The Middle Georgia Raceway was a raceway located in Byron, Georgia . Nine NASCAR Grand National Series races were held at the track between 1966 and 1971. Richard Petty won four races, Bobby Allison won three, and David Pearson and Bobby Isaac each earned one victory.
128-529: Opened in 1966 at a cost of $ 500,000, the first race, the Speedy Morelock 200 NASCAR Grand National stock car race, became the location of a speed record when Richard Petty broke the half-mile NASCAR record for half-mile tracks with an average speed of 82.023 miles per hour during the 100-mile (160 km) event. The next year, federal agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives discovered
256-420: A moonshine distillery in an underground bunker at turn three. Petty returned to win the 150-mile (240 km) NASCAR race during the following season. NASCAR began its 1968 season at the track. LeeRoy Yarbrough sat on the pole position and Bobby Allison won the 267-mile (430 km) race. Later that year, David Pearson won a 150-mile (240 km) race from the pole. NASCAR's 1969 season again began at
384-438: A 318 cu in (5.2 L), as well as a 383 cu in (6.3 L) with a two-barrel carburetor and single exhaust and with a four-barrel carburetor and dual exhaust producing 330 hp (246 kW) SAE gross. The Cuda had the 383ci 335 hp (250 kW) SAE gross (same as Dodge's 383 Magnum) as the standard engine. Optional were the 440 cu in (7.2 L) with four-barrel carburetor "Super Commando" or
512-630: A Grand National Car while winner Bobby Allison drove a Grand American car, there is a technical dispute regarding which race is credited as his 200th win. NASCAR did not credit Petty with a class win, which was a dispute that affected two other drivers, Elmo Langley and Charlie Glotzbach , both of whom drove in combination races that season, finishing second to Grand American cars. Under modern NASCAR combination race rules for various series, Petty would be credited with that would be recognized as his 135th win. On May 20, 1984, Petty won what under modern regulations would be recognized as his 200th Cup class win,
640-604: A NASCAR exhibition race at the then new Calder Park Thunderdome , the first NASCAR race outside of North America. While he did not compete in the track's inaugural race, the Goodyear NASCAR 500 (though his son Kyle did), Richard Petty, in testing at the 1.119 mi (1.801 km) track which owner Bob Jane had modeled on the Charlotte Motor Speedway , set an unofficial lap record of 28.2 seconds (142.85 mp/h). This would have in fact landed him on pole position for
768-491: A bright spot during this dismal automotive period, and by 1931 Plymouth rose to number three in sales among all cars. In 1931 with the Model PA, the company introduced floating power and boasted, "The smoothness of an eight – the economy of a four." In 1933, Chrysler decided to catch up with Ford , Chevrolet , and Pontiac in engine cylinder count. The 190 cu in (3.1 L) version of Chrysler's flathead-six engine
896-460: A column shifter seating arrangement favored by many Americans. The Reliant was powered by a then-new 2.2 L I4 SOHC engine, with a Mitsubishi "Silent Shaft" 2.6 L as an option (curiously this engine also featured hemispherical combustion chambers, and all 1981 models equipped with it featured "HEMI" badges on the front fenders). Initial sales were brisk, with both Reliant and Aries each selling over 150,000 units in 1981. As rebadged variants ,
1024-590: A few public show appearances at racetracks. On August 18, 1993, NASCAR participated in a tire test at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway , in preparations for the 1994 Brickyard 400 . Petty drove several laps around the track, and then donated his car to the Speedway's museum. He would again step into a racecar in 2003 on the week of the final race under the Winston banner at Homestead-Miami Speedway , where he took
1152-609: A large change in Petty's racing team. Dale Inman , Petty's longtime crew chief, left the team after the Daytona victory (Inman would win an eighth championship as crew chief in 1984 with Terry Labonte ). While the 1981 season gave Petty 3 wins, he felt the season was a failure, and the Regals being ill-handling and poor in reliability. For 1982, he made the move to the Pontiac Grand Prix, with
1280-484: A lot of times doing a lot of things. He knows the system better." He was reelected to the county commission in 1982, 1986, and 1990. During his 1992 retirement tour, Petty took a parade lap before every race with the exception of the Southern 500 , where Democratic presidential candidate Bill Clinton served as grand marshal. In 1993, Petty formed a political action committee to support Republican candidates. In 1996, he
1408-591: A low-cost alternative to the upscale Chrysler-brand cars, listing the 4-door 5-passenger Touring Sedan at US$ 695. The logo featured a prow view of the ship Mayflower which landed at Plymouth Rock in Plymouth, Massachusetts . However, the inspiration for the Plymouth brand name came from Plymouth binder twine, produced by the Plymouth Cordage Company , also of Plymouth. The name was chosen by Joe Frazer due to
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#17328687297911536-542: A lower-priced companion car, using lessons learned when he was running Buick under William C. Durant at GM . So for 1926, the Maxwell was reworked and rebadged as the low-end four-cylinder Chrysler Model 52. In 1928, the 52 was once again redesigned to create the Chrysler-Plymouth Model Q, although print advertisements called it Plymouth and did not mention engine size or model designation. The "Chrysler" portion of
1664-403: A mile long. Petty switched brands to Ford, due to his belief the Plymouth was not competitive on super-speedways; he wanted a slippery Dodge Daytona but Chrysler executives insisted he stay with Plymouth. He would win 10 races and finish second in points. He won in 1970 in the sleek new Plymouth Superbird with a shark nose and towel rack wing, Petty returned to Plymouth for the 1970 season. This
1792-516: A nonprofit organization of which he is a former member. He has also established a summer camp known as "Victory Junction", which is intended to give seriously ill children an outdoors, summer-camp experience and has medical staff on hand around the clock in case of emergencies. In May 2011, Petty was chosen to be the Grand Marshal for the 2011 STP 400 of the Sprint Cup Series. In public, he
1920-578: A phone call from Lee Iacocca (who personally asked Petty to campaign a Dodge for 1981), the Petty team built a stunning 1981 Dodge Mirada and took it to Daytona in January 1981 for high speed tests. Petty's fans were also in a large part fans of his Dodges, so when word got out about the Mirada testing, 15,000 or so showed up on January 17, 1981, at Daytona Speedway to watch Petty put the Dodge through its paces. Sadly for
2048-458: A population of about 2,000). Seven years later, it was the location for filming of race scenes of the Richard Pryor film Greased Lightning about Wendell Scott . A few years ago, it was purchased with the goal of converting it to a land development site. After the economy crashed, plans were placed on hold. On September 15, 2012, an official Georgia Historical Society marker was placed near
2176-562: A reputation for attractive styling, durability, economy, and value. Although the Valiant hardtop was discontinued for 1967, it was reintroduced as a virtual clone of the Dodge Dart Swinger for 1971 under the model name "Valiant Scamp". The Scamp was produced along with the Valiant, Dodge Dart, and Swinger until 1976, when it was replaced with the Volaré. Featuring transverse-mounted torsion bars and
2304-454: A result of the quality control problems and excesses of the Exner-styled models in the early 1960s, people bought enough of the cars to keep the division profitable. Starting in 1961, the Valiant compact became a Plymouth, further boosting sales. Under the impression that Chevrolet was about to "downsize" its 1962 models, Chrysler introduced a significantly smaller standard Plymouth for 1962. As
2432-682: A scoring error on the officials' part. Hours later, Lee was awarded the win. In 1960, he finished 2nd in the NASCAR Grand National Points Race, and got his first career win at the Charlotte Fairgrounds Speedway. 1963 was his breakout year, winning at tracks like Martinsville and Bridgehampton . In 1964, driving a potent Plymouth with a new Hemi engine, Petty led 184 of the 200 laps to capture his first Daytona 500 , en route to 9 victories, earning over $ 114,000 and his first Grand National championship. Joining in
2560-512: A slightly larger body, the Volaré (and its Dodge twin, the Aspen) was an instant sales success. Available as coupe, sedan, or station wagon, the Volaré offered a smoother ride and better handling than the Dart/Valiant, but suffered quality control problems and by 1980, was selling poorly. Realizing that front-wheel drive, four-cylinder engines, and rack-and-pinion steering would become the standards for
2688-456: A solo lap honoring his seven Winston Cup Championships for Winston's salute to the champions. In 2009 at the Coke Zero 400 in Daytona, for the 25th anniversary of his final, 200th victory in 1984, Petty drove one of his 1980s Pontiac racecars during the pace laps, leading the field for the first one. The field split him and he followed it for one more pace lap before he pulled his car in. Finally, at
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#17328687297912816-458: A spokesman for Liberty Medical , Cheerios and the GlaxoSmithKline products Nicorette and Goody's Headache Powder . His portrait was featured on Brawny paper towels during a limited time when the company replaced their image with several "real Brawny men". General Mills created a Petty-themed packaged cereal, "43's," its boxes featuring his image and story. Petty also played himself in
2944-586: A sports investment since 2008 when he formed a special-purpose acquisition company together with Hank Aaron , a Medallion board member, and others. In 1995, Petty moved to the television broadcast booth, joining CBS as a color commentator. Petty promised his mother not to accept alcohol sponsorship . Therefore, he never collected purses for the Bud Pole Award, and he competed at the Busch Clash only once, in 1980. As well as his numerous victories, Petty
3072-437: A turbine engine. 1955 saw Plymouth's dramatic redesign by Chrysler stylist Virgil Exner. Longer, lower, wider, it was a sensation and sales zoomed up 52% over 1954. In addition to the "Forward Look" styling, the new car got its first modern, overhead-valve V8 displacing 241 cu in (3.9 L). The optional PowerFlite fully automatic transmission had a selector lever on the instrument panel. In 1956, Plymouth introduced
3200-518: A win in the 1983 Carolina 500, barely edging out a young Bill Elliott. After a controversial win at Charlotte in October 1983 (recognised by NASCAR as win No. 198), Petty left the race team his father founded for the 1984 season. He spent '84 and '85 driving for Mike Curb before returning to Petty Enterprises in 1986. Because of the 1971 Myers Brothers 250 combination race in 1971 that Petty finished second in
3328-412: Is also statistically the most accomplished driver in the history of NASCAR, having racked up most wins (200), most poles (123), tied for most championships (seven), most wins in a season (27), most Daytona 500 wins (seven), most consecutive wins (10) and most starts (1,185). He earns broad respect in motorsport where beyond driving, he remains very active as both a team ambassador ( Legacy Motor Club ) in
3456-414: Is known, Chevrolet's big cars were not downsized, catching Plymouth in a sales slump in a market where "bigger was better". The 1963 Fury, Belvedere, and Savoy were slightly larger, featuring a totally new body style, highlighted by prominent outboard front parking lights. For 1964, Plymouth got another major restyle, featuring a new "slantback" roofline for hardtop coupes that would prove popular. For 1965,
3584-577: Is remembered for three of the many disastrous crashes that he survived: In 1978, Petty was elected to the Randolph County Commission as a Republican . In 1980 he endorsed John Connally for the Republican nomination for president. According to Petty, it was a "tossup" between Connally and Ronald Reagan , but he chose Connally "basically on personality. And Connally's been there in Washington
3712-470: Is the car in which Petty is cast in the Pixar film Cars (2006), in which Richard and Lynda had voice roles. On February 14, 1971, Petty won his third Daytona 500, driving a brand-new (for 1971) Plymouth Road Runner and beating Buddy Baker , by little more than a car length en route to another historic year, making him the first driver to win the race 3 times. He won 20 more races (which would make him become
3840-2672: Is usually seen wearing his trademark sunglasses and a Charlie 1 Horse cowboy hat, with a large snakeskin hat band and a plume of rooster feathers at the front. After retirement, Petty purchased a 90-acre (36 ha) ranch south of Jackson, Wyoming . ( key ) ( Bold – Pole position awarded by qualifying time. Italics – Pole position earned by points standings or practice time. * – Most laps led. ) ( key ) ( Bold – Pole position. * – Most laps led. ) 1949 R. Byron 1950 B. Rexford 1951 H. Thomas 1952 T. Flock 1953 H. Thomas 1954 L. Petty 1955 T. Flock 1956 B. Baker 1957 B. Baker 1958 L. Petty 1959 L. Petty 1960 R. White 1961 N. Jarrett 1962 J. Weatherly 1963 J. Weatherly 1964 R. Petty 1965 N. Jarrett 1966 D. Pearson 1967 R. Petty 1968 D. Pearson 1969 D. Pearson 1970 B. Isaac 1971 R. Petty 1972 R. Petty 1973 B. Parsons 1974 R. Petty 1975 R. Petty 1976 C. Yarborough 1977 C. Yarborough 1978 C. Yarborough 1979 R. Petty 1980 D. Earnhardt 1981 D. Waltrip 1982 D. Waltrip 1983 B. Allison 1984 T. Labonte 1985 D. Waltrip 1986 D. Earnhardt 1987 D. Earnhardt 1988 B. Elliott 1989 R. Wallace 1990 D. Earnhardt 1991 D. Earnhardt 1992 A. Kulwicki 1993 D. Earnhardt 1994 D. Earnhardt 1995 J. Gordon 1996 T. Labonte 1997 J. Gordon 1998 J. Gordon 1999 D. Jarrett 2000 B. Labonte 2001 J. Gordon 2002 T. Stewart 2003 M. Kenseth 2004 Ku. Busch 2005 T. Stewart 2006 J. Johnson 2007 J. Johnson 2008 J. Johnson 2009 J. Johnson 2010 J. Johnson 2011 T. Stewart 2012 B. Keselowski 2013 J. Johnson 2014 K. Harvick 2015 Ky. Busch 2016 J. Johnson 2017 M. Truex Jr. 2018 J. Logano 2019 Ky. Busch 2020 C. Elliott 2021 K. Larson 2022 J. Logano 2023 R. Blaney 2024 J. Logano Plymouth (automobile) Plymouth
3968-807: The Chrysler LeBaron and Dodge Diplomat had used the M-body since 1977. 1982-1989 Plymouth Gran Furys shared the Dodge Diplomat's front and rear fascias. They were virtually identical with the exception of badging. Once again, the third generation Gran Fury was available in base and higher-end "Salon" trim. As in previous years, the higher-volume Gran Fury base model catered more towards fleet customers while Gran Fury Salons were geared more towards private customers and offered options such as full vinyl roofs, velour upholstery, turbine-spoke wheels, power windows, and power locks. Although available to private retail customers,
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4096-699: The Fury , a "halo" model in the Belvedere series that featured a high-performance 240-hp 303 cu in (5.0 L) V8, and gold-anodized trim on a body available in Eggshell White only and limited to the two-door hardtop. The Fury continued to be a special, high-end car until 1959, when it replaced the Belvedere as the de luxe series, available in hardtop, convertible, and sedan body styles. The 1957 and 1958 Furys were painted in Buckskin Beige, replacing Eggshell White as
4224-613: The Plymouth Fury models were built on the new C-body platform. The Savoy line was discontinued and the Belvedere was classified as an intermediate, retaining the B-body platform used starting 1962. The low-end series was Fury I, the mid-level model was Fury II, and the higher-end models were Fury IIIs. The Sport Fury, which featured bucket seats and a console shifter, was a mix of luxury and sport. Ford and Chevrolet had introduced luxury editions of their big cars for 1965 and Plymouth responded with
4352-456: The tagline "Suddenly, it's 1960", produced cars with advanced styling compared to Chevrolet or Ford. The 1957 total production soared to 726,009, about 200,000 more than 1956, and the largest output yet for Plymouth. However, the 1957–1958 Forward Look models suffered from poor materials, spotty build quality, and inadequate corrosion protection; they were rust-prone and greatly damaged Chrysler's reputation. Although Plymouth sales suffered as
4480-546: The 'Rapid Transit System', which was similar to Dodge's 'Scat Pack' concept. During this time, the brand also competed in professional automobile racing. Examples include Richard Petty 's career with Plymouth in NASCAR; Dan Gurney , who raced a 'Cuda as part of the All American Racers in numerous Trans Am events; and Sox and Martin, one of the most well-known drag-racing teams of the period, only raced Plymouths after 1964. By
4608-508: The 100-mile (160 km) event. He would end up recording 4 wins there in his career, including one in 1970 in which he was very ill before the race. 1967 was a milestone year. In that year, Petty won 27 of the 48 races he entered, including a record 10 wins in a row (between August 12 and October 1, 1967). He won his second Grand National Championship. One of the 27 victories was the Southern 500 at Darlington , which would be his only Southern 500 victory. His dominance in this season earned him
4736-577: The 1966 Sport Fury with a 383 cu in (6.3 L) V8 and the VIP was introduced as a more luxurious version of the Fury. Furys, Belvederes, and Valiants continued to sell well during the late-1960s and early-1970s. While Fury I and Fury II were only available in the U.S. as sedans, Fury II was available as a two-door hardtop in addition to the pillared sedans in Canada. The performance car market segment expanded during
4864-460: The 1969 option. The E-body's engine bay was larger than that of the previous A-body, facilitating the release of Chrysler's 426 cu in (7.0 L) Hemi for the regular retail market. For 1970 and 1971, the Barracuda and Barracuda Gran Coupe had two six-cylinder engines available — a new 198 cu in (3.2 L) version of the slant-6, and the 225 — as well as three different V8s:
4992-505: The 1970s, emissions and safety regulations, along with soaring gasoline prices and an economic downturn, meant demand dropped for all muscle-type models. As with other American vehicles of the time, there was a progressive decrease in the Barracuda's performance. To meet increasingly stringent safety and exhaust emission regulations, big-block engine options were discontinued. The remaining engines were detuned year by year to reduce exhaust emissions, which also reduced their power output. There
5120-530: The 1976 Plymouth Volare and Dodge Aspen —eventually contributed to the model's demise in early 1989. That year, a driver-side airbag became standard; this would be the last RWD Plymouth until the introduction of the Prowler . While Dodge offered the 1990 Monaco , and later the 1993 Intrepid , Chrysler never replaced the Gran Fury with any other large car in the remainder of Plymouth's lineup on through to its demise in
5248-523: The 1980s, Chrysler introduced a new compact car for 1978, the Plymouth Horizon/Dodge Omni twins, based on a Simca platform. Horizon sold well, but suffered from a scathing report by Consumer Reports , which found its handling dangerous in certain situations. Plymouth continued to sell the Horizon until 1987, when a variety of front-wheel drive compact cars made up the line. Big Plymouths, including
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5376-567: The 1981 model year as the first " K-cars " manufactured and marketed by the Chrysler Corporation . The Reliant was available as a 2-door coupe , 4-door sedan , or as a 4-door station wagon , in three different trim lines: base, Custom, and SE ("Special Edition"). Station wagons came only in Custom or SE trim. Unlike many small cars, the K-cars retained the traditional 6-passenger 2-bench seat with
5504-399: The 1990s and won three races—the 1996 Checker Auto Parts 500 at Phoenix , the 1997 ACDelco 400 at North Carolina Speedway , both with Bobby Hamilton driving, and the 1999 Goody's Body Pain 500 at Martinsville Speedway , with John Andretti driving. Petty remained as operating owner until his son Kyle Petty took over day-to-day operations a decade later. However, in 2008, Kyle Petty
5632-639: The 2001 model year. In 1984, Chrysler marketed the rebadged Plymouth variant of its new minivan as the Voyager, using the Chrysler's S platform, derived from the K-platform ( Plymouth Reliant and Dodge Aries ). The Voyager shared components with the K-cars including portions of the interior, e.g., the Reliant's instrument cluster and dashboard controls, along with the K-platform front-wheel drive layout and low floor, giving
5760-546: The 2008 film Swing Vote , where he commends the film's protagonist by allowing him to briefly drive his famous "43" Plymouth. For public benefit, Petty and his son Kyle have lent their talent to host "Lifting It Right", an automotive lift safety training DVD produced and distributed by the Automotive Lift Institute (ALI); it is used in high school vocational programs and community colleges. He has recorded public service announcements for Civitan International ,
5888-429: The 2017 Southern 500 at Darlington, Petty led the field through several pace laps in his Plymouth Belvedere. He apparently stayed out a lap longer than expected and was humorously black flagged by the starter. Petty followed the pace car down pit road at the start of the race. In later years of his career, Petty developed the career of crew leader Robbie Loomis , who was at the helm of Petty Enterprises as crew chief in
6016-453: The Acclaim was initially available in mid-range LE and high-end LX trim. The LE and LX models came equipped with features such as premium cloth seating, power windows/door locks, premium sound systems, bodyside cladding, additional exterior brightwork, and on the latter 15-inch lace-spoke aluminum wheels. In spite of this, the base model accounted for nearly 85 percent of Acclaim sales. Unlike
6144-570: The Budweiser 500 at Dover International Speedway , when the Winston-Salem class win is recognized. On July 4, 1984, Petty won his officially-recognized 200th (and what would turn out to be his final victory) race at the Firecracker 400 at Daytona International Speedway . The race was memorable: On lap 158, Doug Heveron crashed, bringing out the yellow caution flag, essentially turning lap 158 into
6272-627: The Chrysler boycott of NASCAR due to the organizing body's ban of the Hemi engine, Petty spent much of 1965 competing as a drag racer. Petty Enterprises installed the Hemi in the new compact Barracuda and lettered "OUTLAWED" on the door. He crashed this car at Southeastern Dragway, in Dallas, Georgia, on February 28, 1965, killing an eight-year-old boy and injuring seven others. Petty, his father Lee , and Chrysler Corporation faced lawsuits totaling more than $ 1 million, though Petty and his team came to settlements with
6400-535: The Cup Series and owner of Petty's Garage (a car restoration and modification shop) in Level Cross, North Carolina . During his 35-year career, Petty collected a record number of poles (123) and over 700 top 10 finishes in a record 1,184 starts, including 513 consecutive starts from 1971 to 1989. Petty was the first driver to win in his 500th race start, being joined by Matt Kenseth in 2013. The Richard Petty Museum
6528-483: The Diplomat always outsold it, usually by several thousand units each year. The Chrysler Fifth Avenue's total sales were always more than that of the Gran Fury and Diplomat by far, even though it generally cost about $ 6,000 more. This was the last car to carry the Gran Fury nameplate, but it remained largely unchanged for its 7-year run. Declining sales, a lack of promotion, and technical obsolescence—the platform dated back to
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#17328687297916656-634: The Fury and Gran Fury, were sold until the early 1980s, but mostly as fleet vehicles. While attempting to compete with Ford and Chevrolet for big-car sales, Plymouth was hurt by Chrysler's financial woes in the late 1970s, when both its competitors downsized their full-size models. Most Plymouth models, especially those offered from the 1970s onward, such as the Valiant , Volaré , and the Acclaim , were badge-engineered versions of Dodge or Mitsubishi models. The Plymouth Reliant and Dodge Aries were introduced for
6784-476: The General Motors fold proved successful as Petty recorded six top-ten finishes in the final ten races of the 1978 season and finished sixth in the final standings. He would go on to even better results in 1979. Petty won the Daytona 500 in an Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme in the " Famous Finish " and ran most of the remaining races in a Chevrolet, winning four additional races and taking the NASCAR championship for
6912-498: The Hemi was reinstated, Richard continued drag racing the 43 JR until early 1966. ± On February 27, 1966, Richard Petty overcame a 2-lap deficit to win his second Daytona 500 when the race was stopped on lap 198 of 200 because of a thunderstorm. This made him the first driver to win the event twice. In 1966, he won the first ever race at Middle Georgia Raceway (Morelock 200). Petty broke the half-mile NASCAR record for half-mile tracks with an average speed of 82.023 miles per hour during
7040-493: The M-body Chrysler LeBaron , which had moved to the compact K platform that year. Now considered a mid-sized car, this generation Gran Fury was close to the exterior size of what was once the compact Valiant and Volaré but offered more interior room. The M-body was in fact heavily based on the Volaré's F platform . Like its predecessor, the 1982 Gran Fury was introduced later than its Chrysler and Dodge siblings;
7168-470: The M-body Gran Fury was far more popular with police departments and other fleet customers, primarily since the car was reasonably priced and had a conventional drivetrain with proven components that could withstand a good deal of abuse. This generation of the Gran Fury sold in respectable numbers. However, despite having the same base prices as the Gran Fury (just under $ 12,000 USD for their final year),
7296-525: The Petty racing family. He was the first driver to win the Cup Series championship seven times (a record now tied with Dale Earnhardt and Jimmie Johnson ), while also winning a record 200 races during his career. This included winning the Daytona 500 a record seven times and winning a record 27 races in one season (1967). Petty was inducted into the inaugural class of the NASCAR Hall of Fame in 2010. He
7424-538: The Prowler not also offered in a similar version by Dodge. From a peak production of 973,000 for the 1973 model year, Plymouth rarely exceeded 200,000 cars per year after 1990. Even the Voyager sales were usually less than 50% of that of the Dodge Caravan. In Canada, the Plymouth name was defunct at the end of the 1999 model year. Consequently, DaimlerChrysler decided to drop the make after a limited run of 2001 models. This
7552-604: The Reliant and Aries were manufactured in Newark, Delaware , Detroit, Michigan , and Toluca, Mexico — in a single generation. After their introduction, the Reliant and Aries were marketed as the "Reliant K" and "Aries K". The Reliant replaced the Plymouth Volaré / Road Runner . The Aries replaced the Dodge Aspen . The Reliant and Aries were classified by the EPA as mid-size and were
7680-608: The Spirit, the Acclaim did not receive any sport-oriented models. The Acclaim has also been characterized as the replacement for the smaller Reliant , though the Sundance launched in 1987 is closer than the Acclaim in most dimensions to the Reliant. By the 1990s, Plymouth had lost much of its identity, as its models continued to overlap in features and prices with its sister brands, Dodge and Eagle. Chrysler attempted to remedy this by repositioning Plymouth to its traditional target market as
7808-565: The Voyager a car-like ease of entry. The Voyager was on Car and Driver magazine's Ten Best list for 1985. For 1987, the Voyager received minor cosmetic updates as well as the May 1987 introduction of the Grand Voyager, which was built on a longer wheelbase adding more cargo room. It was available only with SE or LE trim. First-generation Voyager minivans were offered in three trim levels: an unnamed base model, mid-grade SE , and high-end LE ,
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#17328687297917936-561: The Voyager, along with the Dodge Caravan , are considered to be the first mass-produced vehicles to have dedicated built-in cup holders . Original commercials for the 1984 Voyager featured magician Doug Henning as a spokesperson to promote the Voyager "Magic Wagon's" versatility, cargo space, low step-in height, passenger volume, and maneuverability. Later commercials in 1989 featured rock singer Tina Turner . Canadian commercials in 1990 featured pop singer Celine Dion . For 1987, which
8064-625: The Year for 1981 and sold almost a million Aries and 1.1 million Reliant units over the nine-year run. In 1982, Plymouth downsized the Gran Fury again, this time sharing the mid-size M platform with the Chrysler Fifth Avenue (called Chrysler New Yorker / New Yorker Fifth Avenue for 1982 and 1983) and the Dodge Diplomat . In addition to the R-body Gran Fury, the M-body Gran Fury replaced
8192-436: The automaker's entry-level brand. This included giving Plymouth its own new sailboat logo and advertisements that focused solely on value. However, this only further narrowed Plymouth's product offerings and buyer appeal, and sales continued to fall. Chrysler considered giving Plymouth a variant of the highly successful new-for-1993 full-size LH platform , which would have been called the Accolade, but decided against it. By
8320-461: The base model split into two distinct models: entry-level America and mid-level Highline, in addition to the high-end RS. The stripped-down America had previously been offered for the Plymouth Horizon's final year in 1990. The AA-body cars were badge-engineered triplets, as were most Chrysler products of this time. The Acclaim differed from its siblings primarily in wheel choices, bodyside molding, and fascias where it sported its unique taillights and
8448-464: The car off the track, and climbed out of the burning machine uninjured. His pit crew worked diligently with less than 20 laps to go to get the car running again, and with two laps to go, Petty pulled out of the pits and was credited as running at the finish in his final race. He took his final checkered flag, finishing in 35th position. After the race, Petty circled the track to salute the fans one final time in his trademark STP Pontiac. Thereafter he made
8576-473: The cars, but Petty balked and after an all-night negotiation session, the familiar STP orange/"Petty blue" paint scheme was agreed to as a compromise that would later become part of STP's motorsport paint schemes, most notably Gordon Johncock 's win in the 1982 Indianapolis 500 (where the car had a primarily "Petty Blue" scheme). Thanks to his 28 Top 10 finishes (25 Top 5 finishes and 8 victories), Petty went on to win his 4th NASCAR Cup Series championship. 1972
8704-434: The championship by 10 points because he had led the most laps, one more than Elliott, which gave him a five-point bonus. Facing intense pressure, Petty barely managed to qualify at Atlanta, posting the 39th fastest speed out of 41 cars. He would not have been eligible for the provisional starting position, and had to qualify on speed. On the 94th lap, Petty became tangled up in an accident, and his car caught fire. Petty pulled
8832-450: The corporate Plymouth eggcrate-grille. Like the K-body and E-body vehicles they replaced, the Acclaim and Dodge Spirit were both marketed as mainstream variants, while the Chrysler LeBaron was marketed as the luxury variant. Despite this, there was substantial overlap in trims and equipment among each car. For example, a fully loaded Acclaim was almost similar to a base LeBaron in features and price. In addition to its entry-level base model,
8960-404: The current owner and asked to use the track for an advertisement. After eleven days of filming for the Dodge Durango , filming wrapped up and the commercial was eventually aired. Although the current owner had placed a fresh coat of paint over the walls, Dodge "aged" the walls and even bought a local car for $ 2,000 and crashed it to add realism to the scenes. In the commercial, a sign stated that it
9088-407: The day after it had begun. The redesign for the 1970 Barracuda removed all its previous commonality with the Valiant. The original fastback design was deleted from the line and the Barracuda now consisted of coupe and convertible models. The all-new model, styled by John E. Herlitz , was built on a shorter, wider version of Chrysler's existing B platform , called the E-body . Sharing this platform
9216-580: The death of Lee Petty. Adam's brother Austin is Emeritus Chairman and Founder of Victory Junction, a SeriousFun Children's Network camp established by the Pettys after Adam's death. Petty was born in Level Cross, North Carolina , the son of Elizabeth Petty ( née Toomes) and Lee Arnold Petty , also a NASCAR driver, and the older brother of NASCAR personality Maurice Petty . He was educated in Randleman, North Carolina and attended Randleman High School , where he
9344-521: The drag races, 1968 had a stripped-down Belvedere coupe, the Road Runner, which featured a bench seat and minimal interior and exterior trim, but was available with Chrysler's big-block engines and a floor-mounted four-speed manual transmission. The Barracuda, originally a "compact sporty car", became available with the 426 Hemi and 440 big-block engines in 1968. The GTX, Barracuda, Road Runner, Sport Fury GT, and Valiant Duster 340, were marketed by Plymouth as
9472-506: The end of 1977), outlasted Baker (now with the K&;K Insurance Dodge race team) to win his 4th Daytona 500 after Baker's engine gave out with 6 laps to go. A year later, Petty won the Daytona "450" (shortened 20 laps {50 mi/80 km} due to the energy crisis ) for the fifth time en route to his 5th Winston Cup Championship. 1975 was another historic year for Petty, as he won the World 600 for
9600-412: The entire 1992 season, not just selected events as other drivers have done before retirement. His year-long Fan Appreciation Tour took him around the country, participating in special events, awards ceremonies, and fan-related meetings. Racing Champions ran a promotional line of diecast cars for every race in Petty's Farewell Tour. At the 1992 Pepsi 400 on July 4, Petty qualified on the front row for
9728-513: The fans, the car could do no better than 186 miles per hour, about eight miles per hour slower than the GM and Ford cars. Petty gave up on returning to Dodge knowing that for the superspeedways the Mirada would not be competitive, and bought a Buick Regal for the Daytona race. In the 1981 Daytona 500, Petty used a "fuel only" for his last pit stop, with 25 laps to go, to outfox Bobby Allison and grab his seventh and final Daytona 500 win. This win marked
9856-414: The field on the pace lap to salute the fans. Petty's final race, the season-ending Hooters 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway , which also marked the start of Jeff Gordon 's NASCAR career and the second-closest points championship in NASCAR history, with six drivers mathematically eligible to win the championship, is hailed to this day as the greatest race in NASCAR history. A record 160,000 spectators attended
9984-504: The first driver to earn more than $ 1 million in career earnings) and claimed his 3rd Grand National Championship. At the end of the 1971 season, Chrysler told the Pettys they no longer would receive direct factory funding support; this caused the Petty team great concern. In 1972, STP began what would turn into a successful 28-year sponsorship arrangement with Petty, however, it marked the end of his famous all "Petty Blue" paint job. STP previously insisted on an all STP orangish-red color for
10112-408: The first time in his career, one of 13 victories en route to his 6th Winston Cup. The 13 victories is a modern (1972–present) NASCAR record for victories in a season and was tied in 1998 by Jeff Gordon , although Gordon won 13 out of 33 races, compared to Petty's 13 out of 30 races. In 1976, Petty was involved in one of the most famous finishes in NASCAR history. Petty and David Pearson were racing on
10240-506: The first time since 1986. Before the start of the race, he was honored with a gift ceremony which included a visit from President George H. W. Bush . When the green flag dropped, Petty led the opening five laps as the holiday crowd cheered wildly. Unfortunately, the oppressive heat forced him to drop out after completing just 84 laps. Despite the busy appearance schedule and mediocre race results, Petty managed to qualify for all 29 races in 1992. On his final visit to each track, Petty would lead
10368-413: The last lap as the two drivers battled back to the start-finish line. Petty and Cale Yarborough diced it out on that lap, with Yarborough drafting and taking an early lead before Petty managed to cross the start/finish line only a fender-length ahead. (This is no longer possible because of the 2003 rule change freezing the field immediately upon caution. Furthermore, in 2004 the green-white-checkered rule
10496-442: The last lap out of turn 4 in the Daytona 500. As Petty tried to pass Pearson, at the exit of turn 4, Petty's right rear bumper hit Pearson's left front bumper. Pearson and Petty both spun and hit the front stretch wall. Petty's car came to rest just yards from the finish line, but his engine stalled. Pearson's car had hit the front stretch wall and clipped another car, but his engine was running. Members of Petty's pit crew came out onto
10624-409: The last lap. Petty held off Darrell Waltrip and A. J. Foyt . The race is also regarded as being the genesis of the current surge in NASCAR's popularity. The East Coast was snowed in by a blizzard, giving CBS a captive audience. The win was part of Petty's seventh and last NASCAR Winston Cup Championship. He was able to hold off Waltrip to win the title in 1979. In 1980, Petty won two races early in
10752-605: The late 1960s and early 1970s. The 1964 Barracuda fastback is considered the first of Plymouth's sporty cars. Based on the Valiant, it was available with the Slant Six , or 273 cu in (4.5 L) small block V8. For 1967, Plymouth introduced the Belvedere GTX, a bucket-seat high-style hardtop coupe and convertible that could be ordered with either the "Super Commando" 440 cu in (7.2 L) or Hemi 426 cu in (7.0 L) V8 engines. Looking for an advantage at
10880-692: The late 1990s, only four vehicles were sold under the Plymouth name: the Voyager/Grand Voyager minivans, the Breeze mid-size sedan, the Neon compact car, and the Prowler sports car, which was to be the last model unique to Plymouth, though the Chrysler PT Cruiser was conceived as a concept unique to Plymouth before production commenced as a Chrysler model. After discontinuing the Eagle brand in 1998, Chrysler
11008-486: The latter bearing simulated woodgrain paneling. A sportier LX model was added in 1989, sharing much of its components with the Caravan ES. Safety features included 3-point seat belts for the front two passengers and lap belts for the rear passengers. Standard on all Voyagers were legally mandated side-impact reinforcements for all seating front and rear outboard positions, but airbags or ABS were not available. Notably,
11136-574: The lawsuits within 1 month of the suits being filed. Afterwards, a second Hemi Barracuda was built, this time with an altered wheelbase and eventually with Hilborn fuel injection. This car was lettered with a large "43 JR" on the door. The car was very successful, winning its class at the Bristol Spring Nationals and competing in many match races against well-known racers such as Ronnie Sox, Don Nicholson, Phil Bonner, Huston Platt, Hubert Platt and Dave Strickler. Even after returning to NASCAR once
11264-602: The marketplace in 2001. The Plymouth models that were produced up until then were either discontinued or rebranded as Chrysler or Dodge . The Plymouth automobile was introduced at Madison Square Garden on July 7, 1928. It was Chrysler Corporation's first entry in the low-priced field previously dominated by Chevrolet and Ford. Plymouths were initially priced higher than the competition, but offered standard features such as internal expanding hydraulic brakes that Ford and Chevrolet did not provide. Plymouths were originally sold exclusively through Chrysler dealerships, offering
11392-659: The nameplate was dropped with the introduction of the Plymouth Model U in 1929. While the original purpose of the Plymouth was to serve the lower end of a booming automobile market, during the Great Depression of the 1930s the division helped significantly in ensuring the survival of the Chrysler Corporation when many other car companies failed. Beginning in 1930, Plymouths were sold by all three Chrysler divisions ( Chrysler , DeSoto , and Dodge ). Plymouth sales were
11520-403: The new 1978 Dodge Magnum to handle properly, even though much time, effort, and faith were spent massaging the cars. Unhappy with the seven top-five and eleven top-ten finishes (including three-second places), Petty decided that his longtime relationship with Chrysler could not continue and he instead began racing a secondhand 1974 Chevrolet Monte Carlo at the fall race at Michigan. Returning to
11648-592: The nickname "King Richard". He had previously been known as "the Randleman Rocket". In 1968, Petty won 16 races including the last ever race at Occoneechee Speedway . In 1969 Ford significantly ratcheted up their factory involvement in NASCAR when they introduced the Ford Torino Talladega . The Talladega was specifically designed to give Ford a competitive race advantage by being more aerodynamic and thus faster, especially on super-speedway tracks more than
11776-420: The only available exterior color. Optional equipment included air conditioning, automatic transmission, power steering, and brakes. In 1959, a special Sport Fury was available as the "special" sporty Plymouth. The PowerFlite automatic was now controlled by reliable mechanical push buttons on a pod on the left side of the dash. In 1957, Virgil Exner's new Forward Look design theme, advertised by Plymouth with
11904-419: The only two cars on the lead lap. The final race was held near the end of the year. Isaac sat on the pole after recording a 98.148-mile-per-hour (157.954 km/h) lap, which was the fastest in the track's history. Allison won the 274-mile (441 km) event in a 1969 Dodge. One of Richard Petty's 4 wins at the track came when he was very ill and was questionable to race. The 1970 Georgia 500 also occurred at
12032-458: The popularity of the twine among farmers. The origins of Plymouth can be traced back to the Maxwell automobile . When Walter P. Chrysler took over control of the troubled Maxwell- Chalmers car company in the early 1920s, he inherited the Maxwell as part of the package. After he used the company's facilities to help create and launch the six-cylinder Chrysler automobile in 1924, he decided to create
12160-404: The previous year. On March 25, 1954, Chrysler officially introduced to the public its first attempt at a turbine-powered car . Chrysler installed an experimental turbine, developed specifically for road vehicles, in a Plymouth. The car used was a standard 1954 Belvedere two-door hardtop. This was the beginning of a decades-long but unsuccessful attempt to develop and market a viable car powered by
12288-568: The promise of substantial factory support from Pontiac. 1982 was a repeat of 1978, and no victories were to be had. At first, the Grand Prix behaved much like the Dodge Magnum of 1978, with handling and speed problems. Toward the end of 1982 things improved with several top-10 finishes, which opened the door to a successful 1983 season with three victories, and several top-5 and top-10 finishes. In 1983, he broke his 43-race winless streak from 1982 with
12416-418: The race and celebrated Petty's farewell. In the intense title race, the championship contender, Davey Allison , got mixed up in a crash with Ernie Irvan, dashing his title hopes. Long-shot contenders Mark Martin, Kyle Petty and Harry Gant fell behind in the long run, which left Bill Elliott and Alan Kulwicki to compete for the title. The race went down to the final lap with Elliott winning and Kulwicki taking
12544-462: The race, as the fastest time in official qualifying was by Alabama Gang member Neil Bonnett , who recorded a 28.829-second lap (139.734 mp/h) in his Pontiac Grand Prix. On October 1, 1991, Petty announced he would retire after the 1992 season. Petty's final top ten finish came at the 1991 Budweiser at the Glen which was the same race J. D. McDuffie was killed in a fifth lap accident. Petty chose to run
12672-592: The raceway to commemorate the 1970 pop festival. There was a big crash at the track in which the barricade went through driver Sonny Braswell's car and broke 14 bones. He proposed to his wife before the race. in 1984 the Arca Racing Series ran at the track and the race was won by Davey Allison Ken Ragan , father of 2-Time NASCAR Winner David Ragan, won the final race at Middle Georgia Raceway, as said on Peacock's Lost Speedways , hosted by NASCAR On NBC Announcer Dale Earnhardt Jr. In 2011, Dodge contacted
12800-478: The seventh, and last, time by 11 points which was the closest points margin in NASCAR history until 1992. Petty won two more Daytona 500s in 1979 and 1981. In 1979, he snapped a 45-race drought, winning his sixth Daytona 500, the first to be televised live flag-to-flag; it would become notorious for a fistfight between competitors following the controversial finish. Petty won the race as the first and second place cars of Donnie Allison and Cale Yarborough crashed on
12928-445: The six-barrel "Super Commando Six Pak" as well as the 426 cu in (7.0 L) Hemi. The 440- and Hemi-equipped cars received upgraded suspension components and structural reinforcements to help transfer the power to the road. In 1970, the power plant options offered to the customer were: Other Barracuda options included decal sets, hood modifications, and unusual "high impact" colors. The compact Valiant sold well and built
13056-611: The smallest cars to have 6-passenger seating with a 3-seat per row setup, similar to larger rear-wheel drive cars such as the Dodge Dart and other front-wheel drive cars such as the Chevrolet Celebrity . Chrysler marketed the car as being able to seat "six Americans." The Aries was sold as the Dart in Mexico . The Reliant and Aries were selected together as Motor Trend magazine's Car of
13184-502: The sport model 'Cuda (BS). Beginning mid-year 1970, and ending with the 1971 model, there also was the Barracuda Coupe (A93), a low-end model that included the 198 cu in (3.2 L) Slant Six as a base engine, lower-grade interior, and (like other Coupe series Chrysler Corp. offered that year) had fixed quarter glass instead of roll-down rear passenger windows. The high-performance models were marketed as 'Cuda deriving from
13312-430: The track and tried to push the car to the finish line, but ultimately failed. Pearson was able to drive his car toward the finish line, while Petty's car would not restart. Pearson passed Petty on the infield grass and won the Daytona 500. Petty was given credit for second place. Oddly, 1978 will stand out as the one year during his prime that Petty did not visit the winner's circle. The Petty Enterprises Team could not get
13440-410: The track. Pearson qualified on the pole and Petty won his third race at the track. He covered the 250 miles (400 km) with a speed of 85.121 miles per hour (136.989 km/h) which was the fastest in the track's NASCAR history. In the middle of the season, Bobby Isaac won the second of the three NASCAR races held at the track in a 300 lap event. He beat pole-sitter Pearson by 4 seconds and they were
13568-620: The track. Petty started on the pole position and won the 274-mile (441 km) race. The final NASCAR race was held on November 7, 1971. Bobby Allison drove from the pole to win the 274-mile (441 km) race. Over the Fourth of July weekend in 1970, the second annual Atlanta International Pop Festival was held in a soybean field adjacent to the track. Jimi Hendrix , the Allman Brothers Band and over 30 other acts performed in front of an estimated crowd of 400,000 concertgoers (the town had
13696-537: The year at North Wilkesboro and Nashville but a violent crash at Pocono in July ended his championship hopes. He finished 4th in points. For 1981, NASCAR dictated that all teams had to show up with the new downsized cars of 110" wheel-base, that Detroit had been building since 1979. Though Petty had been successful with the Chevrolet and Oldsmobile cars he had been running, he wanted to get back to his Mopar roots. After taking
13824-468: Was a brand of automobiles produced by Chrysler Corporation and its successor DaimlerChrysler . The brand was launched in 1928 to compete in what was then described as the "low-priced" market segment that was dominated by Chevrolet and Ford . It became a high-volume seller for the automaker until the late 1990s. Plymouth cars were marketed primarily in the United States. The brand was withdrawn from
13952-458: Was a member of Petty's pit crew and killed at age 19 during a pit road accident when a water tank exploded during the 1975 Winston 500 . Richard and Lynda had four children, including Kyle Petty . The family resides in Petty's home town of Level Cross, North Carolina. Petty's son Kyle is also a former NASCAR driver. His grandson, Adam (Kyle's son), was killed in a practice crash at New Hampshire Motor Speedway on May 12, 2000, five weeks after
14080-458: Was a year of change in other ways, as it was the last year where Petty would campaign a Plymouth-based race car; as in the middle of the year, he debuted to drive a newly built 1972 Dodge Charger in a few races (winning one of them), as he believed that the car would have a slight aero advantage over the Plymouth body style. In a driver's duel on February 18, 1973, Petty, in a newly built 1973 Dodge Charger (a body style he would use exclusively until
14208-473: Was advanced to 'PD'. The PC was redesigned to look similar to the PD and became the 'Standard Six' (PCXX). It had been the 'Plymouth Six' at the introduction and was sold through to the end of 1933, but in much lower numbers. In 1937, Plymouth (along with the other Chrysler makes) added safety features such as flat dashboards with recessed controls and the back of the front seat padded for the rear seat occupants. The PC
14336-458: Was also an increase in weight as bumpers became larger and, starting in 1970, E-body doors were equipped with heavy steel side-impact protection beams. Higher fuel prices and performance-car insurance surcharges deterred many buyers as the interest in high-performance cars waned. Sales of pony cars were on the decline. Sales had dropped dramatically after 1970, and while 1973 showed a sales uptick, Barracuda production ended April 1, 1974, ten years to
14464-538: Was an All-Conference guard on the football team. After his 1955 graduation, he took a business course at Greensboro Junior College, then began work for his father's racing company, Petty Enterprises. He began his NASCAR career on July 18, 1958, 16 days after his 21st birthday. His first race was held at CNE Stadium in Toronto , Ontario, Canada (the site of BMO Field and the Honda Indy Toronto currently). In 1959, he
14592-563: Was announced on November 3, 1999. The last new model sold under the Plymouth marque was the second-generation Neon for 2000. The PT Cruiser was ultimately launched as a Chrysler, and the Prowler and Voyager were absorbed into that make, as well. Following the 2001 model year, the Neon was sold only as a Dodge in the US, though it remained available as a Chrysler in Canadian and other markets. The Plymouth Breeze
14720-455: Was commonly referred to as the "low-priced three" marques in the American market. Plymouth almost surpassed Ford in 1940 and 1941 as the second-most popular make of automobiles in the U.S. In 1954, Plymouth offered an optional torque converter mated to a standard three-speed transmission, marketed as "PowerFlite". It improved upon the "Hy-Drive" semiautomatic transmission which had been introduced
14848-417: Was created for cases when the yellow flag waved with two laps, but not just one, remaining. Also, under current combination race rules, Petty would be recognized for his 201st win.) President Ronald Reagan was in attendance, the first sitting president to attend a NASCAR race. Reagan celebrated the milestone with Petty and his family in victory lane. In early 1988, Petty traveled to Australia to help promote
14976-471: Was dropped after 2000, before Chrysler introduced their redesigned 2001 Dodge Stratus and Chrysler Sebring sedan . Plymouth built various trucks and vans over the years, mainly rebadged Dodge or Chrysler vehicles. Early pickups, delivery trucks, and other commercial trucks were available, and later an SUV, full-sized vans, and minivans. Plymouth had supplied components to the Fargo vehicles, another member of
15104-481: Was equipped with a downdraft carburetor and installed in the new 1933 Plymouth PC, introduced on November 17, 1932. However, Chrysler had reduced the PC's wheelbase from 112 to 107 in (284.5 to 271.8 cm), and the car sold poorly. By April 1933, the Dodge division's Model DP chassis, with a 112-inch (284.5 cm) wheelbase, was put under the PC body with DP front fenders, hood, and radiator shell. The model designation
15232-750: Was formerly in nearby Randleman, North Carolina , but moved back to its original location in Level Cross in March 2014. Petty has also voiced a role in Disney/Pixar's animated films Cars and Cars 3 , playing Strip "The King" Weathers, a character partially based on himself. Petty is a second-generation driver. His father, Lee Petty , won the first Daytona 500 in 1959 and was also a three-time NASCAR champion. In 1958, Petty married Lynda Owens, who would die of cancer on March 25, 2014, at her home in Level Cross, North Carolina at age 72. Lynda's brother Randy Owens
15360-416: Was named NASCAR Rookie of the Year , after he produced 9 top 10 finishes, including six Top 5 finishes. That year, he had participated in the inaugural Daytona 500 at the new Daytona International Speedway , but after his day ended due to engine trouble, he joined his father Lee's pit crew, who won the race. In Lakewood, Georgia in 1959, Petty won his first race, but his father Lee protested, complaining of
15488-502: Was planning to expand the Plymouth line with a number of unique models before the corporation's merger with Daimler-Benz AG. The first model was the Plymouth Prowler , a hot rod -styled sports car. The PT Cruiser was to have been the second. Both models had similar front-end styling, suggesting Chrysler intended a retro styling theme for the Plymouth brand. At the time of Daimler's takeover of Chrysler, Plymouth had no models besides
15616-411: Was prominently featured at Chrysler's exhibit at the 1939 New York World's Fair , advertised as the first mass-production convertible with a power-folding top. It featured a 201 cu in (3.3 L), 82 hp (61 kW; 83 PS) version of the flathead six engine. For much of its life, Plymouth was one of the top-selling American automobile brands; it, together with Chevrolet and Ford ,
15744-566: Was released by Petty Enterprises , and, because of lack of sponsorship, Petty Enterprises was bought out by Gillett-Evernham Motorsports. The name was originally going to stay the same, but when Evernham left the team, it was renamed Richard Petty Motorsports , despite George Gillett continuing to own the majority. In November 2010, an investment group including Medallion Financial Corp., Douglas G. Bergeron and Petty, signed and closed sale on racing assets of Richard Petty Motorsports. Andrew M. Murstein , president of Medallion, had been seeking
15872-589: Was shipped overseas to Sweden, Denmark, and the UK, as well as Australia. In the UK, it was sold as a ' Chrysler Kew ', the town of Kew being the location of the Chrysler factory in a district in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames . The flathead six which started with the 1933 Model PC stayed in the Plymouth until the 1959 models. In 1939, Plymouth produced 417,528 vehicles, of which 5,967 were two-door convertible coupes with rumble seats . The 1939 convertible coupe
16000-583: Was the Brixton Motor Speedway . Richard Petty Richard Lee Petty (born July 2, 1937), nicknamed " the King ", is an American former stock car racing driver who competed from 1958 to 1992 in the former NASCAR Grand National and Winston Cup Series (now called the NASCAR Cup Series ), most notably driving the No. 43 Plymouth / Pontiac for Petty Enterprises . He is one of the members of
16128-456: Was the Republican nominee for North Carolina Secretary of State , but was defeated by State Senator Elaine Marshall in the general election. Petty was mistakenly seen as a shoo-in, and his campaigning was sporadic. Following his loss, Petty stated, "If I had known I wasn't going to win, I wouldn't have run." In June 2016, he made an appearance on stage with Donald Trump . Petty is currently
16256-485: Was the Sundance's first year, it was available in a single base model. For 1988, a higher-end RS model was available. The RS model, which stood for Rally Sport, came with standard features that included two-tone paint, fog lights, and a leather-wrapped steering wheel. It was also available with a turbocharged 2.2 L I4 engine, and other amenities like an Infinity sound system, tinted window glass, and dual power mirrors. For 1991,
16384-478: Was the newly launched Dodge Challenger ; however, no exterior sheet metal interchanged between the two cars, and the Challenger, at 110 inches (2,794 mm), had a wheelbase that was 2 inches (51 mm) longer than the Barracuda. The E-body Barracuda was now "able to shake the stigma of 'economy car'." Three versions were offered for 1970 and 1971: the base Barracuda (BH), the luxury oriented Gran Coupe (BP), and
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