Wednesday, July 13, 2016
Unromantic but rare
A 1968 Hindi movie features a rare version of a rare car. Plymouths disguised as DeSotos were an odd export-only Chrysler product. They often appear in Egyptian, Greek, and Turkish movies. Not so common in Hindi movies; India had its own car which pretty much monopolized all four-wheeled transport.
When these PlymSotos appear in movies they're almost always taxis. Shows the power of a brand name. The real DeSoto grabbed a big piece of the US taxi market in 1936 and kept it until 1954. The original reason was properly physical: DeSoto offered a low-priced 7-passenger limo. This obviously doesn't apply to the Plymouth, especially in '54. But the brand maintained its connection to the taxi trade, even in foreign countries where it wasn't the 'real' thing.
I've never seen a PlymSoto CONVERTIBLE. Obviously they existed!
This 'establishing shot' has the PlymSoto convertible hurrying along a romantic beachfront road in a scene that would normally deserve a long low sports car. Jag or Healey or similar.
eg this scene from a different 1968 Bollywood movie:
The stubbiness of the '54 shows up unromantically. Like casting Gladys Kravitz as Jeannie.
And here's a frontal pic, showing how the DeSoto-ish teeth were placed in the Plymouth body. Can't quite read the script on the side, but it's probably Belvedere.
¶ 1:43 PM 
This 'establishing shot' has the PlymSoto convertible hurrying along a romantic beachfront road in a scene that would normally deserve a long low sports car. Jag or Healey or similar.
eg this scene from a different 1968 Bollywood movie:
The stubbiness of the '54 shows up unromantically. Like casting Gladys Kravitz as Jeannie.
And here's a frontal pic, showing how the DeSoto-ish teeth were placed in the Plymouth body. Can't quite read the script on the side, but it's probably Belvedere.
¶ 1:43 PM
