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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  Worst car ever - 1998 Plymouth Grand Voyager
  By kabinda - December 26 - 2:45 pm

  I had a 1998 Expresso model. The best thing about this bucket of bolts was the day I sold it. I owned it for 4 years and the list of parts I went through is to long to mention. I would not recommend this car to my worst enemy, unless they were independently wealthy enough to have it repaired at least twice a month. When I sold it for $600 it still needed almost $1200 worth of parts just to get it started. Because of this heap of junk, I will NEVER even consider another Chrysler product.

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  Great Van - 1998 Plymouth Grand Voyager
  By Kelzer - December 13 - 7:40 am

  This has been an excellent vehicle for our family. We really enjoy driving it. It has be very reliable with minimal upkeep.

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  My mistake - 2000 Plymouth Grand Voyager
  By biohazard8724 - November 22 - 10:00 am

  I never wanted to buy an American car but this one was in our price range. What a mistake! Buy a Honda or Toyota.

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  Happy Van - 1999 Plymouth Grand Voyager
  By FEN1959 - November 5 - 5:33 pm

  I bought my 99 Grand Voyager new. Its been very reliable. While under warranty I had a problem with rear wheel bearings and with the overdrive sensor in the transmission. At about 80,000 miles, had a problem with the headlight switch. Still looks good at 151,000 miles and I plan to run it for a while yet. The 3.3 engine is very reliable and Ive not had problems with the transmission that seem to plague others.

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  best car in the world - 2001 Plymouth Prowler
  By mike rotch - November 1 - 10:00 am

  its the best car you can buy

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  GREAT first car! - 2000 Plymouth Neon
  By tinytike458 - October 14 - 11:36 am

  I bought this car as a college commuter, and to drive home to work. It had 55,000 miles when bought, and 104,000 miles after it was totalled. I had normal upkeep with this car, never cause a major problem. The driver side door lock wouldnt work from the outside, and no trunk release was annoying. It handled great in the snow belt of Lake Erie, and great on gas. The trunk space was great especially for a constanly moving college student. The stereo system had a great sound. The motor was quiet and it accelerated well. I would reconmend this car to anyone!

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  good car but not very big - 2000 Plymouth Neon
  By john w. lange - October 7 - 10:00 am

  good car but being 62" not big for a man my size

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  Solid, quiet - but many mechanical issue - 2000 Plymouth Grand Voyager
  By Caseybea - October 5 - 3:53 pm

  I have owned since I got it new in 1999. For those considering buying one used - I recommend caution. Overall, the van is reasonably solid, and the seats are all heavy and mostly comfortable (way better than current stow-and-go). Quality/reliability is a concern - the alignment went bad after about 80,000 miles and theyve never been able to fix it right since. Front suspension on driver side is rusting through the body. Went through two transmissions. A/C compressor blew at only 34000 miles. Many other failures that have become expensive. If you can find one of these with low miles, its a good van for long trips. Highway mileage not terrible, but city mileage is low.

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  Good Purchase - 1998 Plymouth Grand Voyager
  By BillF - September 25 - 2:00 am

  This has been a very good vehicle for us. I have only replaced normal things and we have over 100,000 miles on the vehicle. It has started using oil. I now use one quart every 1,000 miles. I believe the oil is leaking, not being burned. I would recommend this vehicle to anyone.

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  Best car Ive ever owned. - 1999 Plymouth Grand Voyager
  By Alan B. - September 4 - 3:10 am

  Ive been driving for 44 years and owned maybe a dozen cars. This is by far the best of all. I have 210,000 miles on this van in 10 years. Its been tuned up only twice, the last time being 3 years ago. Just last week it passed DEQ/EPA emissions testing with flying colors. Not one major component has ever failed up to this point although it appears the starter may need to be replaced soon. Ive driven 4,000 mile trips and enjoyed every minute of driving. On one trip in 2008 I drove 1070 miles in 17 hours in a single day. A week later I made the retun trip in a single day. At no time was I uncomfortable or fatigued. Maybe I own the exception rather than the rule but I love it.