This was a pleasure to see. The family car when I first got my driver's license was a 1956 Plymouth Savoy 2 door hardtop, red with a white top. It was very similar to this one, but a lower trim level. It also had the 273 V8 and the same push button drive. One of the problems, which became apparent by the mid 60's, was that the beautiful front fender crowns over the headlamps rusted, partly because there was not an inner fender liner. So stuff like salty slush in the winter was just blasted into those caps when you drove along. I love seeing 56 Plymouths. It's a gorgeous design. I think that 1956 was the last year before Chrysler went to front torsion bars in 1957, so if you ever get to drive a 57-59 (which were still body-on-frame like this 56), maybe you can tell if the driving experience seems different because of that change to front torsion bar suspension.
I am the owner of this car and enjoyed your comments. Besides owning this car for so long, it is my first vehicle as well. You are spot on regarding the headlight rusting. When I brought the car from its original owner, I had work done on the passenger side eyebrow as after 15 years it was rusting out. You are also correct torsion bars began in '57. Thxs for your comments.
@@PaulPesile You have one beautiful car !! The body style looks years ahead of Chevy cars that year and the same for a 57 plymouth compared to a 57 chevy !!!!
I am the car’s owner. Thank you for your kind words. Even after owning my first car for 53 years, I still like its design as much as I did when first purchased.
Neat to see this; there's a '55 Belvedere sitting in my garage waiting for me to make it roadworthy again. What an over-the-top interior in this '56. Mine has no interior; it's going to inherit some blue bench seats from an '80s Ford E-series church bus.
My parents owned the same car but in yellow and white. My mom’s favorite car of all the cars they owned over the years. In fact, she loved it so much that she learned to drive just so she could drive it!
We've come a long way with automatic transmissions. These days people say that 5 or 6 speed automatic transmissions are "outdated", there are 7,8,9,10 speed automatic transmissions everywhere. 50-60 years ago, 2 and 3 speed automatic transmissions were the norm.
The 1956 Plymouth was always my favorite year in Plymouths. It had the best body style of any of the 50's Plymouths. The thing I noticed with this particular is that the front and rear bumpers need adjustment but that is very minor. I love the what is known as the "Bumble Bee" color. Most car makers of the mid 50's had this color combination. For most people of that time, power or lack of power wasn't much of an issue as the US highway system was still in its infancy so most of the roads were the back roads where the speed limit was low.
As I am the owner of this car, a couple of comments. The bumper issue is noticeable because the front left spring needs to be replaced. Secondly, the start of the interstate highway system was in ‘56 but the Big Three still touted the horsepower of its most powerful engines. If horsepower was not starting to be an issue, Chrysler would not have introduced the Fury, D500, Chrysler 300 and Adventurer. I know for a fact rural drivers were able to haul even on local roads at the time.
4:59 The 60/40 split bench seatback was touted by Edsel as being a new feature in model year 1958, or two years later than this nicely equipped Belvedere.
Beautiful style. It's not excessive like some later Mopars but it fits right in. The US was the undisputed superpower and everything reflected that. I love when someone owns a car for decades. That's dedication and love. I still have my first car and I plan to keep it forever.
My first new car was a 73 Ford Torino fastback. I wanted to keep it forever but my late wife totaled it in 76 !!! I bought the car when i was 19yrs old. I had a good paying job thanks to my Dad, he got me on at SCM Corp !!!!!
Thanks for sharing this fine example of the second year of Virgil Exner’s Forward Look cars. Powerflite was first introduced in 1954 , Chrysler’s first fully automatic transmission. It had a good reputation for both performance and durability. The Belvedere like the Ford Fairlane and Chevy BelAir was pretty fancy, the top trim model. These cars were becoming significant competition for the traditional medium priced brands. Your commentary about the economic confidence and prosperity of the 1950s is pretty accurate as it applies to the majority white population. Black people didn’t share so much in this. The Civil Rights era was still mostly to come.
I am the car's owner. I had the interior redone back in 1976. Thankfully no rodents have thus far found it. To be honest when folks see the car, they are more interested in the interior. Thxs for your nice comments.
I recently discovered this channel, but what amazes me more than anything is how ‘90s Jack Black was able to travel through time and start a RUclips channel.
Zack, Here is a Belvedere Fun Fact. For decades and decades Chrysler has had a plant in Belvidere, Illinois. The one car they never made there was a ........Belvedere. 😉
I am the owner of this car and didn't know that fact. In '56 Plymouths were primarily made in Detroit (Lynch Road factory where mine was assembled on July 12th), one in Indiana and another in L.A.
@@PaulPesile Thanks for allowing Zack to share your Classic Plymouth with us. The first two cars I drove regularly were a 1973 Plymouth Duster and 1975 Fury. I am always curious to know where a car was built so thanks for passing that along. Was the Belvedere also made in Canada?
To the writer asking if Belvederes were made in Canada, they were. Only in Canada a Belvedere based Mayfair was also available. This car used a 1956 Dodge front clip. All other aspects of the car including its interiors were US Belvedere based.
I’m not even a big Plymouth fan but that is a pretty car. I’m convinced 1956 was the all around best year for American cars from a style point of view. No mater what you bought from a Chevy/Plymouth/Ford up to a Cadillac/imperial/Lincoln/Packard every single US car was gorgeous
I'll chime in on your Final Thoughts; I always feel like the 50's is always portrayed as squeaky-clean optimism and for the most part it was because the Disposable Product TM was not yet in full swing and 'trash' hardly existed. Egregious decadence would ramp up and peak in the filthy 70's.
dude, am i crazy or these 50s Cars looked JUST BETTER than any car nowadays???? Like, how did they even make them back then??? It's weird that all cars in the 30s 40s 50s and 60s had all these cool bodies with lots of intricate shapes, then we get to the 2000s and all cars turned into ugly rectangular boxes. WHAT HAPPENED!?!?!?
Unfortunately, Chrsyler, GM & Ford don't build cars to last a long time anymore. They fall apart after a few years because of the use cheap quality materials andcheaply built to save money
The Big 3 never built cars to last. Until the Japanese hit it big here during the fuel crises and showed Americans that cars could be well-built, cars were expected to rust out or need an engine rebuild by the time they hit 6 digits. The only benefit of buying American cars were that parts were cheap and simple and mechanics were everywhere so they were easy to keep going.
I am the owner of this car. To answer your question, the only factory option on the 277 was a 4bbl duel exhaust which raised its horse power from 187 to 200.
That set up was terrible on the 56 Plymouth. To park the car you put it in neutral and prayed the parking brake held. My dad had one of those,,,,and if you parked on a hill you had better cut your wheels into the curb to keep it from rolling away. The problem is on these automatics you can't park it "in gear".....the car will just roll. Also in 56 they did away with a real oil and amp gauge which did not allow you to see trouble coming until it was too late. On a side note my family would make the trek to visit the grand parents every august. That was quite a trip with 5 people in a 56 Plymouth (6 cylinder, no AC, PS or PB, not even a radio or rugs) from Boston to Indianapolis...a 900 mile+ trip. We were probably near heat stroke condition. We would make it there driving 500 miles the first day.....hit a motel....get up at about 6am then get to our destination by about 6pm. We felt like we had traveled by stage coach.
This was a pleasure to see. The family car when I first got my driver's license was a 1956 Plymouth Savoy 2 door hardtop, red with a white top. It was very similar to this one, but a lower trim level. It also had the 273 V8 and the same push button drive. One of the problems, which became apparent by the mid 60's, was that the beautiful front fender crowns over the headlamps rusted, partly because there was not an inner fender liner. So stuff like salty slush in the winter was just blasted into those caps when you drove along. I love seeing 56 Plymouths. It's a gorgeous design. I think that 1956 was the last year before Chrysler went to front torsion bars in 1957, so if you ever get to drive a 57-59 (which were still body-on-frame like this 56), maybe you can tell if the driving experience seems different because of that change to front torsion bar suspension.
I am the owner of this car and enjoyed your comments. Besides owning this car for so long, it is my first vehicle as well. You are spot on regarding the headlight rusting. When I brought the car from its original owner, I had work done on the passenger side eyebrow as after 15 years it was rusting out. You are also correct torsion bars began in '57. Thxs for your comments.
@@PaulPesile You have one beautiful car !! The body style looks years ahead of Chevy cars that year and the same for a 57 plymouth compared to a 57 chevy !!!!
I am the car’s owner. Thank you for your kind words. Even after owning my first car for 53 years, I still like its design as much as I did when first purchased.
A truly beautiful example of the fabulous 50's!!!!
I have a 56 Plymouth that was my grandfather's I remember sitting in the backseat with my feet sticking straight up I'm very fortunate to have it❤❤
Headlights like the Adam West Batmobile, tailfins like a rocketship, that car is awesome!
The headlights are close to the style on the Batmobile but the exact ones are from a 56 Lincoln Premier, the car that the Batmobile was built from ✌️
The Adam West Batmobile was made from a Lincoln Futura. But a lot more people know what the Batmobile is than a Lincoln Futura.
@@ModelA Yep you're right thanks, Futura not Premier.
Neat to see this; there's a '55 Belvedere sitting in my garage waiting for me to make it roadworthy again. What an over-the-top interior in this '56. Mine has no interior; it's going to inherit some blue bench seats from an '80s Ford E-series church bus.
My parents owned the same car but in yellow and white. My mom’s favorite car of all the cars they owned over the years. In fact, she loved it so much that she learned to drive just so she could drive it!
Great story. Although my mom did not drive this reviewed car, she loved when I drove her wherever our destination was.
My great-grandfather had a pink '56 Belvedere 4-door. It was a great car.
We've come a long way with automatic transmissions. These days people say that 5 or 6 speed automatic transmissions are "outdated", there are 7,8,9,10 speed automatic transmissions everywhere. 50-60 years ago, 2 and 3 speed automatic transmissions were the norm.
I love the 55-60 Plymouths so much!
The 1956 Plymouth was always my favorite year in Plymouths. It had the best body style of any of the 50's Plymouths. The thing I noticed with this particular is that the front and rear bumpers need adjustment but that is very minor. I love the what is known as the "Bumble Bee" color. Most car makers of the mid 50's had this color combination. For most people of that time, power or lack of power wasn't much of an issue as the US highway system was still in its infancy so most of the roads were the back roads where the speed limit was low.
As I am the owner of this car, a couple of comments. The bumper issue is noticeable because the front left spring needs to be replaced. Secondly, the start of the interstate highway system was in ‘56 but the Big Three still touted the horsepower of its most powerful engines. If horsepower was not starting to be an issue, Chrysler would not have introduced the Fury, D500, Chrysler 300 and Adventurer. I know for a fact rural drivers were able to haul even on local roads at the time.
@@PaulPesile - Thank you for your information. The 56 Plymouth is still and always will be my favorite 50's Plymouth.
Its in my top 5
4:59 The 60/40 split bench seatback was touted by Edsel as being a new feature in model year 1958, or two years later than this nicely equipped Belvedere.
Loved the styling of these cars. Just as sexy as a 56 Chevy imo
Beautiful style. It's not excessive like some later Mopars but it fits right in. The US was the undisputed superpower and everything reflected that.
I love when someone owns a car for decades. That's dedication and love. I still have my first car and I plan to keep it forever.
I am the owner of this car. Zack didn't mention this is also my first car and like you as long as I can drive it will stay. Thxs for the kind words.
My first new car was a 73 Ford Torino fastback. I wanted to keep it forever but my late wife totaled it in 76 !!! I bought the car when i was 19yrs old. I had a good paying job thanks to my Dad, he got me on at SCM Corp !!!!!
What a great example of a 50s car!
I’m loving these vintage cars
My favourite 50's icon is the 56 Belair. The Belvedere looks like its cute kid brother that's just happy to tag along.
Funny how us '56 Plymouth owners feel your favorite car is like that younger annoying brother always being a pest. 😂
Look at the back of this car ,and then look at the back of a 57 chevrolet
I always thought the 56 Ford Fairlane was so much better looking than the Bel Air.
@@tommyreid2317 Yes they stole it !!!
Essa canal é um achado, eu amo carros antigos, um abraço do Brasil ❤🎉
Thanks for sharing this fine example of the second year of Virgil Exner’s Forward Look cars. Powerflite was first introduced in 1954 , Chrysler’s first fully automatic transmission. It had a good reputation for both performance and durability. The Belvedere like the Ford Fairlane and Chevy BelAir was pretty fancy, the top trim model. These cars were becoming significant competition for the traditional medium priced brands. Your commentary about the economic confidence and prosperity of the 1950s is pretty accurate as it applies to the majority white population. Black people didn’t share so much in this. The Civil Rights era was still mostly to come.
Beautiful! 😍😍
Great looking car. The upholstery though...I love that it's the original pattern, it makes my eyes go 😵💫
I am the car's owner. I had the interior redone back in 1976. Thankfully no rodents have thus far found it. To be honest when folks see the car, they are more interested in the interior. Thxs for your nice comments.
No parking gear is just like commercial trucks. We park in neutral also and use the hand or air parking brake.
The 2 door Sport Coupe (hard top) was the best of the best.
I recently discovered this channel, but what amazes me more than anything is how ‘90s Jack Black was able to travel through time and start a RUclips channel.
Zack, Here is a Belvedere Fun Fact. For decades and decades Chrysler has had a plant in Belvidere, Illinois. The one car they never made there was a ........Belvedere. 😉
I am the owner of this car and didn't know that fact. In '56 Plymouths were primarily made in Detroit (Lynch Road factory where mine was assembled on July 12th), one in Indiana and another in L.A.
@@PaulPesile Thanks for allowing Zack to share your Classic Plymouth with us. The first two cars I drove regularly were a 1973 Plymouth Duster and 1975 Fury. I am always curious to know where a car was built so thanks for passing that along. Was the Belvedere also made in Canada?
To the writer asking if Belvederes were made in Canada, they were. Only in Canada a Belvedere based Mayfair was also available. This car used a 1956 Dodge front clip. All other aspects of the car including its interiors were US Belvedere based.
@@PaulPesile Thanks.
I’m not even a big Plymouth fan but that is a pretty car. I’m convinced 1956 was the all around best year for American cars from a style point of view. No mater what you bought from a Chevy/Plymouth/Ford up to a Cadillac/imperial/Lincoln/Packard every single US car was gorgeous
Correct. In ‘56 many companies introduced the 4DrHt body style as well.
Excellent review. Much appreciated including mention of my family.
Love love the yellow
I'll chime in on your Final Thoughts; I always feel like the 50's is always portrayed as squeaky-clean optimism and for the most part it was because the Disposable Product TM was not yet in full swing and 'trash' hardly existed. Egregious decadence would ramp up and peak in the filthy 70's.
The fact there was a new model every year says the waste started in the 50s, the book "the waste makers" covers it.
That car is gogeous! The headlight trim is very rare! My Dad had 1956 Savoy!
Fifties American cars were huge.
dude, am i crazy or these 50s Cars looked JUST BETTER than any car nowadays???? Like, how did they even make them back then??? It's weird that all cars in the 30s 40s 50s and 60s had all these cool bodies with lots of intricate shapes, then we get to the 2000s and all cars turned into ugly rectangular boxes. WHAT HAPPENED!?!?!?
The 1956 Plymouth models helped introduce Chrysler's "FlightSweep" styling, penned by Virgil Exner.
Unfortunately, Chrsyler, GM & Ford don't build cars to last a long time anymore. They fall apart after a few years because of the use cheap quality materials andcheaply built to save money
One of the reasons people invest in a Toyota instead.
The Big 3 never built cars to last. Until the Japanese hit it big here during the fuel crises and showed Americans that cars could be well-built, cars were expected to rust out or need an engine rebuild by the time they hit 6 digits. The only benefit of buying American cars were that parts were cheap and simple and mechanics were everywhere so they were easy to keep going.
@@bwofficial1776 Yes i am 71yrs old and i remember cars being shot at 100,000 miles !!!
amazing video as always
Had a 56 Desoto belvidere 6 cyl flat top with push button automatic. Color like the Rosa Panter!
I've always like the '56 Belvedere. "The Forward Look" was hot at the time. RUclips has old television commercials for those beauties.
Nice😀
great car
Outstanding car !!!! Can i have it?
A 303 4 bbl was available in the Fury trim, not sure if you could get it in belvedere, it had 240 hp
I am the owner of this car. To answer your question, the only factory option on the 277 was a 4bbl duel exhaust which raised its horse power from 187 to 200.
The B-Series 350 cu. in. engine was 1958-only.
5:19 Please tell me you had a cigarette or a cigar or a vape or some incense lit right there because otherwise, I'm calling "Ghost Cig Smoke~~!!"
The face of that Belvedere looks like Grandpa Al Lewis.
That set up was terrible on the 56 Plymouth. To park the car you put it in neutral and prayed the parking brake held. My dad had one of those,,,,and if you parked on a hill you had better cut your wheels into the curb to keep it from rolling away. The problem is on these automatics you can't park it "in gear".....the car will just roll. Also in 56 they did away with a real oil and amp gauge which did not allow you to see trouble coming until it was too late. On a side note my family would make the trek to visit the grand parents every august. That was quite a trip with 5 people in a 56 Plymouth (6 cylinder, no AC, PS or PB, not even a radio or rugs) from Boston to Indianapolis...a 900 mile+ trip. We were probably near heat stroke condition. We would make it there driving 500 miles the first day.....hit a motel....get up at about 6am then get to our destination by about 6pm. We felt like we had traveled by stage coach.
7:45 At least if you were a white male.
Love the look of 50's cars though.
Give us the cubic inch of the engine as well. You need to realize that not all of your viewers are not young like you.
The cubic inch of this Plymouth’s engine was 277/187 horsepower
Christine?
Different car, different year, different color, different model…