One-Off 1954 Plymouth Belmont Concept For Sale
The opportunity to purchase a one-off, manufacturer-built concept car is as rare as hens teeth; they’re usually destroyed or sent to a dusty corner of an automaker’s museum after their car show days are done. Which makes the sale of this 1954 Plymouth Belmont all the more tantalizing.
The Belmont was conceptualized as a rival to the Chevrolet Corvette and Ford Thunderbird, and it was the first Plymouth with both a V8 engine (a 3.9-liter V8 making around 150 horsepower) and a fibreglass body, penned by famed designer Virgil Exner. Rumor has it that Exner liked the Belmont so much, he demanded the car after Plymouth was done with it.
In the last few decades, the car has changed hands a few times, making the rounds and winning awards at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance, Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance, Blackhawk Collection, Imperial Palace Auto Collection and Ele Chesney Collection.
Not only was the Belmont shown at the 1954 Chicago Auto Show and the New York Autorama, but it also has some feature film provenance, being used in the 1954 film Bundle of Joy with Eddie Fisher and Debbie Reynolds, and the 1957 movie Mister Cory with Tony Curtis.
The Plymouth Belmont is the star of the Mecum Gallery Exposition, a part of the Mecum Kissimmee auction, which runs until January 12. It won’t cross the block for bids however, and will simply be offered for sale by the auction house. For some context, the last time the Belmont went to auction in 2014, the final bid of $1.2 million didn’t even meet its reserve.
*Images courtesy of Mecum Auctions
