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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  almost great - 1999 Plymouth Grand Voyager
  By Mb - November 20 - 9:40 am

  I bought the vehicle 8/02 with 38,000 miles. There are many things to like about this van: styling, very comfortable interior, decent fuel economy and overall performance. However, the transmission suffered a catastrophic failure at 61,000 miles to the tune of $3,000 (this in spite of the fact I am meticulous about all maintainence). Chrysler was no help at all in this matter. Additionally, the cruise control went south and the front suspension has had numerous parts replaced, but still makes troubling "clunking" noises over bumps. I love the way Chrysler products look and drive. However, I will warn all people against buying their products because of poor quality control.

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  1998 Plymouth Grand Voyager - 1998 Plymouth Grand Voyager
  By Hayseed - October 24 - 10:00 am

  This has been a great vehicle thus far. It has 57,000 miles on it. The air conditioning compressor froze up around 48,000 miles. Warranty paid for itself. Lots of room with the seats out. You can fit a Queen size mattress between the wheel wells. We love it.

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  Good - 1999 Plymouth Grand Voyager
  By Treeman2007 - October 19 - 2:00 am

  Breaks down quite often. Suspension is about as good as the bike that i had as a kid. if you ride on a long car trip and put your arms on the arm rest, your arms start to vibrate; however, the expresso serves its purpose in our household. the suspension problem along with the ignition starter that dies quite often are some of the problems with the expresso mini van.

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  2000 NEON - 2000 Plymouth Neon
  By Will B. - August 22 - 1:13 pm

  The only thing i dont like about this car is the power when driving uphill. the engin gets week, when its on low RPMs uphill! (rounds per mints...) it can do it pretty well when your on 4000 rpms and higher. but thats not an abuse to the motor, but it take lots of power from the engin. other than that its an exelent stock car for the money. Mine is the LX model with power front windows,locks,AC, and no hevy alloys wheels just hubcaps. Dont forget those NEONS can be upgraged like crazy from proformance wise to looks and addons. :)

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  Best bang for your buck - 1999 Plymouth Prowler
  By Brianpantera - August 21 - 7:43 am

  My 1999 Plymouth Prowler is a drop dead gorgeous car. I feel like a movie star every time I take it out. The only negative is there is no storage space, unless you buy the factory trailer.

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  guess we were lucky - it has been great - 1998 Plymouth Grand Voyager
  By jmonti - August 13 - 10:00 am

  the only problem we have had is the fact that when the compressor does come on, engine does fluctuate. we have been very pleased, do prevent maint. on time, dealership has been great. i hope it lasts-

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  A great little car - 2000 Plymouth Neon
  By Lmschwa - August 13 - 10:00 am

  I drive a lot for my job, so I spend a lot of time in my car. First of all, the gas mileage is great (27 mpg on average)! Also, Neons are really inexpensive to begin with, so this is a very thrifty car. Also, it is very visually appealing and doesnt look "cheap." I love this car and hope to have it for many years to come!

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  98 Grand Voyager SE - 1998 Plymouth Grand Voyager
  By Dave Forbes - July 26 - 2:00 am

  Definitely needs 2 A/Cs. 3.0L engine very underpowered w/full load & A/C on. Could use stiffer suspension & larger wheels

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  IT,S NO HONDA - 2000 Plymouth Voyager
  By RON 4 - July 24 - 10:00 am

  POOR TRANS, REAR SEATS DO NOT FOLD BACK ,BODY DENTS TO EASY. SEATS TO HEAVY, POOR RESALE

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  A true factory hot rod ! - 2001 Plymouth Prowler
  By viper1 - June 25 - 10:00 am

  Outstanding car, excellent handling and feels right. The only problem I have when I take it out for a drive is that I cant park the car because it is like a magnet, always attracting people.