Featured is a 1963 Plymouth Valiant Signet 200 Convertible. The Plymouth Valiant originally came on the market as Plymouth’s compact automobile. The compact car market in the U.S. emerged in the late 1950’s and carried on into the first part of the 1960’s.
The Introduction of the Plymouth Valiant
Chrysler’s Valiant was introduced in 1959 as a 1960 car entering as its own brand for one year only. After that, the Valiant became a Plymouth model. The Plymouth Valiant was manufactured by the Plymouth division of the Chrysler Corporation in the United States from the model years of 1960 through 1976. Chrysler Corporation began assigning it;s automobiles by price and function. The Plymouth brand was established in 1928 and targeted for the low end budget market. DeSoto was assigned to target the mid-range priced market.
The Plymouth Valiant Signet
The Valiant Signet was a separate line, offered as a hardtop or convertible and was the top of the line Valiant. Plymouth Valiant Signets included bucket seats, plush carpeting and nameplates placed on the front fender tips. The convertible top was operated manually and the hardtop offered a vinyl roof covering.
The 1963 Valiant Signet had the same wheelbase as the Valiants but with a boxier styling.
New Styling for the 1963 Valiant
The 1963 Plymouth Valiant went through a restyling that helped make 1963 a very good year for the Valiant model. A big plus was that the restyling stood out against competitors Chevy Corvair and Ford Falcon.
This 1963 restyling was the first one for the Valiant model. The new models had a wide and flat hood and rear deck and was two inches longer. The roof was also flatter.
The upper belt body line ran in a sweep from the rear to the front fender tip and then swooped down. New, horizontal tail lights were also new. The grille was a variation of the inverted trapezoid shape.
The 1963 Plymouth Valiant restyling offered a more conventional look than the previous Valiants and was very well received by the public. ;
A Reputation for Reliability
Overall the Valiant was a success for the Chrysler Corporation during the decade of the 60’s and 70’s. Sales were good and the car took on a reputation as being both reliable and economical. Of significance for the 1963 Chrysler Corporation vehicles was the new corporate-wide 5 year/50,000-mile power train warranty.
1963 Plymouth Valiant Specifications
Standard engine was a 171 cubic inch slant six delivering 101 HP. Optional was a Super 225 six with 145 horsepower.
Chrysler Corporation produced Slant Six engines from 1960 through 1983 and through 1987 for Dodge trucks. Over this period the slant six was used in over thirty different Chrysler vehicles The engines had a good following with reports of some lasting hundreds of thousands of miles. Many have attributed the longevity of the slant six partially being due to its short and stiff crank shaft. The slant six had it’s cylinder bank inclined at a 30-degree angle from vertical.
Transmission choices for the 63 Valiant included a choice of a three-on-the-tree manual or the optional push button TorqueFlite automatic.
Dimensions for the 1963 Valiant included a 106.0 inch wheelbase, 186.2 inch overall length, 68.8 inch width.
Production for 1963 aided by new styling increased Valiant production to over 225,000 vehicles.This was up from a total of 157,000 vehicles for 1962. Total Plymouth production for 1963 was 483,400 vehicles.
To give you an idea of how Valiant’s competitors did for 1963, the Ford Falcon produced 266,500 vehicles and the Chevy Corvair 288,400 vehicles.
Related Auto Museum Online articles are found on the links below..
1963 Ford Falcon Sprint Convertible
1965 Chevy Corvair Corsa Convertible
Reference material for this article includes…Collectible Cars by the Editors of Consumer Guide..transportationhistory.org..Cascade Pacific Plymouth Club.
The 1963 Plymouth Valiant Signet 200 Collector Car
All in all during it’s long run there were about 4 million Plymouth Valiants sold. For 1963 which was the start of the second generation the number was a little over 225,000 vehicles.
Current auction sales prices for the 1963 Plymouth Valiant Signet Convertible range from $10,500-$13,000. Depending on the overall condition, mileage, degree of restoration and originality, the 63 Plymouth Valiant has sold above this price range.
(Article and photos copyright Auto Museum Online)