Mrs. Miller and the 1-Millionth Plymouth

摘要

Ethel Miller holds a special place in Plymouth history. The Turlock, California, woman discovered she was owner of the first Plymouth ever built in 1928 while having her Model Q Deluxe coupe serviced at the local dealer-a fact verified by Chrysler (though later research indicates she probably wasn't the vehicle's first owner). Having learned of her car's provenance, she wired Walter R Chrysler to ask, "Please reserve the millionth car for me." Chrysler not only obliged, he offered to have Miller flown to Detroit to be present as the car came off the assembly line on August 8, 1934. She turned him down, opting to participate in Turlock's Melon Festival instead. As corporate dignitaries gathered for photos, Chrysler himself drove the milestone PE DeLuxe four-door sedan off the Lynch Road assembly line. A three-column-wide photo of Chrysler at the wheel appeared in the next morning's issue of the Detroit Free Press. The car was then shipped to Chicago where it went on display at the Chrysler Pavilion at the Century of Progress World's Fair.