Originally introduced as a two-door hardtop version of the Cranbrook in 1951, the Plymouth Belvedere became a stand-alone model in 1954. Production lasted until 1970 and included six major updates, but the 1957-to-1959 Belvedere is generally regarded as the most iconic generation. This barn-found drop-top is part of that series and it recently came out of storage.
There's no specific as to how much time this Belvedere spent off the road, but YouTube's "Forgotten Fins" estimates 30 to 40 years. And the car's condition comes to confirm that claim by showcasing serious rust issues. It's also missing its top, while the engine needs a complete rebuild to come back to life.
But while most people would drop a car in this condition in a junkyard, this Belvedere is already off to a new home. One that will provide a professional restoration. And while this classic was unearthed in West Virginia, it will live the rest of its life somewhere in Europe. How cool is that?
But why would someone bother to have a rusty Belvedere shipped from across the Atlantic, you ask? Well, the 1957 Belvedere Convertible is a pretty rare car nowadays. While Plymouth sold an impressive 204,016 Belvederes in 1975 (more than 25% of its total production that year), only 9,866 of them were soft-top cabriolets.
And with many of them dismantled and abandoned in junkyards, examples that are still in one piece are hard to come by. It might not seem like it at first glance, but this Plymouth is almost complete. More importantly, it still has its roof mechanism.
As for the rusty V8 under the hood, i's a 301-cubic-inch (4.9-liter) mill. One of many V8 options available in the late 1950s, it's not as potent as the 350-cubic-inch (5.7-liter) "Golden Commando," but it's plenty powerful at 215 horsepower. And who knows, it might get a power bump while it's being rebuilt.
Although I'm a bigger fan of the fourth-generation Belvedere (1960-1961), it's great to see yet another fabulous 1957 version getting a second chance at life. I love finned Mopars and the convertible layout makes things even better.
But while most people would drop a car in this condition in a junkyard, this Belvedere is already off to a new home. One that will provide a professional restoration. And while this classic was unearthed in West Virginia, it will live the rest of its life somewhere in Europe. How cool is that?
But why would someone bother to have a rusty Belvedere shipped from across the Atlantic, you ask? Well, the 1957 Belvedere Convertible is a pretty rare car nowadays. While Plymouth sold an impressive 204,016 Belvederes in 1975 (more than 25% of its total production that year), only 9,866 of them were soft-top cabriolets.
And with many of them dismantled and abandoned in junkyards, examples that are still in one piece are hard to come by. It might not seem like it at first glance, but this Plymouth is almost complete. More importantly, it still has its roof mechanism.
As for the rusty V8 under the hood, i's a 301-cubic-inch (4.9-liter) mill. One of many V8 options available in the late 1950s, it's not as potent as the 350-cubic-inch (5.7-liter) "Golden Commando," but it's plenty powerful at 215 horsepower. And who knows, it might get a power bump while it's being rebuilt.
Although I'm a bigger fan of the fourth-generation Belvedere (1960-1961), it's great to see yet another fabulous 1957 version getting a second chance at life. I love finned Mopars and the convertible layout makes things even better.