Plymouth Roadster

Nancy Drew mysteries first came out in 1930, which told me not to look at mid-thirties cars for the Plymouth roadster she drove and her father’s Chrysler sedan, just late twenties cars or a 1930 model. Smart and chic, there was nothing dull about Nancy. Some collector will know, but I do not recall the color of her car, so I found her a yellow one. Yellow with red spoke wheels, with Nancy’s bright personality. It may be that she chose blue or an innocuous gray or black to be inconspicuous in her sleuthing, but I thought yellow. Below are two Plymouth roadsters, top is a 1929 model, the other 1930. 



I like the stylish red radiator in the 1930 roadster below, and the red touch at the door belt-line. Also, instead of the spare tire mounted on the back, I like the side-mount spare and the matching red trunk-rack on the 1930. Couldn't get close enough to tell if the Mayflower sailing ship is on the radiator cap. The ship was on the hood ornament of the 1949 Plymouth woodie wagon we grew up with as teens in the 1950s, and on the Plymouth coupes that I remember my grandfather Gentry driving. Where am I wandering with this -- Daddy Walt had Plymouth business coupes with the enormous trunk that his hunting dogs loved to leap into knowing they were headed for the woods and fields. You did not play with his dogs or even pet them in their pen out back, they were hunting dogs not pets. My mother scolded me more than once on that score, doubtless a lesson she had learned herself as a child.

Notice the larger hubcaps on the newer car below, and the forward-opening doors. I'll have to check that out further.



Mr. Drew drove a Chrysler sedan. I don't remember how colorful a character he is, only that he was widowed and there was a housekeeper in the household, and Mr. Drew was always supportive of Nancy. Anyway, I found three 1930 Chrysler sedans and he can choose one to suit his personality, and perhaps his idea of what his clients might expect. I don't know about lawyers but I do recall that in my childhood years the preacher was expected to drive a black Ford or Chevrolet sedan. Not too new. Our priest, Father Frank Dearing drove a 1934 Chevrolet Standard, black of course. But these are Chryslers for Mr. Drew, a wealthy, prominent lawyer. Well-to-do, successful and prosperous, but not showy, not ostentatious, eh?

The green with Chrysler wings for hood vents is a 1930 Chrysler Royal. The extra little jobber-do on the running board is for scraping the mud off your shoes, neat. The black car below is also a 1930 Chrysler, as is the blue sedan below it. 

The radiator on the black and blue cars seems more styled, but it may be just the photo angle. My choice would be the green one, not the black or blue. I'm not a lawyer though, maybe Mr. Drew would choose more conservatively, perhaps thinking what an aspiring judge should be seen in. I do like the side-mount spare on the black car though. A side-mount on one side, or dual side-mounts, was an option in those days.



Seems to me that somewhere among the books, at least once, Nancy drove her father’s car so as to go unnoticed. Or maybe her car was in the shop. 

If Nancy had come along two or three generations later, her father would have given her a Plymouth Prowler. Assuming he doted on her as I do my girls. 


Or maybe I would have driven that myself, I'm into safety for my girls.

W