1928-1957 Chrysler, Dodge, Plymouth, Fargo, and DeSoto Car, Truck, and Military Vehicle Model Data Guide
by Gerald Wilson
The model chart was an annual publication which printed the starting and ending serial numbers of all Chrysler models from the begining to date. As such it is the most accurate historical record of what was produced by the company. It is also very rare.
As far as I have been able to determine, there are no originals of this book in public hands. There is an incomplete copy, reproduced from Antique Automobile, archived by the Imperial Club.
The logical home for this document should be Chrysler Historical Services LLC. Unfortunately, I gather from an exchange of correspondence with them last April, when I myself did not have a copy, they are not aware of the publication. The Restorer's Guide,
which is available from Chrysler Historical Services, appears to have been compiled from the
model chart, but that was decades ago. The Restorer's Guide is missing many models which are recorded in the model chart and serial number guide,
In my opinion, this is an important resource and should be publicly available.
by the Allpar staff (with many thanks to Jim Benjaminson)
Chrysler noted that the following guide covers all vehicles made by Chrysler Corporation, including military vehicles, and commercial cars and trucks. The one reproduced here was the next-to-the-last one published, with the final one covering all 1957s and early 1958s (this guide only lists the starting 1957s).
This guide often ignores Canadian-built cars so the grand totals may be off for any given year. We have included Jim Benjamison's laboriously reconstructed Canadian figures at the end.
Chrysler wrote that the model code for passenger cars immediately precedes the numerical part of the engine number, so if the engine number is PC 1008 AB, the model code is PC (though there are some variations. For example, there was no PG series engine for the 1934 PG Plymouth; the PG engines all had the PF code. In some years, such as 1936, the business series engine had the engine code of the Deluxe series.
For cars, the model code is on a plate on the engine side of the cowl over the steering column, or on the right front door front pillar post. The engine number is always on the left side of the engine block, at the front, below the cylinder head.
The serial number for passenger cars is on a plate on the right or left front door front pillar post, and/or on the instrument panel, and/or over the instrument panel. For trucks, it is on the plate showing the model code, on the engine side of the cowl over the steering column, or on the door front pillar post (right or left side, front door).
Jim Benjaminson clarified: The engine code is not shown on the body tag on the firewall. There is a body code number, followed by the body serial number. The engine code is found only on the side of the block. The serial number plate (VIN in "modern" wording) is found on the door post - right side from 1930 through 1942 and on the left front door post from 1946 upward.
The first section covers cars by model and year. The second section covers car serial numbers in numerical sequence.
Additional notes from Bill Watson:
1928-1942 Plymouth specifics
Jim Benjaminson also provided the following table:
by Gerald Wilson
The model chart was an annual publication which printed the starting and ending serial numbers of all Chrysler models from the begining to date. As such it is the most accurate historical record of what was produced by the company. It is also very rare.
As far as I have been able to determine, there are no originals of this book in public hands. There is an incomplete copy, reproduced from Antique Automobile, archived by the Imperial Club.
The logical home for this document should be Chrysler Historical Services LLC. Unfortunately, I gather from an exchange of correspondence with them last April, when I myself did not have a copy, they are not aware of the publication. The Restorer's Guide,
which is available from Chrysler Historical Services, appears to have been compiled from the
model chart, but that was decades ago. The Restorer's Guide is missing many models which are recorded in the model chart and serial number guide,
In my opinion, this is an important resource and should be publicly available.
by the Allpar staff (with many thanks to Jim Benjaminson)
Chrysler noted that the following guide covers all vehicles made by Chrysler Corporation, including military vehicles, and commercial cars and trucks. The one reproduced here was the next-to-the-last one published, with the final one covering all 1957s and early 1958s (this guide only lists the starting 1957s).
This guide often ignores Canadian-built cars so the grand totals may be off for any given year. We have included Jim Benjamison's laboriously reconstructed Canadian figures at the end.
Chrysler wrote that the model code for passenger cars immediately precedes the numerical part of the engine number, so if the engine number is PC 1008 AB, the model code is PC (though there are some variations. For example, there was no PG series engine for the 1934 PG Plymouth; the PG engines all had the PF code. In some years, such as 1936, the business series engine had the engine code of the Deluxe series.
For cars, the model code is on a plate on the engine side of the cowl over the steering column, or on the right front door front pillar post. The engine number is always on the left side of the engine block, at the front, below the cylinder head.
The serial number for passenger cars is on a plate on the right or left front door front pillar post, and/or on the instrument panel, and/or over the instrument panel. For trucks, it is on the plate showing the model code, on the engine side of the cowl over the steering column, or on the door front pillar post (right or left side, front door).
Jim Benjaminson clarified: The engine code is not shown on the body tag on the firewall. There is a body code number, followed by the body serial number. The engine code is found only on the side of the block. The serial number plate (VIN in "modern" wording) is found on the door post - right side from 1930 through 1942 and on the left front door post from 1946 upward.
The first section covers cars by model and year. The second section covers car serial numbers in numerical sequence.
Additional notes from Bill Watson:
1928-1942 Plymouth specifics
Jim Benjaminson also provided the following table:
Year | Model | Starting | # Ending # | Year | Model | Starting | # Ending # | |
1928 | Q | Q175,000 | Q242,482 | 1935 | PJ | PJ1001 | PJ359,025 |
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