Dodge Mayfair
Encyclopedia
The Dodge
Mayfair was an automobile built by Chrysler Corporation of Canada Ltd. This vehicle was produced solely for the Canadian market from 1953 to 1959. Its American equivalent was the Plymouth Belvedere
. It was based on the Plymouth
, a vehicle that Chrysler of Canada had been offering since 1935 and Chrysler in Detroit started offering in export markets in 1936.
The Mayfair name first appeared as a 2-door hardtop in the 1951 Dodge Regent
series, just as the Belvedere appeared in the Cranbrook
series. The 1952 Mayfair adopted the same paint scheme as the 1952 Belvedere with the roof color sweeping down onto the rear trunk.
When the 1953 models were introduced, the Mayfair was again the hardtop in the Dodge Regent
series. In April, 1953, though, Chrysler of Canada introduced a new, upscale series to do battle with the Chevrolet Bel Air
and Pontiac Laurentian.
Thus the D43-3 Dodge Mayfair was introduced in both hardtop and sedan models. (Contrary to published articles, the D43-3 series was not a wagon). The exterior had the front fender trim extend onto the front door and backup lamps were standard. Interiors were two-tone, in either blue or green, with a matching steering wheel. With the new D43-3 Mayfair, the Regent Mayfair hardtop was dropped.
Under the hood, the engine was increased from 218.0 CID to 228.1 CID. And Chrysler of Canada introduced Hy-Drive
on Plymouth and Dodge models. The system was a torque converter that shared its oil with the engine, along with a clutch and a 3-speed manual transmission.
For 1954 the Mayfair used the interiors of the new full-line Plymouth Belvedere. The engine continued to be a 228.1 CID unit, and Hy-Drive continued as an option. For the first time since 1937, Chrysler of Canada offered a convertible in its Plymouth-based models, importing the Mayfair convertible from Detroit, being a Dodge Kingsway
Custom convertible with Mayfair nameplates.
The V8 engine came to Chrysler of Canada's low-priced models in 1955. The engines were imported from Detroit with various covers, manifolds, electrical pieces and rubber parts added in Windsor. Only the Mayfair offered the V8. And both Plymouth and Dodge offered PowerFlite
, 2-speed automatic with its new dash-mounted control lever. The Hy-Drive unit was eliminated.
Things changed in 1956 when Chrysler of Canada opened a new V8 engine plant. The Mayfair was now V8 only, while the lower-priced Dodge Crusader
and Dodge Regent could be had with either the six or V8. Early in the model the 270 cubic inch engine was installed while later in the year the all new 277 cubic inch version was introduced. A 4-door hardtop was added to the Mayfair line and the Powerflite automatic was controlled by new dash-mounted pushbuttons.
Totally new bodies designed by Virgil Exner
debuted for 1957. They were a styling sensation with their low lines, plenty of glass and thin roof designs. Body engineering and tooling errors, though, resulted in a car that quickly gained a reputation for poor quality and rust. Chrysler Corporation's new 3-speed Torqueflite
automatic was now available on all Mayfair models, still only with the 303 CID V8 engine, and all Chrysler Corporation cars adopted Torsion-Aire torsion bar front suspension.
Sales for 1957 were down from 1956 for all Canadian built Dodge models, but 1958 was a disaster with sales falling over 40%. Grilles, taillights and trim were all that were new for 1958. The Dodge Mayfair adopted the 313 CID poly V8 engine.
The Mayfair's last year was 1959, when it was downgraded a notch to take the place of the Regent, while the Crusader was dropped from the line up. The 1959 Mayfair still came in two and four door versions of the sedan and hardtop, plus the imported 3-seat Custom Suburban station wagon
and convertible. Although the wagon models were 318 CID V8 only, the other models were now available with either the 251 CID flathead six or the 313 CID V8.
For 1960 the Canadian Dodge based on the Plymouth would be replaced by another Plymouth-based car, the Dodge Dart
. The Mayfair would become a sub-model of the Dart line for 1960, and renamed the Phoenix.
The vehicle has been commonly referred to as a Plodge because of the extensive use of Plymouth components with Dodge front grilles and sold at Dodge sales outlets.
Dodge
Dodge is a United States-based brand of automobiles, minivans, and sport utility vehicles, manufactured and marketed by Chrysler Group LLC in more than 60 different countries and territories worldwide....
Mayfair was an automobile built by Chrysler Corporation of Canada Ltd. This vehicle was produced solely for the Canadian market from 1953 to 1959. Its American equivalent was the Plymouth Belvedere
Plymouth Belvedere
The Plymouth Belvedere was an American automobile produced by Plymouth from 1951-1970.-1951–1953:Introduced on March 31, the 1951 Plymouth Belvedere arrived as a two-door pillarless hardtop. It was Plymouth's first vehicle of such design and was built in response to Chevrolet's Bel Air...
. It was based on the Plymouth
Plymouth (automobile)
Plymouth was a marque of automobile based in the United States, produced by the Chrysler Corporation and its successor DaimlerChrysler.-Origins:...
, a vehicle that Chrysler of Canada had been offering since 1935 and Chrysler in Detroit started offering in export markets in 1936.
The Mayfair name first appeared as a 2-door hardtop in the 1951 Dodge Regent
Dodge Regent
The Dodge Regent was an automobile built by Chrysler Corporation of Canada Ltd. The low priced line built with a front end similar to the U.S. market Dodge attached to a Plymouth body....
series, just as the Belvedere appeared in the Cranbrook
Plymouth Cranbrook
The Plymouth Cranbrook was built by the Plymouth division of Chrysler from 1951-1953. It replaced the Special Deluxe when Plymouth changed its naming scheme; it was essentially the same as the Concord and Cambridge, but at a higher trim level....
series. The 1952 Mayfair adopted the same paint scheme as the 1952 Belvedere with the roof color sweeping down onto the rear trunk.
When the 1953 models were introduced, the Mayfair was again the hardtop in the Dodge Regent
Dodge Regent
The Dodge Regent was an automobile built by Chrysler Corporation of Canada Ltd. The low priced line built with a front end similar to the U.S. market Dodge attached to a Plymouth body....
series. In April, 1953, though, Chrysler of Canada introduced a new, upscale series to do battle with the Chevrolet Bel Air
Chevrolet Bel Air
The Chevrolet Bel Air is a full-size automobile that was produced by the Chevrolet division of General Motors for the 1950–1975 model years. Hardtops in the Chevrolet Deluxe Styleline model range were designated with the Bel Air name from 1950–1952, but it was not a distinct series of its own until...
and Pontiac Laurentian.
Thus the D43-3 Dodge Mayfair was introduced in both hardtop and sedan models. (Contrary to published articles, the D43-3 series was not a wagon). The exterior had the front fender trim extend onto the front door and backup lamps were standard. Interiors were two-tone, in either blue or green, with a matching steering wheel. With the new D43-3 Mayfair, the Regent Mayfair hardtop was dropped.
Under the hood, the engine was increased from 218.0 CID to 228.1 CID. And Chrysler of Canada introduced Hy-Drive
Hy-Drive
The Hy-Drive was a Chrysler Corporation transmission introduced in August 1940 in Chryslers and DeSotos, Dodges in 1949, and Plymouths in 1953. It was a hybrid manual transmission with a torque converter like an automatic. Although Hy-Drive cars had a clutch pedal like a traditional manual...
on Plymouth and Dodge models. The system was a torque converter that shared its oil with the engine, along with a clutch and a 3-speed manual transmission.
For 1954 the Mayfair used the interiors of the new full-line Plymouth Belvedere. The engine continued to be a 228.1 CID unit, and Hy-Drive continued as an option. For the first time since 1937, Chrysler of Canada offered a convertible in its Plymouth-based models, importing the Mayfair convertible from Detroit, being a Dodge Kingsway
Dodge Kingsway
The Dodge Kingsway is a past-model automobile built by Chrysler Corporation for export markets. The Kingsway name was adopted for the 1946 models. Prior to that, the export models based on Plymouth models had no unique model names....
Custom convertible with Mayfair nameplates.
The V8 engine came to Chrysler of Canada's low-priced models in 1955. The engines were imported from Detroit with various covers, manifolds, electrical pieces and rubber parts added in Windsor. Only the Mayfair offered the V8. And both Plymouth and Dodge offered PowerFlite
PowerFlite
PowerFlite is a two-speed automatic transmission produced by the Chrysler Corporation and used in their passenger cars from 1954 to 1961. Production began in late 1953; despite the launch of Chrysler's three-speed TorqueFlite automatic in 1956, the simple and durable PowerFlite remained available...
, 2-speed automatic with its new dash-mounted control lever. The Hy-Drive unit was eliminated.
Dodge Crusader
The Dodge Crusader was an automobile built by Chrysler Corporation of Canada Ltd. the 1957 model was used by police departments in many cases. one version was produced with a manual transmission and v8 engine....
and Dodge Regent could be had with either the six or V8. Early in the model the 270 cubic inch engine was installed while later in the year the all new 277 cubic inch version was introduced. A 4-door hardtop was added to the Mayfair line and the Powerflite automatic was controlled by new dash-mounted pushbuttons.
Totally new bodies designed by Virgil Exner
Virgil Exner
Virgil Max "Ex" Exner, Sr. was an automobile designer for numerous American companies, notably Chrysler and Studebaker. He is known for his "Forward Look" design on the 1955-1963 Chrysler products and his fondness of fins on cars for both aesthetic and aerodynamic reasons.-Early life:Born in Ann...
debuted for 1957. They were a styling sensation with their low lines, plenty of glass and thin roof designs. Body engineering and tooling errors, though, resulted in a car that quickly gained a reputation for poor quality and rust. Chrysler Corporation's new 3-speed Torqueflite
TorqueFlite
TorqueFlite is the trademarked name of Chrysler Corporation's automatic transmissions, starting with the three-speed unit introduced late in the 1956 model year as a successor to Chrysler's two-speed PowerFlite...
automatic was now available on all Mayfair models, still only with the 303 CID V8 engine, and all Chrysler Corporation cars adopted Torsion-Aire torsion bar front suspension.
Sales for 1957 were down from 1956 for all Canadian built Dodge models, but 1958 was a disaster with sales falling over 40%. Grilles, taillights and trim were all that were new for 1958. The Dodge Mayfair adopted the 313 CID poly V8 engine.
The Mayfair's last year was 1959, when it was downgraded a notch to take the place of the Regent, while the Crusader was dropped from the line up. The 1959 Mayfair still came in two and four door versions of the sedan and hardtop, plus the imported 3-seat Custom Suburban station wagon
Station wagon
A station wagon is a body style variant of a sedan/saloon with its roof extended rearward over a shared passenger/cargo volume with access at the back via a third or fifth door , instead of a trunk lid...
and convertible. Although the wagon models were 318 CID V8 only, the other models were now available with either the 251 CID flathead six or the 313 CID V8.
For 1960 the Canadian Dodge based on the Plymouth would be replaced by another Plymouth-based car, the Dodge Dart
Dodge Dart
The Dodge Dart is an automobile built by the Dodge division of the Chrysler Corporation from 1960-1976 in North America, with production extended to later years in various other markets. The Dart was introduced as a lower-priced, shorter wheelbase, full-size Dodge in 1960 and 1961, became a...
. The Mayfair would become a sub-model of the Dart line for 1960, and renamed the Phoenix.
The vehicle has been commonly referred to as a Plodge because of the extensive use of Plymouth components with Dodge front grilles and sold at Dodge sales outlets.