Chrysler-based Taxis and Jitneys
by Curtis Redgap
Around 1935, Chrysler recognized that taxi owners were concerned by their lack of longevity and the high cost of replacement parts. Then, as now, some taxis came from used police fleets; and some cities, like New York, had taxi regulations covering the wheelbases, engines, and passenger space.
In all likelihood, Chrysler was driven to the taxi fleet business because of the disastrous introduction of the 1934 Airflow cars. DeSoto didn't have an alternate to the "Airflow" design, and its sales plummeted. Chrysler had not completely eliminated conventionally styled cars; and out of the conventional Chrysler line came the car that would put DeSoto into the taxi fleet business.
In 1934, DeSoto produced 13,940 cars; in 1935, they sold 26,800 cars, twice as many - and 5,014 were taxis. They handled five passengers (not counting the driver) with ease, riding on a 116 inch wheelbase. It had a 241 cubic inch, straight-six engine that put out an honest 100 horsepower, with low-end torque perfect for hauling passengers and luggage - while getting 18-20 miles per gallon on tetraethyl gasoline. It had larger brakes that Ford, Chevrolet or Plymouth, so they stopped faster but brakes wore out more slowly.
Plymouth sold 2,563 taxi cabs in 1937, with the makings of increased durability in the chassis and body, in the first year that specially marked chassis were recorded as Plymouth taxis. It was also the last year that Chrysler recorded taxi sales separately for the next 20 years or so.
Plymouth's first 6 cylinder engine in 1933 was designed to compete directly with the Ford V-8 that was introduced in 1932. The first Ford V-8 engines were far from the best, especially in durability; they burned pistons like marshmallows at a campfire girls meeting, used tremendous amounts of oil from poor piston ring sealing, and threw water due to cooling jackets that surrounded and had to pass by the exhaust ports. They were also not as fast as people were lead to believe. Even in 1933, a good tuned Plymouth could wax a good tuned Ford V-8.
The 189 cubic inch Plymouth 6 put out an honest 70 horsepower, five more than the vaulted Ford V-8. Plymouth's 6 also had more low end torque. There was an optional aluminum head for the engine that boosted compression, and horsepower to 76.
[British magazine Auto Guide tested the Ford V8, Chevrolet six, and Plymouth six. The Plymouth six beat the Ford V8 to both 40 mph and 60 mph by half a second, and had a top speed two mph faster than the Ford. Both beat the Chevy by about five seconds 0-40, ten seconds 0-60, and 20 mph top speed.]
Plymouth also had standard hydraulic four wheel brakes that needed no special attention, and were easy to adjust as well as powerful in stopping ability. Ford had mechanical brakes that required adjustment of rods, were not as powerful, and easily went out of adjustment. Chevrolet also had mechanical brakes, with an archaic set of external contracting brakes on the rear and internal expanding brakes on the front.
by Mike Sealey
Postwar, Chrysler still stayed involved in taxi making, even making longer-wheelbase cars for that purpose from 1946 to at leat 1948 and possibly beyond. MoPar part #1879 660 was the clutch package kit for 1949-54 DeSoto taxicabs, for example (it was used on other cars as well). Rockwell/Ohmer, Viking and Cabometer all made mechanical meters which fit neatly in the speaker cavity of 1949-50 Plymouths and Dodges. Around 1954, a DeSoto Retailer article stated that seven out of every ten cabs in NYC were DeSotos, a figure much like those achieved by MoPar police cars in later years, and a strong testimony to Chrysler reliability.
The Plymouth seemed ideal as a taxi - reliable, durable, inexpensive to purchase and to operate - but some operators spent the extra money to purchase Dodges or DeSotos, because of the Fluid Drive semi-automatic; it added to clutch life, especially in hilly cities such as San Francisco. A 1953 DeSoto Retailer claimed that Waters Manufacturing Company [details] converted 2,000 DeSotos per year into New York cabs; they were made without trim, seats, or even window glass, with an eight-passenger sedan body, six cylinder engine, and manual transmission. The NYC cabs averaged over 100,000 miles per year. (Thanks, Dave Duricy.)
By 1956, the nation had clearly chosen Chrysler Corporation cabs, mainly Plymouths, Dodges, and DeSotos; and the company went back to publicizing specific taxi packages with the 1956 model year (the "Plaza Taxicab" and "Coronet
Taxicab," both sold in I-6 and V8 forms. Chrysler's internal magazine claimed dominance of the field:
by Curtis Redgap
Around 1935, Chrysler recognized that taxi owners were concerned by their lack of longevity and the high cost of replacement parts. Then, as now, some taxis came from used police fleets; and some cities, like New York, had taxi regulations covering the wheelbases, engines, and passenger space.
In all likelihood, Chrysler was driven to the taxi fleet business because of the disastrous introduction of the 1934 Airflow cars. DeSoto didn't have an alternate to the "Airflow" design, and its sales plummeted. Chrysler had not completely eliminated conventionally styled cars; and out of the conventional Chrysler line came the car that would put DeSoto into the taxi fleet business.
In 1934, DeSoto produced 13,940 cars; in 1935, they sold 26,800 cars, twice as many - and 5,014 were taxis. They handled five passengers (not counting the driver) with ease, riding on a 116 inch wheelbase. It had a 241 cubic inch, straight-six engine that put out an honest 100 horsepower, with low-end torque perfect for hauling passengers and luggage - while getting 18-20 miles per gallon on tetraethyl gasoline. It had larger brakes that Ford, Chevrolet or Plymouth, so they stopped faster but brakes wore out more slowly.
Plymouth sold 2,563 taxi cabs in 1937, with the makings of increased durability in the chassis and body, in the first year that specially marked chassis were recorded as Plymouth taxis. It was also the last year that Chrysler recorded taxi sales separately for the next 20 years or so.
Plymouth's first 6 cylinder engine in 1933 was designed to compete directly with the Ford V-8 that was introduced in 1932. The first Ford V-8 engines were far from the best, especially in durability; they burned pistons like marshmallows at a campfire girls meeting, used tremendous amounts of oil from poor piston ring sealing, and threw water due to cooling jackets that surrounded and had to pass by the exhaust ports. They were also not as fast as people were lead to believe. Even in 1933, a good tuned Plymouth could wax a good tuned Ford V-8.
The 189 cubic inch Plymouth 6 put out an honest 70 horsepower, five more than the vaulted Ford V-8. Plymouth's 6 also had more low end torque. There was an optional aluminum head for the engine that boosted compression, and horsepower to 76.
[British magazine Auto Guide tested the Ford V8, Chevrolet six, and Plymouth six. The Plymouth six beat the Ford V8 to both 40 mph and 60 mph by half a second, and had a top speed two mph faster than the Ford. Both beat the Chevy by about five seconds 0-40, ten seconds 0-60, and 20 mph top speed.]
Plymouth also had standard hydraulic four wheel brakes that needed no special attention, and were easy to adjust as well as powerful in stopping ability. Ford had mechanical brakes that required adjustment of rods, were not as powerful, and easily went out of adjustment. Chevrolet also had mechanical brakes, with an archaic set of external contracting brakes on the rear and internal expanding brakes on the front.
by Mike Sealey
Postwar, Chrysler still stayed involved in taxi making, even making longer-wheelbase cars for that purpose from 1946 to at leat 1948 and possibly beyond. MoPar part #1879 660 was the clutch package kit for 1949-54 DeSoto taxicabs, for example (it was used on other cars as well). Rockwell/Ohmer, Viking and Cabometer all made mechanical meters which fit neatly in the speaker cavity of 1949-50 Plymouths and Dodges. Around 1954, a DeSoto Retailer article stated that seven out of every ten cabs in NYC were DeSotos, a figure much like those achieved by MoPar police cars in later years, and a strong testimony to Chrysler reliability.
The Plymouth seemed ideal as a taxi - reliable, durable, inexpensive to purchase and to operate - but some operators spent the extra money to purchase Dodges or DeSotos, because of the Fluid Drive semi-automatic; it added to clutch life, especially in hilly cities such as San Francisco. A 1953 DeSoto Retailer claimed that Waters Manufacturing Company [details] converted 2,000 DeSotos per year into New York cabs; they were made without trim, seats, or even window glass, with an eight-passenger sedan body, six cylinder engine, and manual transmission. The NYC cabs averaged over 100,000 miles per year. (Thanks, Dave Duricy.)
By 1956, the nation had clearly chosen Chrysler Corporation cabs, mainly Plymouths, Dodges, and DeSotos; and the company went back to publicizing specific taxi packages with the 1956 model year (the "Plaza Taxicab" and "Coronet
Taxicab," both sold in I-6 and V8 forms. Chrysler's internal magazine claimed dominance of the field:
City | % Chrysler | City | % Chrysler | City | % Chrysler | ||
Los Angeles | 99.9% | San Francisco | 86.5% | Washington | 72% |