The year 1932 marked the last season for the original Plymouth four-cylinder engine first introduced at the brand’s debut in 1928. It was sent out with a bang on a longer chassis featuring very modern styling, including one-piece fenders and a hood that extended all the way from the chromed radiator shell to the windshield. The result gave the appearance of a much larger, costlier automobile and has gone down in history as one of the most beautiful Plymouths ever produced.

The PB Sport Roadster, of which 2,163 were made, was the sort of flashy car that a sporty, financially secure young person might have driven to college. Plymouth management agreed and sold the model as the “Collegiate Special,” available custom-painted in the school colors of its buyer’s choice for just $40 extra. It is unknown exactly how many sales that scheme added to the 1932 Plymouth ledgers, but it was a terrific idea and probably resulted in some rather spectacular-looking automobiles.

Pennsylvania knitwear magnate John E. Morgan acquired this particular Sport Roadster in May 1987. Mr. Morgan commissioned the noted Grey Hills Auto Restoration of New Jersey to restore the car in, of course, Penn State Nittany Lions livery, creating a “Collegiate Special” in navy blue and white, inside and out. Apparently he intended to gift the car to the legendary Penn State football coach Joe Paterno, but “Joe Pa” was unable to accept such an extravagant present and the Plymouth instead wound up in the famous JEM Classic Car Museum in Andreas, Pennsylvania for over a decade.

When the Morgan collection was dispersed in 2003 at the first private collection sale held by a young RM Auctions, the Plymouth was purchased by Grant Miller, from whom the present collection acquired it several years later. Displayed in the collection since, it is still attractive, although the finishes of the paint have aged significantly since restoration, while the interior remains in good overall condition. Accessories include dual side-mounted spares with accessory mirrors and windshield-mounted wind wings.

Appropriately youthful and spritely in appearance, this Plymouth has much to recommend it. One might not drive it to college, but it would look right at home in a Penn State fan’s man cave or simply at the next tailgate.