Monday, April 12, 2021

Were 1953 Chryslers Massively-Facelifted 1952s?

I always thought 1953 Chryslers, Chrysler Imperials, and DeSotos were total redesigns -- the Corporation's Plymouths and Dodges for that model year definitely were.  But Richard Langworth, a writer I greatly respect, stated otherwise in his 1996 book "Illustrated Chrysler Buyer's Guide," though he didn't mention a 1953 major facelift in his 1976 book "Chrysler and Imperial: The Postwar Years."

I would appreciate confirmation one way or the other in Comments.

Lacking that for now, let's take a look at some before-and-after photos and I'll discuss them in the captions.  Chrysler's 1949-52 Windsor and Saratoga bodies had wheelbases of 125.5 inches, as did 1953-54 Chrysler Windsors and New Yorkers.  1949-52 New Yorker wheelbases were longer.  Comparison photos here are of cars with the same wheelbase.  Photos of Chrysler Imperials are of cars with slightly different wheelbases: 131.5 inches for '49-52 and 133.5 for 1953-54.  Images are factory-sourced or are of cars for sale unless noted.

Gallery

1951 Chrysler Windsor
For these side views, focus on details such as door and window shapes, as these best reveal body structure.

1954 Chrysler Windsor
1953 Chryslers seem totally different from about the B-pillar to the aft.  The B-pillars differ in width, though the front doors look about the same aside from width.  Front end clips (from the A-pillar forward) also look very similar.  My conclusions based on these photos is that 1949-52 cowlings were retained for the 1953 major facelift aside perhaps for adjustments for replacing two-piece flat-grass windshields with curved, one-piece windshields.  Otherwise, structural and sheet-metal changes were considerable.

1952 Chrysler Saratoga - photo via Hemmings
Now for a look at the front clip of a '52 Saratoga.  Compare to the following photo.

1953 Chrysler Windsor - Mecum auction photo
Aside from minor details, the '52 and '53 front ends are the same.

1950 Chrysler Imperial
Again, focus on the doors and windows.

1953 Chrysler Imperial
As noted, Chrysler Imperial wheelbases (aside from Crown Imperials) increased two inches (about 4.8 cm).  The B-pillar remained wide, unlike on standard Chryslers.  The added length seems to be in the form of pushing the cowling forwards by that amount, though I might well be wrong.

1951 Chrysler Imperial
Front clip comparison images.

1953 Chrysler Imperial
The bodies forward of the A-pillar are essentially identical.

2 comments:

  1. Reminds me of when you figured out that the all-new 1953 Chevys were actually 1951 Oldsmobiles. They both fooled little kid me at the time.

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  2. The 1955 Dodge and Plymouth appears almost the same as 1953-54 but it is longer like those Chrysler cars above with integral fenders.

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