1941 Plymouth P11 Business Coupe
"This is a '41 Plymouth so obviously it was built before December 7th, before Pearl Harbor, because after Pearl Harbor, auto production stopped and what few cars were being produced, there was no chrome, they were pretty austere. So this is one of the last ones out of the gate. Whoever bought this in '41 was pretty lucky because most people had to suffer with old cars and used cars during World War 2. So, whoever bought it had a nice new car for that four year period." Jay Leno talking about his 1941 Plymouth Business Coupe in 2013.
For consignment, a 1941 Plymouth P11 Business coupe representing a time in America when products were demonstrated and purchased in person, presented by traveling salesmen who might even knock on your door with a trunk full of wares to show you. Business coupes were two door vehicles with front seats only, storage behind the seats and of course, a large trunk.
Exterior
A pointed front V splits the grilles which are large rounded openings with horizontal slats that are mirrored in the trip below the hood line. It's quite a dramatic face and in this case, surrounded by dark blue paint accented with ornate chrome pieces and a body trim bar that rises from the front and heads straight to the back. The articulated fenders are embossed with three accent lines on their back edge and a running board effectively connects the fenders. There is a forward leaning attitude to the profile of the car, as if in motion and the front has leading points in the hood ornament and marker lights above the headlights. 16-inch wheels are painted blue with remnants of pinstriping, and the hubcaps are lightly engraved with the Plymouth sailboat. The metalwork is intact but could benefit from polishing or rechroming. Other needs and imperfections include a cracked rubber frame around the rear window, some rust at the front edge of the hood and nose piece, areas of rough paint, cracking, large chips, scratches, bubbling, peeling paint, and some invasive rust on the door edge and running board.
Interior
Simple tan cloth door panels are fully intact and perhaps a bit dirty while the window frame shows some fading. The cloth split bench seat is mostly intact but has some tears on the driver's side upper and lower sections, and the shell will need to be recovered. The package shelf and rear storage behind the seats is in decent shape and a spare tire is conveniently mounted vertically on the back wall, thus preventing the salesman from having to remove the contents of the trunk to get to the spare. The steering wheel may have been completely white at some point and now only remnants of that color remain and its nicely patina'd. The shifter is mounted above the steering column and not integrated as they would become in later years. A simple dash contains a rectangular gauge pod with horizontal meters on a plain, brown dashboard. Labeled knobs and switches are ivory colored and a heater is located in the footwell on the passenger's side. A textured rubberized mat covers the floor and the tan headliner may have been lighter in the past, but it's intact and in good shape.
Drivetrain
The 201.3ci L-head inline 6 cylinder engine is in driver condition under the hood with dust and surface rust and age. It's rated at 87 horsepower and receives fuel through a 1-barrel carburetor and is set into motion with a 3-speed manual transmission sending power to 4.10 gears in the back. Drum brakes all around for this '41 business coupe.
Undercarriage
There's a good amount of surface rust underneath and some invasive rust as well on the inner rocker panels. A buildup of grease is found on the knuckles and oil is on the rear differential and sprayed on the underbody around the U-joint, on the transmission pan and a few drops on the oil pan. On a positive note, the exhaust is newer, and the single pipe encounters a stock style muffler before exiting out the back. Suspension consists of coil springs in front and leaf springs in the back.
Drive-Ability
Watching Jay Leno drive his '41 was inspiration to give this car some gas and indeed, it's no speedster but the 87 horsepower does generate some momentum and our consignor states he's had the car up to 70 mph and that's completely believable. Everything works and visibility over the big hood is good, and the only note we came back with is some smoking out the back indicating some burning oil.
Imagine being a salesman in this era. Your car was your office, your cafeteria, and your trusty steed to take you on your routes, local and great distances. You had your choice of Ford, Chevy, and other business coupes, but you went with Plymouth which was a trusted brand. Here's a car with great bones that presents several options to the next owner. We're sure you've already got a plan! Let's do business.
Classic Auto Mall is home to more than 1,000 classic and collectible vehicles for sale via consignment in a climate controlled 336,000-square foot showroom (that's more than 8 acres!). The largest single location consignment dealer of classic and collectible vehicles in the country is located in Morgantown, Pennsylvania, just 1-hour west of Philadelphia off Exit 298 of the I-76 Pennsylvania Turnpike. For more information visit www.classicautomall.com or call us at (888) 227-0914. Contact us anytime for more information or to come see the vehicle in person.
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