More smart than sporty, but it IS a Suburban


Badging, intricate trim proclaim this wagon's top-of-the-line status.

   HERE'S ANOTHER confuser from Chrysler.
   First, the Sport Suburban script on the side of this station wagon could surprise anyone who associates the Suburban name only with Chevrolet trucks. In fact, "suburban" began as a generic description for light commercial vehicles with extra seats and a closed cargo area, and has been applied to models from Studebaker, Nash, DeSoto, Plymouth, Dodge and GMC as well as Chevy (where it's been in continuous use since 1935).
   The Sport part is harder to explain. The Sport Suburban was Plymouth's top-line wagon in 1956, with a newly available 277-cubic-inch V-8 but no particular performance-oriented equipment that I know of, unless you count the "Sportspun Tweed" upholstery with metallic threads.

Plymouth wagon wears its Dodge front styling well.
   Though nicely proportioned, it looked less sporty, in fact, than Plymouth's lower-level Custom and Deluxe Suburban two-door wagons.
   The final puzzle is the Dodge nose on what is otherwise a Plymouth. Chrysler buffs, however, will recognize this immediately as one of the automaker's "Plodge" export vehicles, usually assembled in Canada and meant as lower-priced entry models for Dodge and DeSoto dealers.
   Compared to the angular and rather dated front ends on home-market Plymouths in 1956, the more rounded Dodge treatment is an improvement for the Sport Suburban, providing this smart-looking wagon with a handsome face.
  That's worth a little confusion.




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Ava said…
Great ppost thanks
November 10, 2021 at 6:26 PM
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