and have opted to go with the 2003 Mazda MPV after much research and comparison shopping.

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  Cant wait to get rid of it - 1998 Plymouth Grand Voyager
  By taximom - September 25 - 10:00 am

  It seemed fine the day we took it for a test drive. After we purchased it and put about 1800 miles on it the transmission started to have a clunk and jerk when you we were slowing down to 5 mph. It also feels like there is a slip in the transmission when you come to a stop sign and then take off.