The story behind the car is always the biggest sum of the two parts to a great car story at MyStarCollectorCar.
That was definitely the case with this 13,000-mile 1969 Plymouth Sport Fury convertible.
Jerry Sutherland
Peter Swainson is the current owner/caretaker of this mint C-body, and he explained how the biography behind this big Plymouth really drew him in more than the car. He’s a big fan of survivor cars and this is a great example, but the car’s history was the real selling point.
The car came with a boatload of paperwork that detailed the ownership of the Sport Fury. The late owner’s daughter explained how her dad went to a Chrysler dealership auction, had a few cocktails and ended up bringing the big convertible home.
She said her dad told her she would get the car when, “You get your driver’s license”. That was enough incentive for her to get her license, but when it was time to grab the keys, her father told her, she’d get the keys when she graduated high school and entered college.
She did that too, but she never got the keys to the Sport Fury convertible. That may have been the best get-an-education strategy ever pulled off by a parent, but the car sat for years without turning a wheel.
Instead, her dad willed the Plymouth to her daughter, so she never did get the car. That’s when Peter found out about it and the Sport Fury went to a new home. Peter said the original owner’s daughter told a funny story, but she wasn’t crazy about the car after all those hurdles.
A 13,000-mile car has a very different feel to it. This is a time capsule because many of the factory markings are still visible in the engine compartment and trunk area. The interior is like new and there is no visible wear on any of the components. The convertible top is mint, and it folds up and down just like it did in 1969.
You could park this car on a dealership floor tomorrow and it would fit right in with the new cars. This was a high-end car for Plymouth, so it is fully loaded and Peter said it rides like a high-end car.
Peter has done many restorations, but he’s a firm believer in mint survivor cars. He thinks you lose something when you take a car apart because it’s not like a factory build. The experience will never be the same as when a brand-new car rolls out of the factory and into a customer’s garage.
This Plymouth is a prime example because Peter is driving a gently used 56-year-old car in 2025. He said the car feels tight and he’s not listening for strange thumps and noises because something wasn’t done right during a restoration. The Sport Fury gives him peace of mind.
All it took were a few broken promises to a daughter back in the early 70s.
Jerry Sutherland
By: Jerry Sutherland
Jerry Sutherland is a veteran automotive writer with a primary focus on the collector car hobby. His work has been published in many outlets and publications, including the National Post, Calgary Herald, Edmonton Journal, Ottawa Citizen, Montreal Gazette, Saskatoon StarPhoenix, Regina Leader-Post, Vancouver Sun and The Truth About Cars. He is also a regular contributor to Auto Roundup Publications.
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