{"id":13073,"date":"2021-11-07T09:04:56","date_gmt":"2021-11-07T14:04:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/autosector.com\/auto\/?p=13073"},"modified":"2021-11-07T09:04:56","modified_gmt":"2021-11-07T14:04:56","slug":"1134086_1954-explorer-dream-car-is-world-s-rarest-plymouth","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/autosector.com\/?p=13073","title":{"rendered":"1954 Explorer dream car is world\u2019s rarest Plymouth"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>The <a href=\"https:\/\/journal.classiccars.com\/2021\/10\/02\/007-x-60-bond-in-motion-exhibit-at-the-petersen-museum\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Petersen Automotive Museum<\/a>, located in Los Angeles, California, is home to some of the rarest classic and collector cars from all over the world. Every so often the museum gives us a close look at one of the cars it houses in the Vault, a space in the museum presented by Hagerty that holds over 250 iconic and rare cars.<\/p>\n<p>In a recent video from Petersen, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.petersen.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">museum curator Leslie Kendall<\/a> presents the world\u2019s rarest Plymouth \u2013 a one-of-one 1954 Plymouth Explorer dream car.<\/p>\n<p>In the 1950s, concept cars were coined as dream cars. Designers at the time were encouraged to dream and think out-of-the-box to create unique vehicles, and this Plymouth Explorer is a great example of a dream car.<\/p>\n<p><iframe src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/7_YH7GQ-p-A\" width=\"715\" height=\"402\" frameborder=\"0\">[embedded content]<\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>\u201cThis car was about as out-of-the-box as you could get in the mid-1950s.,\u201d Kendall says in the video. \u201cIt was a Plymouth, which is renowned for its solid dependability and reliability and its uncomplicated machinery, but it wears probably the sexiest body a Plymouth has ever had.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The Plymouth\u2019s bodywork was done by Carrozeria Ghia of Turin, Italy, in collaboration with Chrysler stylists. The Italianesque influence is found in the car\u2019s deep-set headlights, crowned fenders that run along the length of the car\u2019s front and a very large, unusual grille.<\/p>\n<div class=\"hgmLayout hgmLayout1x2\" readability=\"8\">\n<div class=\"image_wrapper first_wrapper\" readability=\"7\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" name=\"tccimg_100813854_m\" title=\"1954 Plymouth Explorer dream car\" src=\"data:image\/png;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAD\/ACwAAAAAAQABAAACADs=\" alt=\"1954 Plymouth Explorer dream car\" width=\"640\" height=\"337\" class=\"first_image lazy\" data-width=\"650\" data-height=\"343\" data-url=\"https:\/\/images.hgmsites.net\/lrg\/1954-plymouth-explorer-dream-car_100813854_l.jpg\" data-src-h=\"https:\/\/images.hgmsites.net\/lrg\/1954-plymouth-explorer-dream-car_100813854_l.jpg\" data-src=\"https:\/\/images.hgmsites.net\/lrg\/1954-plymouth-explorer-dream-car_100813854_l.jpg\" data-src-l=\"https:\/\/images.hgmsites.net\/lrg\/1954-plymouth-explorer-dream-car_100813854_l.jpg\" data-src-m=\"https:\/\/images.hgmsites.net\/med\/1954-plymouth-explorer-dream-car_100813854_m.jpg\" data-src-s=\"https:\/\/images.hgmsites.net\/sml\/1954-plymouth-explorer-dream-car_100813854_s.jpg\"\/><\/p>\n<p>1954 Plymouth Explorer dream car<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"image_wrapper\" readability=\"7\"><img decoding=\"async\" name=\"tccimg_100813858_m\" title=\"1954 Plymouth Explorer dream car\" src=\"data:image\/png;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAD\/ACwAAAAAAQABAAACADs=\" alt=\"1954 Plymouth Explorer dream car\" width=\"640\" height=\"342\" data-width=\"650\" data-height=\"348\" data-url=\"https:\/\/images.hgmsites.net\/lrg\/1954-plymouth-explorer-dream-car_100813858_l.jpg\" data-src-h=\"https:\/\/images.hgmsites.net\/lrg\/1954-plymouth-explorer-dream-car_100813858_l.jpg\" data-src=\"https:\/\/images.hgmsites.net\/lrg\/1954-plymouth-explorer-dream-car_100813858_l.jpg\" data-src-l=\"https:\/\/images.hgmsites.net\/lrg\/1954-plymouth-explorer-dream-car_100813858_l.jpg\" data-src-m=\"https:\/\/images.hgmsites.net\/med\/1954-plymouth-explorer-dream-car_100813858_m.jpg\" data-src-s=\"https:\/\/images.hgmsites.net\/sml\/1954-plymouth-explorer-dream-car_100813858_s.jpg\" class=\"lazy\"\/><\/p>\n<p>1954 Plymouth Explorer dream car<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"image_wrapper\" readability=\"7\"><img decoding=\"async\" name=\"tccimg_100813857_m\" title=\"1954 Plymouth Explorer dream car\" src=\"data:image\/png;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAD\/ACwAAAAAAQABAAACADs=\" alt=\"1954 Plymouth Explorer dream car\" width=\"640\" height=\"338\" data-width=\"768\" data-height=\"406\" data-url=\"https:\/\/images.hgmsites.net\/lrg\/1954-plymouth-explorer-dream-car_100813857_l.jpg\" data-src-h=\"https:\/\/images.hgmsites.net\/lrg\/1954-plymouth-explorer-dream-car_100813857_l.jpg\" data-src=\"https:\/\/images.hgmsites.net\/lrg\/1954-plymouth-explorer-dream-car_100813857_l.jpg\" data-src-l=\"https:\/\/images.hgmsites.net\/lrg\/1954-plymouth-explorer-dream-car_100813857_l.jpg\" data-src-m=\"https:\/\/images.hgmsites.net\/med\/1954-plymouth-explorer-dream-car_100813857_m.jpg\" data-src-s=\"https:\/\/images.hgmsites.net\/sml\/1954-plymouth-explorer-dream-car_100813857_s.jpg\" class=\"lazy\"\/><\/p>\n<p>1954 Plymouth Explorer dream car<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>This car, as Kendall says, didn\u2019t live a glamourous life, however, which seems typical for these one-off dream cars:<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOnce they leave the hands of the influential first owners or where the factories have spent so much money having them built, they sometimes ended up as daily drivers.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>This Plymouth has been painted a number of times throughout its history and was a metallic brown when it was discovered. It was also equipped with a full-length front bumper and a grille with a full metal surround that made the car look like a 1980s Jaguar, according to Kendall.<\/p>\n<p>During the car\u2019s restoration, the bumper and grille were removed and it was returned to its original green color.<\/p>\n<p>Under the hood is a \u201cPlain Jane\u201d 230cid six-cylinder flathead engine factory rated at 103 horsepower.<\/p>\n<div class=\"image_wrapper\" readability=\"7\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" name=\"tccimg_100813855_m\" title=\"1954 Plymouth Explorer dream car\" src=\"data:image\/png;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAD\/ACwAAAAAAQABAAACADs=\" alt=\"1954 Plymouth Explorer dream car\" width=\"640\" height=\"337\" data-width=\"650\" data-height=\"343\" data-url=\"https:\/\/images.hgmsites.net\/lrg\/1954-plymouth-explorer-dream-car_100813855_l.jpg\" data-src-h=\"https:\/\/images.hgmsites.net\/lrg\/1954-plymouth-explorer-dream-car_100813855_l.jpg\" data-src=\"https:\/\/images.hgmsites.net\/lrg\/1954-plymouth-explorer-dream-car_100813855_l.jpg\" data-src-l=\"https:\/\/images.hgmsites.net\/lrg\/1954-plymouth-explorer-dream-car_100813855_l.jpg\" data-src-m=\"https:\/\/images.hgmsites.net\/med\/1954-plymouth-explorer-dream-car_100813855_m.jpg\" data-src-s=\"https:\/\/images.hgmsites.net\/sml\/1954-plymouth-explorer-dream-car_100813855_s.jpg\" class=\"lazy\"\/><\/p>\n<p>1954 Plymouth Explorer dream car<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>\u201cNot very sexy under the hood but that\u2019s not really what these cars were about,\u201d Kendall says. \u201cThese cars were about sparking dreams; they were about getting the general public interested in what the car manufacturers are doing.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>An interesting feature is that the two exhaust pipes embedded underneath the taillights make it look like they provide a \u201cform of thrust for the car,\u201d Kendall adds.<\/p>\n<p>Fun fact is that only one of the exhaust pipes is functional. The only port from which you\u2019ll see exhaust emanating is the left pipe.<\/p>\n<div class=\"image_wrapper\" readability=\"7\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" name=\"tccimg_100813856_m\" title=\"1954 Plymouth Explorer dream car\" src=\"data:image\/png;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAD\/ACwAAAAAAQABAAACADs=\" alt=\"1954 Plymouth Explorer dream car\" width=\"640\" height=\"338\" data-width=\"768\" data-height=\"406\" data-url=\"https:\/\/images.hgmsites.net\/lrg\/1954-plymouth-explorer-dream-car_100813856_l.jpg\" data-src-h=\"https:\/\/images.hgmsites.net\/lrg\/1954-plymouth-explorer-dream-car_100813856_l.jpg\" data-src=\"https:\/\/images.hgmsites.net\/lrg\/1954-plymouth-explorer-dream-car_100813856_l.jpg\" data-src-l=\"https:\/\/images.hgmsites.net\/lrg\/1954-plymouth-explorer-dream-car_100813856_l.jpg\" data-src-m=\"https:\/\/images.hgmsites.net\/med\/1954-plymouth-explorer-dream-car_100813856_m.jpg\" data-src-s=\"https:\/\/images.hgmsites.net\/sml\/1954-plymouth-explorer-dream-car_100813856_s.jpg\" class=\"lazy\"\/><\/p>\n<p>1954 Plymouth Explorer dream car<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>\u201cIf you were to try to build this body on an assembly line, it would be extremely difficult. There\u2019s an awful lot that just can\u2019t be recreated by a machine and this car exemplifies that,\u201d Kendall says, wrapping up the video.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIts organic shape could only have originated by hand in a small shop.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><em>This article, written by Racheal Colbert, was <a href=\"https:\/\/journal.classiccars.com\/2021\/11\/03\/1954-explorer-dream-car-is-worlds-rarest-plymouth\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">originally published on ClassicCars.com<\/a>, an editorial partner of Motor Authority.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Petersen Automotive Museum, located in Los Angeles, California, is home to some of the rarest classic and collector cars from all over the world. Every so often the museum gives us a close look at one of the cars it houses in the Vault, a space in the museum presented by Hagerty that holds [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":8313,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-13073","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-e-cars"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/autosector.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13073","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/autosector.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/autosector.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/autosector.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/autosector.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=13073"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"http:\/\/autosector.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13073\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/autosector.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/8313"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/autosector.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=13073"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/autosector.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=13073"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/autosector.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=13073"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}