Special Order export car

[SuperFlyTNT]

In my introduction I mentioned that I bought a 71 Plymouth Suburban PL45 318 3spd export car.

The car was sold new in France on June 20, 1971. I checked the fender tag when I picked up the car and I found this:

The car was originally black, but was painted white at some point. In order to do so, the car was at least partially stripped; some areas on the car that have been repainted could not have been painted otherwise.

What I could not quite understand are the following (personal) observations:

- The car has the blue 'Manufactured for Export' sticker on the door jamb
- The speedo is in km/h
- According to the tag the car is built to U.S. specifications
- The Y39, K-VON and "Special Order" tag are quite obvious signs of the car being a special order one, but what could be the reason?
- SPD is June 13, 1971 and according to the French paperwork the date the car was put into 'first circulation' in France is June 20, 1971

So, the two questions I have are the following:

- Why could this car be a Special Order car? Maybe the 318 could only be had with an automatic for export cars (my previous 71 Suburban export car was an automatic)?
- How accurate is the SPD? Is this a standard date, like the '426' for the 69 1/2 M-code cars?

SuperFly TNT

 

[patrick66]

I had a '67 Belvedere I six-passenger wagon, built for export and was one of two shipped to Belgium. A third wagon was shipped to Sweden. All three were used as funeral cars. Automatic transmissions were a very rare thing to have in continental Europe through the early '80s; and includes most American cars sold new there. My wagon had 225 with a 3-speed on the column. So your car fits right along with the scheme of things. Your car being built for US specs is not unusual. All cars shipped overseas new were considered "special order", from what I've been able to discern. A European dealer isn't going to order cars from a sales bank of cars. He's going to order based on customer wants, and likely a pre-sold car. Had the car went to GB or Ireland instead, a speedo would've been in mph then. Sold in France, it is metric.

 

[Jim 68cuda]

I looked at a 68 Barracuda Formula S convertible years ago that was sold new in Paris and spent most of it's life as a tow vehicle for a ski boat along the French Riviera. There were some unique features on the car. The 240 km speedometer (in place of a 150 speedo) was one. More unusual were that as early as 68, apparently cars sold new in France had to have the dimmer switch on the turn signal lever and "break-away" side view mirrors as this car had. In this case the car did not have a "special order" fender tag, but Barracudas were sold in limited numbers in France and it could have been ordered for dealer stock. It did have a separate tag on the inner fender labeling it as a product of Chrysler-Simca.
While Barracudas and Valiants were sold through Chrysler Simca dealers in the late 60's I doubt that Furys were a normal import for Chrysler of France. With that in mind, my guess is that any Furys ordered would have been a special order. As mentioned, it was most likely ordered new as a funeral car.

 

[LeBaron1973]

If you're really lucky, the build sheet may still be in the car, in or under a seat, or on top of the glove box were some places they were placed by assembly workers.

 

[Fury Pursuit]

Your Station Wagon is unusual because it doesn't have the "export" code in the VON. Which it should as an "export" car. It does have the "fleet" code in the VON, a possible indication of a US government/embassy/military car,.....not sure.

To your question,.... the SPD is relative, try finding the assembly build date of the engine and associated parts and correlate that with the SPD to see how close the SPD is.


I'd wager on it being an Embassy car,....good color TX9 BLACK VELVET!!!

 

[Fury Pursuit]

.....also,....it's a rubber floor mat car,....know why?.......

Does it have a manual steering box?

Heat shield on the battery?

Disc brakes?

Are the doors very heavy to shut? Is there more than normal weight to them?

 

[75LandYacht]

Let's see pictures of the whole car.. sounds like a real keeper for sure.

 

[tallhair]

Let's see pictures of the whole car.. sounds like a real keeper for sure.

Yes, let's do

 

[SuperFlyTNT]

Being an export car, I agree with Fury Pursuit that there should have been an I in the fender tag. I have had export cars in the past and they all had the I and the E-VON. Below is the tag from the 72 Dodge Monaco I once had:

As far as I know, no C-bodies were assembled in the Netherlands back in the day, so I assume all C-bodies ordered at the Dutch dealerships were made in the USA plants.

Additional to the two fender tags, the 71 Suburban also has the silver export plate on the radiator support. The VIN is also stamped into the radiator support a bit off center to the passenger side in non-Chrysler font (probably was done at the time the car was tagged in France).

The car is pretty low-optioned for an export car, but that could be based on the purpose. Power steering, power drum brakes, clear glass (no A/C), rubber (padded) floor mat. The doors don't weigh significantly more than the ones on my 70 Suburban. I already searched in the rear seat back and cushion, but I could not find a build sheet. I bought the car less engine and transmission, so it will probably be turned into a big block 4spd car...

I also had this 71 Suburban 318/904 about 10 years ago and it was put to use as a hearse;

rear seat was removed after delivery of the car in 1971 and the side-mounted roof rails were added. There were also signs of flag holders once being bolted to the front fenders just behind the bumper. Rust damage is a pretty big issue for these export cars in Holland; everything below the orange paint was bondo over rust...

I do not see any signs on the white Suburban that it was used/converted to a hearse, but maybe there are mounting holes in the body drilled for handles/rails .The car had been painted and the rear quarter reflectors are not there anymore. Probably covered with filler, so who knows what more has been covered up.

It has rust in the lower edge of the rear quarters and some spots in the lower corners of the doors and quarter windows, but the trunk area and spare tire well are solid. The floors look a bit 'dodgy' at first sight ( I wouldn't have expected anything less with the rubber floor mats), but I would have to take out the interior just to be sure. I did save the floor pans from my 70 Suburban juts in case. And a big hole will be cut anyway for the shifter linkage

SuperFly TNT

 

[69CoronetRT]

Your Station Wagon is unusual because it doesn't have the "export" code in the VON. Which it should as an "export" car. It does have the "fleet" code in the VON, a possible indication of a US government/embassy/military car,.....not sure.

To your question,.... the SPD is relative, try finding the assembly build date of the engine and associated parts and correlate that with the SPD to see how close the SPD is.


I'd wager on it being an Embassy car,....good color TX9 BLACK VELVET!!!

I tend to agree with you on a couple things but have some questions....

Was the car 'sold new' in France or 'put into circulation'? The OP lists both in the first post.

The VIN and SPD correlate pretty well. I don't see an issue there.

The three speed transmission was standard. I don't think that has anything to to with the car going to France.

The E2 interior (cheapest) was standard with the PL45. I think it's a bit odd the car got a blue interior instead of the charcoal interior to match the exterior.

Was the KPH speedo original, a conversion upon arrival or later in life? You'd need the broadcast sheet to confirm how it was built and that may tell you why the Y39 code.

N95 emissions control is also listed. In what areas would this have been required?

No radio. The buyer was trying to keep the cost as low as possible

This is a very bare bones low trim and option car but purpose built. Standard manual transmission, cheapest interior, no radio. Fleet car VON.

Where was the car registered? At a major port? Paris?

My guess....cheap fleet car ordered by a US company, or Govt car, and shipped to France for a purpose.

 

[SuperFlyTNT]

@69CoronetRT ; According to the 'Carte Gris' (grey card or vehicle registration title) the 'Date de Première Mise de Circulation' is June 20, 1971. I do not know for certain if this is the date that this particular car was 'sold'. With 'sold' I mean 'the owner went to the dealer to pick up the car and register it with French tags' as formally it was of course already sold when the car was ordered some time earlier. But perhaps that is a Dutch translation of how we talk about new cars etc (long story)

In Holland each car receives a registry date on the vehicle registration title for which that particular make and model was first registered 'anywhere in the world'. The funny thing is that in Holland this date is standardized for imported vehicles, usually February 28 or June 30 of the corresponding model year, as in most cases the particular make and model was never sold new in Holland so no type approval document exists with a 'first registry date'. Luckily, cars built before 1973 are exempt from type approval (my 73 Chrysler T&C wasn't and it took 3 months to get type approval). So, even cars built before that date receive the registery date of February 28 or June 30.

I was thinking that maybe this particular date means the same in France, that a few months earlier a French person ordered a similar car, which happened to be the first one in France. Subsequently he had it tagged for the first time in France on June 20. My car, built on approximately June 13 of 1971, would probably have to be shipped Super Ultimate Grand Supreme Express service to make it to the dealer before or on June 20, 1971. Although I doubt that the first PL45G1 in France was not registered and tagged sooner than June 20, I also see some practical issues in explaining why maybe only a week had passed between SPD and registry date.

Regarding the transmission; I read somewhere that the /6 engine was phased out for Fury and Suburban during the model year 1971. I also have no idea if the 318 could be ordered with a manual transmission in Europe. I do have a Dutch Plymouth sales brochure for 1968 and I believe the manual transmission is not mentioned as an option in combination with a 318 for the Fury (but, demands can change over the years of course). The 69 Barracuda fastback was sold in Holland with 225cui and 4-speed, something that was not available in the US. So, if the person who ordered the car wanted to have a manual transmission and the /6 was no longer available, he may had to 'settle' for the 318?

Quite some European export cars actually received blue interiors, if the exterior color allowed for it of course. Usually they were white or silver. I have seen several over the years. I friend of mine has a 71 Satellite Sebring Plus export car, which was originally silver with a blue interior. My former PM45G1 did have a black/charcoal interior (M4XA bench seat if I am not mistaken. Still have the bench seat ). I like to TX9 and blue interior combination; it reminds me of pictures I saw years ago of a PK41U1, black with blue interior.

Your remarks about the KPH speedo and the radio are good ones; the instrument panel does have a hole for the radio, but I cannot confirm that it actually had one. As I said, some holes were filled during repainting and maybe the hole for the antenna was also filled in. However, no radio code is mentioned on the fender tag. All Mopars I had, which were equipped with a radio, had an R-code on the tag. But perhaps the entire instrument panel from an export car with KPH speedo and (without) radio was installed at a later date? I guess the mileage might be off, too, in that case.

According to the 'Carte gris' The car was first registered in the Jura region, a mountainous area near the border with Switzerland. It may explain the preference for a manual transmission.

I will see if I can post more pictures of the car tonight.

SuperFly TNT

 

[69CoronetRT]

The only facts we know so far is that the car was in France on June 20th. There is no documentation prior that indicates the car was ordered from or for France or that is was intended to be an export car. The door sticker may or may not have been put on at the factory.

Based on what we have, the fender tag indicating a built for US car, it was ordered and purchased in the US and shipped to France shortly after being built. Without a BS, we do not know if the Kph speedo was installed at the factory or converted.

I think you are focusing on the manual transmission too much. A 318 three on the tree would be the standard set up. This was intended to be a very basic, low cost car. (Entry level model, entry level trim, standard drivetrain, no radio, no a/c).

I'd focus on how basic the car is until you can document why the car was there, what it was used for, and who sent it there. Until you can do that, it's just guessing.

 

[SuperFlyTNT]

Yes, you are right. There is actually not much factual information to determine what is what. I will see if I can find the build sheet. So far nothing in the rear seatback or cushion.

Regarding the transmission; in my personal experience it is quite rare to find an eight cylinder Mopar C-body with 3spd manual here in Europe. Most 3spd C-body cars I have seen here in Europe (imported recently or original export) were equipped with the reputable 225cui. Most 318 cars were automatics. This is the first one I have seen with the 318 3spd manual. Another upside to this is that for me it is a lot easier to upgrade the engine. In Holland there are a few regulations you have to comply to when converting from six cylinder to eight cylinder.

The additional plate on the radiator support is a French datatag with the VIN stamped on it, as well as the net and gross vehicle weight. The same data is duplicated separately in the radiator support

SuperFly TNT

 

[69CoronetRT]

It is rare to find a C body three speed anywhere in the world. I would guess that they would mostly be found on stripper models like yours.

 

[patrick66]

With the car being US-spec, as indicated on the fender tag, I'd agree that the car was imported through the French Chrysler-Simca dealer network, and then sent to either a US consulate, embassy, or other US interest in France. My Belvedere I wagon also has the VIN stamped in fairly large characters on the passenger side stub frame rail, facing up; as well as the "Made in USA by Plymouth" tag screwed onto the fender well, next to the fender tag.

Curiously, the "I" on '69-newer tags means "International", but was also on cars that were ordered by US servicemembers through the BX/PX, whether they were actually delivered overseas OR if their order was to be picked up at a Stateside dealer. I know this, because I know of two examples I have seen and driven. One was a 1972 RoadRunner/GTX with a 400/4-speed in England. The car was ordered in Germany through the BX, delivered to the serviceman there, and the car stayed in Germany and then went to England in the early '80s. I saw and drove the black car in London in 1990. The other was a 1971 Charger R/T with a 440 auto. It, too, had the "I" on the tag, but was delivered to a dealer in Denver in March 1971 for pickup from the soldier who ordered the car from the Air Force BX while in Saigon in late 1970. It never left the US at all until he sold it to a Brit in 1989, and it was also seen in London by me in 1990.

 

[1978 NYB]

I bought several cars through the PX while I was in the Army in Germany. The last one was an 89 Z28 that I had to wait to be built and had it shipped free to Bremerhaven, Germany. It had an EXP export code. I drove it for 3 years in Germany and then shipped it back to the States when I rotated.

 

[SuperFlyTNT]

Some more pictures of the car. These are a bit ' older' as I received these from the seller in France. He made these pictures in 2009 when he bought it. He had since removed the engine and transmission. I forgot about the battery tray. Is that the heat shield that Fury Pursuit mentioned earlier? I got the tray as a loose item with the car, as the seller also removed it. I also have the radiator and the power steering pump. The M/C is gone, but I have the complete disc brake setup from my 70 Custom Suburban.

The tailgate has rust holes in the bottom outer skin, where the silver plate is mounted to cover them up. No rust in the bottom of the door. The motor for the rear window is broken, but I have seen a couple on E-bay (a bit easier to find than the 70-earlier motors). I saved the tailgate from the 70 Custom Suburban, which has considerably less rust. It is a Custom Suburban, however, so I would have to close the taillight holes. The moldings on the tailgate are MIA. Does anyone know if the moldings from a tailgate from a 69-71 T&C would fit?

SuperFly TNT

 

[1978 NYB]

No manual tailgate window roll down handle?

 

[SuperFlyTNT]

I believe that the Suburban was not available with a manual roll down tailgate window, as opposed to the B-body stationwagon. At least for 1969-1971... I wouldn't mind having one; one less electrical item that could fail

I think the design was changed starting in 1972 that it was no longer required to roll down the tailgate window to be able to open it, also adding a door handle for opening the tailgate as a door from the outside.

SuperFly TNT