In all the years that I have been visiting Southern California, I thought I had managed to find and visit all the Auto Museums, at least those which are generally open to the public, but in one of those happy coincidences, whilst I was actually in the area, a post popped up into my Facebook feed (quite what prompted this, I shall never know, but then that’s how Facebook algorithms seem to work) with a place I’d not even heard of, let alone visited. This is the Deer Park Winery and Auto Museum, and it said the town is Escondido, which is some way south of Los Angeles but perfectly accessible, being a short hop east of the 5 freeway and even closer to the 15 freeway. It’s actually located some way north of the town, as I discovered, but the important thing was, it looked easy to get to, to go and find out more, especially as the venue – open since 1979, apparently – claims to house the largest global collection worldwide of classic American convertibles. There are in fact three buildings with cars in them – in excess of 100 – so this is quite a collection. There’s more than that, as the Winery part is actually the core business of the site. There are 15 acres of vineyards and orchards here producing not just grapes for the award-winning winers but a variety of other produce as well. You can buy it on site, of course, and also you can try it out. There are various tasting options offered with samplers available at a very reasonable price, to which you can add a charcuterie board or various breads and cheeses. Tempting though these were, as I was driving, I had to forego the wine and concentrate on the display exhibits instead. It is not just cars, as there are also all manner of other exhibits ranging from old radios, televisions, computers and other household appliances to a complete room full of Barbie dolls. The setting itself is lovely – just how you much a sun-bathed winery to be, with neatly pruned vines having yielded their harvest for the year at the time of my early December 2023 visit.

THE CARS

The majority of the cars are housed in three separate buildings.  The first of these is part of the main building that also houses the reception area and the place where you can take advantage of the wine tasting and food on offer. There are only a small number of cars here and they are most of the older ones from the collection, and are surrounded by all sorts of memorabilia and books. Because my visit was in early December some of the cars seemed to be sporting seasonal decorations.

1928 Ford Model A Sports Coupe: The Ford Model A was the Ford Motor Company’s second market success after its predecessor, the Model T. First produced on October 20, 1927, but not introduced until December 2, it replaced the venerable Model T, which had been produced for 18 years. This new Model A (a previous model had used the name in 1903–04) was designated a 1928 model and was available in four standard colours. By February 4, 1929, one million Model As had been sold, and by July 24, two million. The range of body styles ran from the Tudor at US$500 (in grey, green, or black) to the Town Car with a dual cowl at US$1200. In March 1930, Model A sales hit three million, and there were nine body styles available. Prices for the Model A ranged from US$385 for a roadster to US$1400 for the top-of-the-line Town Car. The engine was a water-cooled L-head inline four with a displacement of 3.3 litre. This engine provided 40 bhp. Top speed was around 65 mph (105 km/h). The Model A had a 103.5 in (2,630 mm) wheelbase with a final drive ratio of 3.77:1. The transmission was a conventional unsynchronized three-speed sliding gear manual with a single speed reverse. The Model A had four-wheel mechanical drum brakes. The 1930 and 1931 models were available with stainless steel radiator cowling and headlamp housings. The Model A came in a wide variety of styles including a Coupe (Standard and Deluxe), Business Coupe, Sport Coupe, Roadster Coupe (Standard and Deluxe), Convertible Cabriolet, Convertible Sedan, Phaeton (Standard and Deluxe), Tudor Sedan (Standard and Deluxe), Town Car, Fordor (five-window standard, three-window deluxe), Victoria, Town Sedan, Station Wagon, Taxicab, Truck, and Commercial. The very rare Special Coupe started production around March 1928 and ended mid-1929. The Model A was the first Ford to use the standard set of driver controls with conventional clutch and brake pedals, throttle, and gearshift. Previous Fords used controls that had become uncommon to drivers of other makes. The Model A’s fuel tank was situated in the cowl, between the engine compartment’s fire wall and the dash panel. It had a visual fuel gauge, and the fuel flowed to the carburettor by gravity. A rear-view mirror was optional. In cooler climates, owners could purchase an aftermarket cast iron unit to place over the exhaust manifold to provide heat to the cab. A small door provided adjustment of the amount of hot air entering the cab. The Model A was the first car to have safety glass in the windshield. Model A production ended in March 1932, after 4,858,644 had been made in all body styles. Its successor was the Model B, which featured an updated inline four-cylinder engine, as well as the Model 18, which introduced Ford’s new flathead (sidevalve) V8 engine.

There was a second Model A here, this one a pickup truck.

1903 Oldsmobile “Curved Dash”: The gasoline-powered Oldsmobile Model R, also known as the Curved Dash Oldsmobile, is credited as being the first mass-produced automobile, meaning that it was built on an assembly line using interchangeable parts. It was introduced by the Oldsmobile company in 1901 and produced through 1903; 425 were produced the first year, 2,500 in 1902, and over 19,000 were built in all. When General Motors assumed operations from Ransom E. Olds on November 12, 1908, GM introduced the Oldsmobile Model 20, which was the 1908 Buick Model 10 with a stretched wheelbase and minor exterior changes. It was a runabout model, could seat two passengers, and sold for US$650. While competitive, due to high volume, and priced below the US$850 two-seat Ford Model C “Doctor’s Car”, it was more expensive than the Western 1905 Gale Model A roadster at US$500. The Black sold for $375, and the Success for US$250. It was built as a city car for short distance driving, while the larger Model S could carry four passengers and could travel longer distances. The flat-mounted, water-cooled, single-cylinder engine, situated at the centre of the car, produced 5 hp, relying on a brass gravity feed carburettor. The transmission was a semiautomatic design with two forward speeds and one reverse. The low-speed forward and reverse gear system is a planetary type (epicyclic). The car weighed 850 lb (390 kg) and used Concord springs. It had a top speed of 20 mph (32 km/h). The car’s success was partially by accident; in 1901, a fire destroyed a number of other prototypes before they could be approved for production, leaving the Curved Dash as the only one intact. As workers were attempting to move the prototypes out of the burning building, they were only successful at rescuing one prototype, the Model R Curved Dash. In 1904, the Model R was replaced by the Model 6C, which had a larger 1,931 cc engine; in addition, drum brakes replaced the band brake. After 2,234 copies, the 6C model was discontinued in December 1904. In 1905, the Model B was introduced with more improvements. The engine received improved cooling and a new flywheel, and the handbrake now worked on the differential instead of the gearbox. The leaf spring suspension was modified so that the reinforced axles were connected to all spring elements. In 1906, the car received celluloid side window curtains. The dashboard was also offered with an upright position, called the Straight Dash, and approximately 6,500 Model B were manufactured, and the Model F was introduced in 1907, again with mechanical improvements. The Model B also saw a limited production Touring Sedan with a novel entry approach called the Side Entrance Touring Sedan where passengers would enter from the middle of the car. The engine was a 259.8 cu in (4,257 cc) two cylinder horizontally opposed engine installed underneath the passenger compartment that powered the rear wheels, and the transmission was a two-speed planetary gearbox. Sales were not successful and it was cancelled by 1906.

1908 Buick Model 10: The Buick 4 was a series of passenger cars produced by the Buick Division of GM from 1909 through 1918, and was available as a touring car, phaeton or roadster. It was available with the Buick Model B as a larger alternative offering a larger engine and better durability. It became the junior sedan in 1914 when the Buick Six was introduced. The Model 10 (1908–1910) was equipped with a overhead valve, in-line 165 cu in (2,703 cc) four-cylinder engine developing 40 bhp. The engine was installed in the front, driving the rear wheels through a transmission shaft. The gearbox had three forward gears, with the gearshift lever positioned to the right of the driver. The brake pedal came into contact with the Drum brake on the rear wheels. The Model 10 had a wheelbase of 88 in (2,235 mm) and was offered as a 5-passenger touring car, 4-door landaulet or 4-door sedan, manufacturing 23,100. The Model 10 was an improvement of the previously developed car made by Janney Motor Company and acquired by Buick. The Model 32 (roadster) and Model 33 (touring car) were built in 1911. The only changes were the wheelbases at 89 in (2,261 mm) for the roadster and 100 in (2,540 mm) for the touring car. 1,150 Model 32 and 2,000 Model 33 were manufactured. It had a listed retail price of US$1,000.

1959 Cadillac Eldorado Biarritz: Along with the rest of the General Motors divisions, the bulky, originally proposed 1959 styling was abandoned in favour of a significantly lower, longer and wider theme as an overdue response to Virgil Exner’s striking redesign of the 1957 Chrysler products. The 1959 Cadillac is remembered for its huge sharp tailfins with dual bullet tail lights, two distinctive rooflines and roof pillar configurations, new jewel-like grille patterns and matching deck lid beauty panels. For 1959, the Series 62 became the Series 6200. De Villes and two-door Eldorados were moved from the Series 62 to their own series, the Series 6300 and Series 6400 respectively, though they all, including the four-door Eldorado Brougham (which was moved from the Series 70 to Series 6900), shared the same 130 in (3,302 mm) wheelbase. New mechanical items were a “scientifically engineered” drainage system and new shock absorbers. All Eldorados were characterized by a three-deck, jewelled, rear grille insert that replicated the texture of the front grille; this front/rear grille treatment was shared with the Fleetwood Sixty Special and would continue through 1966 with textures being revised each year. The Seville and Biarritz models had the Eldorado name spelled out behind the front wheel opening and featured broad, full-length body sill highlights that curved over the rear fender profile and back along the upper beltline region. Engine output was an even 345 hp from the 390 cu in (6.4 L) engine. Standard equipment included power brakes, power steering, automatic transmission, back-up lamps, windshield wipers, two-speed wipers, wheel discs, outside rearview mirror, vanity mirror, oil filter, power windows, six way power seats, heater, fog lamps, remote control deck lid, radio and antenna with rear speaker, power vent windows, air suspension, electric door locks and license frames. The Eldorado Brougham also came with air conditioning, automatic headlight dimmer, and cruise control standard over the Seville and Biarritz trim lines. The styling was toned down somewhat for the 1960 model year.

1948 Chrysler Town & Country Convertible: After World War II, the Town & Country nameplate returned, though the 4-door 8-passenger station wagon did not. Only the 1946 Town & Country 4-door sedan and the 1946 Town & Country 2-door convertible were offered; however, the 1946 Town & Country sales brochure also described and illustrated a roadster, a 2-door sedan called the Brougham, and a 2-door hardtop called the Custom Club Coupe. None of those three additional body styles progressed beyond the prototype stage, with one Brougham and seven Custom Club Coupes built;[4] it would be another three model years before General Motors would offer the first mass-produced 2-door hardtops, while the Town & Country range would not see a production 2-door hardtop until one model year after that. The wooden body framing was made from white ash and the panels were mahogany veneer but were now bonded to steel body panels. The average retail price was listed at US$2,609 and production totals were documented at 2,169. During the 1947 model year, the 1947 Town & Country 4-door sedan and the 1947 2-door convertible each carried over with just a few improvements over the previous model year (1946). During the 1948 model year, while the 1948 Town & Country 4-door sedan was in its last model year of production ever after only a three-model-year production run (since the 1946 model year), the 1948 Town & Country 2-door convertible carried over with just very few improvements over the previous model year (1947). This was also the year the genuine Honduran mahogany wood panels were replaced by DI-NOC vinyl panels. A similar appearance sedan was also introduced in 1948 called the Packard Station Sedan which appeared like a sedan but had a two-piece tailgate constructed entirely of wood. The 1949 Town & Country 2-door convertible, which carried over with so very few improvements over the previous model year (1948), was in its last model year of production, which was the only Chrysler Town & Country offering during the 1949 model year after a four-model-year production run (since the 1946 model year), during the next model year (1950), Chrysler would produce the last true woodie offering—ever—as the Town & Country Newport 2-door hardtop. The cars for 1949 were first Chrysler’s new postwar designs, with a longer wheelbase (131.5 in), based upon the New Yorker model. The 1950 Town & Country 2-door hardtop was Chrysler’s last true woodie offering during its one-model-year production run while the panels were now simulated. This was also the year a new optional feature was available, windshield washers which are now a standard feature on all cars worldwide. The 1950 Crosley Hot Shot is often given credit for the first production disc brakes but the Chrysler Imperial Crown actually had them first as standard equipment at the start of the 1949 model year. The Chrysler 4-wheel disc brake system was built by Auto Specialties Manufacturing Company (Ausco) of St. Joseph, Michigan, under patents of inventor H.L. Lambert, and was first tested on a 1939 Plymouth. Unlike the caliper disc, the Ausco-Lambert utilized twin expanding discs that rubbed against the inner surface of a cast-iron brake drum, which doubled as the brake housing. The Ausco-Lambert disc brake was complex, and because of the expense, the brakes were only standard on the Chrysler Imperial Crown through 1954 and the Town and Country Newport in 1950. They were optional, however, on other Chryslers, priced around $400, at a time when an entire Crosley Hot Shot retailed for $935. After the woodie coupes, sedans and convertibles were discontinued, for 1951 the Town & Country nameplate was used on an all steel-bodied full-size rear wheel drive station wagon.

1946 Lincoln Continental Convertible: The Lincoln Continental began life as a personal vehicle for Ford Motor Company President Edsel Ford. In 1938, Ford commissioned a one-off design he wanted ready for his March 1939 vacation from company Chief Stylist Eugene T. “Bob” Gregorie. Using the blueprints of the streamlined Lincoln-Zephyr as a starting point, Gregorie sketched a design for a convertible with a redesigned body; allegedly, the initial sketch for the design was completed in an hour. At the time work had begun on the first Continental coupe, Lincoln had previously cancelled the Lincoln K-series coupes, sedans, and limousines, and produced the very limited Lincoln Custom limousine, along with the smaller Lincoln-Zephyr coupes and sedans, while the all-new Mercury Eight was also introduced in 1939. Ford wanted to revive the popularity of the 1929–1932 Lincoln Victoria coupe and convertible but with a more modern approach, reflecting European styling influences for the Continental. By design, the Edsel Ford prototype could be considered a channelled and sectioned Lincoln-Zephyr convertible; although the vehicle wore a conventional windshield profile, the prototype sat nearly 7 inches lower than a standard Lincoln. With the massive decrease in height, the running boards were deleted entirely. In contrast to the Zephyr (and in a massive change from the K-Series Lincoln), the hood sat nearly level with the fenders. To focus on the styling of the car, the chrome trim on the car was largely restricted to the grille; instead of door handles, pushbuttons opened the doors. As with the Lincoln-Zephyr, the prototype utilized a 267 cubic-inch V12 engine, transverse leaf springs front and rear as well as hydraulic drum brakes. The design would introduce two long-running features used in many American automobile designs. The modified body gave the design new proportions over its Zephyr counterpart; with the hoodline sitting lower over the V12 engine and the passenger compartment moved rearward, the prototype had more in common with classic era “long-hood, short deck” body configurations versus being a strict adherent of contemporary streamline moderne design trends. As a consequence of the smaller trunk space, the spare tyre was mounted behind the trunk; while disappearing on American cars, the externally mounted, covered spare tyre remained a feature on European-produced cars. The prototype designed by Gregorie was produced on time, making the deadline to be delivered to Edsel Ford in Florida. Interest from well-off friends was high; Edsel sent a telegram back to Michigan that he could sell a thousand of them. In reference to its European-inspired design, the Lincoln-based prototype received its name: Continental. Immediately, production commenced on the Lincoln Continental, with the majority of production being “Cabriolet” convertibles and a rare number of coupes. These were extensively hand-built; the two dozen 1939 models and 400 1940-built examples were built with hand-hammered body panels; dies for machine-pressing were not constructed until 1941. The limited number of 1939 models produced are commonly referred to as ‘1940 Continentals’. Lincoln Continentals from 1939 to 1941 shared largely the same body design with each other; based on the Lincoln-Zephyr, the Continental received few updates from year to year. For the 1942 model year, all Lincoln models were given squared-up fenders, and a revised grille. The result was a boxier, somewhat heavier look in keeping with then-current design trends, but perhaps less graceful in retrospect. 1942 production was shortened, following the entry of the United States into World War II; the attack on Pearl Harbor led to the suspension of production of automobiles for civilian use. After World War II, the Lincoln division of Ford returned the Continental to production as a 1946 model; Lincoln dropped the Zephyr nomenclature following the war, so the postwar Continental was derived from the standard Lincoln (internally H-Series). To attract buyers, the design was refreshed with updated trim, distinguished by a new grille. For 1947, walnut wood trim was added to the interior. Following the death of Edsel Ford in 1943, Ford Motor Company re-organized its corporate management structure, which led to the 1946 departure of the Continental’s designer Bob Gregorie. That year’s Continental, the first postwar model, was designed by famed industrial stylist Raymond Loewy. 1948 would become the last year for the Continental, as the division sought to redevelop its new 1949 model line as an upgraded version of the Mercury; the expensive personal-luxury car no longer had a role at Lincoln.

1941 Buick Roadmaster Convertible: In 1940, the Series 80 was renamed Buick Limited. The Roadmaster name was transferred to the new Series 70, which was introduced simultaneously as a brand new Series 50 Super. The Roadmaster featured a cutting-edge “torpedo” C-body. The new C-body that the 1940 Buick Roadmaster shared with the Super, the Cadillac Series 62, the Oldsmobile Series 90, and the Pontiac Torpedo featured shoulder and hip room that was over 5-inch (127 mm) wider, the elimination of running boards and exterior styling that was streamlined and 2-3″ lower. When combined with a column-mounted shift lever the cars offered room for six-passengers. The 1940 Roadmaster had a shorter wheelbase, weighed less, and was less expensive than the previous year’s model. The formal and fastback sedans were discontinued. A two-door coupe body style was newly introduced, and 3,991 units were sold. The coach-building firm of Brunn designed several custom-bodied Buicks for the Series 70, 80, and 90. Only one Roadmaster example is known to have been produced in 1940, an open-front town car, that was dubbed “Townmaster”. Overall sales more than tripled to 18,345. Styling updates for 1941 were modest, but there were mechanical changes. The compression ratio was raised from 6.6:1 to 7.0:1, the “turbulator” pistons were redesigned, smaller spark plugs were new, and “Compound Carburetion” was introduced. This Compound Carburetion was the forerunner of the modern four-barrel carburetor and consisted of twin two-barrel carburetors. One unit operated all of the time, while the other operated only under hard acceleration. The new engine was rated at 165 hp. This made it have five more horsepower than a senior Packard, 15 more than any Cadillac, and 25 more than the largest Chryslers, it was the most powerful engine available that year on an American car. A new body style for this year was a two-door convertible, which sold 1,845 units. There was also a Brunn-designed convertible, but no orders materialized because of the $3,500 price. Overall, Roadmaster sales were 15,372

1931 Chrysler Deluxe 8 Roadster: The car houses Chrysler’s first eight-cylinder inline engine. The Deluxe Roadster was only available with the so-called ‘Rumble Seat’ as the Americans call it. The English call it a ‘Dicky’ seat but it is also sometimes jokingly called ‘the mother in law’ seat. It is that extra upholstered bench in the trunk that you also encounter in Grandma Duck’s car as you used to see and read about in Donald Duck. 511 of these Deluxe Roadsters were produced and you had to pay $ 1,545 for them ex works.

1935 Packard 120A 12^th Series: In its introduction year, 1935, the Packard One-Twenty was available in a broad array of body styles including two and four-door sedans, convertible and Club Coupe. The One-Twenty, weighing in at 3,688 lb (1,673 kg), was powered by an all-new Packard aluminium-head L-head inline eight producing 110 bhp at 3850 rpm. Prices ranged from $980 for the three-passenger business coupe to $1,095 for the Touring Sedan. Introduced in January 1935, the car was an immediate success with consumers, with Packard producing 24,995 One-Twentys, compared to 7,000 of all other type Packards for the year, while competing with the 1935 LaSalle Series 50. For 1936 Packard increased the displacement on the L-head eight, increasing its output to 120 bhp, making the car capable of reaching a top speed of 85 mph (137 km/h). The One-Twenty added a convertible four-door-sedan model which was the most expensive model in the range priced at $1,395). A total 55,042 units rolled off the line in 1936, the highest production that the One-Twenty would reach. A built in radio was available at a cost of $59.50. In 1937, the One-Twenty went up-market as the company introduced the Packard Six, the first six-cylinder Packard in ten years. For 1937, the One-Twenty broadened its model range and was now available in “C” and “CD” trim levels. The line also added a wood-bodied station wagon, Touring Sedan and limousine built on a 138 in (3,500 mm) wheelbase and priced under $2,000. Introduced in September 1936, 50,100 units were produced during series production. For 1938, the One-Twenty name was dropped and its model folded into the Packard Eight model range, bringing the model name into parity with the Packard Six.

1941 Packard Series 19 Convertible Coupe: Returning to the Packard model range for 1939, the One-Twenty continued to be offered in a full range of body styles from coupe to Touring Limousine, with prices for the model range between US$1,099 and US$1,856. New for the year was introduction of column shifting (known in Packard parlance as Handishift), which did away with the floor shifter. Introduced in September 1938, a total of 17,647 units were built. In 1939, the company introduced a fifth, transverse shock absorber on the 120. It also offered Packard’s Unimesh three-speed synchromesh transmission, the same as in the Twelve (and already standard on the Eight), as well as the new fourth-gear Econo-Drive overdrive, claimed to reduce engine speed 27.8%, and able to be engaged at any speed over 30 mph (48 km/h). The series name One-Twenty officially became hyphenated for model year 1940. Again, the One-Twenty came in a full array of body styles, including a semi-custom Convertible Victoria by Howard “Dutch” Darrin. Introduced in August 1939, total model year output was 28,138 units. In its final year as a model, the One-Twenty lost a number of body styles to the expanded One-Ten line of cars. The One-Twenty was available in business coupé, club coupe, two-door sedan, four-door sedan, convertible coupe, convertible sedan, and two station wagon styles. Production sank to 17,100 units. For 1942, the One-Ten and One-Twenty were dropped as model names and their models folded into the Packard Six and Packard Eight lines. In its seven years in the Packard line-up, the One-Twenty saw a total production of 175,027 units.

1928 Franklin 12A Boattail: The 1928 Franklin Boattail Airman Sport Runabout model 12A. Franklins were produced in Syracuse, New York from 1902 to 1934. They were very innovative for that time, including air-cooled engines and overhead valves. They are above all reliable and that is probably why they are often referred to as a ‘doctor’s car’. Following his non-stop flight from New York to Paris in 1927, Charles Lindbergh only accepted a 1928 Franklin as a gift. In terms of design, there are indeed similarities between the air-cooled engine of the Franklin and the engine of ‘The Spirit of Saint Louis’, the aircraft with which Charles Lindbergh completed the first non-stop flight across the Atlantic Ocean. But Franklin has also set up an advertising campaign for its cars around the phenomenon of aviation, with the option of a hood ornament in the shape of a mini replica of the plane in which the memorable crossing was made. This replaced the standard ornament of a lion. Only seven of this Franklin in the photo were built and the car has won numerous awards at shows.

1957 Chevrolet Bel Air Convertible: The story of these cars starts in 1955, when Chevrolet replaced the entire range of cars, producing what are sometimes referred to as the “Tri-Five” range, which would live for three years. Revolutionary in their day, they spawned a cult following that exists in clubs, website and even entire businesses that exclusively cater to the enthusiasts of the Tri Five automobiles. All featured a front-engine, rear-wheel-drive layout. 1955-1957 were watershed years for Chevrolet, who spent a million dollars in 1956 alone for retooling, in order to make their less expensive Bel Air models look more like a Cadillac, culminating in 1957 with their most extravagant tailfins and Cadillac inspired bumper guards. In 1955, Americans purchased 7.1 million new automobiles, including 1.7 million Chevrolets, giving the company fully 44% of the low-price market and surpassing Ford in total unit sales by 250,000. The Bel Air was an instant hit with consumers, with Base One-Fifty models starting under $1600 and featuring a six cylinder engine. The introduction of the new optional 170 hp 265ci V8, coupled with the Powerglide automatic transmission quickly earned the model the nickname “The Hot One”. In the first year of production, the oil filter was considered an option, although not having it led to significantly shorter engine life. With three basic model lines of 150, 210 and Bel Air and a range of body styles from 2 and 4 door Sedans to Coupes, Convertibles and Wagons, there were as many as 19 different Tri-five models available. The 1956 cars saw minor changes to the grille, trim and other accessories. It meant huge gains in sales for Chevrolet, who sold 104,849 Bel Air models, due in part to the new V8 engine introduced a year before. By this time, their 265cid V8 had gained popularity with hot rodders who found the engine easy to modify for horsepower gains. This wasn’t lost on Chevrolet’s engineers, who managed to up the horsepower in 1956 from 170 hp to 225 hp with optional add-ons. The average two door Bel Air in 1956 sold for $2100, which was considered a good value at the time. Prices ranging from $1665 for the 150 sedan with six cylinder engine to $2443 for the V8 equipped convertible, with Nomad models running slightly higher. Bigger changes came for 1957, including the large tailfins, “twin rocket” bonnet design, even more chrome, tri-colour paint and a choice from no less than seven different V8 engines. While in 1957, Ford outsold Chevrolet for the first time in a great while, years later the used 1957 Chevrolets would sell for hundreds more than their Ford counterparts.  As the horsepower race continued, Chevrolet introduced a new version of their small block, with 283 cubic inches of displacement and 245 hp. They also introduced a limited number of Rochester fuel injected 283 engines that produced 283 hp, the first production engine to achieve 1 hp per cubic inch. For all intent and purposes, this made the 1957 Bel Air a “hot rod”, right off the production line. It was available with manual transmission only. The base 265cid engine saw an increase from 170 to 185 hp as well. While not as popular as the previous year’s offering, Chevrolet still managed to sell 1.5 million cars in 1957.

1954 Kaiser Darrin: The Kaiser Darrin, also known as the Kaiser Darrin 161 or in short as the Darrin, was an American sports car designed by Howard “Dutch” Darrin and built by Kaiser Motors for the 1954 model year. Essentially a revamp of Kaiser’s Henry J compact, the Kaiser Darrin was one of its designer’s final achievements and was noted for being the second (behind the 1953 Corvette) American car equipped with a fiberglass body and doors that slid on tracks into the front fender wells. The car was named both for Henry J. Kaiser, head of Kaiser Motors, and Darrin. The Darrin was conceived as part of a movement in Detroit to compete head-to-head with European roadsters being imported to and sold in the United States in the post–World War II period. Among other products developed were the Ford Thunderbird in its initial two-seat form and Chevrolet Corvette. While the Darrin was designed attractively, it was also underpowered and, while a good performer overall, did not measure up to foreign vehicles such as the Nash-Healey or Triumph TR2. The Darrin’s high price tag, lack of consumer confidence in Kaiser’s viability and practical challenges with the car’s design resulted in low sales, though sports cars at the time were generally not fast sellers. Only 435 production Darrins and six prototypes were built. Crumbling corporate finances, pending loss of assembly facilities and a freak snowstorm that reportedly ruined 50 of the cars all conspired to terminate the program. Darrin bought those 50 vehicles and whatever others Kaiser had left in storage and sold those from his Hollywood, California showroom. Many of the cars’ engines were retrofitted with superchargers and multiple carburation to improve performance. Six were rumored to have been re-engined with Cadillac Eldorado V-8 units, however, none have survived subjecting the story to some scepticism. There was one V8 engined Darrin raced at Tory Pines in November 1954 and a wrecked Darrin rebuilt into a drag racer by Lee and Gary Abrahams of Tucson, Arizona in the early 1960s. By the end of his life, industrialist Henry J. Kaiser had built a personal empire which included more than 100 various companies that ranged from construction and manufacturing to health care. He had begun with a cement business in Vancouver, British Columbia. A contract to build roads in Cuba in 1927 was followed with work on the Hoover and Grand Coulee dams. In 1939, he entered the shipbuilding industry. Even though he had never built a ship before then, by 1943 he had more than 300,000 employees in seven shipyards and ultimately built 1,490 Liberty Ships during World War II. An exceptional organizer and with a penchant for lateral thinking, Kaiser tended to bulldoze his way through a problem. In areas that lacked infrastructure to support his work force, Kaiser and his son Edgar built entire cities within months. If there was a shortage of steel, he built a foundry or found a way to substitute aluminum. All that Kaiser tended to lack, according to writer Aaron Severson, was a sense of his own limitations. Kaiser had begun to consider entering the automobile business in 1942, when the United States government halted production of civilian vehicles to focus on military ones due to the country’s entry into World War II. With an eye toward postwar needs, Kaiser assembled a team of “idea men” to conceive a compact, lightweight car that the average working man could afford. By 1945, efforts had reached the prototype stage with the K-85, not a compact car but one with several advanced features, which included front wheel drive, unibody construction and a combination of torsion-bar springs and a torsion-beam rear axle called “Torsionetic Suspension.” In partnership with automotive executive Joseph W. Frazer, Kaiser formed Kaiser-Frazer Corporation on July 25, 1945. Late that year, Kaiser-Frazer leased the Ford factory complex in Willow Run, near Detroit, Michigan as its manufacturing base. Building new cars soon proved more problematic than designing them. While postwar demand for new cars meant robust sales, an ongoing shortage of capital at Kaiser-Frazer led to a split between its two founders. Kaiser wanted to expand production; Frazer wanted to retrench and economize, especially with the view that as the Big Three—Ford, Chrysler and General Motors—brought out newly designed cars, Kaiser-Frazer sales would drop. (Immediately after World War II, the Big Three had made do with cars made essentially along prewar designs in a rush to get new vehicles to market.) In early 1949, Frazer stepped down as president of Kaiser-Frazer. He was replaced by Kaiser’s son Edgar and the company renamed Kaiser Motors. Frazer’s concerns proved accurate. Sales slumped in 1949. Henry and Edgar Kaiser contemplated liquidation but decided against it in the hope that a new Kaiser for 1951, the Henry J, would help turn sales around. American designer Howard “Dutch” Darrin began coach building in Paris in partnership with fellow American designer Thomas L. Hibbard under the name Hibbard & Darrin in 1923. While they became noted over the following years for the innovatively-styled bodies they designed for many of Europe’s most prestigious chassis, the Great Depression and resultant loss of customers hit Hibbard & Darrin hard. The partnership ended in 1931 when Hibbard accepted a position in General Motors’s design department under Harley Earl. While Darrin remained in France initially and formed the coach building firm of Fernandez & Darrin with a wealthy South American banker, he returned to the United States in 1937. He set up his own coachworks on Sunset Boulevard, Hollywood and worked with Packard on some of the most attractive models built by that company in the 1930s and 40s. These included the Packard 120 and Packard Clipper. One of his trademarks became a sweeping fender line which descended gently along the side of the car until it reached a “dip” at the head of the rear fender. Darrin began work with Kaiser-Frazer as a freelance consultant at the end of World War II, after a plan to manufacture and sell an advanced automobile of his own design failed to materialize due to an immediate postwar shortage of raw materials. Investment banker Charles Schwartz, a friend of Darrin’s who had helped arrange the financing for his plan, introduced him to Joseph Frazer. Frazer commissioned Darrin to design a car that he planned to market through the Graham-Paige automotive firm. Once Kaiser-Frazer had been incorporated, Darrin’s design became the first 1947 Frazer. By 1946, Darrin had been contracted as a Kaiser-Frazer consultant. Darrin’s relationship with the company and Kaiser was stormy. Darrin’s designs were generally discarded for more conventional, less attractive designs. He resigned from Kaiser-Frazer in 1946 after its “orange juicers,” as he called the company’s designers, had altered his design for the 1946 K-F sedan. Although Henry and Edgar Kaiser had gotten along with Darrin personally and had hired him based on his reputation in automotive circles, neither was sorry to see him go. Darrin could be mercurial, temperamental and cantankerous. He left with the impression that Kaiser-Frazer had been excluding him, especially as Joseph Frazer’s influence in the company had waned. However, when Frazer asked Darrin to return two years later to work on the 1951 Kaiser, Darrin accepted. When it chose a more staid design for its Henry J compact than the one he had provided, Darrin once again resigned. The Henry J had been its namesake’s pet project, the result of both Kaiser and Frazer’s desire to provide an affordable car to the average working man. It was also the basis for a $44 million loan from the federal Reconstruction Finance Corporation (RFC) in 1948, with the condition that the car was to go to market no later than the summer of 1950. Its wheelbase, at 100 inches (2.5 m), had been sectioned from the company’s 1951 sedan which, while conventional, had proved a sound design. Moreover, the 1951 sedan had a low center of gravity and, with an uncommonly good ride, rivaled the Hudson step-down models as among the best-handling cars of its class. Contemporary testers of the Henry J such as Tom McCahill of Mechanix Illustrated and Floyd Clymer of Popular Mechanics pointed out the car’s poor quality of assembly but praised the Henry J’s performance. Automotive writer Aaron Severson, in his article “Dressed to Kill: The 1954 Kaiser Darrin,” called the Henry J’s roadability an “agreeable blend of ride comfort and maneuverability” and its engine “sprightly, if not particularly fast.” Darrin felt that the Henry J deserved better than the boxy design with which it had been outfitted and set out to prove it. Using his own funds and without notifying Kaiser, Darrin produced a 2-seat roadster design. After he had completed a clay model in the first half of 1952, Darrin contacted Bill Tritt, who had pioneered the use of glass-reinforced plastic (GRP, commonly known as fiberglass) in sports car bodies to have him produce a prototype. This body was shipped to Darrin’s design shop in Santa Monica, California, and mated to a Henry J chassis. Once the prototype was finished, Darrin invited Kaiser to see the car. Kaiser, predictably, became upset at the sight of the new car. He roared, “We are not in the business of selling sports cars,” he chastised Darrin for proceeding with the project without his knowledge. Darrin answered that the car had not been built on company time and that he had funded it himself. “Furthermore,” he added, “if you don’t build the car under the Kaiser banner, I’ll build it myself.” At this point, Kaiser’s new, younger wife, who had accompanied him to the shop, told her husband, “This is the most beautiful thing I have ever seen. I don’t see why you aren’t in the business of building sports cars. I don’t think there will be many automobile companies that won’t go into the sports car business after seeing this car.” Those words changed Kaiser’s mind. By the end of the viewing, he had not only embraced the building of the car but also green-lighted development of a four-door version. Months later, Kaiser showed his appreciation by having the new sports car named the Kaiser Darrin. As it turned out, there was actually a rush in progress among American car manufacturers to produce a two-seat roadster that would rival British imports. Ford Motor Company was developing the initial version of its Thunderbird and General Motors was working on the Chevrolet Corvette. Darrin’s work predated both these projects. Along with Darrin’s trademark fender line, the Kaiser Darrin had entry doors that, instead of being hinged to open outward, slid on tracks into the front fender wells behind the front wheels. Fueled by Darrin’s dislike for conventional doors, the designer had taken out a patent on the sliding auto door concept in 1946. To keep the door assembly as simple as possible, no side windows were built into them. The car was equipped with a three-position Landau top, which was also considered novel, and the design on the whole considered by industry critics and writers as beautifully proportioned. The only flaw was considered the car’s front grille. High and shell-shaped, it looked as though the automobile “wanted to give you a kiss,” as one writer commented. As with the prototype, the body for the production Kaiser Darrin was made of fiberglass. More resilient than aluminum, fiberglass did not rot or corrode, was lightweight and more pliable than steel to mold into shape. The molds were far less expensive than the tooling needed to bend and shape steel. This could theoretically make a fiberglass-bodied car economical for a small private manufacturer such as Kaiser to produce. The body was molded in two sections, minus deck lid, doors and hood. Underneath, the frame rails of the Henry J were modified to allow for a lower ride height, the steering ratio altered and the spring and damping rates changed to match the lighter body. The car was offered initially in four colors—Champagne Lacquer (white), Red Sail Lacquer, Yellow Satin Lacquer, and Pine Tint Lacquer (green)—with lacquer paints specified because fiberglass could not withstand the temperatures needed to bake enamel onto it. Tritt’s company, Glasspar, was commissioned to produce bodies for the production model. However, Glasspar produced only a handful of these. The remaining 435 were produced in-house by Kaiser. Glasspar did continue to produce the deck lids (trunk, top compartment, and engine hood) and doors. Several changes were necessitated to put the car into production. Only two of these angered the designer but were deemed necessary to meet vehicle regulations in several states—raising the headlights four inches and adding turn signals below them. Other alterations included separate lids for the trunk and top well instead of the one-piece lid on the prototype, a one-piece windshield without a “sweetheart dip” in place of a split windshield, an amended interior and a dashboard display with the instruments clustered ahead of the steering wheel instead of spread across the panel. Interior features included color-keyed vinyl bucket seats, available in red, white, black, or Pine Tint (green), and a carpeted floor. Seat belts, which were not widely available on American cars at this time, were listed as an option, however, there were no attachment points built into the frame or body. The prototype Darrin was unveiled to the public in November 1952 (two months before General Motors debuted the Corvette) at the Los Angeles Motorama, an event founded by Hot Rod and Motor Trend publisher Robert E. Petersen in 1950 to cater to hot rod and custom car enthusiasts. Public and media response to the Darrin was positive, with the roadster dubbed “the sports car that everyone has been waiting for.” At the 1953 New York Auto Show, Kaiser Motors announced that the Darrin would be available by that autumn. However, production models did not reach showrooms until January 1954, after the Corvette had entered the market. Among the factors that caused delay was the lack of an adequate powerplant. While the prototype had used a standard Henry J drivetrain, even Kaiser himself realized that a sports car needed more power than that engine could offer. Kaiser engineers had developed an overhead-valve V8 engine but the company had lacked the money to build it. Kaiser had then turned to Oldsmobile but the price for its 303-cubic-inch Rocket V8 became prohibitive when Olds raised its price halfway through negotiations. For the Darrin, Kaiser engineers modified a Henry J engine, giving it a high compression aluminium head, a hotter camshaft and a three-carburetor set-up. These changes added 25 horsepower to the output but increased valve and piston damage and affected drivability negatively. In March 1953, Kaiser merged with Willys-Overland to form Willys Motors Incorporated. Kaiser subsequently moved production to the Willys plant in Toledo, Ohio. The merger also offered an alternative engine choice for the Darrin. When the modified Kaiser J engine did not prove practical, Kaiser engineers decided to try the F-head six-cylinder Willys Hurricane. The Hurricane offered only six horsepower more than the Kaiser engine but was built more strongly and seemed to hold up better to the increased forces of supercharging. Unfortunately, just as the engine issue was being resolved, a labor strike shut down the Willow Run plant where the engine was made. Pilot production on the Darrin did not commence until August 1953. Full production finally began that December. When the car finally hit the market, its price, at $3668, was higher than the Cadillac 62 or Lincoln Capri luxury cars but came equipped with tachometer, electric windshield wipers, tinted windshield, windwings and whitewall tires. Because of the car’s price and lack of performance, sales were low. The Darrin’s unexceptional road performance did not help. A Willys Hurricane-6 produced 90 bhp, which allowed the car to reach a top speed of just 95 mph (153 km/h) and go from 0 to 60 (97 km/h) in around 15 seconds. While this was faster than the inexpensive MG TF, it was slower than the Alfa Romeo Giulietta Spider and Triumph TR2. Compared to the larger-engined Corvette, Nash-Healey and Jaguar XK120, the Darrin was completely outclassed. Also, while the Darrin possessed quick steering, it understeered considerably with brisk cornering and was not as agile overall as its European rivals. The ride, however, was comfortable for a sports car. Its brakes, borrowed from the much heavier Kaiser Manhattan, were excellent and the car proved easy to drive. Problems with the design also became apparent as the Darrin entered the market, especially regarding its sliding doors. While interior space was adequate, entering or exiting through the narrow door openings could prove awkward. Doors on early production vehicles tended to jam. A switch to nylon roller bushings (retrofitted to early cars) corrected the problem to some extent but owners still had to keep door tracks free of dirt, mud or debris. Also, the folding top and side curtains leaked and the heater proved inadequate. While these last two problems plagued sports cars of the time in general, they also limited the Darrin’s marketability. Kaiser dealers were reluctant to order them. Kaiser’s hope that the Darrin would entice dealers to order more of the company’s standard models did not prove true. By early 1954, many Kaiser franchises had either switched to other auto makers or had gone out of business. Few ordered any Darrins at all. Since consumer confidence in Kaiser’s future had become low, buyers generally did not want to purchase any Kaiser, let alone one that, while attractive, also seemed impractical and was priced as a luxury item. A lack of orders prompted Kaiser in July to reduce the Darrin’s wholesale price by about five percent. Later that month, the company’s general sales manager, Roy Abernethy, offered substantial dealer incentives on all Kaisers. These included a $700 trade-in allowance on any Darrin. While Kaiser had set a goal of selling 1,000 Darrins a year, production had not reached half that number and the factory where the Darrin was manufactured was backlogged with unsold cars. The lease on that plant, located in Jackson, Michigan, was about to expire. Either a renewed lease on that facility or the establishment of a new assembly line elsewhere would be needed if Darrin production was to continue past the end of 1954. Given this and the fact that neither dealer orders nor sales showed any signs of improving, Kaiser stopped production in August 1954.Another factor in the Darrin’s demise was a freak snowstorm that hit Toledo in the winter of 1953-54. Fifty Darrins that had been stored in the yard of the Kaiser-Willys plant there remained buried in snow for several months. When they were finally dug out, their fiberglass bodies were deemed too deteriorated to sell as new and Kaiser ordered them scrapped. At this point, Darrin intervened, demanding that the company not scrap his creation. Since Darrin had retained rights to the car’s design, which Kaiser had built under license, Kaiser offered him the cars at a token price as an appeasement. Darrin bought them and had them shipped to Santa Monica.

Crofton Brawny Bug: The Crofton Bug was a resurrection of one of the defunct Crosley Automobile Company’s better ideas. The Crosley had been a valiant attempt by industrialist Powell Crosley to provide an ultra-compact, highly-affordable car that offered all of America the joy and freedom of motoring. Alas, after selling nearly 75,000 cars and trucks in the years just before and after World War II – and losing a good chunk of change in the process – Crosley threw in the towel in 1952. Its frugal sedans, station wagons, roadsters and trucks failed to capture the favour of a nation intent on conspicuous consumption. Crosley’s products did not sell, but that doesn’t mean they weren’t good. Some of its’s more interesting prodigy lived on well after the company exited the car business. While the Crosley automobile was no more, the engine that had propelled it still found widespread application. The durable overhead cam mill would go on to power everything from motor boats to military generators, refrigerators to racing cars.  And from 1958 to 1964 it found itself in the engine bay of a pint-sized SUV called the Crofton Bug. Do not confuse this with the more famous insect from Germany. The Volkswagen was called the Beetle (and nicknamed Bug) because it was cute. The Crofton was called the Bug because it crawled over rocks like one. When W.B. Crofton, a successful San Diego GMC truck and Aerojet Marine dealer, purchased the rights to that versatile Crosley engine in the late 1950s, he also got the plans for the Crosley Farm-O-Road utility vehicle. The Farm-O-Road was built on a toughened up Crosley sedan chassis. It was a pint-sized truck-let that could go anywhere a mule and cart could with a lot less fuss… and not much more comfort. Six hundred Farm-O-Roads were sold over Crosley’s last 2+ years.  In turning the Farm-O-Road into the Bug, Crofton made numerous modifications. Length grew by over a foot, though still maintaining its manoeuvrable 63” wheelbase. It was all cargo space in back. Output from the 44 cu in 4-banger was increased to 35hp, giving a slight bump to the old Farm-O-Road’s 40mph top speed. Despite the modifications, this was an SUV at its most basic. The Bug was 3 feet shorter and 1000lbs lighter than the Jeep CJ-2. It also made that humble WW2 Jeep seem plush in comparison.

It is a short walk across part of the site to a large hangar-like building which houses the majority of the collection.

1948 Pontiac Streamliner Silver Streak Convertible: The Pontiac Streamliner is a full-sized car that was produced by Pontiac from the 1942 to the 1951 model years. Streamliners used the larger B-body and, except for the station wagons, used fastback styling. The 1941 Super Streamliner models with folding centre armrest were known as Chieftains in 1942. All Pontiacs looked lower, heavier and wider. Extension caps on the front doors lengthened the forward fender lines. The hood extended back to the front doors, eliminating the cowl. The grille, bumper and hood were widened and headlamps were further apart. Long horizontal parking lamps sat just above the vertical side grilles. The horseshoe shaped centre grille had horizontal bars and a circular emblem in the middle of the upper main surround moulding. The word Pontiac appeared on the hood side moulding of six-cylinder models, while the mouldings of the eight-cylinder cars said Pontiac Eight. After December 15, 1941, wartime “blackout” trim was used. All parts previously chrome plated were finished in Duco Gun Metal Grey. With the end of the C-body Pontiac Custom Torpedo, station wagon production was transferred to the new Streamliner line. The final body work continued to be done at either the Hercules Body Company or at Ionia Manufacturing. The Streamliner station wagon ranged from $1,265 for a base Six to $1,340 for a Chieftain Eight, making it Pontiac’s most expensive model. At 215.8 in (5,481 mm) in overall length the 1942 Pontiac Streamliner station wagon also set a record for the longest Pontiac, this would not be exceeded until the 1959 Pontiac Star Chief and Bonneville.  The first postwar Pontiac available (September 13, 1945) was the Streamliner coupe, which remained the sole product for a time. The Chieftain trim level of 1942 was renamed the Deluxe trim level in 1946. Styling highlights of Pontiacs were wraparound bumpers, a massive 14-blade grille, new nameplates and concealed safe-light parking lamps. Streamliners could be identified by straight back Indian mouldings on the rear hood ornament chrome beltline mouldings and bright mouldings on the “speedline” fender ribs. They also had longer front fender crown mouldings and were generally larger in size. Lettering on hood emblems and badges placed forward of the “speedlines” identified Eights. Interior trim on passenger cars were in gray striped cloth. Station wagons had three seats in standard trim, two seats in Deluxe trim and used imitation leather upholstery and passenger car style interior hardware. Ranging in price from $1942 for a standard Six to $2,047 for a Deluxe Eight, Streamliner station wagons continued to be the most expensive Pontiac model. A total of 92,731 Streamliners were sold in 1946, accounting for over two thirds of all Pontiacs. In 1947 the “Silver Streak” styling theme was continued, now with five bands of chrome on hoods. All Pontiacs had new grilles with four broad gently bowed horizontal bars. Hoods and fenders were protected by an inverted steer’s horn shaped bar incorporating a die cast plate with indianhead relief. Interiors for sedans and coupes were redesigned with Berwicke beige panels for dashboard and windows. Windshield, door and garnish mouldings were finished in Autumn Brown with dado stripe border mouldings. All coupes and sedans were fastbacks with full-loop around window mouldings. Streamliner station wagons ranged in price from $1,992 for a standard Six to $2,111 for a Deluxe Eight, again making them Pontiac’s most expensive model. Sales of Streamliners totalled 128,660 in 1947, or nearly 56% of all Pontiacs sold. In 1948 a new Pontiac styling included triple “Silver Streaks,” a horizontal grille theme with vertical shaft, and round taillights. The word “Silver Streak” was carried on the sides of the hood with eights having an “8” placed between the two words. Streamliners were again larger and more expensive than other Pontiacs. All Streamliners, be they 2-door or 4-door fastbacks, or station wagons, now came standard or Deluxe. Deluxe models were distinguished by spear moldings on front fender, bright gravel guards, and chrome plated wheel discs on all cars except wagons. Deluxe interiors had two tone trims with pillow-and-tuft seatbacks, quarter sawed mahogany dash and window trim, electric glovebox door clocks, Deluxe steering wheels and other rich appointments. Standard Streamliner station wagons had tan imitation leather seats and Deluxe wagons had red upholstery of the same type. Station wagon prices ranged from $2,364 for a standard Six to $2,490 for a Deluxe Eight, making them Pontiac’s most expensive model. In 1948 160,857 Streamliners were sold, accounting for nearly 66% of all Pontiacs. Perhaps the biggest story of 1948 for Pontiac was the addition of an imported engine and transmission out of Italy. This changed the name for General Motors perhaps because their cars were not made fully domestic. In 1950 they decided to go back to domestic-made motor and transmission as a result of people protesting about having a car from “Italy”  As of 1948 only General Motors sold cars with fully automatic transmissions and the only other way to get one was to buy a higher priced Cadillac, Buick or Oldsmobile. Chevrolet would not introduce Powerglide until 1950, Ford FordoMatic until 1951 (Lincoln would start buying Hydramatics from GM in 1949), and Chrysler, PowerFlite on Imperials, until 1953. Hydramatic proved very popular with a total of 171,946 Pontiacs sold with it, or about 71% of all Pontiacs, and with 122,327 Streamliners equipped with it, or about 76% of all Streamliners, in its first year. Since Hydramatic was still only optional on Cadillac and Oldsmobile, and Dynaflow optional on Buick Roadmaster, given the total sales of Cadillac (50,619), Oldsmobile (173,661) and Buick Roadmaster (80,071), and the fact that Dynaflow was only introduced in the middle of the model year, this implies that probably over 40% of all cars sold with automatic transmissions in 1948 were Pontiacs.

1941 Ford Super Deluxe Convertible: Fords for 1941 were much more modern with a wide body that nearly covered the running boards. The front and rear fenders were still pronounced, but were now integrated more into the body and the headlights were pushed all the way up and out over the front wheels. The 1941 grille was a three-part affair with a tall centre section bookended by twin kidneys low on the fenders and vertical bars all around. The 1941 was a bigger car with a 194.3 in (4,940 mm) overall length and a width increased to 73.12-in. Body styles included two-door and four-door sedans, a sedan coupe, a business coupe, and convertible coupe, sedan delivery wagon, and woody station wagon. The Super Deluxe had several amenities of higher quality over the base models, including more chrome, leather seats, and a wood-grain dashboard. The pickup truck continued with the 1940 standard Ford styling. Production of the 1941 models was disrupted by a sudden labour strike in April 1941; Henry Ford, having resisted unionization well after the rest of the American automobile industry accepted it, finally gave in and signed a contract with the UAW. The 1942 model year lasted only four months before the government ordered a halt to civilian automobile production starting on February 10, 1942.

1949 Ford Custom Deluxe Convertible: The 1949 Ford is a line of cars produced by Ford from the 1949 to 1951 model years. The successor to the prewar 1941 Ford, the model line was the first full-size Ford designed after World War II, becoming the first Ford car line released after the deaths of Edsel Ford and Henry Ford. From 1946 to 1948, each of the American Big Three concentrated on the restoration of car production, offering updated versions of their 1941-1942 model lines. Released in June 1948, the 1949 Ford was the first major “postwar” American car line, beating Chevrolet to market by six months and Plymouth by nine. In response to its design, the model line would become called the “Shoebox Ford”, denoting its slab-sided “ponton” design. While the design theme had been in use since the late 1920s to streamline automobiles, the 1949 Ford marked its widest-scale use, removing running boards entirely and integrating front and rear fenders into a single, smooth body form. Following the 1948 introduction of the Ford F-Series line of trucks, the Ford line was now offered solely as a car. In another change, Ford introduced stand-alone model nameplates for 1950. Designed by artist Frank L. Engle, the Ford crest emblem made its first appearance for 1950; in various forms, the emblem was used through the 1991 model year. In other firsts, this generation marked the first use of keyed ignition and the first automatic transmission option in Ford vehicles. For 1949, the Ford car line was redesigned from the ground up; only the powertrain and 114-inch wheelbase were retained from the 1941-1948 generation. The Ford adopted a drop-centre ladder frame; to further modernize its design, the transverse-leaf front and rear suspension (a feature in use since the Model T) was retired, replaced by a coil spring independent front suspension and longitudinal rear leaf springs. The torque tube driveshaft was replaced by a more universally-used Hotchkiss drive shaft. Carried over from the previous generation, a 226 cubic-inch L-head inline-6 was the standard engine with an optional 239 cubic-inch Flathead V8. The 1949 Ford debuted at a gala at the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel in New York City in June 1948, with a carousel of the new model line complemented by a revolving demonstration of the new chassis; the new integrated steel structure was advertised as a “lifeguard body”. Though wood was again used for external body panels, the “woody” station wagon adopted a steel inner body structure. To increase its body rigidity, the frame of the convertible received an “X member” reinforcement. Alongside the redesign of the car, Ford updated its model nomenclature for 1949. The previous Custom, De Luxe, and Super De Luxe names were replaced by new Standard and Custom trims, with Tudor and Fordor sedans (two-door and four-door, respectively), fastback Club Coupe and Business Coupe (the latter, rear seat delete), Convertible Club Coupe, and two-door Station Wagon styles. In the centre of the “Bullet-nose” grille emblem, Ford embossed either a “6” or an “8” on top of a red circle, denoting the fitment of an inline-6 or V8 engine. While using a different body than Lincoln-Mercury, Ford Motor Company used ponton styling across all three of its divisions for 1949, with the Ford sharing similar styling as the Mercury Eight and the Lincoln. The center-mounted “Bullet-nose” grille became a styling element adopted by Studebaker for the 1950 facelift of the Studebaker Starlight. During the 1950s, the slab-sided exterior design would go on to influence many European manufacturers, including Mercedes Benz, Borgward, Austin, Volvo and many others. For 1949, Ford returned to first place among American manufacturers, selling 1,118,740 Ford cars. While bolstered by an extended 16-month model year, the 1949 Ford was met with success

1953 Ford Crestline Sunliner Convertible 50^th Anniversary: The Crestline was introduced as the top trim level of the 1952 Ford range, above the intermediate-level Customline and base level Mainline. It was offered in Victoria, Sunliner and Country Squire versions with 2-door hardtop, 2-door convertible and 4-door station wagon body styles respectively. Crestlines were offered only with a 239 cu in (3,920 cc) “flathead” V8 engine. The Crestline was updated with minor styling and trim changes for 1953. It retained its position as the top trim level in the Ford range while body styles and engine availability also remained unchanged. For 1954 the Crestline was again updated with minor styling and trim changes. Fordor Sedan and Skyliner versions were added, the latter being a 2-door hardtop with a tinted acrylic glass panel in the front section of the roof. 13,144 were sold in the single year of production, more than the two years of Crown Victoria Skyliner production that would follow. New 223 cu in (3,650 cc) straight-six and 239 cu in (3,920 cc) overhead valve V8 engines were offered. The Crestline was replaced by the Ford Fairlane in the 1955 Ford range.

1959 Ford Galaxie Sunliner: The 1959 Ford range was introduced in late 1958 with the Fairlane 500 as the top trim level. During the 1959 model year, the Galaxie was added to the range as an additional trim level, assuming the top position from the Fairlane 500. The Galaxie was offered with the same sedan and hardtop body styles as the Fairlane 500 whilst the Sunliner and Skyliner convertibles were moved across from the Fairlane 500 range. Styling varied from the Fairlane 500 with the addition of a Ford Thunderbird-style C pillar on all but the Sunliner. Although a separate series from the Fairlane 500, 1959 Galaxie models carried both Fairlane 500 and Galaxie badging. In keeping with the era, the 1959 Galaxie was a chrome and stainless steel-bedecked vehicle with optional two-tone paint. It was the very image of the ostentatious late-1950s American automobiles, though somewhat tamer than its Chevrolet and Plymouth competitors. Ford advertised “safety anchorage” for the front seats. The parking brake was now a pedal. Seat belts, a padded dashboard, and child-proof rear door locks were optional, while a deep-dished steering wheel and double-door locks were standard. Among the models was the Skyliner, moved up-market from the Fairlane 500 and featuring a retractable hardtop that folded down into the trunk space. This feature was complicated and expensive, and left very little trunk room when folded down. Power retractable hardtops have since been used by luxury manufacturers such as Mercedes-Benz, Lexus, and Cadillac, but in all these cases the vehicle was a two-seater, allowing a much smaller top mechanism than the Skyliner’s. Not until 2006, when the Pontiac G6 convertible, Peugeot 206 CC (in Europe) and Volkswagen Eos appeared, did another mass-market model with a rear seat appear in this category.

1960 Ford Galaxie Starliner: The Ford Starliner was a full-size, two-door, fastback variant of the flagship Galaxie, manufactured and marketed by Ford Motor Company for model years 1960 and 1961. In 1960, the Starliner hardtop, along with the Sunliner convertible, comprised the Galaxie Special Series, using the high-level Galaxie trim and Starliner script replacing the trunklid’s Galaxie emblem. For model year 1961, the Starliner hardtop and Sunliner convertible were part of the Galaxie Series. The Ford Starliner shares its name with the 1952–1954 Studebaker Starliner and the Lockheed L-1649A airplane. Characterized by thin roof pillars, fastback styling and implied aerodynamics, the Starliner symbolized 1960s Jet Age design. The ’60 and ’61 Starliners shared their roof lines and chassis, with the 1961 Starliner featuring substantially revised front and rear styling. Ford offered its 292 CID Y-block V-8 as the base engine for model years 1960 and 1961, with the 352 motor (originally introduced in 1958) as an option for both years, and its 352 high performance engine optional for 1961 (available only with a manual transmission). The latter optional engine offered 360 HP; Ford’s first engine to have a more than 1HP rating per cubic inch. In 1961, Ford offered the new Thunderbird 390 cubic-inch motor in three versions with the top line offering in 375 horsepower. Ford also offered a 6V-401 HP dealership option, whereby a three-2 barrel manifold and carb setup were shipped in the trunk, to be installed by the dealer or the buyer. In 1962 the Galaxie 500 (and 500 XL) replaced the Starliner as the top offering. Ford built 68,641 Starliners in 1960 and 29,669 in 1961.

1958 Chevrolet Bel Air Convertible: For 1958, Chevrolet models were redesigned longer, lower, and heavier than their 1957 predecessors, and the 348 cu in (5.7 L) was now an option. The Bel Air gained a halo vehicle in 1958, the Impala, available only as a hardtop coupe and convertible in its introductory year. Impala styling followed the basic lines of the other Chevrolet models but received special styling cues including a different roof line, a vent above the rear window, unique side trim, and triple tail lights housed in slightly broader alcoves. Two significantly cheaper models, the Biscayne (formerly the 210) and the Delray (formerly the 150) were also available during this model year. Chevrolet’s design for the year fared better than its other GM offerings, and lacked the overabundance of chrome found on other sedans at the time. Complementing Chevrolet’s front design was a broad grille and quad headlights; the tail received a fan-shaped alcove on both side panels, which housed dual tail lights. Despite being a recession year, consumers made Chevrolet the No. 1 make of automobile, and the Bel Air was at the core of Chevrolet’s popularity. With its wide variety of body styles and models, Bel Airs could be optioned with almost every conceivable luxury within the Chevrolet line. The Nomad station wagon name also reappeared in 1958 when the vehicle bowed as the premium four-door Chevrolet station wagon, lacking the unique styling of the 1955-57 Nomads. Most Chevrolet station wagon models had two tail lights (one on each side of the body) housed in abbreviated alcoves, which were made smaller to accommodate the rear gate. A new dash was used. The 1958 Bel Air featured Chevrolet’s new “Safety-Girder” cruciform frame. Similar in layout to the frame adopted for the 1957 Cadillac, it featured box-section side rails and a boxed front cross member that bowed under the engine. These “x-frames” were used on other 1958 to 1964 Chevrolet cars, as well as Cadillac. The rear was tied together by a channel-section cross member. This design was later criticized as providing less protection in the event of a side impact collision, but would persevere until 1965. For the first time, Powerglide models featured the “PRNDL” transmission selector arrangement, replacing the oft-criticized “PNDLR” quadrant that many considered confusing at best, dangerous at worst. The Bel Air received a major redesign for the 1959 model year.

1959 Chevrolet Impala Convertible: As part of a GM economy move, the 1959 Chevrolet Impala was redesigned to share bodyshells with lower-end Buicks, Oldsmobiles, and Pontiacs. Using a new X-frame chassis, the roof line  was 3 inches lower, bodies were 2 inches wider, the wheelbase was 1-1/2 inches longer, and curb weight increased. Flattened tailfins protruded outward, rather than upward. The taillights were a large “teardrop” design at each side, and two slim-wide, non-functional front air intake scoops were added just above the grille. The Impala became a separate series, adding a four-door hardtop and four-door sedan to the two-door Sport Coupe and convertible and a five-door station wagon. Sport Coupes featured a shortened roof line and wrap-over back window. The standard engine was an I6, while the base V8 was the carryover 283 cu in (4.6 L), at 185 hp. Optional were a 283 cu in with 290 hp  and 348 cu in (5.7 L) V8 up to 335 hp. Standard were front and rear armrests, an electric clock, dual sliding sun visors, and crank-operated front vent windows. A contoured hooded instrument panel held deep-set gauges. A six-way power seat was a new option, as was “Speedminder,” which allowed the driver to set a needle at a specific speed, which triggered a buzzer when exceeded. The 1960 Impala models reinstated three round taillights on each side, and a white band running along the rear fenders. Seven versions of the 283-cu in and 348-cu in V8s were offered: the carbureted 283 Turbo-Fire could have either 170 or 230 hp. The 348 was available in 250 to 320 hp with a 350 hp Special Super Turbo-Thrust with triple two-barrel carburettors, 11.25:1 compression ratio, and dual exhausts. Fuel injection was no longer an option on full-size Chevrolets. New to the options list was cruise control. Production was 490,000 units.

1959 Plymouth Sport Fury Convertible: In 1959, Plymouth introduced the Sport Fury as its top model, and the Fury as its second from the top model to replace the Plymouth Belvedere at the top of the Plymouth line-up. The Fury was now available in 4-door Sedan, 2-door Hardtop and 4-door Hardtop models and the Sport Fury as a 2-door Hardtop and a Convertible. The station wagon version of the Fury was the Sport Suburban, which was not marketed as a Fury. The Sport Fury was dropped at the end of 1959, but was reintroduced in mid-1962 and discontinued in 1971. In 1959, the 350 was replaced with a 361 cu in (5.92 L) version of the Golden Commando with a two- or four-barrel carburettor. The dual four-barrel version of the “small block” 318 cu in (5.21 L) was also introduced that year, with the four-barrel available on this engine through the 1962 model year.

1949 Plymouth Special Deluxe Convertible: The Plymouth De Luxe and Special De Luxe were full-sized automobiles which were produced by American manufacturer Plymouth during the 1933–1942 and 1946–1950 model years. The Plymouth Deluxe Model PD appeared in 1933, shortly after the Plymouth Six Model PC which was the company’s first six-cylinder automobile but offered a 107 in (2,718 mm) wheelbase versus 112 for the De Luxe. It was an upscale alternative to the Plymouth Six (1933-1934), Business Six (1935-1938) and Roadking (1938-1940). In 1941, the Roadking name was dropped for the low trim Plymouths, which were referred as P11 and not renewed in 1942, making the De Luxe, the entry level. Between 1941 and 1950, the De Luxe was offered in two trim levels, the De Luxe and the top-of-the-line Special De Luxe. The engine in 1946 was a 95 bhp 217.8 cu in (3.6 L) Plymouth Straight Six. In 1949 this engine was upgraded to produce 97 bhp.

1949 Oldsmobile 98 Convertible: For the first time since 1940 Oldsmobile offered totally different styling during a single model year. The top of the line 1948 Oldsmobile 98 was also included in a marketing campaign for what Oldsmobile called “Futuramic” on all 1949 Oldsmobiles primarily focused on the automatic transmission 1948 Oldsmobile Futuramic introduction. Standard equipment on 98s included a solenoid starter, fender skirts, E-Z-l rearview mirror, and foam rubber seat cushions. The 98s also included front and rear bumper guards, vacuum booster pump, plastic radiator ornament, dual horns, dual sun visors, and cigarette lighter. Deluxe equipment added front and rear floor mats, Deluxe steering wheel, wheel trim rings, rear seat armrests, and hydraulic window, seat and top controls on all convertibles. Upholstery was either broadcloth or leather. The standard tire size was 6.50 x 16-inch. The Custom Cruiser name was retired until 1971 when it was used to denote full-size Oldsmobile station wagons. The new styling was apparently popular with a record 65,235 98s sold, exceeding the number of 90s sold in 1940 for the first time. The following year the new styling was joined by a new engine, the now famous Rocket V8. In February 1949, several months into the model year, General Motors introduced three highly styled “hardtop convertible” coupes, the Oldsmobile 98 Holiday, the Cadillac Series 62 Coupe de Ville, and the Buick Roadmaster Riviera, the first hardtop coupes ever produced. The Holiday was exclusive to the 98 series that year. Available in four special Holiday colours, as well as four two-tone combinations, it was priced the same as the convertible, and was similarly equipped, with hydraulically operated windows and seat. Only 3,006 Holidays were sold in its first year compared to 20,049 Club coupes. Total sales reached 93,478 in 1949, setting yet another record. The 1950 Oldsmobile 98 repeated its 1948 precedent of previewing some of next years styling cues for the 88. The 98 was restyled after only two years. It was the first totally slab sided Oldsmobile and the first sedan with wraparound rear windows. A 4-door 98 fastback appeared for one year only in 1950 and was called the Town Sedan, selling only 1,778 units. Standard equipment included bumper guards, dual horns, parking lamps, dome light, rubber floor mats, aluminum sill plates, foam rubber seat cushions, chrome interior trim, lined luggage compartment and counterbalanced trunk lid. Deluxe 98 equipment included rear seat armrest, Deluxe electric clock, Deluxe steering wheel and horn button, special door trim and stainless steel wheel trim rings. Upholstery choices spanned nylon fabric, striped broadcloth or leather. Standard tire size was 7.6 (193) by 15 inches (381 millimetres). In 1950, Oldsmobile stopped naming the 98 series and so from then through 1996, with the exception of 1957 when it was called the Starfire 98, and in 1961 when it was called the Classic 98, it was simply known as the Oldsmobile 98. Sales of the 98 Holiday nearly tripled to 8263, approaching the 11,989 sold of the Club coupe. Given the rapidly growing popularity of the 2-door Holiday hardtop, 1950 was the last year for the pillared Club coupe. Total sales set yet another record of 106,220. The 98 topped the Oldsmobile line again for 1951 with Three body styles available. The 4-door sedan and convertible came only with Deluxe equipment, while the Holiday hardtop was available with either Deluxe or Standard trim. The 98 standard equipment included bumper guards, cigarette lighter, dome light, rubber floor mats, stainless steel moldings, lined trunk, illuminated ashtray, foam rubber seat cushions and extra chrome moldings. Deluxe equipment was special rear door ornament, rear centre armrests, Deluxe electric clock, Deluxe steering wheel with horn ring and special chrome trim. Upholstery choices were nylon cord, nylon cloth and leather. The pillared Club coupe was no longer offered. With the only choice in a closed 2-door 98 now being the hardtop, Holiday sales nearly doubled to 17,929 units. From 1952 the car, which remained as the top of the line Oldsmobile, began to be called Ninety-Eight. This would continue until the demise of the model, with the exception of model years 1957 and 1961. The series shared the higher output 160 HP Rocket V8 with the Super 88s. Standard equipment on the three body styles included bumper guards, gray rubber floor mats front and rear, electric clock, dual horns, aluminium door sill plates, chrome gravel guards, foam rubber seat cushions, turn signals, carpeting front and rear, stainless steel wheel trim rings, windshield washer, and Deluxe steering wheel with horn ring. Upholstery selection was broadcloth or six colours of leather. Standard tire size was 8.00 (203) by 15 inches (381 millimetres). For the first time power steering was an option. Another new option was the Autronic Eye, an automatic headlight dimmer, which in its initial year was shared only with Cadillac. New in 1953, the Fiesta joined the Cadillac Series 62 Eldorado and Buick Roadmaster Skylark as top-of-the-line, limited-production specialty convertibles introduced that year by General Motors to promote its design leadership. It featured a cut-down belt line, a wraparound windshield that was 3 inches (76 millimetres) lower than the standard Ninety-Eight’s windshield, and special “spinner” hubcaps, which became a trademark on later Oldsmobiles. Virtually every Oldsmobile option was standard except air conditioning, regarded as unnecessary at the time in a convertible. Mechanically, the Fiesta had a special version of the Ninety-Eight engine which gained 5 horsepower to 170 through manifold streamlining and compression increased from 8.1:1 to 8.3:1. A four-speed Hydramatic automatic transmission and faster rear axle ratio were designed to keep the 4,459 pound shipping weight Fiesta (336 more than a standard Ninety-Eight convertible) up to Oldsmobile performance standards. At US$5,715 (over $700 more than the Skylark) the Fiesta was nearly twice the US$2963 price of a standard Ninety-Eight convertible, with only 458 units produced to its 7,521. Standard equipment for 1953 included bumper guards, electric clock, lined trunk, dual horns, cigarette lighter, chrome mouldings, twin interior sun visors, rear seat robe rails, special rear stainless steel trim, chrome window ventiplanes, windshield washer, and Deluxe steering wheel with horn ring. In 1953 a padded safety dash also became standard on the Ninety-Eight. For the first time air conditioning was an option. The Fiesta convertible would be gone the next year but its name would be resurrected in 1957 for Oldsmobile station wagons. The 1954 Oldsmobiles were redesigned across the line,

1949 DeSoto de Luxe: The DeSoto Series S-10 is an automobile produced by DeSoto from 1942 through to the 1952 model year. While in production, the Series S-10, which was sold with the trim package DeLuxe, was DeSoto’s entry-level car, and was offered primarily as two-door and four-door sedans while the Custom offered upscale interiors and appearance including a 7-passenger sedan and the extended-wheelbase Suburban sedans. The body was claimed to be “rust proofed”. The DeLuxe differed from the more upmarket Custom line by having less trim, fewer standard features, and plainer interiors in fewer colour combinations. A six-tube and an eight-tube radio were optional. The Deluxe shared its engine with the Custom, and was powered by Chrysler’s L-head 237 cu in (3.88 L) six-cylinder engine, delivering 109 bhp at 3600 rpm. The DeSoto had full instrumentation. Deluxes produced during the 1946, 1947, 1948 and first half of the 1949 model years used DeSoto’s prewar bodies, slightly updated following the end of World War II. In 1948, low-pressure tires became standard equipment. Custom models, along with Deluxe models, produced during the 1946, 1947, 1948 and first half of the 1949 model years used DeSoto’s prewar bodies. A fully redesigned Custom was launched in the second half of 1949, along with a redesigned Deluxe, and these cars are referred to as “1949 Second Series” models. In 1950, the Custom gained DeSoto’s first station wagon body style, which was not offered as a Deluxe and gave the choice of optional wooden panels bonded to the exterior steel body. The Custom also received DeSoto’s first hardtop coupe, which featured pillarless door design and offered interior equipment and refinement from the convertible, and again, the Deluxe was excluded from the premium body style. Standard equipment included two-speed electric windshield wipers, a trunk light and full carpeting. In 1951, the brakes grew to 12 inches in diameter. The Deluxe remained DeSoto’s base model until it was replaced by the DeSoto Powermaster in 1953, while Customs were unseated as DeSoto’s premium model range with the introduction of the V8-powered 1952 Firedome model range of cars.

1949 Lincoln Cosmopolitan Coupe: In 1949, Lincoln introduced its first postwar bodies (the first product lines of the combined Lincoln-Mercury Division); a Mercury Eight-based standard Lincoln and a larger “senior” Lincoln Cosmopolitan using an exclusive body and wheelbase. The two Lincolns were the result of a last-minute revision to Fords original postwar plans for small (Ford), medium (Ford-based Mercury) and large (Lincoln) car variants. When it was decided that the 1949 Ford would be an entirely new, smaller vehicle the originally planned Ford would become the new Mercury, the somewhat longer originally planned Mercury would become the “junior” Lincoln and the originally planned Lincoln would become the “senior” Lincoln Cosmopolitan. In a departure from previous Lincoln vehicles, the bodywork featured no running boards, with the fenders and doors enclosed together; the Lincolns featured headlights and taillights recessed (“frenched”) into the bodywork. At the time, the styling was referred to as a pontoon design. Using a feature that would later appear in the later Lincoln Continental sedan, all Lincoln-Mercury four-door sedans featured rear-hinged suicide doors. Alongside the four-door, the Cosmopolitan was sold as a two-door (in standard and Capri trim) and two-door convertible. There was also a four-door fastback sedan body style (marketed as the Cosmopolitan Town Sedan), but fastbacks rapidly went out of style after WWII and after only 7302 Town Sedans were ordered, the model did not return for 1950. Although Lincoln moved 73,507 total cars for the 1949 model year, 1950 production totalled only 28,150, a nearly 60% drop. The retail price for the convertible was US$3,948. Sharing its engine with the Ford heavy truck line, the Lincoln and the Lincoln Cosmopolitan were powered by a 337 cubic-inch Ford Flathead V8,. Ford did not have a full automatic transmission yet, although an experimental automatic known as Liquamatic had been tested in 1941. An attempt to purchase Packard’s Ultramatic transmission was unsuccessful as Packard could not supply the transmissions in sufficient quantities, so Ford instead purchased GM Hydramatics. Although Ford and Mercury would gain automatics for 1951, Lincoln continued using the Hydramatic until 1955. The 1951 model year saw the last Lincolns with manual transmissions until the 2000 Lincoln LS. For the suspension, the chassis was given front coil springs. All versions of the Lincoln Cosmopolitan came with electro-hydraulically operated windows and front seat as standard equipment, the same was obtainable only as an extra-cost option on the standard Lincoln. With the advent of improved production techniques, Lincoln offered its clients a vast array of color choices, including two tone appearances and offered 23 single colours including metallic selections, and provided 24 two-tone combinations. Optional equipment was a short list to include a heater and windshield defroster and a radio while full wheel covers, rear fender skirts and whitewall tires were standard. Alongside the Mercury Eight, the 1949-51 Lincoln Cosmopolitan would gain popularity among customizers creating “lead sleds”.

1957 Lincoln Premier Convertible: The Lincoln Premiere was a luxury car model sold by Lincoln in the 1956 to 1960 model years. Positioned below the company’s Continental Mark II coupe during 1956–1957 and above the Capri which it shared from 1956 to 1959, it was produced in 2 and 4 door versions which could both accommodate up to six people. The Premiere was for a short time the largest, top level 4-door sedan Lincoln offered against rivals from Cadillac, Imperial and Packard during the mid-1950s while not being available as an extended length limousine. For 1958, the Premiere shared its chassis and mechanicals with the Continental Mark III–V sedans, until it was replaced with the 1961 Continental sedan. The Premiere name has been currently revived as a trim level on Lincoln models. The Premiere was introduced in 1956 as an upscale version of the Lincoln Capri. It featured a 368 cu in (6.0 L) Lincoln Y-Block V8 and it was approximately 223″ (5664 mm) long in 1956. The vehicle weighed 4357 lb (1976.3 kg) and had a base price of $4,601 in 1956. The top-end Lincoln, it was substantially different from the much more expensive and conservatively styled Continental Mark II sold by Ford’s Continental Motorcars division, and was marketed against the Cadillac Series 62, Imperial Crown Coupe and Packard Patrician. To emphasize Lincoln’s exclusivity and specialized appearance, there were 20 available colours, with 34 two-tone exterior colour selections for 1956, increasing to 76 two-tone colour choices and only 18 single colour selections for 1957. 1956 production totals show a combination of 19,619 Hardtop Coupes, 19,465 4-door Sedans and 2,447 Convertibles were assembled. The Premiere’s appearance reflected the Capri’s derivation from the radically different concept cars, the Mercury XM-800 and the Lincoln Futura in an era of fascination with the Space Race and Mid-century modern architecture and monochromatic appearances. It was known for a stylish exterior, high-grade interior and some unique features, such as optional factory installed air conditioning being run through overhead ducts much like those in an aircraft. The cool air was directed to the roof via a pair of clear plastic ducts visible through the rear window at each side, connecting upward from the rear package tray. Four way power seats were standard. The front suspension was independent with a stabilizer bar, and for 1957 the driving light was relocated from the bottom edge of the front bumper and installed below the conventional sealed beam, two-way headlight while giving an appearance of having stacked dual headlights which Lincoln called “Quadra-Lite”.

1962 Lincoln Continental Convertible: For the 1961 model year the Lincoln range was consolidated into one model. Following the $60 million in losses to develop the 1958–1960 cars, all models were replaced by a new Lincoln Continental. Making its first appearance since 1948, the fourth-generation was available only as a four-door sedan and convertible until its 1966 model year refresh. The 1961 four-door sedan was listed at US$6,067 and manufactured 22,303 while the convertible was listed at US$6,713 and manufactured 2,857. The new generation was nearly 15 inches shorter overall with a 8″ shorter wheelbase over its predecessor, though heavier than its Cadillac or Imperial counterparts. Its construction and post-build quality control reflected Ford corporate management’s commitment to quality. The 1961 Lincoln Continental and its designers received a bronze medal by the Industrial Design Institute (IDI) of New York. It also won Car Life’s 1961 Engineering Excellence Award. The fourth-generation Lincoln Continental was styled by Ford design vice president Elwood Engel. In mid-1958, Lincoln was struggling against Cadillac, with its lack of profitability putting the future of the division at risk. In 1958, Engel developed a proposal for the 1961 Ford Thunderbird with staffers Howard Payne and John Orfe. While the proposal was not selected for the Thunderbird, the design interested Ford executives to the point of desiring the vehicle as a four-door Lincoln. At the time of the approval, Ford product planners had come to two conclusions critical to restoring the Lincoln Division to profitability. First, to instill design continuity, Lincoln would adopt a model cycle distinct from Ford or Mercury, moving from three years to eight or nine. Second, the 1958 Lincoln model line was too large for a standard-length sedan; consequently, the 1961 Lincoln would have to decrease its exterior footprint. The fourth-generation Lincoln Continental rode on a stretched version of the unibody platform produced for the 1961 Thunderbird, lengthened to a 123-inch wheelbase from market launch to 1963. This was then extended to 126 inches and retained until 1969. The only engine available was the 430 cu in (7.0 L) MEL V8 carried over from the Mark V. It was expanded to 462 cubic inches on 1966 models, becoming the largest-displacement engine ever used in a Ford Motor Company passenger car. A new engine, the 460 cu in (7.5 L) 385-series-based V8, took its place by 1969, shared with the Continental Mark III. All versions of the Continental were fitted with a 3-speed automatic transmission. New for 1966 was Ford’s C6 automatic, designed for use in big block, high-horsepower V8 engines. At its launch, the fourth-generation Lincoln Continental was offered solely as a four-door, as either a sedan or a convertible. For the first time on a Lincoln since 1951, rear doors were rear-hinged (suicide doors). To alert drivers of open doors, Lincoln fitted the dashboard with a “Door Ajar” warning light as seen on many modern automobiles. Latching at the B-pillar with a vacuum-operated central locking system, convertibles used an abbreviated pillar while sedans were “pillared hardtops.” In the configuration, a thin B-pillar supported the roof structure while all four doors utilized frameless door glass in the style of a hardtop or convertible; the layout would become used by several Ford Motor Company sedans during the 1960s and 1970s. In what would be the first four-door convertible from a major American manufacturer after World War II, the Lincoln Continental convertible was fitted with a power-operated top on all examples. Deriving its mechanism from the Ford Fairlane 500 Skyliner hardtop convertible, the Continental was fitted with a fabric roof that stored under a rear-hinged deck lid/filler panel. In a similar fashion as the Skyliner, to access the trunk for storage, the deck lid was opened electrically without raising or lowering the roof. Due to the overlap of the front- and rear-door window weatherstripping on the four-door convertibles (with “suicide” doors), to open the rear door when the front door was closed required that the rear-door window be slightly lowered first. This was accomplished automatically using sensors and relay-controlled logic—when the outside door latch button or inside handle was first pressed, the power-operated window lowered a few inches, then raised when the door was closed. An option for 1964–1965 was the vertically adjustable steering column. Unlike most tilt-adjustable columns that employ a lever-activated locking pivot joint just behind the steering wheel the Lincoln version employed a vacuum-actuated clamp, a dash-mounted height indicator window and a pivot point further down the column. During its production, the fourth-generation Lincoln Continental would be produced in three versions, undergoing model revisions in 1964 and 1966. The 1961 Lincoln Continental was introduced with four-door sedan and four-door convertible versions, replacing the Lincoln Premiere and Lincoln Continental Mark V. For the first time in a car manufactured in the United States, the Lincoln Continental was sold with a 2 year/ 24,000 mi (39,000 km) bumper-to-bumper warranty. California walnut veneer was used on the doors and instrument panel. For 1962, a simpler front grille design with floating rectangles and a thin centre bar replaced the heavy-gauge, Thunderbird-like, high mounted bumper of the ’61. For 1963, the Continental underwent several functional updates. The front seatbacks were modified in an effort to increase rear seat legroom. To increase luggage space, the trunklid was reshaped. In line with a number of vehicles in the United States, the electrical charging system introduced an alternator, replacing the generator.

1959 Lincoln Continental Convertible: To build a better business case for its flagship and the division that marketed the vehicle, the Continental model line underwent extensive changes for the 1958 model year. To widen its sales potential, Ford required Continental to reach a $6,000 price point. (a 40% reduction from the Mark II), allowing the division to better compete against Cadillac Eldorado and Imperial LeBaron. To allow for production at a larger scale, the Continental model line was more closely integrated with Lincoln, differing primarily in roofline, trim, and grille. For 1959, Ford cancelled the Continental division outright, with its model line remaining through the 1960 model year as part of the model cycle. The first all-new unibody design since World War II, this generation of the Continental is one of the largest sedans ever built by Ford Motor Company (or any American automaker). To facilitate continuation of the Continental model line, the division was forced to abandon hand-built construction. Sharing a common chassis and much of the exterior of the Lincoln Premiere, Continental production shifted to the then-new Wixom Assembly plant. To set itself apart from a Lincoln, along with a division-specific grille, all versions of the Continental (including convertibles) were styled with a reverse-slant roofline, fitted with a retractable “breezeway” rear window. First introduced on the 1957 Mercury Turnpike Cruiser, the feature allowed for augmented interior ventilation (along with air conditioning). Unlike the Turnpike Cruiser, the reverse slant of the roofline included the rear window, an element that would reappear on Mercury sedans in the next decade. The Continental Mark III was designed by John Najjar, Chief Stylist of Lincoln, assisted by Elwood Engel largely drawing influence from the 1955 Ford La Tosca concept model designed by Alex Tremulis. Engel would style the 1959 Mark IV, with Don Delarossa (who replaced Najjar as Lincoln Chief Stylist in 1957) developing the 1960 Mark V. As a result of its massive size and the configuration of its headlights, the model line was nicknamed the “slant-eyed monster” in the Ford design studio. The 1958–1960 Continental Mark III–V are built upon the same mechanical components used by the Lincoln Capri and Premiere. For 1958, Lincoln split further from Mercury in body design as part of ongoing efforts to outdo Cadillac, with Lincoln adopting unibody construction for the first time; the Continental shared a common body with the Premiere with the exception of the reverse-slant roofline. Shared with Lincoln, Mercury, and the Ford Thunderbird, the Continental Mark III–V were fitted with a 430 cubic-inch MEL V8 engine; a 3-speed Turbo-Drive automatic was the sole transmission. In 1958, the engine produced 375 hp, and was detuned to 350 hp in 1959, making 315 hp in 1960. Using a 131-inch wheelbase, the 1958 Continentals are the longest-wheelbase sedans ever built by Ford Motor Company. Longer than a Ford Excursion, the 1958–1960 Continentals are the longest sedans ever produced by Ford without 5-mph bumpers. The 1958 Continental Mark III convertible is the longest convertible ever mass-produced in the United States, with the sole exception of the rare 1934–1937 Cadillac V16 convertibles. In line with the previous Continental naming tradition, Continental introduced its 1958 model line as the Mark III. In a break from previous practice, the two subsequent model years were marketed as incrementally increased “marks” (Marks IV and V). For 1958, Continental released the Mark III in four body styles, including a 2-door hardtop and convertible, a 4-door pillared sedan, and a four-door hardtop sedan called Landau. Although far less expensive than the Mark II, the Mark III remained well-equipped, retaining air conditioning as an option which was relocated from the ceiling to the dashboard. The Mark III became the first Ford Motor Company vehicle to offer an FM radio tuner; it was a rarely ordered option. A unique option was “Auto Lube”, allowing for the car to lubricate itself as long as an oil reservoir was kept full. For 1959, the Continental Mark IV saw a minor restyling, with the elimination of Dagmars from the front bumpers and side sculpting becoming much less deeply drawn. Coinciding with the end of the Continental Division, “Continental III” fender badging is replaced by separate “Continental” and “Mark IV” badging. The grille is restyled slightly, with the headlight clusters now integrated into the egg-crate grille. For 1960, the Continental Mark V saw another styling update, with flatter front bumpers (with Dagmars). The Continental badging was restyled, with “Mark V” badging moved to the rear fenders. On the front fenders, four horizontal chrome spears were added. Using a similar layout as the Mark IV, the Mark V was given a restyled grille. The 1960 Continental features a beautiful one year only restyled dashboard. The rear grille and bumper were also completely restyled setting it apart from the previous two years. The rear suspension was changed from coil spring to leaf springs, the fusebox was placed under the hood for ease of access and cruise control was offered for the first time. Alongside the Mark III, IV, and V, there are two additional models of the third-generation Continental. In 1959, Lincoln added the Limousine and Town Car body styles; the latter marked the first use of the Town Car name by Lincoln. Available only in black, both versions were built with a model-specific formal rear roofline with a padded vinyl roof and smaller rear window for privacy. The Limousine featured a retractable partition between the front and rear seats with a rear seat radio on the back of the front seat. The wheelbase remained the same 131 inches on the limousine as the other Continental models and the rear seating was also the same dimensions. Priced at $10,230 for the limousine and $9207 for the Town Car, these cars came equipped with every optional accessory offered that year. The air conditioning capacity was increased with the addition of a trunk mounted evaporator to increase rear seat cooling. The 1959–1960 Town Car and Limousine are among the rarest Lincoln vehicles ever sold; only 214 examples of the $9,200 (equivalent to $96,200 in 2023) Town Car were produced and only 83 examples of the $10,200 Limousine were produced.

1959 Cadillac Eldorado Biarritz: There was another example of the legendary 1959 Eldorado here.

1976 Cadillac Eldorado Convertible: The 1971 Eldorado was substantially redesigned, growing two inches in length, six in wheelbase and featuring standard fender skirts, all of which gave the car a much heavier appearance than the previous generation. The 500 cu in (8.2 L) V8 engine remained an Eldorado exclusive. A convertible Eldorado was also offered for 1971, the first in the line since 1966. Door glass remained frameless, and the hardtop rear quarter windows were deleted, replaced by a fixed “opera window” in the widened “C” pillar. A stand-up wreath and crest hood ornament was new this year. Inside, there was a new curved instrument panel and redesigned seats. A fiber-optic “lamp monitor” system, which displayed the functionality of the headlamps, taillamps, parking lamps, turn signals and brakelights was mounted on each front fender and the shelf below the rear window. This 126.3 in (3,208 mm) wheelbase version Eldorado would run through 1978, receiving major facelifts in 1973, 1974 and 1975. Sales in 1971 set a new record at 27,368. Changes were minimal for 1972, the most noticeable exterior change was a new ‘Eldorado’ script, replacing the block ‘Eldorado’ lettering on the front fenders and trunk lid. Sales for 1972 increased to 40,074. In 1973, the Eldorado was removed from the Fleetwood series and reestablished as its own series. The 1973 models received a major facelift, featuring a massive eggcrate grille, new front and rear bumpers, decklid, rear fenders and taillamps. Interiors featured new “soft pillow” door panels, with larger, sturdier pull-straps. The rear “lamp monitor” display which showed the driver the function of the turn signal, brake and taillamps, was relocated (except on the convertible) from the rear shelf, to the headliner just above the rear window. The Cadillac Eldorado was chosen as the official pace car for the Indianapolis 500 in 1973. Cadillac produced 566 of these special pace car convertibles. Thirty-three were used at the track during the race week, with the remainder distributed to U.S. Cadillac dealers one per dealership. Sales of the Eldorado coupe and convertible soared to 51,451 the highest total for the model during the 1970s and over a sixth of all Cadillac sales for 1973. The lengthened wheelbase reduced performance relative to contemporary premium personal luxury cars, but offered comfortable seating for six adults rather than just four. 1974 Eldorados featured a redesigned rear bumper with vertical ends, housing sidemarker lamps. This new bumper was designed to meet the new 5 mile impact federal design regulation. Other styling changes included new horizontal taillamps placed beneath the trunk lid, a new fine mesh grille with Cadillac script on the header and new standard wheel covers. Inside, there was a redesigned two-tier curved instrument panel, marketed in sales literature as “space age” and shared with all 1974 Cadillacs. A new, quartz controlled digital clock, an “information band” of warning lights and the fuel gauge ran horizontally along the upper tier of this new instrument panel. For 1975, the Eldorado received new rectangular headlamps, egg-crate grille, front bumper, full rear wheel openings sans fender skirts and sharper, angular lines resulting in a sleeker appearance reminiscent of the 1967–70 models. 1976 was to be the final year for the Eldorado convertible and the car was heavily promoted by General Motors as “the last American convertible”. Some 14,000 would be sold, many purchased as investments. The final 200 convertibles were designated as “Bicentennial Edition” commemorating America’s 200th birthday. All 200 of these cars were identical, painted white with a dual red/blue pinstripe along the upper bodyside and inside, a commemorative plaque was mounted on the dashboard. When Cadillac reintroduced the Eldorado convertible for the 1984 model year, several customers who had purchased 1976 Eldorado convertibles as investments, felt they had been deceived and launched an unsuccessful class action lawsuit against General Motors. Having received a major facelift the previous year, the Eldorado for 1976 received only minor styling changes, including a new grille, a small Cadillac script on the hood face, revised taillamp lenses and new black painted wheel covers. For 1977, the Eldorado again received a new grille with a finer crosshatch pattern. New vertical taillamps were relocated to the chrome bumper-fender extensions. New ‘Eldorado’ block-lettering appeared on the hood face and new rectangular side marker lights with ‘Eldorado’ block-lettering replaced the ‘Eldorado’ script on the rear fenders. The convertible was dropped (although Custom Coach of Lima, Ohio converted a few 1977 and 1978 Eldorados into convertibles using salvaged parts from earlier models). The mammoth 500 cu in. (8.2L) V8 of 1970–76 was replaced by a new 425 cu in. (7L) V8 with 180 bhp available in all 1977 Cadillacs, except the Seville. A new grille was the only obvious change for 1978; the Eldorado would be completely redesigned and downsized for 1979.

1966 Mercury Cyclone Convertible: The Mercury Cyclone is an automobile that was marketed by the Mercury division of Ford from 1964 to 1971. Introduced in 1964 as the Mercury Comet Cyclone, the Cyclone replaced the S-22 as the performance-oriented version of the Mercury Comet model line. The Cyclone became a distinct nameplate for the 1968 model year, as the Mercury Montego was phased in to replace the Comet. Within Mercury, the Cyclone was positioned between the Cougar pony car and the Marquis/Marauder full-size two-doors. Though largely overshadowed by the Cougar, the Cyclone was positioned as a muscle car, representing the Mercury brand in racing as a clone of the Ford Fairlane Thunderbolt. The 1966 models underwent a major styling change. The body received “sculpturing” that ran the length of the car, and was based on the body of the Ford Fairlane. The models introduced new engines. The 390 Y code was a 390 cu in (6,391 cc) engine with a two-barrel carburettor and 265 hp. The 390 H code had a four-barrel carburettor and 275 hp. The GT option used a 390 S code engine which was a 390 cu in (6,391 cc) engine with a four-barrel carburetor and 335 hp (250 kW). The GT featured car stripes, a fiberglass hood (bonnet) with two air scoops and several other performance options. The 1967 model was produced with several engine options. The standard engine was the 289 cu in (4,736 cc) V8 with 200 hp. The GT’s engine was 390 cu in (6,391 cc), but was quoted with 15 fewer horses at 320 hp. Neither the 1966 Cyclone nor the 1967 Cyclone used the 427 cu in (6,997 cc) Ford FE engine that went into the standard Comet officially from the factory. For Comet Cyclones that were modified by Andy Hotton of Dearborn Steel Tubing with the optional 427 Ford FE 410 hp engine there were no changes to the body work similar to the Ford Fairlane Thunderbolt. Only a small, chromed badge with the designation ‘427’ located on each front fender reflected the larger displacement engine under the hood (bonnet). There was a third generation car for 1968.

1966 Shrike-Offenhauser Indy Car: Parnelli Jones raced in the 1966 Indianapolis 500 driving the Shrike-Offenhauser. The race took place on May 30, 1966 in Indianapolis, USA.  Jones was a versatile driver who competed in many types of vehicles. He won the Indianapolis 500 in 1963 and finished second in 1965. He retired from the Indianapolis 500 in 1966 due to mechanical issues. Jones went on to win the Baja 1000 twice and a Trans-Am championship.

1941 Buick Roadmaster Phaeton: In 1940, the Series 80 was renamed Buick Limited. The Roadmaster name was transferred to the new Series 70, which was introduced simultaneously as a brand new Series 50 Super. The Roadmaster featured a cutting-edge “torpedo” C-body. The new C-body that the 1940 Buick Roadmaster shared with the Super, the Cadillac Series 62, the Oldsmobile Series 90, and the Pontiac Torpedo featured shoulder and hip room that was over 5-inch (127 mm) wider, the elimination of running boards and exterior styling that was streamlined and 2-3″ lower. When combined with a column-mounted shift lever the cars offered room for six-passengers. The 1940 Roadmaster had a shorter wheelbase, weighed less, and was less expensive than the previous year’s model. The formal and fastback sedans were discontinued. A two-door coupe body style was newly introduced, and 3,991 units were sold. The coach-building firm of Brunn designed several custom-bodied Buicks for the Series 70, 80, and 90. Only one Roadmaster example is known to have been produced in 1940, an open-front town car, that was dubbed “Townmaster”. Overall sales more than tripled to 18,345. Styling updates for 1941 were modest, but there were mechanical changes. The compression ratio was raised from 6.6:1 to 7.0:1, the “turbulator” pistons were redesigned, smaller spark plugs were new, and “Compound Carburetion” was introduced. This Compound Carburetion was the forerunner of the modern four-barrel carburettor and consisted of twin two-barrel carburetors. One unit operated all of the time, while the other operated only under hard acceleration. The new engine was rated at 165 hp . This made it have five more horsepower than a senior Packard, 15 more than any Cadillac, and 25 more than the largest Chryslers, it was the most powerful engine available that year on an American car. A new body style for this year was a two-door convertible, which sold 1,845 units. There was also a Brunn-designed convertible, but no orders materialized because of the $3,500 price. Overall, Roadmaster sales were 15,372

1929 Buick Series 129 Convertible: The Buick Master Six, also denoted Series 40 and Series 50 based on the wheelbase used, was an automobile built by Buick from 1925 to 1928 and shared the GM B platform with the Oldsmobile Model 30. Previously, the company manufactured the Buick Six that used the overhead valve six-cylinder 242 cu in (4.0 L) engine in their high-end cars, and the Buick Four for smaller, less-expensive cars. After 1924, they dropped the four-cylinder engine and designed a small six, which they called the Buick Standard Six, to replace that end of the market. They coined the name “Master Six” for the high-end cars, now powered by the 255 cu in (4.2 L) engine released the year before. The yearly changes were a result of a new business philosophy called planned obsolescence. As GM was sharing platforms and technology within their divisions, the Master Six was related to the Oldsmobile Model 30 with shared wheelbase and engine sizes. Buick had developed a market reputation as being a conservative luxury car, while the Cadillac and the Packard Six were more flamboyant, extravagant and expensive. The last Emperor of China Puyi bought two 1924 Master Six and started the trend of being China’s most popular car. To promote its durability, Buick President Harry H. Basset had a Touring Sedan driven around the world via a dealer-to-dealer network, where each location was responsible for driving the car to the next destination and having the log book signed for authenticity. 1927 saw the introduction of the Gothic Goddess hood ornament on all Buick products. The top of the radiator grille adopted a scalloped look that blended into the top of the engine cover which differed from both Oldsmobile and Cadillac sedans of the same year and was only offered from 1925 until 1928. It shared a similar appearance on all Packard products that first appeared in 1904 on the Packard Four, and the recently introduced Chrysler Imperial. Buick named their six-cylinder cars “Buick Six” from 1916 through 1924, and in 1925, divided them into Standard Six and Master Six. The Master Six used Series 121 and 129 designations in 1929 initially to denote the wheelbase dimensions, then renamed the Series 40 in 1930. All were powered by the overhead valve Buick Straight-6 engine, with multiple body styles, and starting in 1926 used the newly established GM B platform, which it shared with Oldsmobile L-Series. Coachwork continued to be offered by Fisher Body who was the primary supplier of all GM products at this time, and Duco automotive lacquer paint, introduced by DuPont was the first quick drying multi-colour line of nitrocellulose lacquers made especially for the automotive industry. Roadsters and touring sedans had the ability to fold the windshield forward on top of the cowl for open air driving. The 255 cu in (4.2 L) engine used in 1925 was increased in size to 274 cu in (4.5 L) for 1926 through 1928. Displacement was increased again to 309 cu in (5.1 L) for the Series 121 and 129 in 1929 and Series 40 in 1930, after which all six-cylinder engines were dropped; all models of Buick were equipped with the new Straight 8 for 1931. Buick’s special order catalog was more modest than the Cadillac Series 341, but it did benefit from the specialized bodies made by Fisher Body which gave the Buick customer the same attention to style and refinement but at a modest price. The top level choice for the longest Buick wheelbase of 129 inches was the Imperial Sedan Limousine for US$2145. The Master Six was Buick’s high-end offering, above the Standard Six. It was also manufactured from knock-down kits at GM’s short-lived Japanese factory at Osaka Assembly in Osaka, Japan. The Master Six was also sold with a junior model, called the Standard Six which was renamed in 1929 as the Series 116 and Series 121.

1962 Buick Skylark Convertible: In the fall of 1960, General Motors introduced a trio of new compact cars for the 1961 model year that shared the same chassis, engines, and basic sheet metal: the Buick Special, Pontiac Tempest, and Oldsmobile F-85. The Special’s styling was strongly influenced by the new corporate look shared with the larger LeSabre, Invicta, and Electra also introduced in 1961. In the middle of the 1961 model year the Buick Special Skylark made its debut. Effectively a luxury trim level, it was based on a two-door sedan (also referred to as a coupe), it featured unique Skylark emblems, taillight housings, lower-body side mouldings, turbine wheel covers, and a vinyl-covered roof. 1961 Skylarks featured three Ventiports on each fender. A plush “Cordaveen” all-vinyl interior was standard, with bucket seats available as an option. Instrumentation was minimal, consisting of only a speedometer and fuel gauge. The Skylark replaced the Special’s standard aluminium block 215 cu in (3.5 L) two-barrel carburetor V8 with a higher compression ratio four-barrel version that boosted power from 155 hp at 4600 rpm to 185 hp. For the 1962 model year, the Skylark became a model in its own right. It used the previous year’s basic sheet metal but was available in two new body styles: a two-door convertible coupe (shared with the Special and Special Deluxe models) and a two-door (pillarless) hardtop unique to it. Tuning of the 215-cubic-inch V8 increased power to 190 hp at 4800 rpm. In 1962, the Skylark Special was also the first American car to use a V6 engine in volume production; it earned Motor Trend’s Car of the Year for 1962. This 198 cid Fireball V6 was engineered down from the 215 and used many of the same design parameters, but was cast in iron. Output was 135 hp (gross) at 4600 rpm and 205 lb⋅ft (278 N⋅m) at 2400 rpm. In their test that year, Road & Track was impressed with Buick’s “practical” new V6, saying it “sounds and performs exactly like the aluminium V8 in most respects.” In 1963, the Special’s body was restyled and minor changes made to the interior, particularly to the dash and instrument cluster. The 1963 Special was available as a two-door pillared hardtop coupe, a four dour sedan, a convertible, and a station wagon. Engine choices were a standard 198 cu in (3.2 L) V6 with a twin-barrel carburettor and an optional 215 cu in (3.5 L) V8 with 155 hp (two-barrel) or more powerful four-barrel (190 hp in 1962, 200 hp in 1963). Transmission choices were a ‘three on the tree’ manual transmission, a floor shift Borg-Warner T-10 four-speed manual, or a two-speed Turbine Drive automatic. The two speed “Dual Path Turbine Drive” automatic was a Buick design and shared no common parts with the better known Chevrolet Power-Glide transmission. Two prototypes were made for 1962, each with a unique body. One a convertible and the other a hardtop. The prototypes came directly from Buick Engineering, both had been given two 4-barrel carburettors by the engineers thus increasing the prototype’s horsepower a little more than 80 hp. They had features from the ’61, ’62, and the ’63 production models. Some features, such as the two 4-barrel carburettors, were left out of the production-line Skylarks. The prototypes were also two inches (51 mm) longer, and wider than the production models. Of the two prototypes, only the hardtop still exists and resides with its owner in Michigan. It is possible the convertible prototype still exists in the Sloan Museum collection. The 1963 Skylarks used the same chassis and wheelbase as the previous 1961 and 1962 models, but adopted new sheet metal that featured boxier styling. Length was increased by five inches (130 mm) to 193 in (4,900 mm), and the 215-cubic-inch V8 generated 200 hp at 5,000 rpm. The 1963 Skylark was available as a two-door convertible coupe or a two-door (pillarless) hardtop coupe. The 1963 Special shared most sheet metal with the Skylark, but was available as a convertible, station wagon as well as two- and four-door sedans. Engine choices included a 198 cu in (3.2 L) V6 with two-barrel carburetor, the 215 cu in (3.5 L) V8 with two-barrel or a four-barrel carburettor. Transmission choices were a “three on the tree” manual transmission, a floor-shifted Borg-Warner T-10 four-speed manual, or a two-speed automatic. The two-speed “Dual Path Turbine Drive” automatic was a Buick design and shared no common parts with the Chevrolet Power-Glide transmission. Instrument panel padding and a cigarette lighter was standard.

1959 and 1960 Buick Electra: Following World War II, the Roadmaster constituted the upper echelon of Buick’s lineup. For 1958, Buick returned the Limited nameplate (dormant since 1942), slotted between the Roadmaster and the Cadillac Series 62. For 1959, the Super was renamed the Invicta, the Roadmaster was renamed the Electra and Electra 225, and the unsuccessful Limited model was discontinued. The appearance was shared with two other Buick models, the mid-level Invicta and the entry level LeSabre. The Electra 225 nameplate was a nod to the car’s overall length of over 225 in (5,715 mm), earning it the street name “deuce and a quarter.” The Electra 225 Riviera was the top-line model and it shared its six window hardtop roofline exclusively with Cadillac (which offered it on all of its models). Buick first applied the “Riviera” name to a premium trimmed 2-door Roadmaster hardtop in the middle of the 1949 model year, and thereafter denoted all Buick hardtops Rivieras. Also, from 1950 through 1953, Buick made a premium trimmed, stretched wheelbase sedan, exclusively in the Roadmaster and Super lines, that was called Riviera. But 1959 was the first year that not all Buick hardtops were called Rivieras. A standard 4-window four-door hardtop was also available, as was a 4-door 6-window pillared sedan, along with a stripped chassis of which 144 were built in 1959 and 1960. The two-door convertible was only available as an Electra 225, and the 2-door hardtop as an Electra. For 1959, the Electra and Electra 225 both used the General Motors C-body shared with the Oldsmobile 98 and all Cadillacs, riding on a longer 126.3-inch (3,210 mm) wheelbase than the B-body LeSabre and Invicta, both of which rode on 123 inches (3,100 mm). The standard and only available engine was the 401 cubic-inch Wildcat V8 with four-barrel carburettor, 10.25 to 1 compression ratio and 325 hp mated to a two-speed Dynaflow automatic transmission, which was also standard equipment along with power steering and power brakes using Buick’s unique 12-inch (300 mm) finned aluminum brake drums. Power windows and seat and leather interiors were standard on the Electra 225 convertible and optional on all other models. Front bucket seats were optional on the convertible. Electra interiors were trimmed in nylon Mojave cloth or broadcloth combinations with “Cordaveen”. Electra 225 convertibles were trimmed in leather. Standard Electra features included horizontal Red-line speedometer, two-speed electric windshield wipers, trip mileage indicator, cigar lighter, dual sunshades, Step-On parking brake, dual horns, Twin-Turbine automatic transmission, Foamtex seat cushions, electric clock, trunk light, glovebox light, power steering, power brakes, full wheelcovers and dual exhaust. In addition Electra 225s had Super Deluxe wheelcovers and an outside rearview mirror as standard equipment. Padded dashboards were also standard. The Electra, along with all other 1959 Buicks, featured all new styling not shared with other GM divisions that included slanted headlights in front along with a highly chromed square grille somewhat similar to the 1958 Buick and “Delta-Fins” back along with round taillights. The “slanted” headlights were also shared with the 1958–60 Lincoln Continental. Exterior distinction from other Buicks came from extra-wide moldings, with a massive Electra emblem on the front fender extension. The Electra 225 script was found on the front fenders ahead of the wheelhouse. The 4-door models had a lower bright rear fender molding as well. The 1960 Electra and Electra 225 received a minor facelift with a concave grille and horizontal headlights centered by Buick’s then-new “Trishield” logo, which is still in use today. Reintroduced to Electras and other Buicks for 1960 were the chrome VentiPorts first introduced in 1949 and last seen in 1957. Electra and Electra 225 models featured four VentiPorts on each front fender while lesser LeSabre and Invicta models had three VentiPorts. Electras featured wider rocker panel bright moldings and the Electra script on the front fenders ahead of the wheelhouse. Electra 225s featured a badge that was circled on the deck lid. The Electra 225 name was found on the front fenders in place of the Electra name. Inside, a revised instrument panel featured “Mirromatic”, where the speedometer, odometer and any warning light indicators are reflected from an adjustable tilt mirror inside the dashboard for comfortable viewing that would reduce unwanted glare and reflection. A new two-spoke steering wheel with horn bars was introduced, replacing the time honoured horn ring then still common to most automobiles. Brisbane cloth interiors graced closed models while the convertible was trimmed in leather. Convertibles also had a two way power seat adjuster and power windows standard. The bucket seat option introduced on Electra 225 convertibles in 1959 was now available on Electra coupes and included a centre consolette with storage compartment. Standard Electra features included windshield wipers, trip mileage indicator, cigar lighter, dual sunshades, Step-On parking brake, dual horns, a single-key locking system, Twin-Turbine automatic transmission, Foamtex seat cushions, electric clock, trunk light, license plate frames, glovebox light, power steering and power brakes. In addition Electra 225s had back-up lights, a Glare-proof rear view mirror, parking brake signal light, safety buzzer, map light and Super Deluxe wheelcovers as standard equipment. The Electra, along with the Invicta and LeSabre, was redesigned for 1961.

1958 Buick Roadmaster 75 Convertible: The 1957 Roadmaster featured a lowered body style with an even more panoramic windshield with reverse slanted pillars. A red-filled Sweepspear lined the bodyside, and a chromed rear fender lower panel filled the area between the wheelhouse and the bumper end, continuing to offer “Dagmar bumpers” at the front. A new centred fuel filler was located in the rear bumper, the ends of which the single or optional dual exhaust passed through. Roadmaster script was placed within the deck and grille emblems. Two-door models had a trio of chevrons on the rear quarters, while the four-door models had a Roadmaster emblem nestled within the Sweepspear dip. Interiors featured a padded dashboard, broadcloth and nylon in four-door models, nylon in two-door versions, and leather in convertibles. Front hip room was 65.3-in. A new 364 cu in (6.0 L) engine was rated at 300 hp. A new ball-joint suspension system improved handling. The four-door Riviera hardtop proved popular the previous year so that the pillared sedan was dropped from the model lineup. Also, new was a mid-year production (March 1957) Roadmaster designated as Model 75 that featured standard power seats and windows, carpeted lower doors, a one-piece rear window (instead of a three-piece that was a design feature of the smaller Special and Century models), Deluxe hubcaps, and a Series 75 script identification on the rear quarter body panel of the Roadmaster coupes and the rear door panels on the Roadmaster four-door body styles, thus replacing the standard three chevrons found in the same location on the standard full model year Roadmaster model lines. Overall, Roadmaster sales dropped to about 33,000. The overall economy was in a recession starting in late 1956 and extending into 1958. For the 1958 model year, GM was promoting their fiftieth year of production, and introduced anniversary models for each brand; Cadillac, Buick, Oldsmobile, Pontiac, and Chevrolet. The 1958 models shared a common appearance on the top models for each brand; Cadillac Eldorado Seville, Buick Roadmaster Riviera, Oldsmobile Holiday 88, Pontiac Bonneville Catalina, and the all-new Chevrolet Bel-Air Impala. In 1958, the Roadmaster was available in the well-equipped “75” version, and the body was adorned with bulkier and more heavily chromed styling while the top trim package Limited was the most expensive and fully optioned vehicle. A new “drawer pull” grille was used that Buick called “Fashion-Aire Dynastar”, made up of rectangular chrome squares. For the first time since 1948, there were no distinguishing VentiPorts on the front fenders. On the rear deck, the Roadmaster name was spelled out in block lettering beneath a Buick emblem housing the trunk lock keyway. Wheelhouses had bright mouldings, rocker panels had an ebbed moulding, and a large rear fender bright flash with ribbed inserts replaced the previous year’s chromed rear fender lower panel. Four headlamps were standard. New brakes featured cast-iron liners in aluminium drums. Sales fell further to about 14,000. There was a complete restyling for 1959, but this time, the names of the various series were changed. Not until 1991 would there again be a big Buick known as the Roadmaster; the biggest Buick models were renamed the Electra.

1953 Buick Skylark 76X Convertible: Created to mark Buick’s 50th anniversary, the Roadmaster Skylark joined the Oldsmobile 98 Fiesta and Cadillac Series 62 Eldorado as top-of-the-line, limited-production specialty convertibles introduced in 1953 by General Motors to promote its design leadership. Of the three, the Skylark’s run of 1,690 units proved the most successful, and an amazing sales feat considering the car’s 1953 list price of slightly in excess of US$5,000 was over 50% more than the well-equipped US$3,200 Roadmaster convertible on which it was based. It was comparable in price to the 1953 Packard Caribbean with a similar retail price. Production ran for two years. Based on the model 76R two-door Roadmaster convertible, the 1953 Skylark (designated model 76X) had identical dimensions (except height), almost identical appearance, shared its drive train, and had all its standard equipment, plus its few remaining options, including power windows, power brakes, full carpeting, and a “Selectronic” AM radio. Only air conditioning was not offered, unnecessary in either convertible. Importantly, the new Skylark featured Buick’s new 322 in3 (5.3 L) Fireball V8 in place of the automaker’s longstanding straight 8, and a 12-volt electrical system, both division firsts. It debuted full-cutout wheel openings, a styling cue that spread to the main 1954 Buick line. Accenting its lowered, notched beltline was a new “Sweepspear” running almost the entire length of the vehicle, a styling cue that was to appear in various forms on many Buick models over the years. The 1953 Skylark was handmade in many respects. Only stampings for the hood, trunk lid, and a portion of the convertible tub were shared with the Roadmaster and Super convertibles. All Skylark tubs were finished with various amounts of lead filler. The inner doors were made by cutting the 2-door Roadmaster’s in two then welding the pieces back together at an angle to produce the rakish door dip. An overall more streamlined look was reinforced by cutting the windshield almost 3 inches (7.6 cm) shorter and lowering the side windows and convertible top frame proportionately. Seat frames and steering column were then dropped to provide proper headroom and driving position. Front legroom was 44.7 inches (114 cm). Authentic wire wheels were produced by Kelsey-Hayes, chromed everywhere except the plated and painted “Skylark” centre emblem. The Skylark returned in 1954 with radically restyled styling unique to the Buick line, which included wheel cutouts that could be painted in a contrasting colour to the body’s. The trunk was sloped into a semi-barrel, and tail lights moved to large chromed fins projecting atop the rear fenders. Re-designated model 100, the car was based on the all-new shorter Century/Special series 40 chassis and not the larger series 60 Roadmaster/Super chassis, also all-new for 1954. Once again, all Skylarks were built as 2-door convertibles and carried the same luxury equipment as before, but front leg room dropped 2.4 inches (6.1 cm). While smaller and lighter, the Skylark received a performance boost by retaining the big Buicks’ powertrain, an evolutionary improvement of 1953’s with the highest output in the division’s lineup.

1960 Imperial Crown Convertible: The 1960 Imperial adopted wildly exaggerated styling, featuring front fascia with a swooping bumper, gaping mesh grille, giant chrome eagle, and hooded quad headlights, and tall rear fins. Soaring fins had bullet-style tail lamps at the peak of the fin, with a chrome ring surrounding it. The grille and bumper on the front of the 1960 used large pieces of heavy chrome, and the ‘furrowed brows’ of the fenders over the double sets of headlights gave the car a ponderous look. In common with most other 1960 Chrysler products, the Imperial featured the new “High-Tower” seat with the driver-side back individually contoured and raised above of the rest of the front seat for increased driver comfort and shoulder support. This would last through the 1962 model year. Also for 1960, Imperial changed back to 15-inch wheels from the 14-inch wheels that had been standard since the 1957 model. Imperial LeBarons now featured a distinctive smaller “formal rear window” for greater rear-seat privacy. Sales increased to 17,719. Imperial again finished ahead of Lincoln, but never did so again. While the rest of Chrysler’s lineup adopted unibody construction, Imperial retained its body on frame construction. The Swivel Seat option became “Automatic” for 1960 by adding hidden cables to the door hinges and additional helper springs to the previous design. The cable triggered stronger helper springs to automatically swivel the seat outward or latch it back in as the corresponding door was opened or closed. This resolved a previous issue with the manual swivel release handle sometimes hitting/damaging the door panel if the door was closed with the seat still swivelled out. It was discontinued by Chrysler Corp. within the first few months. The cables were deleted leaving the manual release handles as the only remaining operation method for the rest of 1960 and all of 1961. Although the specific reason is not clearly documented, many assume this was for safety reasons due to an increased risk of falling out of the vehicle if a door came open at speed or during an accident. The design of the 1960–1963 period had elicited some controversy. At that time, Exner was increasingly struggling with the Chrysler president and board. “It was during 1962 Exner was dethroned as president of design in Highland Park. His successor was Elwood Engel, lured away from Ford to lead Chrysler Corporation along a more conventional path. Exner continued as a consultant through 1964, after which he had no further involvement.” This source also states, “When he was good, he was very good ( re: styling). When he was bad…. it was the epitome of excessive design. Sales dropped off and the board stepped in.” Exner’s son went on further, in a 1976 interview, “it was time for a change. Their image needed changing. Dad was a great designer and he was always ahead of his time. He gained more freedom from Chrysler in his designs of the modern Stutz.” This same source gives accounts of how Chrysler Corporation was revived through corporate changes in leadership. “But on the product front, the influence of Tex Colbert (ousted President of Chrysler in 1961) and Virgil Exner was still present, and it wouldn’t be entirely washed away until 1965”. Despite the annual styling changes, all 1960-63 models featured a similar space age dashboard. The steering wheel was squared-off at top and bottom, designed for better legroom and view through the windshield in the straight-ahead position. Dashboard lighting was electroluminescent : electricity running through a five-layer laminate caused the phosphorescent ceramic layer to glow in the dark. Chrysler called it “Panelescent”, and it was shared on some Chrysler models. The effect was eerie and surprisingly modern, with its glowing blue-green face, bright red needles, and extremely faint hum. The 61-63 dash lighting used no incandescent bulbs, although 2 bulbs did illuminate the shifter and HVAC buttons in 1960. The 1960-63 models were also united by a distinctive side trim that started above the headlights and that ran at a slight downward angle almost to the end of the rear fender (except in 1963 when it would actually wrap all the way around the rear of the car) that was undercut by a slight indent in the sides from the front until just before the rear wheel housing. A significant change in the car’s proportions had occurred between the 1959 and 1960 model years. Although, at 226.3 inches, the 1960 Imperials were exactly the same length as the previous year, the whole body had been shifted forward, with a 2.1 inch reduction in the rear overhang, and a corresponding increase at the front. The 1961 model year brought a new front end design

1962 Chrysler 300 Sport Series: From 1962s models, the fins were gone from all Chrysler products, as was the letter series’ unique place in the Chrysler lineup; there was now the new Chrysler 300 Sport Series which came as a two-door hardtop, replacing the cancelled Chrysler Windsor, while the convertible remained with the letter series along with a two-door hardtop 300H. Externally there was little difference between the 300H and the 300 Sport Series except for a “300H” badge on the traditional location on the rear fenders, and many of the 300H’s standard features could be ordered as options on the Sport Series. The Mercury competitor was the all-new Mercury S-55 with the same approach to luxury and performance in a coupe or convertible and the Buick Wildcat. Inside, the 300 Sport Series hardtop coupe was installed with standard bench seats front and rear, similar to the Newport, while the 300H had standard bucket seats front and rear with the full length centre console, and were also offered on the New Yorker Custom coupe. This was also the last year for the AstraDome Instrument cluster for all Chrysler branded vehicles and the dashboard colour now matched the leather upholstery and carpet. The exterior colour list was updated to Formal Black, Festival Red, Oyster White, and Caramel while the standard interior colour continued as tan leather. Under the hood of the 300H the cross ram engine became an option, and there was a return to the inline dual 4-barrel carburettor setup of the 300E as the base powerplant. With a slight power boost and a 300 lb (140 kg) lighter body, due to the 300H being shared with the Chrysler Newport/Dodge Custom 880 122-inch wheelbase which reduced overall weight, the 300H was faster than the 300G, but the loss of exclusivity coupled with high prices made this the slowest-selling letter series year yet, with only 435 coupes and 135 convertibles sold. The 300 Sport Series hardtop sedan used a 383 cu in (6.3 L) B engine. Suggested retail prices showed a reduction from the past at US$5,090 for the coupe and US$5,461 for the convertible.

1957 Chrysler 300C Convertible: The 1957 model year 300C was corporately shared with an all new appearance for Chrysler products called the “Forward Look” and featuring a “yawning” wide trapezoid-shaped front grille which was unique to the 300C, “Vista-Dome” windshield, dual headlights, and gradually rising tailfins starting from the doors similar to Chrysler-branded products. The wheel diameter changed from 15 in (381 mm) to 14 in (356 mm) while continuing to use drum brakes for all wheels, and to keep the front brakes cool a cooling duct was installed with the air intake located just below the headlights that fed air directly to the front brakes. The exterior color list was expanded to offer Jet Black, Parade Green metallic, Copper Brown metallic, Gauguin Red and Cloud White while the interior was tan leather standard and optional interior choices were available from the New Yorker list of which the 300 was based. The Hemi engine was upgraded to 392 cu in (6.4 L) with 375 hp, or as a limited edition 390 hp version (18 built). The 392 CID engine was exclusive to the 300, New Yorker and Imperials, while the dual four barrel carburettors was standard on the 300C and continued with an improved air induction system that gave each carburetor its own air cleaner to improve efficiency. A convertible model was available for the first time and was listed at US$5,359 while the two-door hardtop was listed at US$4,929. In comparison, a 1957 Imperial Crown Convertible was listed at US$5,598 . GM’s Pontiac Division introduced the Pontiac Bonneville as a convertible only, offering fuel injection and a similar price tag but offered lower luxury content and a reduced price for 1958, and Mercury offered the Mercury Turnpike Cruiser for 1957 with the optional 430 cu in (7.0 L) Super Marauder V8. The car introduced red, white, and blue ‘300C’ circular medallions on the sides, hood, trunk, and interior and was the first model to use the colour scheme, and despite the late-1950s design trends that added ever increasing amounts of chrome, styling flourishes, intricate grilles and interior appearance features the styling of the 300C and subsequent generations remained minimal. A total of 1,918 coupes and 484 convertibles were built. All Chrysler products introduced the all-new torsion bar front suspension, called Torsion-Aire, which replaced the previous coil spring front suspension and the new Airtemp air-conditioner, a $495 option, was offered.

1954 Hudson Super Wasp Convertible: The Hudson Wasp is an automobile built and marketed by the Hudson Motor Car Company of Detroit, Michigan, from the 1952 through the 1956 model years. After Hudson merged with Nash Motors, the Wasp was then built by American Motors Corporation in Kenosha, Wisconsin, and marketed under its Hudson marque for model years 1955 and 1956. Two distinct model year generations can classify the Hudson Wasp: from 1952 until 1954, when it used Hudson’s existing short-wheelbase platform, and in 1955 and 1956, when it was built on the full-sized Nash platform. The two generations resulted in fundamentally different vehicles because of their platform design, engine options, and body styles. The second generation also received unique styling for their two model years. The Wasp (Series 58) was introduced by Hudson for the 1952 model year as an upgraded version of the Hudson Pacemaker, replacing the Hudson Super Custom models from 1951. The Wasp was available in two- and four-door sedan, convertible, and a 2-door hardtop designated the Hollywood. The new models were promoted as a “lower-priced running mate” to the Hudson Hornet. The Wasp was built on Hudson’s shorter 119-inch (3,023 mm) wheelbase, using the company’s unitized, “Monobilt” step-down chassis design with an overall length of 202.5 inches (5,144 mm). Hudson’s unitized structure used a perimeter frame, providing a rigid structure, low centre of gravity, and side-impact protection for passengers, including a box-section steel girder outside the rear wheels. Standard features for 1952 included the Wasp model name on the front fenders, which began the full-length stainless steel body side moulding, illuminated medallion in the front grille, rear bumper guard that houses the license plate and a concealed light, a carpeted trunk with an upright-mounted spare tire, a 30-hour mechanical clock on the dashboard, illuminated ignition switch keyway, an interior finished in tan cord upholstery with red and brown wide and narrow stripes as well as hand grips, ash receiver, robe cord, and a large magazine pocket for rear seat passengers. The 1953 model year Hudson large-car line was introduced in November 1952. For the 1953 model year, Hudson focused on introducing its new compact-sized car, the Jet that was unveiled in December 1952. The large cars were carryovers but added an upper-level Super Wasp line, which replaced the discontinued “Commodore 6” models. At the same time, the base Wasp was repositioned and priced lower to replace the discontinued “Pacemaker” models. The base Hudson Wasp used the 232 cu in (3.8 L) L-Head I6 from the Pacemaker. Hudson also offered the Super Wasp, which used improved interior materials and a more powerful Hudson I6 engine. Instead of using the Pacemaker’s 232 cu in (3.8 L) I6, the Super Wasp used Hudson’s 262 cu in (4.3 L) L-Head I6 with a single two-barrel carburettor. The 262 cu in (4.3 L) engine was rated at 127 hp (95 kW; 129 PS) (with single 2-barrel carburetor) while the top-of-the-line Commodore Custom Eight’s 254 cu in (4.2 L) I8 was rated at 128 hp. The 262 cu in (4.3 L) six’s power was underrated, so it would not outshine the flagship straight-eight engine. The narrow block 262 cu in (4.3 L) engine was the basis for the stroked and reinforced Hornet 308 cu in (5.0 L) I6 engine, introduced in 1951 which dominated NASCAR from 1952 until 1954. The Super Wasp was also offered with an aluminum “twin H” manifold and twin two-barrel carburetors. Super Wasp performance with the “twin H” induction matched the performance of the big two-barrel 308 cu in (5.0 L) equipped, but heavier, Hudson Hornet. A sales war between Ford and Chevrolet during 1953 negatively impacted the production and profits of other automakers. Wasp model year production saw 21,876 units in 1953. Moreover, the decline in Hudson sales was due to a lack of a V8 engine and the annual styling changes the domestic Big Three automakers offered. For the 1954 model year, Hudson reskinned the senior line of large cars, Hornet, Super Wasp, and Wasp. Hudson also simplified the 1954 model year full-size cars to include the longer wheelbase Hornet featuring 308 cu in (5.0 L) I6 engine, while the Wasp models continued the 119 in (3,023 mm) wheelbase. A new linear front-to-rear body characterized the 1954 model year. This was an expensive undertaking, given the unibody design of the Hudson vehicles. The basic roofline of the sedans indicated the continuation of the unibody, and the drivetrain was unchanged. The hardtops and coupes featured new rooflines. The front end was restyled to a simpler grille with a functional hood scoop and a new one-piece curved windshield. The formerly sloped rear end was squared off to the rear fender’s end, which featured new high-mounted, larger taillamps. The exterior changes made the Hudsons look longer, while the interior was updated with a new dash and instrument cluster. The dealer introduction date was on 2 October 1953. The 1954 Wasps were available in a two-door coupe or sedan as well as a four-door sedan, while the Super Wasp also offered a two-door “Holywood” (pillar-less) hardtop and a “Brougham” convertible. The standard engine on the Super Wasp was the 140 hp 262 cu in (4.3 L) I6 producing 290 lb/ft (390 Nm) of torque. Optional was an aluminium cylinder head with a 7.5-to-1 compression ratio rated at 143 hp. A Twin H-Power version developing 149 hp was also available. The 126 hp 232 cu in (3.8 L) I6 engine was standard on the Wasp within available 129 hp version that included an aluminium cylinder head and 7.5-to-1 compression ratio. All Hudson engines were “Instant Action with Super Induction” to describe the L-head engine upgrades for 1954. A Hudson Wasp competed in the gruelling Carrera Panamericana race from 19 to 23 November 1954. It was held in eight stages over 1,910 miles (3,074 km). Malcolm Eckart and Carroll Hamplemann drove their #219 car for 23 hours and 28 minutes to finish in eleventh place in the stock car class (Tourismo Especial). Of the 150 cars that started the race, only 85 finished all eight stages and several drivers died in crashes. The 1954 event was the last road race of its kind, one of the motorsport’s most challenging and dangerous. After approval from the boards and shareholders, Hudson officially merged with Nash-Kelvinator Corporation on 1 May 1954, and on 2 October 1954, the last “true” Hudson was built in Detroit. A total of 17,792 Wasps were produced in 1954. For 1955, the Wasp became a product of the newly formed American Motors Corporation (AMC)

1960 Studebaker Lark Convertible: At the time the Lark was conceived, Studebaker-Packard Corporation was under a management contract with Curtiss-Wright Aircraft Company. Studebaker-Packard had been losing money for a few years when company president Harold E. Churchill came up with the idea of abandoning the full-size car market in favour of building a new compact car that he hoped would save the company. The Lark was ingeniously designed around the core bodyshell of the full-sized 1953–1958 Studebakers. By reducing the front and rear overhangs and shortening the wheelbase ahead of the firewall, the car could still seat six people comfortably and hold a surprising amount of luggage. It was hoped that the new model would save America’s oldest vehicle manufacturer when it was launched in the fall of 1958 as a 1959 model, much like the 1939 Studebaker Champion had saved the company in the years prior to World War II. In fact, it was the Champion which Churchill specifically took as his inspiration for the Lark, as well as the no-frills sales success Studebaker Scotsman. Two series of Larks were available, the Lark VI and the Lark VIII, both designations indicated whether the engines were of six or eight cylinders. Both series were available in “Deluxe” and “Regal” trim levels. With its simple grille (similar to that found on the 1956-1959 Hawk), minimal and tasteful use of chrome and clean lines, the Lark “flew” in the face of most of the established “longer, lower and wider” styling norms fostered by Detroit’s “Big Three” automakers (General Motors, Ford, and Chrysler). Studebaker’s 1957-58 Scotsman had proved the existence of a demand for a less-flashy automobile, and while the Lark was not nearly so undecorated as the Scotsman, it was unmistakably purer of line than anything Detroit would offer for 1959, save the Rambler American. Sales of the Lark were good for the 1959 and 1960 model year, thanks to the fact that Studebaker had obtained “dual” dealerships with dealers of the Big Three manufacturers that did not as yet have their own compacts to sell. Initial models included two- and four-door sedans, a two-door hardtop coupe and a two-door station wagon, with two levels of trim (Deluxe and Regal) offered on most. Aside from American Motors Corporation’s Rambler line, the Lark offered the broadest line of compacts on the U.S. market. Indeed, the Lark was the first car of its size to offer a V8 engine — the slightly smaller Rambler American offered only an inline six, though the slightly larger Rambler Rebel did offer a V8 close to the same size as Studebaker’s, and had since 1957. The lineup grew for 1960, when the company introduced a convertible (Studebaker’s first since 1952) and a four-door station wagon. Two-door wagons were fast falling from favour throughout the industry, despite a minor redesign which made the two-door Lark wagon’s tailgate and rear side windows more user-friendly, and indeed the four-door quickly proved the more popular of the two available wagons from Studebaker. A taxicab version of the Lark, originally called the “Econ-O-Miler,” was built on the station wagon’s longer 113 in (2,900 mm) wheelbase. The extra 4.5 in (110 mm) of wheelbase translated into extra rear seat legroom, which was important in the taxi trade. For 1959 and 1960, Larks were available with either an L-head (flathead) 170 cu in (2.8 L) six-cylinder engine or the company’s 259 cu in (4.2 L) V8. Testers at the time gave high marks to the V8’s performance. A V8 Lark could turn out a 0 to 60 mph time of around 10 seconds, which was on par with much larger cars. By comparison, among the early Big Three compacts (Ford Falcon, Mercury Comet, Chevrolet Corvair and Plymouth Valiant) that arrived on the scene in 1960, only the Valiant could break the 20-second mark from 0-60 mph. None of the Big Three compacts offered a V8 until the second wave of such cars — the so-called “senior compacts” — arrived for 1961. To meet the challenge of those new cars head-on, for 1961 Studebaker created a new four-door sedan, the Cruiser, using the Econ-O-Miler taxicab body with an upgraded, more luxurious interior. The resulting car harked back to the long-wheelbase Studebaker Land Cruiser sedans of the late Forties and early Fifties. These cars can be distinguished from their lesser four-door counterparts by the 1959-60-style roofline and operational vent windows in the rear doors, while other sedans used one-piece glass in the rear doors. A new option, a canvas-covered folding sunroof dubbed the “Skytop” was introduced as an extra-cost feature for sedans and the two-door hardtop. A mild restyling, too, was carried out. Non-Cruiser sedans and the two-door hardtop received a squared-off roofline, and a new front end design gave the Lark a broader grille and the availability of quad headlamps (as standard equipment on Regal and Cruiser models, optional on Deluxes). Although the styling was modified, engineering enhancements were the big news for 1961, as the Larks received a performance boost. Studebaker advertised as “the compact with Performability,” and this was abetted by the addition of the 289 cu in (4.7 L) V8 from the Hawk family sports car as an option, although this was mainly for Larks intended for police pursuit packages. The bigger news, as far as the general public was concerned, involved the six-cylinder engine. Studebaker’s engineers had long known that their little flathead mill, which dated in its basic form to 1939, was falling farther and farther behind the competition in both power and fuel economy. Lacking the budget to design a completely new engine, the engineering staff converted the 170 engine to overhead valves while retaining much of the basic design. The “new” six, which displaced the same 170 cu. in. as before, went from 90 hp to 112 hp, all without a loss in fuel economy. Indeed, most road testers of the day found the new engine to be easier on fuel than the flathead, and cars so equipped were able to shave nearly four seconds off the all-important 0-60 mph time. The redesigned six, known as the “Skybolt Six,” was marketed by Studebaker extensively in 1961. Other engineering improvements that modernized the 1961 Larks included the introduction of cowl ventilation, suspended brake and clutch pedals (accompanied by a firewall-mounted brake master cylinder) and revamped steering systems. Unfortunately, for all of its new engineering and the mild restyling, sales of the Lark dropped off precipitously for 1961. Even more new competitors were squeezing their way into the marketplace, as Dodge brought out the Lancer, and General Motors issued the Buick Special, Oldsmobile F-85 and Pontiac Tempest. These new “senior compacts,” in addition to their very presence in the market, caused other problems for Studebaker. Most of the Big Three dealers who had signed on with the independent when the Lark debuted dropped the smaller company under pressure from the Detroit manufacturers once the new cars broke cover. Those who did not drop Studebaker outright often put more effort to selling their other product lines. The Italian Studebaker importer commissioned two-door and four-door redesigns from Francis Lombardi and Pietro Frua respectively. These were first shown in November 1960, at the Turin Auto Show. Both designs came in for criticism regarding the front of the cars, but were otherwise well regarded. Intended for small-scale production for the Italian market, it is unknown if any were built aside from the display examples. A new design arrived for 1962.

1948 Studebaker Champion Deluxe Convertible and 1952 Studebaker Champion Coupe: In 1947, Studebaker completely redesigned the Champion and the Commander, making them the first new cars after World War II. The styling included a new rear window, flat front fenders in the ponton style which had just gone mainstream, as well as convenience features like backlight illumination for gauges and automatic courtesy lights. The Champion made up 65.08% of the total sales for the automaker in 1947. The 169.9 cu in (2.8 L) I6 engine produced 80 hp in 1947. In 1950, output was increased to 85 hp. Also, new styling (new grille, sheet metal, and rear end) was introduced, as well as an automatic transmission by Borg-Warner. One of the new styling features on the cars was the wraparound, “greenhouse” rear window that was on 2-door, 5-passenger coupes from 1947 to 1951, at first just an option, in 1950 it was given its own trim line, the Starlight coupe. The “spinner” grille was introduced in 1950, similar to that of a 1949 Ford. A new design arrived for 1953.

Pierce Arrow

1950 Buick Roadmaster 76C Convertible: The Roadmaster received its first major postwar restyling in 1949. Its wheelbase and overall length were reduced, but its weight was marginally increased. The most significant change was a much larger two-piece, curved glass windshield that the sales brochure described as like an “observation car.” It was also in 1949 that Buick introduced “VentiPorts.” Four were displayed on each of the Roadmaster and Century’s front fenders, with three on the fenders of the Super and Special to denote junior level products. The sales brochure noted that VentiPorts helped ventilate the engine compartment, possibly true in early 1949, but they became non-functional sometime during the model year. The idea for VentiPorts grew out of a modification Buick styling chief Ned Nickles had added to his own 1948 Roadmaster. He had installed four amber lights on each side of his car’s hood wired to the distributor to flash on and off as each cylinder fired, simulating the flames from the exhaust stack of a fighter airplane. Combined with the bombsight mascot, VentiPorts put the driver in the control of an imaginary fighter airplane. Upon seeing this, Buick chief Harlow Curtice was so delighted that he ordered that (non-lighting) VentiPorts be installed on all 1949 Buicks, with the number of VentiPorts (three or four) corresponding to the relative displacement of the straight-eight engine installed. Dynaflow was now standard equipment, and engine output was increased to 150 hp through a slight increase in the compression ratio. With the now-standard Dynaflow, this contributed to giving the new Buicks a top speed of 110 mph (177 km/h). In the middle of the year, the Riviera joined the body style lineup, selling 4,314 units. Featuring power windows as standard equipment, the two-door Buick Roadmaster Riviera, along with the Cadillac Series 62 Coupe de Ville and the Oldsmobile 98 Holiday, was among the first hardtop coupes produced. The Riviera Hardtop was conceived by taking the convertible and welding a steel roof, which simplified manufacture and improved the car’s appearance. The Riviera was also notable for its popular optional “Sweepspear” chrome body side moulding, which would soon become a Buick trademark. This chrome-plated strip started above the front wheel, then gently curved down nearly to the rocker panel just before the rear wheel, and then curved around the rear wheel in a quarter of a circle to go straight back to the taillight. The “Riviera trim”, as it was initially called, was also made available on the Roadmaster convertible late in the model year. With 88,130 sold, the all-time annual record for Roadmaster, the model accounted for 27% of all Buick sales, a high proportion despite its price being slightly less than a Cadillac Series 61. The 1950 restyling featured a “toothy” grille. The Sweepspear design was made standard on most body styles at the beginning of the 1950 model year, and on the station wagon and a new long-wheelbase sedan mid-year. The long-wheelbase sedan was lengthened by 4 inches (102 mm)). Like the convertibles, the Riviera and the long-wheelbase sedan came with power windows and seats as standard equipment. Roadmaster sales fell to 75,034, with Roadmaster’s share of total Buick output plummeting to 12%. For the 1951 model year, the long-wheelbase sedan was also called a Riviera, although it was not a hardtop. The Sedanet and regular wheelbase sedan were discontinued. Styling changes were minimal in 1951 and 1952. Power steering was added as an option in 1952, and the engine rating climbed to 170 hp primarily to a new four-barrel carburettor. Sales continued to decrease to about 66,000 in 1951 and totaled 51,000 units in 1952. A new V8 engine was introduced for 1953, Buick’s Golden Anniversary year. Although the Nailhead (as it was popularly called) was nearly identical in displacement to the straight-eight Fireball (322 versus 320 cubic inches), it was 13.5 inches (340 mm) shorter, four inches (102 mm) lower, and 180 lb (82 kg) lighter, but with 188 hp, it was 11% more powerful. The compression ratio increased from 7.50:1 to 8.50:1 and torque increased from 280 to 300 lb⋅ft (380 to 407 N⋅m). The compact dimensions of the V8 engine enabled Buick to reduce Roadmaster’s wheelbase by 4.75 in (121 mm) across the line. However, styling differences behind the engine cowl, apart from the new V8 emblem hubcaps, were nonexistent. Buick also introduced a new “Twin-Turbine” Dynaflow as a companion for the V8 engine. Estimated to increase torque at the wheels by 10 percent, the new transmission provided faster and quieter acceleration at reduced engine speeds. Both power steering and power brakes were made standard. Air conditioning was a new option, and a 12-volt electrical system was adopted years before many other makes.

1960 Nash Metropolitan: Designed in the U.S. and patterned from a concept car, the NXI (Nash Experimental International), that was built by Detroit-based independent designer William J. Flajole for Nash-Kelvinator, this was designed as the second car in a two car family, for “Mom taking the kids to school or shopping or for Dad to drive to the railroad station to ride to work”. This  “commuter/shopping car” bore a resemblance to the big Nash models of the era, but the scale was tiny as the Met’s wheelbase was shorter than a Volkswagen Beetle’s. The NXI design study had incorporated many innovative features, and attempted to make use of interchangeable front and rear components (the symmetrical door skins were the only interchangeable items that made it into production). Although more complex, the new vehicle also incorporated Nash’s advanced single-unit monocoque construction. It had been displayed at a number of “surviews” (survey/previews), commencing on 4 January 1950 at the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel, New York, to gauge the reaction of the American motoring public to a car of this size, the results of which convinced Nash that there was indeed a market for such a car, if it could be built at a competitive price. A series of prototypes followed that incorporated many of the improvements requested, including roll-up glass side windows, a more powerful engine, and a column-mounted gearlever with bench seat (rather than bucket-type seats with floor change of the concept car). The model was named NKI (for Nash-Kelvinator International), and it featured revised styling incorporating a hood blister and rear wheel cutouts. Nash was positioning this new product for the emerging postwar market for “personal use” autos, and also saw it as a means of Nash to overseas markets. However, Mason and Nash management calculated that it would not be viable to build such a car from scratch in the U.S. because the tooling costs would have been prohibitive. The only cost-effective option was to build overseas using existing mechanical components (engine, transmission, rear end, suspension, brakes, electrical), leaving only the tooling cost for body panels and other unique components. Nash Motors negotiated with several European companies, and on October 5, 1952, announced that they had selected the Austin Motor Company (by then part of BMC) and Fisher & Ludlow (which also became part of BMC in September 1953, later operating under the name Pressed Steel Fisher), both based in Birmingham and vicinity. Fisher & Ludlow would produce the bodywork, while the mechanicals would be provided, as well as final assembly undertaken, by the Austin Motor Company. This was the first time an American-designed car, to be exclusively marketed in North America, had been entirely built in Europe. It became a captive import – a foreign-built vehicle sold and serviced by Nash (and later by American Motors) through its dealer distribution system. It is believed that the first pre-production prototype was completed by Austin on December 2, 1952. In all, five pre-production prototypes were built by Austin Motors and tested prior to the start of production. The total tooling cost amounted to US$1,018,475.94, which was a fraction of the tooling cost for a totally U.S.-built vehicle. The styling for all Nash vehicles at that time was an amalgam of designs from Pininfarina of Italy and the in-house Nash design team. The different models from Ambassador down to the Metropolitan utilised very similar design features (fully enclosed front wheels, notched “pillow” style door pressing, bar style grille etc.). Whilst Nash used the fact that styling was by Pininfarina in their advertising for their larger models, Pininfarina refused to allow his name to be associated with the Metropolitan as he felt it would damage his reputation with other Italian car companies to be linked to such a small car. The new Metropolitan was made in two body designs: convertible and hardtop. All came with several standard features that were optional on most cars of the era. Among these factory-installed benefits for customers were a map light, electric wipers, a cigar lighter, and even a “continental-type” rear-mounted spare tyre with cover. To give a “luxury” image to the interior, “Bedford cord” upholstery trimmed with leather was used (similar to larger Nash vehicles). An AM radio, “Weather Eye” heater, and whitewall tyres were offered as optional extras for the U.S. market. (It is unlikely that a Metropolitan could have been purchased without a heater and radio, as all vehicles left the factory with both items fitted.) The cars were small, with an 85 in wheelbase, an overall length of just 149.5 in and a gross weight of only 1,785 lb for the Convertible and 1,825 lb for the Hardtop, thus making the Metropolitan smaller than the Volkswagen Beetle. Power came from an OHV 1,200 cc straight-4 Austin ‘A40′ series engine as used in the Austin A40 Devon/Dorset) driving the rear wheels through a three-speed manual transmission. The new model was initially to be called the “NKI Custom”, but the name was changed to “Metropolitan” just two months before its public release. New chrome nameplates with the “Metropolitan” name were made to fit into the same holes as the “NKI Custom” script on the passenger side front fender. Nash dealers had to rebadge the early cars that came with the “NKI Custom” name, but some factory manuals had already been prepared and distributed to service departments with the NKI name. Initial reviews of the Metropolitan were mixed. However, owners of the cars reported that the “Metropolitan is a good thing in a small package”. Automotive industry veteran and the largest publisher of automotive books at the time, Floyd Clymer, took several Metropolitans through his tests. He “abused” a 1954 Metropolitan convertible and “got the surprise of my life” with its “performance was far better than I expected”, that he “felt very safe in the car”, and that “it may well be that Nash has started a new trend in American motoring. Perhaps the public is now getting ready to accept a small car”. Clymer also took a 1957 Metropolitan hardtop through a gruelling 2,912 mi road test that even took him 14,100 ft up Pikes Peak. He summed up his experience that “I can not praise the Metropolitan too highly. It is a fascinating little car to drive, its performance is far better than one would expect, and the ride is likewise more than expected”. It was not all good, of course, with Motor Trend magazine describing the backseat as “a joke”. Performance, whilst pedestrian by today’s standards, with a 0 to 60 mph time over 19.3 seconds and a top speed in excess of 70 mph was far better that of the rival VW, but at 60 mph, a common American cruising speed at the time, the Metropolitan was revving at 4300 rpm, which shortened engine life, whereas the Volkswagen could travel at the same speed at only 3000 rpm. Road & Track ’​s testers also said that the car had “more than its share of roll and wallow on corners” and there was “little seat-of-the-pants security when the rear end takes its time getting back in line.” The lack of any form of opening for the boot also attracted plenty of complaints.  Production at Austin’s Longbridge factory started in October 1953. The initial order was for 10,000 units, with an option to increase the order if sales were sufficient.  The first examples badged as Nash went on sale on March 19, 1954 in the U.S. and Canada. Autocar said that “at a production rate of less than 400 cars a week … it was hardly going to be a runaway best seller.” In surveys, Americans had affirmed a desire for economy cars, but in practice they bought the Metropolitan in relatively small numbers. Although Nash merged with Hudson in 1954, and marketed the car as a Hudson Metropolitan in 1955, “demand never took off from the original level”, primarily because the Metropolitan was slow by North American standards. In the first month of sales, 862 Metropolitans were sold in U.S. and Canada, while in the first six months a total of 7,042 were sold. A further order was placed with Austin. After the first 10,000 cars were built, the engine was changed to a B-Series, but still of 1,200 cc, as used in the Austin A40 Cambridge. Other modifications that were incorporated at this time were a new gearbox, and hydraulic actuation for the clutch. The change to a new engine and gearbox added 50 lb to the weight. November 1955 saw the start of Metropolitan Series III (NK3) production. A redesign at this time saw the Metropolitan’s B-Series engine increased in capacity to 1,498 cc, as used in the Austin A50 Cambridge. Polished stainless steel sweep-spears on the body sides allowed a new two-tone finish to be incorporated, which had the cosmetic effect of lowering, slimming and lengthening the car. The grille was also redesigned, and the bonnet had its non-functional hood scoop removed. American Motors changed the designation to “Metropolitan 1500” to differentiate it from the earlier 1,200 cc models. The interior was also changed to incorporate a “houndstooth” check material for the seats trimmed with white vinyl. The dashboard was also now painted black, rather than the body colour as was the case for Series I and II Metropolitans. In September 1957, AMC announced that it was dropping the Nash and Hudson brand names. The Metropolitan was subsequently marketed under the “Metropolitan” name only, and sold through Rambler dealers. January 1959 saw the start of Metropolitan Series IV (NK4) production. This major redesign saw the addition of an external bootlid, at last. By this time, the engine had been upgraded by increasing the compression ratio from 7.2:1 to 8.3:1 giving an output of 55 bhp, as used in the Austin A55 Cambridge). The additional features added 15 lb (6.8 kg) to the weight.  Sales rose to 22,209 units in 1959, the Metropolitan’s best-selling year, promoting it to second place behind Volkswagen in sales of cars imported to the U.S. American Motors’ advertising made much of this ranking, while omitting mention that the Volkswagen outsold the Metropolitan by 5½ to 1. Production ceased in April 1961, though sales of the existing inventory continued until March 1962. Approximately 95,000 Metropolitans were sold in the United States and Canada, making it one of the top-selling cars to be imported into those countries at the time, and its sales in 1959 helped to spur the introduction of the Big Three’s (General Motors, Ford, and Chrysler) new compact models. In October 1956, Austin obtained permission from American Motors to sell the Metropolitans in overseas countries where AMC did not have a presence. The early brochures for the Austin Metropolitans used a reversed photograph to show an apparently right hand drive (RHD) car parked in an English country town because only left hand drive vehicles were available at the time the photos were taken. From December 1956, production of Austin Metropolitans began, and from April 2, 1957, approximately 9,400 additional units were sold in overseas markets that included the United Kingdom. List prices for the UK Series III models were £713 17s 0d for the Hardtop and £725 2s 0d for the Convertible. An estimated 1,200 Metropolitans were sold in the UK in four years, though some have claimed far more than this were sold here. Markedly American, the styling was considered outlandish compared with the more sober British-styled models in the British Motor Corporation lineup. Only Series III and Series IV Metropolitans were produced for sale in the UK.  UK Series III sales ran from April 1957 to February 1959. Series IV models, were sold from September 1960 to February 1961. The Metropolitan was not available for UK sales between February 1959 and September 1960, since all production during that time was for US & Canadian dealers. When sales in the UK resumed they were sold through Austin dealers at listed prices of £707 6s 8d for the Hardtop and £732 2s 6d for the Convertible. Austin was dropped from the name, which now became simply “Metropolitan”, and the cars carried no Austin badges although they had Austin Company chassis plates. Despite this the car remained known, by trade and public alike, as the Austin Metropolitan. In May 1960, Car Mart Ltd. (a large Austin dealership in London) presented Princess Margaret with a specially prepared Metropolitan finished in black with gold trim and gold leather interior as a wedding present. It was stolen in London in February 1961.

1963 Chevrolet Corvair Monza Convertible: Plenty has been written about the Corvair, following the publication of consumerist Ralph Nader’s book “Unsafe at any Speed”, even though subsequent research found that the car was no more prone to the things which the non-driving Nader alleged than many others on sale at the same time. Although the book damaged sales, that was not the only reason why the car ultimately was not that commercially successful. Until 1960, the “Big Three” domestic auto manufacturers (General Motors, Ford, and Chrysler) produced only one basic size of passenger cars: large. However, a successful modern “compact car” market segment was established in the US by the 1950 Nash Rambler. Moreover, imports from Europe, such as Volkswagen, Renault, and Fiat, showed that there was demand in the US for small cars, often as a second car or an alternative for budget-minded consumers. While the “Big Three” continued to introduce ever-larger cars during the 1950s, the newly formed American Motors Corporation (AMC) focused its business strategy on smaller-sized and fuel-efficient cars, years before there was a real need for them. The sale success of the Rambler did not go unnoticed, so during 1959 and 1960, the Big Three automakers planned to introduce their own “compact” cars. Most of these designs were scaled-down versions of the conventional American car, using four- or six-cylinder engines instead of V8s, and with bodies about 20% smaller than their standard cars. The exception to this was going to be Chevrolet’s offering, the Corvair. Led by General Manager Cole, Chevrolet designed a revolutionary new car. It was powered by an air-cooled horizontal six-cylinder 2.3 litre engine made almost entirely out of aluminium, which initially produced 80 bhp. The engine was mounted in the rear of the car, driving the rear wheels through a compact transaxle. Suspension was independent at all four wheels. There was no conventional frame, it was the first unibody built by Fisher Body. The tyres were an entirely new wide low-profile design. The styling was unconventional for Detroit: subtle and elegant, with no tailfins or chrome grille. Its engineering earned numerous patents, while Time magazine put Ed Cole and the Corvair on the cover, and Motor Trend named the Corvair as the 1960 “Car of the Year”. As well as a four door saloon, the range included a two door coupe, a convertible, and from 1961, an estate car as well as a range of light commercial vehicles including a panel van and a pick up. The Corvair’s sales exceeded 200,000 for each of its first six model years. Sales figures revealed to Chevrolet management that the Corvair was more of a specialty car than a competitor to the conventionally designed Ford Falcon or Chrysler’s Valiant. Corvair was not as competitive in the economy segment and Chevrolet began a design program that resulted in a compact car with a conventional layout, the Chevy II, for the 1962 model year. That meant that the Corvair was developed in a different way, with more emphasis put on the sporting models. so in 1962 a high performance 150 hp turbocharged “Spyder” option was added for the Monza coupes and convertibles, making the Corvair the second production automobile to come with a turbocharger as a factory option The Monza Coupe was the most popular model with 151,738 produced out of 292,531 total Corvair passenger car production for 1962. The Corvair was fast becoming the darling of the sporty car crowd. Many after-market companies offered a vast array of accessories for the Corvair, everything from imitation front grilles to serious performance upgrades such as additional carburettors, superchargers and performance exhaust and suspension upgrades. There were numerous detailed changes for 1963 and 1964. The Monza line really came into its own, as in 1963, 80% of sales were Monzas. The Convertible model counted for over 20% of all the Monzas sold. A sporty image meant big profits. In October 1964, Chevrolet presented a new Corvair, with different styling and detailed refinements to the mechanical parts, as well as fully independent rear suspension replacing the former swing axles. Saloon, coupe and convertibles were the only body styles offered, the other versions having been not renewed. Although the new car received rave reviews from journalists such as the often-critical David E Davies, sales were not that strong, and they declined every year thereafter. By 1967, the range was pruned to just the 500 and Monza Hardtop Coupes and Hardtop Sedans, and the Monza Convertible. Chevrolet was still actively marketing the Corvair in 1967, including colour print ads and an “I Love My Corvair” bumper sticker campaign by dealers, but production and sales continued to fall off drastically. Only 27,253 copies were built. In 1968, the four-door hardtop was discontinued, leaving three models—the 500 and Monza Hardtop Coupes and the Monza Convertible. All advertising was virtually stopped and sales were down to 15,400. The final model-year 1969 Corvairs were assembled almost by hand at the same plant as the Nova in Willow Run, Michigan. A total of 1,786,243 Corvairs were produced between 1960 and 1969. The phenomenal success of the Ford Mustang and that 1966 book had proved very damaging to the Corvair, and GM decided that their sporting future lay with the Camaro and for families, with the Nova. These days, there is something of a cult-following for the Corvair.

1963 Plymouth Valiant Signet 200: The Valiant was totally reskinned for 1963 with a 0.5 in (13 mm) shorter wheelbase; it had a wide, flat hood and a flat square rear deck. The upper belt feature line ran from the rear body, in a gentle sweep, to the front fender tip. Here it was “veed” back and down to the trailing edge of the front fender. The roofline was flatter and sharpened in profile. The grille was a variation of the inverted trapezoid shape that characterized contemporary Chryslers, with a fine mesh insert. Advances in body structure, many accessories and a new spring-staged choke were promotional highlights. The Valiant was offered as a two-door hardtop and convertible, a two- or four-door sedan, and a four-door station wagon. The hardtop and the convertible, with manual- or optional power-operated top, were offered only in the high V200 and premium Signet trim levels. The optional 225 cu in (3.7 L) slant-six engine was initially offered with the die-cast aluminum block introduced in late 1961, but early in the 1963 model year the aluminium block was discontinued; both the 170 and 225 engines were thenceforth available only with iron blocks. In December 1962, Plymouth’s first-ever vinyl-covered roof became available as an option on the Signet. The 1963 Valiant was much better received by the public, and sales for the year rose to 225,056. The Valiant was sold in Mexico as a “Chrysler Valiant” starting with the 1963 model year. This was also the first year that it was coupled with the Dodge Dart, which had been previously a lower-end full-size model. In the U.S., the Valiant finally joined the Plymouth brand for the rest of its production. Building on a worldwide record sales success in 1963, the Valiant moved into 1964 with design changes giving better economy, reliability and performance. Changes in the 1964 Valiant included a restyled front end featuring a new grille with a horizontal bars. A “Valiant” medallion was placed at the centre of the grille where the bars formed a flat bulge. Vertical taillamps replaced the previous horizontal items. The ring-style rear deck decoration was replaced with a Valiant script located at the right-hand corner. There were few styling changes in the 1965 Valiants, but the 1966 Valiants had significant superficial changes: a split grille with fine-patterned insert; new front fenders; new rear fenders on the sedans; new bevelled-edge rear deck lid; heavier rear bumper; and a new roofline with large rear window. The new Chrysler-built A833 four-speed manual transmission was offered together with a Hurst shifter. Another new option was the “Sure-Grip” limited slip differential, which was touted as a bad-weather safety feature and also offered traction benefits in performance driving. The Valiant was extremely popular in the US, Canada, and numerous markets outside North America. Plymouth supported a successful team of Valiant two-door sedans in the 1965 and 1966 SCCA Manufacturers Rally Championships. In mid-1964, Chrysler released an all-new 273 cu in (4.5 L) V8 engine as optional equipment in all Valiants. This compact V8 engine, with solid tappets, the first in Chrysler’s LA engine range and that would last until 2002, was specifically engineered to fit in the compact A-body engine compartment. Valiants with the optional 273 engine came with V-shaped emblems at the sides of the cowl. With the 180 bhp 273, the Valiant became the lowest-priced V-8 automobile in the world. For 1965, a hotter 235 bhp version of the 273 called the Commando 273 was made available with 10.5:1 compression, a four-barrel carburettor, performance camshaft, low restriction exhaust and other modifications. The Dodge Lancer, which had been almost identical to the Valiants of 1961–62, was replaced in 1963 by the Dart. The Dart was available in all the same body styles as the Valiant, except there was no Dodge equivalent of the Barracuda.

1961 Rambler American Custom Convertible: The second-generation Rambler American was achieved through a heavy restyling of the previous year’s model under AMC’s styling Vice President Edmund E. Anderson. While mechanically identical to the 1960 model, Anderson’s restyle resulted in a car that was three inches (76 mm) narrower and shorter in its exterior dimensions with an overall length of 173.1 inches (4,397 mm), but increased in its cargo capacity. Continuing to ride on the 100-inch (2,540 mm) wheelbase, the American’s new styling was more square (sometimes described as “breadbox”) instead of the round “roly-poly” shape (or “bathtub”), and the visual connection with the original 1950 Nash model had finally disappeared along with the last of the engineering compromises required to accommodate George Mason’s favored skirted front wheels as the new skin, designed from the outset with open wheel arches in mind, reduced overall width a full three inches. Popular Mechanics wrote “seldom has a car been completely restyled as the 1961 Rambler American and yet retain the same engine, driveline, suspension on the same unit body”. All outside sheet metal was changed, but the side window frames remained the same as previous models. Only the rear glass was changed to conform to the new roofline. The firewall and dashboard were new stampings that also changed the clutch and brake pedal mountings from under the floor to the firewall. For 1961 the American line added a four-door station wagon and a two-door convertible for the first time since 1954. It featured a power-operated folding top with roll-down door glass, rather than the fixed side-window frames of the original design.The straight-six engine was modernized with an overhead-valve cylinder head for higher-grade models, but the base cars continued with the flathead engine. American Motors built a new assembly plant in Brampton, Ontario, Canada, for the production of Rambler Americans, as well as the larger Rambler Classics. Setting new sales records, American Motors continued its “policy of making changes only when they truly benefited the customer.” The 1962 model year Rambler American lineup was essentially the same as in 1961. However, model designations changed with the base models designated “Deluxe”, a mid-level trim called “Custom” displaced the Super, and the previous Custom top trim became a 400. American Motors incorporated a new brake system in all 1962 Rambler models. The “Double-Safety” braking featured a tandem master cylinder with one hydraulic circuit for the front brakes and a second for the rear brakes. Operating normally in unison, braking would still be available should there be a puncture in a hydraulic line. Only the Rolls-Royce, Jaguar, and the 1962 Cadillac offered this advanced safety feature. Regulations in the United States finally mandated twin-circuit brake systems on all cars starting with 1967 model year production. A new “E-stick” option combined a manual three-speed transmission with an automatic clutch as a low-cost alternative to the fully automatic transmission. The E-stick was also available with an overdrive unit. The system was priced at $59.50 but offered stick-shift economy, performance, and driver control without a clutch pedal by using engine oil pressure and intake manifold vacuum to engage and disengage the clutch when shifting gears. However, the system was complex and the option did not sell well. Although the Big Three domestic automakers had introduced competitive compact models by 1962, the Rambler American remained the oldest, smallest, and “stubbornly unique”, refusing “to conform to Detroit’s standard pattern for scaled-down automobiles” and “free of gimmicky come-ons.” A 10,000-mile (16,093 km) road test by Popular Science described the 1962 Rambler American as “sturdy, solid, dependable little automobile, comfortable to drive … a good buy for what it’s built for – transportation, not a status symbol.” The 1962 models included many improvements to lower maintenance requirements that included self-adjusting brakes, oil filters and changes extended from 2,000 to 5,000 miles (3,219 to 8,047 kilometres), larger celluose-fiber air filters for extended life, manual transmission that never need draining, improved automatic transmissions with longer mileage between fluid changes, factory filled engine coolant guaranteed for two years or 24,000 miles (38,624 kilometres), deep-dip rustproofing with the entire body is submerged in rustproofing primer paint, ceramic coated tailpipes with the coated muffler wrapped in asbestos and included a rust-resistant aluminized steel shield with the muffler guaranteed to the original owner for the life of the car, aluminium window frames (sedan models), batteries guaranteed for two years or 24,000 miles (38,624 kilometres) without any pro-rata charges, and numerous moving mechanical components now incorporating life-time lubrication eliminating customary grease or lubricant servicing. All front seats included deeper foam cushioning as standard on top of rubber-coated coil spring seat construction. Attaching plates for front seat belts made it easy to install seat belts while locating indentations were provided for adding lap belts for rear seat passengers. Furthermore, the Rambler American models continued to be the most affordable domestic-built cars. The automaker’s president, George W. Romney, appeared prominently in advertisements, asking potential customers to “think hard” about new cars and describing “more than 100 improvements in the 1962 Ramblers” and why they are not available in competitive vehicles, as well as AMC “workers as progress-sharing partners” so that buyers can “expect superior craftsmanship.” Car Life magazine noted the level of workmanship on the Rambler Americans was “not only acceptable but actually admirable.” Production for the 1962 model year totalled 125,678 Rambler Americans of which almost 13,500 were convertibles. The Rambler brand ended in fourth place among all the manufacturers for the year. A significant change in leadership of AMC occurred in February 1962 when Romney resigned to enter politics and eventually become the Governor of Michigan. Roy Abernethy took over as president after successfully building a substantial dealer network for AMC from the dissimilar Nash and Hudson outlets. His strategy was to move AMC away from Romney’s economy focus and expand the product line to meet the “Big Three” domestic automakers head-on. For 1963, model designations were changed once again with the 400 now called 440. A new hardtop (no B-pillar) coupe body design debuted, whose steel roof was designed to mimic the appearance of a closed convertible top. This was a one-model-year-only design with a thin profile, clean lines, stamped faux-convertible ribs, and a textured finish. A special top-of-the-line model called the 440-H was equipped with sports-type features, including individually adjustable reclining front bucket seats and a centre console, as well as a more powerful 138 hp version of Rambler’s stalwart 195.6 cu in (3.2 L) inline-six engine. An optional console-shifted “Twin-Stick” manual overdrive transmission was introduced. This transmission has a bigger gap between second and third gears compared to the regular three-speed transmissions with overdrive (that operated like a five-speed although the driver needed to know the governor cut-in speed, free-wheeling, as well as when to lock the overdrive in or out). This allowed the transmission to be shifted like a five-speed in the following sequence: 1, 2, 2+OD, 3, and 3+OD. The Twin-Stick has a kick-down button on top of the main shift knob to facilitate the five-speed shifting process. The entire product line from AMC earned the Motor Trend Car of the Year award for 1963. The recognition was used by AMC to also promote the carryover Rambler American models. First, as the Nash Rambler and then as two generations of the Rambler American, this automobile platform performed the rare feat of having two distinct and successful model runs, an almost unheard-of phenomenon in automobile history.[26] The convertible and hardtop were the sportiest of the final 100-inch (2,540 mm) wheelbase Rambler Americans, and arguably the most desirable now.

1952 Muntz Jet: The Muntz Jet is a two-door hardtop convertible built by the Muntz Car Company in the United States between approximately 1949 and 1954. It is sometimes credited as the first personal luxury car. Developed from the Kurtis Sport Car (KSC) that was designed by Frank Kurtis, it was produced and marketed by Earl “Madman” Muntz. The car was powered by one of two V8 engines, either a 160 hp Cadillac engine or a 160 hp Lincoln engine, and it was equipped with either a General Motors Hydramatic automatic transmission or a three-speed Borg-Warner manual transmission. The Jet was streamlined, featured numerous luxury appointments, and was equipped with safety features that were not standard on most cars of its day, including a padded dashboard and seat belts. Production of the Muntz Jet occurred in Glendale, California; Evanston, Illinois; and Chicago before ceasing in 1954. The car sold for $5,500 in 1953, but cost $6,500 to produce. In total, Muntz lost approximately $400,000 on the venture. Only 198 Jets were built, an estimated 50 to 130 of which are still in existence. By 2016, fully restored cars had sold for over $100,000 at auction. Author Matt Stone called the Jet “one of the fastest and best-performing American cars of the time” while Muntz claimed that the 1958 Ford Thunderbird was inspired by his Jet. he Muntz Jet was built by the Muntz Car Company, which was founded by Elgin, Illinois, native Earl “Madman” Muntz. Muntz, who was born in 1914 and attended Elgin High School for three semesters before dropping out, had established a prominent reputation selling television sets and other commercial and consumer electronics. Before founding the Muntz Car Company, Muntz had worked successfully as a used-car salesman and at Kaiser-Frazer dealerships in both Los Angeles and New York City, even earning the sobriquet of “world’s largest car dealer”. According to automotive journalist Turk Smith, he “made and lost several fortunes” during his lifetime, and he was married to seven different women. The Muntz Jet was developed from the Kurtis Sport Car (KSC), a two-seat, aluminium-body sports car designed by Frank Kurtis. Muntz bought the rights to the KSC, along with its parts and tooling, from Kurtis Kraft for $200,000. Sam Hanks, who would later win the 1957 Indianapolis 500, contributed to the redesign and re-engineering necessary to create the Muntz. The Jet was built with a solid hardtop. Two different V8 engines were used in the Jet: a 160 hp Cadillac engine, and a 160 hp Lincoln engine. The first Jets to be constructed, in Glendale, California, had the Cadillac engine and aluminium bodies, while those built later in Illinois instead had the Lincoln engine and steel bodies. The cars were equipped with General Motors Hydramatic automatic transmissions, while a three-speed Borg-Warner manual transmission was also available as an option. Compared to its Kurtis predecessor, the Jet was heavier but also more agile and capable of a higher top speed, due to its lower drive ratio. The Muntz was 400 pounds (180 kg) heavier than the KSC, weighing almost 4,000 pounds (1,800 kg). Its wheelbase was 113 inches (290 cm), 10 inches (25 cm) longer in both overall length and wheelbase than the Kurtis, which gave it enough room to include a back seat and accommodate four occupants. The Jet stood 54 inches (140 cm) in height. It was built with body-on-chassis construction and had independent front suspension (A-arms with coil springs) and a live rear axle with leaf springs. It also featured power steering, four-wheel hydraulic brakes, dual exhausts, and a dual coil ignition. In April 1951, Norman Nicholson described the Jet as having “the appearance of a streamlined, scaled-down limousine”. It was available in colors such as boy blue and elephant pink. Similar in appearance to the KSC, the Muntz was more luxuriously appointed than its sports car predecessor. Some of these appointments included an all-leather “tuck-and-roll” interior, racing-style Stewart-Warner gauges, and a centre console with a Muntz radio. A liquor cabinet and ice chest placed under the rear seat armrests were available as an option. The Jet was equipped with safety features that were not standard on most cars of its day, including a padded dashboard and seat belts. The first 26 to 40 Muntz Jets were built in Glendale, California. Production was then moved to a factory at 1000 Grey Avenue in Evanston, Illinois, where the car was built roughly between 1949 and 1952. The near cross-country move was necessitated by difficulties related to materials and transportation that plagued the original plant in Glendale. In April 1951, the Muntz Car Company was employing 40 people in its Evanston factory and producing a car a day. In approximately 1952, the company moved plants again, to 2901 North Sheffield Avenue in Chicago’s Lake View neighbourhood. Production ceased in 1954. In January 1951, the projected cost of a Jet was $5,000. That year, Muntz planned to sell the car out of factory-run showrooms in Houston, Los Angeles, and New York City. With no network of dealers, Muntz Jets were sold to customers directly from the factory. The car sold for $5,500 in 1953. At the same time, a Cadillac convertible sold for $3,987, and a comparable Lincoln for $3,600. A single Jet cost roughly $6,500 to produce, $1,000 more than its sticker price. Muntz himself estimated that labour costs alone for each Jet produced totalled $2,000. In total, he lost approximately $400,000 on the venture, and after four years gave up on it. Famous owners of the Jet included Clara Bow, Vic Damone, Grace Kelly, Alfred “Lash” LaRue, and Mickey Rooney. Six Jets were fitted with a factory-installed “hop up” kit that included an Edelbrock aluminium intake and twin double-barrelled Stromberg carburettors. Muntz Car Company welding chief Peter Condos claimed that two Jets were built with 331-cubic-inch (5,420 cc) Chrysler FirePower V8 engines. Writing in 1951, Norman Nicholson noted a production Muntz Jet had an official top speed of 112 mph (180 km/h). Muntz himself claimed it could accelerate from 0 to 80 mph (130 km/h) in nine seconds. He also stated that the Jet could reach 150 mph (240 km/h), but automotive journalist Turk Smith, writing in 1969, expressed doubt that it could even attain 130 mph (210 km/h). In total, 198 Muntz Jets were built. Earlier estimates of 400 cars produced, a figure possibly sourced to Muntz himself, are now thought to be inaccurate. An estimated 50 to 130 of these cars are still in existence.

Crosley: Crosley was a small, independent American manufacturer of subcompact cars, bordering on microcars. At first called the Crosley Corporation and later Crosley Motors Incorporated, the Cincinnati, Ohio, firm was active from 1939 to 1952, interrupted by World War II production. Their station wagons were the most popular model, but also offered were sedans, pickups, convertibles, a sports car, and even a tiny jeep-like vehicle. For export, the cars were badged Crosmobile. Beginning in the late 1930s Crosley developed low-priced compact cars and other pint-size vehicles. The first experimental prototype of the Crosley car was the 1937 CRAD (for Crosley Radio Auto Division) that had a 18 inches (46 cm) rear track. With the assistance of his brother, Lewis, a graduate engineer, Crosley also designed assembly plants for his manufacturing operations at Richmond and Marion, Indiana. On April 28, 1939, the first Crosley production car debuted at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway to mixed reviews. It was a two-door convertible that weighed under 1,000 pounds (454 kg). Initially offered at US$325 for a two-passenger coupe or $350 for a four-passenger sedan, The Crosley cars were cheaper than the nearest competition, the American Austin Car Company’s American Bantam, which sold for $449 to $565. The Crosley car’s chassis had an 80-inch (203.20 cm) wheelbase and used beam axles with leaf-springs (half-elliptic springs in front, and quarter-elliptic springs in the rear). Under the hood, a four-gallon, gravity-fed gas-tank mounted above the motor made it possible for the car to operate without a fuel pump. The engine was a small, air-cooled Waukesha two-cylinder boxer, much like that of the Citroen 2CV, and had a fan as an integral part of the flywheel. The engine was connected to a three-speed transmission that provided power directly via a torque tube to the rear axle, eliminating the need for joints. This arrangement was judged unreliable, and conventional universal joints were fitted starting in 1941. Production for 1939 was 2,017 units; however, only 422 cars were built in 1940. For 1941 a range of new, body-style variations of the 48-inch (1.22 m) wide car were introduced to expand the line-up: a station wagon, two panel vans (one called the “Parkway Delivery” had no front cabin roof), and a pick-up truck and “Covered Wagon” model that could convert into a truck by means of a removable back seat and detachable soft-top over the rear section. Crosley built nearly 2,300 cars in 1941. When the company introduced its first metal-topped model, the “Liberty Sedan,” for 1942, pricing across the model range was $299 to $450. During World War II, the Crosley car became attractive due to gasoline rationing and the car’s fuel efficiency, an estimated 50 mpg (US) at speeds of up to fifty mph. Crosley was the last company to cease production of civilian vehicles in 1942, after building another 1,000 units that year. When the onset of war ended all automobile production in the United States in 1942, Crosley had produced a total of 5,757 cars. During the pre-war years the Crosley company operated manufacturing plants in Camp Washington, Ohio; Richmond, Indiana; and Marion, Indiana. The Crosley factories were converted to wartime production during the war. The Crosley Corporation was involved in war production planning before December 1941, and like the rest of American industry, it focused on manufacturing war-related products during the war years. The company made a variety of products, ranging from proximity fuzes, radio transceivers, field kitchens, and quarter-ton trailers, to gun turrets, among other items. Powered gun turrets for PT boats and B-24 and B-29 bombers were the company’s largest contract. Crosley also produced a number of experimental vehicles during the war for the U.S. government. Crosley’s auto manufacturing division, CRAD, in Richmond, Indiana, produced experimental motorcycles, tricycles, four-wheel-drive military light utility vehicles, a self-propelled gun, and continuous track vehicles, some of which were amphibious models. All of these military prototypes were powered by the 2-cylinder boxer engine that powered the original Crosley automobiles. Crosley had nearly 5,000 of the engines on hand when auto production ceased in 1942, and hoped to put them to use in war-time production of miniature vehicles. One vehicle prototype was the 1942–1943 Crosley CT-3 “Pup,” a lightweight, single-passenger, four-wheel-drive vehicle that was transportable and air-droppable from a C-47 Skytrain. Six of the 1,125-pound (510 kg), 2-cylinder Pups were deployed overseas after undergoing tests at Fort Benning, Georgia, but the project was discontinued due to several weak components. Seven of 36 Pups built are known to survive. Post-war production began with 4,999 vehicles in 1946, and increased to five-figure numbers, producing more than 22,500 cars in 1947. Crosley sales peaked in 1948, with 24,871 or 27,707 cars sold, depending on the source; however, the CoBra copper and stamped steel “tin block” engine proved a major misstep. Although it had proven reliable in military use, it fared poorly under less diligent civilian maintenance. The CoBra was replaced with a redesigned and more reliable conventional cast-iron engine in 1949, but the company’s reputation suffered. Sales fell to 8,939 units in 1949, and to 7,612 in 1950.

1949 Crosley Hot Shot: The addition of the Crosley “Hotshot” sports model and the “Farm-O-Road” model, a combination farm-tractor and all-wheel-drive vehicle in 1950, could not stop the decline. More trouble came after the Big Three automakers introduced bigger, more lavish cars, and began manufacturing them in higher volumes and priced, in some cases, only little higher than a new Crosley car. Crosley sales dwindled to 4,839 units in 1951; only 1,522 Crosley vehicles were sold in 1952. Production ceased on July 3, 1952, when the final Crosley rolled off the production line. Crosley sold about 84,000 cars in total before closing down the operation in 1952. Crosley continued building engines for a short while to fulfill a government contract, but eventually the rights to the engine were sold. The Crosley plant in Marion, Indiana, was sold to the General Tire and Rubber Company.

And so to the third building. This is set higher on the hill, and is rather better lit than the second one had been, with a lot of natural light streaming in (which made for a photography challenge with some of the cars). There were 17 more cars in here, some of the most spectacular of the whole collection and the walls are lined with all manner of memorabilia from old showroom signs to petrol pumps, and just about everything else you can think of.

Most of the cars in here are from the 1950s, an era that many consider to be a high point of US automotive design, with bold new designs, taking advantage of new materials and using influences from the emerging space race. Many of the details are exquisite and lethal in equal measure. You would never get away with such grille mascots and other features these days, but aren’t they wonderful?

1953 Cadillac Eldorado: The Cadillac Series 62 Eldorado joined the Oldsmobile 98 Fiesta, and Buick Roadmaster Skylark as top-of-the-line, limited-production specialty convertibles introduced in 1953 by General Motors to promote its design leadership. A special-bodied, low-production convertible (532 units in total), it was the production version of the 1952 El Dorado “Golden Anniversary” concept car. Along with borrowing bumper bullets from the 1951 GM Le Sabre show car, it featured a full assortment of deluxe accessories and introduced the wraparound windshield and a cut-down beltline to Cadillac standard production. The expansive frontal glass and distinctive dip in the sheet metal at the bottom of the side windows (featured on one or both of GM’s other 1953 specialty convertibles) were especially beloved by General Motors’ styling chief Harley Earl and subsequently widely copied by other marques. Available in four unique colours; Aztec Red, Alpine White, Azure Blue and Artisan Ochre. Convertible tops were available in either black or white Orlon. AC was an option at US$620, as were wire wheels for US$325. The car carried no special badging other than a gold-coloured “Eldorado” nameplate in the centre of the dash. A hard tonneau cover, flush with the rear deck, hid the convertible top when stored. Although technically a subseries of the Cadillac Series 62 based on the regular Series 62 convertible and sharing its engine, it was nearly twice as expensive at US$7,750 as the all-new Packard Caribbean convertible. The 220.8 inches (5,610 mm) long, 80.1 inches (2,030 mm) wide vehicle came with such standard features as windshield washers, a signal seeking radio, power windows, and a heater. Only 532 were produced, comprising just 0.5% of Cadillac’s 1953 sales.

1957 Ford Thunderbird Series 40: The Ford Thunderbird began life in February 1953 in direct response to Chevrolet’s new sports car, the Corvette, which was publicly unveiled in prototype form just a month before. Under rapid development, the Thunderbird went from idea to prototype in about a year, being unveiled to the public at the Detroit Auto Show on February 20, 1954. It was a two-seat design available with a detachable glass-fibre hard top and a folding fabric top. Production of the Thunderbird began later on in 1954 on September 9 with the car beginning sales as a 1955 model on October 22, 1954. Though sharing some design characteristics with other Fords of the time, such as single, circular headlamps and tail lamps and modest tailfins, the Thunderbird was sleeker and more athletic in shape, and had features like a bonnet scoop and a 150 mph (240 km/h) speedometer hinting a higher performance nature that other Fords didn’t possess. Mechanically though, the Thunderbird could trace its roots to other mainstream Fords. The Thunderbird’s 102.0 inches wheelbase frame was mostly a shortened version of that used in other Fords while the car’s standard 4.8 litre Y-block V8 came from Ford’s Mercury division. Though inspired by, and positioned directly against, the Corvette, Ford billed the Thunderbird as a personal car, putting a greater emphasis on the car’s comfort and convenience features rather than its inherent sportiness. The Thunderbird sold exceptionally well in its first year. In fact, the Thunderbird outsold the Corvette by more than 23-to-one for 1955 with 16,155 Thunderbirds sold against 700 Corvettes. With the Thunderbird considered a success, few changes were made to the car for 1956. The most notable change was moving the spare tyre to a continental-style rear bumper in order to make more storage room in the boot and a new 12 volt electrical system. The addition of the weight at the rear caused steering issues. Among the few other changes were new paint colours, the addition of circular porthole windows as standard in the fibreglass roof to improve rearward visibility, and a 5.1 litre V8 making 215 hp when mated to a 3-speed manual transmission or 225 hp when mated to a Ford-O-Matic 2-speed automatic transmission; this transmission featured a “low gear”, which was accessible only via the gear selector. When in “Drive”, it was a 2-speed automatic transmission (similar to Chevrolet’s Powerglide). The Thunderbird was revised for 1957 with a reshaped front bumper, a larger grille and tailfins, and larger tail lamps. The instrument panel was heavily re-styled with round gauges in a single pod, and the rear of the car was lengthened, allowing the spare to be positioned back in the boot. The 5.1 litre V8 became the Thunderbird’s standard engine, and now produced 245 hp. Other, even more powerful versions of the V8 were available including one with two four-barrel Holley carburettors and another with a Paxton supercharger delivering 300 hp. Though Ford was pleased to see sales of the Thunderbird rise to a record-breaking 21,380 units for 1957, company executives felt the car could do even better, leading to a substantial redesign of the car for 1958.

1950 Studebaker Champion Regal Deluxe: In 1947, Studebaker completely redesigned the Champion and the Commander, making them the first new cars after World War II. The styling included a new rear window, flat front fenders in the ponton style which had just gone mainstream, as well as convenience features like backlight illumination for gauges and automatic courtesy lights. The Champion made up 65.08% of the total sales for the automaker in 1947. The 169.9 cu in (2.8 L) I6 engine produced 80 hp in 1947. In 1950, output was increased to 85 hp. Also, new styling (new grille, sheet metal, and rear end) was introduced, as well as an automatic transmission by Borg-Warner. One of the new styling features on the cars was the wraparound, “greenhouse” rear window that was on 2-door, 5-passenger coupes from 1947 to 1951, at first just an option, in 1950 it was given its own trim line, the Starlight coupe. The “spinner” grille was introduced in 1950, similar to that of a 1949 Ford, but was dropped again for the 1952 model year. A single four-door, wood-bodied station wagon prototype was also designed. It appeared at several car shows, but was never put into production. The car was then driven for several years by employees to run company errands. Around 1955, the body was removed from the chassis and was sent to the secret graveyard in the wooded infield of the high-speed oval at the company’s proving ground west of South Bend. In the early 1970s, members of the Studebaker Drivers Club discovered the body of the wagon prototype. Around 1980, members of the club were allowed to remove the wagon prototype for preservation. After a multi-year restoration, the car was put on display at the Studebaker National Museum.

1953 Pontiac Chieftain Deluxe Convertible: In 1949 the A-body Chieftain replaced the Pontiac Torpedo as Pontiac’s smaller and lower priced model. However, the newly redesigned B-bodied Pontiac Streamliner was now very similar (if not exact) in dimensions, engines, trim levels and options. This was the first time since 1934 that all Pontiacs had the same wheelbase. They had standard automatic interior lighting. The Chieftain was initially introduced with four models: Sedan, Sedan Coupe, Business Coupe, and Deluxe Convertible Coupe. In 1950, a Catalina Coupe was added to the range while a station wagon was added in 1952, with the demise of the top-of-the-line Streamliner wagon. Some of the more interesting optional items available for the first generation Chieftain included a radio with seven vacuum tubes, tissue dispenser, under seat heaters, and a Remington Auto-Home shaver. In 1951, the horsepower on the 8-cylinder rose to 116. The Chieftain came with a gas gauge, ammeter, oil pressure gauge, and a temperature gauge which had marks for 160, 180, and 220 degrees Fahrenheit. For the 1952 model year, Pontiac discontinued the Streamliner leaving the Chieftain as their only offering. The Chieftain continued with the 120 inch wheelbase. Engine offerings were basically the same except for the 8-cylinder which got a .2 cubic inch enlargement. Horsepower did increase by 10 on the six-cylinder and by 15 on the eight-cylinder. Also, a red light to remind the driver that the parking brake was on was new. In the May 1952 issue of Popular Mechanics, the Chieftain was rated 14.9 seconds for a 0-60 mph time. Front head room was 36 inches, while rear head room was 35.75 inches. In 1953, Pontiac came with a new body style, offering a 122 in (3,099 mm) wheelbase, and sleeker lines. The windshield was now one piece, and a panoramic rear window was standard. Pontiacs sported accentuated bubbled-up fins in the rear for the first time in 1953. The six-cylinder engine was standard. There was a lower-equipped Chieftain Special and a better-equipped Chieftain Deluxe line, as well as the Custom Catalina two-door hardtop coupe. A light-up plastic Chief Pontiac hood ornament that illuminated with the headlights adorned the front end. The Star Chief was added to the Pontiac line in 1954 and the Chieftain was moved down to entry level status. Both cars were built on the A-body shell, but the new Star Chief had an 11 in (279 mm) extension added to its frame. Also in 1954, output of the eight-cylinder engines increased by about nine horsepower due to carburettor changes, up to 122 hp for the manual and 127 hp for the Hydra-Matic. The six-cylinder engines remained unchanged. Pontiac was the last GM division to abandon its prewar inline eight engines as Oldsmobile and Cadillac had adopted modern OHV V8s in 1949 and Buick in 1953; Chevrolet had never has an inline eight. The 1953-54 Pontiacs had been meant for the division’s new OHV 287 V8; however, Buick division managers succeeded in delaying its launch until 1955 to avoid upstaging their “Nailhead” Buick V8. Partially because of competition from Chevrolet, Oldsmobile, and Buick, and partially because Pontiac still lacked a V8, total sales fell by 30% in 1954. Also in 1954, power brakes, “power lift” windows (only for the front doors), as well as air-conditioning were offered as extra cost options for the first time. The 1954 Pontiacs have the distinction of the first production car in the US to have an air conditioning system in the modern sense with in-dash controls. In addition, a far more responsive and fully adjustable front seat was added. A brand new car arrived for 1955.

1951 Chevrolet Styleline Deluxe Convertible: In 1949, all the Chevrolets got the first new styling after the war. The Deluxe was the brand new upper-end model for Chevrolet. The cheapest Deluxe was the Deluxe Styleline 6-passenger sedan, costing $1,492. Brakes were 11-inch drums. It had full instrumentation. The front suspension had stabilizers. Many things changed starting in 1950, starting with a luxuriously-appointed hardtop coupe, called the Bel Air. The new Bel Air including upgraded cord and leather-grain vinyl trim (available in a choice of several two-tone schemes), full carpeting and other appointments not available in even the Deluxe series, and a wide range of two-tone paint schemes. The 1950-1952 Bel Airs—during these early years, the Bel Air was officially part of the Deluxe range—shared only their front sheetmetal ahead of the A-pillar with the rest of the range. The windshield, doors, glass, and trunk were common with the Styleline convertible, but the roof, rear quarters and rear windows were unique. The other change was the availability of Powerglide, a two-speed automatic transmission, exclusively in the Deluxe and Bel Air models. It was powered by a 235-cubic inch six-cylinder engine developing 105 horsepower and had a 3.55:1 rear differential; the engine went on to become the “Blue Flame six.” Models sold with the standard three-speed manual transmission got the usual 216.5-cubic inch engine, developing 92 horsepower. Throughout the post-war years, many comfort, convenience and styling options were available, including tinted glass which was introduced in 1952, the final year for this style. Popular Mechanics rated fuel economy of 20mpg at 50 mph. After the end of the 1952 model year, the old nameplates—Special and Deluxe—were retired, and changed to 150 and 210, respectively, with trim similar to their respective former series. The Bel Air model became a full series, including two- and four-door sedans, station wagon and convertible; and represented the top-end model with features similar to the 1950-1952 models (luxury interior, full carpeting and other features).

1957 Ford Fairlane 500: For the 1955 model year the Fairlane name replaced the Crestline as Ford’s premier full-sized offering. Six different body styles were offered, including the Crown Victoria Skyliner with a tinted, transparent plastic roof, the regular Crown Victoria coupe with much stainless steel trim, a convertible Sunliner, the Victoria hardtop coupe, and traditional sedans. All featured the trademark stainless-steel “Fairlane stripe” on the side. Power options were a 223 cu in (3.7 L) straight-6 engine and a 272 cu in (4.5 L) V8. The 292 cu in (4.8 L) Y-block was offered as an option and was called the Thunderbird V-8. The Fairlane 4-door Town Sedan was the most popular sedan Ford sold that year, having manufactured 254,437 with a listed retail price of US$1,960. Few changes were made for 1956; a four-door Victoria hardtop and two new, more powerful V8 options, of 292 cu in (4.8 L) and 312 cu in (5.1 L), the latter available up to 225 bhp were introduced. The Lifeguard safety package was introduced. The two-door Victoria hardtop featured a new and slimmer roofline. A one-year only two-door station wagon, the 1956 Ford Parklane, featured Fairlane-level trim. It was marketed to compete against the Chevrolet Nomad. For 1957, a new style gave a longer, wider, lower, and sleeker look with low tailfins. The new proportions and modern styling were a hit with customers to the extent that the Ford outsold Chevrolet in 1957 for the first time since 1935. A new top trim level, the Fairlane 500 was added to the Fairlane model line and the Country Squire continued to be the luxury station wagon while the Country Sedan was now added to the Fairlane model line, while engine choices were largely the same as the year before. The big news for 1957 was the introduction of the Fairlane 500 Skyliner power retractable hardtop, whose solid top hinged and folded down into the trunk space at the touch of a button, while the Ford Ranchero 2-door coupe utility was also introduced. Another facelift for 1958 had fashionable quad headlights, a grille that matched the 1958 Thunderbird, and other styling changes. New big-block FE V8s of 332 and 352 CID (5.4 L and 5.8 L) replaced the previous largest V8s, and a better three-speed automatic transmission was also available with a steering column transmission gear selector lever. A new top-level full-sized model was introduced at mid-year 1959, the Ford Galaxie. The 1959 Galaxie displayed both “Fairlane 500” and “Galaxie” badging. An all new design came in for 1960.

1956 DeSoto Fireflite Convertible: The DeSoto Fireflite is a full-size premium automobile which was produced by DeSoto in the United States from 1955 until 1960. The Fireflite was introduced in 1955 as De Soto’s top trim package of the DeSoto Firedome. It was wider and longer than the Firedome and it came equipped with a hemispherical cylinder head, 291 cubic inch displacement (4.8L) V8 engine producing 200 hp when equipped with the 4 barrel carburettor and PowerFlite automatic transmission. The transmission was operated by a Flite-Control lever located on the dashboard. The car weighed 4,070 lb (1850 kg) and cost US$3,544. AM radio was a $110 option. The 1956 model car was best known for its long, tapering tail fins, often accentuated by a two-tone exterior finish. The interior offered bench seating that could accommodate six passengers. The Fireflite had a 0 to 60 mph (97 km/h) acceleration time of 11 seconds and a top speed of 110 mph (175 km/h). The Fireflite’s bold design increased sales for DeSoto. In 1955, DeSotos sold well with over 114,765 examples produced, making 1955 the best year for the company since 1946. By 1956, DeSoto placed eleventh in U.S. production with an annual production of 110,418 cars. The success was short-lived, however, and Chrysler Corporation discontinued the Fireflite models at the end of the 1960 model year, and the DeSoto brand effective in November 1960. In 1956 a gold and white Fireflite convertible was the Official Pace Car for the 1956 Indianapolis 500. While no official production figures for the pacesetter convertibles was ever released, research from National DeSoto Club members has narrowed it down to between 390 and 426 produced. Indianapolis 500 President Tony Hulman said the DeSoto was chosen unanimously by the track committee because it delivered outstanding performance and had superb handling characteristics. The 1956 Fireflite had a longer stroke, 3.80 inches, giving a 330 cubic inch displacement (5.4L). Compression ratio increased to 8.5:1 and power increased to 230 hp. It made up 27.39% of DeSoto’s sales in 1956. Power seats were $70, while power brakes cost $40. The Fireflite’s appearance for 1957 was redesigned with the help of Chrysler Corporation’s head stylist, Virgil Exner. The design was bold and radical with large tail fins, dual oval exhaust and triple-lens taillights. The tail fins were not only aesthetic, but helped to stabilize the car at high speeds. A four-headlight system was optional for both the Fireflite and DeSoto Firedome models in 1957. The DeSoto Firesweep polyhead V8s were introduced with a bore and stroke of 3.6875 in (94 mm) X 3.800 in (97 mm). for 325 cid. The two barrel V8 was rated at 240 hp while the four barrel version produced 260 hp. The 330 cid hemi engine was replaced by a hemi which was 341 cid (5.6L) . The two barrel carburettor produced 270 hp. while the four barrel version was rated at 295 hp. Both engines had a 9.25:1 compression ratio. In 1957 the Fireflite was superseded by the Adventurer as the premium DeSoto model. Nevertheless, Fireflites continued to offer high-grade appointments in a full line of body styles. Also in 1957, a station wagon was added to the Fireflite’s lineup. Back-up lights became standard. In 1958, a new engine was added. For 1959, the car was restyled. The electric clock became standard. A hand brake light was optional.

1955 Dodge Custom Royal Lancer: The introduction of the Dodge Custom Royal for the 1955 model year saw the Royal moved down to the intermediate trim level, above the now base-model Coronet. The Royal Lancer name was applied to the 2-door hardtop model and Royal Sierra to the new station wagon models. For 1956 the use of the Royal Lancer name was extended to include a new 4-door hardtop model. Station wagons now included 2-door Royal Custom Suburban and 4-door Royal Custom Sierra models. External changes were mainly the growth of tailfins, redesigned taillight housings and side trim treatments. Changes at the front were limited to the addition of six “fins” in the grille (not to be found on the lower-grade Coronet) and an altered hood ornament.

1955 Mercury Montclair: For 1955, Mercury redesigned its model line, adding the Montclair as a premium sedan line above the Monterey. Alongside a four-door sedan (sharing a different roofline from the Monterey), the Montclair was introduced in a two-door hardtop and two-door convertible configuration. As a styling feature, the Montclair received a colour-contrast panel below the window line (typically colour-coordinated with the roof). A 292 cubic-inch V8 adopted from the new Ford Thunderbird roadster produced 195 hp; along with a 3-speed manual transmission, a 3-speed automatic was offered as an option. The listed retail price for the 1955 2-door Hardtop Coupe was US$2,631 and sold 71,588. Standard equipment included cloth and vinyl upholstery, full interior carpeting, and chrome window surround mouldings; among the options were a heater and windshield defroster, radio, power adjustable front seat, power windows, power steering, power brakes and auxiliary road lamps. For 1956, Mercury sedans underwent an exterior revision. The side trim was revised to a full-length multi-tier chrome spear, with two types of two-tone paint combinations, offering the traditional approach of a roof colour over a different body colour, and “Flo-tone” where the roof and lower body were painted in one colour and the upper body painted in another colour. There were a total of thirty-one two-tone combinations and twenty-eight “Flo-tone” combinations. The Montclair offered a special paint appearance where the area immediately below the side windows were painted in the colour of the roof, or if the “Flo-tone” appearance was used, the colour of the roof and lower body panels. on the hood the crest badge was replaced by a “Big M” emblem. The update brought several functional revisions, including a 12-volt electric system, which allowed the installation of such power operated accessories as air conditioning, standard dual exhaust to improve engine performance, and an automatic self-lubrication system (for the steering and front suspension). Mercury added its own version of the Ford Lifeguard safety system; a deep-dish steering wheel was standard, along with safety door locks, tubeless tires, and a breakaway safety glass rearview mirror. In addition, childproof rear door locks, seatbelts, and a padded dashboards were introduced as free-standing options. The 292 cubic-inch V8 was replaced by a 225 hp 312. Starting in 1956 an optional dual 4-barrel carburettor version provided 260 hp. The 3-speed manual or the optional 3-speed Merc-O-Matic automatic transmission continued, while an additional Touch-O-Matic overdrive was offered separately. For 1955, the Montclair model line offered the Sun Valley, succeeding the Monterey Sun Valley from 1954. In line with the Ford Fairlane Crown Victoria Skyliner, the front half of the roof was a tinted Plexiglas panel; in contrast to the pillared Skyliner, the Sun Valley was a hardtop. While transparent roofs had been a styling feature of multiple 1950s concept cars (including the Lincoln Futura), the design as a production feature was not widely accepted by consumers, who found interior heat buildup in the vehicle during the summer unacceptable, particularly as air conditioning was not offered as a factory-supplied option until 1956. In total, only 1,787 Sun Valleys were produced.

1958 Edsel Citation Convertible: The Edsel was technically a separate marque that was planned, developed, and manufactured by the Ford Motor Company for model years 1958–1960. With the Edsel, Ford had expected to make significant inroads into the market share of both General Motors and Chrysler and close the gap between itself and GM in the domestic American automotive market. Ford invested heavily in a yearlong teaser campaign leading consumers to believe that the Edsel was the car of the future – an expectation it failed to deliver. After it was unveiled to the public, it was considered to be unattractive, overpriced, and overhyped. The Edsel never gained popularity with contemporary American car buyers and sold poorly. The Ford Motor Company lost $250 million on the Edsel’s development, manufacturing, and marketing and the very name “Edsel” became a popular symbol for a commercial failure. The Ford Motor Company had become a publicly traded corporation on January 17, 1956, and thus was no longer entirely owned by members of the Ford family. The company was now able to sell cars according to current market trends. Ford’s new management compared the company’s roster of makes with that of General Motors and Chrysler, and concluded that Lincoln was competing not with Cadillac, but with Oldsmobile, Buick and DeSoto. Ford developed a plan to move Lincoln upmarket, with the Continental broken out as a separate make at the top of Ford’s product line, and to add a premium/intermediate vehicle to the intermediate slot vacated by Lincoln. Marketing research and development for the new intermediate line had begun in 1955 under the code name “E car”, which stood for “experimental car.” Ford Motor Company eventually decided on the name “Edsel”, in honour of Edsel B. Ford, son of the company’s founder, Henry Ford (despite objections from Henry Ford II). The proposed vehicle marque would represent the start-up of a new division of the firm alongside that of Ford itself and the Lincoln-Mercury division, whose cars at the time shared the same bodies. The Edsel was introduced amid considerable publicity on “E Day”—September 4, 1957. It was also promoted by a top-rated television special, The Edsel Show, on October 13, but the promotional effort was not enough to counter the adverse initial public reaction to the car’s styling and conventional build. The day after its launch, the Edsel was described as a “reborn LaSalle,” a brand that had disappeared in 1940. For months, Ford had been telling the industry press that it “knew” (through its market research) that there would be great demand for the vehicle. Ford also insisted that, in the Edsel, it had built exactly the “entirely new kind of car” that Ford had been leading the buying public to expect through its pre-introduction publicity campaign for the car. In reality, however, the Edsel shared its engineering and bodywork with other Ford models, and the similarities were apparent once the vehicle was viewed first-hand. The Edsel was to be sold through a newly formed division of the Ford Motor Company, as a companion to the Ford Division, Mercury Division, Lincoln Division and (newly formed but also short-lived) Continental Division. Each division had its own retail organization and dealer network. The free-standing Edsel Division existed from November 1956 until January 1958, after which Edsel sales and marketing operations were integrated into the Mercury-Edsel-Lincoln division. Initially Edsel was sold through a new network of approximately 1,187 dealers. This briefly brought the total number of dealers of all Ford products to 10,000. Ford saw this as a way to come closer to parity with Chrysler, which had 10,000 dealers, and General Motors, which had 16,000. As soon as it became apparent that the Edsels were not selling, many of these dealers added Lincoln-Mercury, Ford of Britain, or Ford of Germany franchises to their dealerships with the encouragement of Ford Motor Company. Some dealers, however, closed For the 1958 model year, Ford produced four submodels of Edsel: The larger Mercury-based Citation and Corsair, and the smaller Ford-based Pacer and Ranger. The Citation was offered in two-door and four-door hardtop and two-door convertible versions. The Corsair was available in two-door and four-door hardtop versions. The Pacer was available as a two-door or four-door hardtop, four-door sedan, or two-door convertible. The Ranger was sold in two-door and four-door hardtop or sedan versions. The four-door Bermuda and Villager wagons and the two-door Roundup wagon were based on the 116-inch wheelbase Ford station wagon platform and shared the trim and features of the Ranger and Pacer models. The Edsel offers several of what were then considered innovative features, among which are its rolling-dome speedometer; warning lights for such conditions as low oil level, parking brake engaged, and engine overheating; and its push-button Teletouch transmission shifting system in the centre of the steering wheel (a conventional column-shift automatic was also available at a reduced price). Other Edsel design innovations include ergonomically designed controls for the driver and self-adjusting brakes (which Ford claimed for the Edsel as a first for the industry, even though Studebaker had pioneered them earlier in the decade). The Edsel also offers such features, advanced for the time, as seat belts (which were available at extra cost as optional equipment on many other makes) and child-proof rear door locks that could only be opened with the key. In the first year, 63,110 Edsels were sold in the United States, and 4,935 were sold in Canada. Though below expectations, this nevertheless represented the second-largest launch for any new car brand to date, exceeded only by the DeSoto introduction in 1929. For the 1959 model year, the Edsel brand fielded only two series, the Ford-based Ranger and Corsair. The larger Mercury-based Edsels were discontinued. Replacing the Pacer as the top-line Ford-based Edsel, the new Corsair was offered as a two-door and four-door hardtop, four-door sedan, and two-door convertible. The Ranger was sold as a two-door and four-door hardtop, two-door and four-door sedan, and the Villager station wagon. In the 1959 model year, 44,891 Edsels were sold in the U.S., and 2,505 were sold in Canada. For the 1960 model year, Edsel’s last, only 2,846 vehicles were produced. All but the pilot cars were assembled at the Louisville, Kentucky assembly plant. The marque was reduced to the Ranger series of sedans, hardtops, convertibles, and the Villager station wagons. The Edsel shared a basic chassis, glass, and major sheet metal with the 1960 Ford Galaxie and Fairlane models that were built on the Louisville assembly line with it. But the Edsel has its own unique grille, bonnet, and four upright oblong taillights, along with its side-sweep spears. The Edsel’s front and rear bumpers were also unique. The 1960 Edsel rides on a 120-inch wheelbase, compared to the concurrent Ford’s 119-inch span, and it also uses a different rear suspension. The cars did, however, share engines and transmissions. Ford announced the end of the Edsel program on Thursday, November 19, 1959. However, production continued until late in November, with the final tally of 2,846 model year 1960 cars. Total Edsel sales were approximately 116,000, less than half the company’s projected break-even point. The company lost $350 million, or the equivalent of $2,900,000,000 in 2017 dollars, on the venture. Only 118,287 Edsels were built, including 7,440 produced in Ontario, Canada. By U.S. auto industry standards, these production figures were dismal, particularly when spread across a run of three model years. Historians have advanced several theories in an effort to explain the Edsel’s failure. Popular culture often faults the car’s styling. Consumer Reports has alleged that poor workmanship was the Edsel’s chief problem. Marketing experts hold the Edsel up as a supreme example of the corporate culture’s failure to understand American consumers. Business analysts cite the weak internal support for the product inside Ford’s executive offices. According to author and Edsel scholar Jan Deutsch, the Edsel was “the wrong car at the wrong time.”

1953 Oldsmobile 98 Fiesta: New in 1953, the Fiesta joined the Cadillac Series 62 Eldorado and Buick Roadmaster Skylark as top-of-the-line, limited-production specialty convertibles introduced that year by General Motors to promote its design leadership. It featured a cut-down belt line, a wraparound windshield that was 3 inches (76 millimetres) lower than the standard Ninety-Eight’s windshield, and special “spinner” hubcaps, which became a trademark on later Oldsmobiles. Virtually every Oldsmobile option was standard except air conditioning, regarded as unnecessary at the time in a convertible. Mechanically, the Fiesta had a special version of the Ninety-Eight engine which gained 5 horsepower to 170 through manifold streamlining and compression increased from 8.1:1 to 8.3:1. A four-speed Hydramatic automatic transmission and faster rear axle ratio were designed to keep the 4,459 pound shipping weight Fiesta (336 more than a standard Ninety-Eight convertible) up to Oldsmobile performance standards. At US$5,715 (over $700) more than the Skylark) the Fiesta was nearly twice the US$2963 price of a standard Ninety-Eight convertible, with only 458 units produced to its 7,521. Standard equipment for 1953 included bumper guards, electric clock, lined trunk, dual horns, cigarette lighter, chrome moldings, twin interior sun visors, rear seat robe rails, special rear stainless steel trim, chrome window ventiplanes, windshield washer, and Deluxe steering wheel with horn ring. In 1953 a padded safety dash also became standard on the Ninety-Eight. For the first time air conditioning was an option. The Fiesta convertible would be gone the next year but its name would be resurrected in 1957 for Oldsmobile station wagons. The 1954 Oldsmobiles were redesigned across the line.

Ford Mustang: Drawing on inspiration from the mid-engined Ford Mustang I concept vehicle, Lee Iacocca ordered development of a new “small car” to vice-president of design at Ford, Eugene Bordinat. Bordinat tasked Ford’s three design studios (Ford, Lincoln-Mercury, and Advanced Design) to create proposals for the new vehicle. The design teams had been given five goals for the design of the Mustang: It would seat four, have bucket seats and a floor mounted shifter, weigh no more than 2,500 pounds (1,100 kg) and be no more than 180 inches (4,572 mm) in length, sell for less than $2,500, and have multiple power, comfort, and luxury options. The Lincoln–Mercury design studio ultimately produced the winning design in the intramural contest, under Project Design Chief Joe Oros and his team of L. David Ash, Gale Halderman, and John Foster. Development of the Mustang was completed in a record 18 months from September 1962 to March 1964. and Iacocca himself championed the project as Ford Division general manager. The styling is often credited to one person, and that is not accurate, as this was very much a team effort, it has been reported by those involved. To decrease developmental costs, the Mustang used chassis, suspension, and drivetrain components derived from the Ford Falcon and Fairlane. It used a unitised platform-type frame from the 1964 Falcon, and welded box-section side rails, including welded crossmembers. Although hardtop Mustangs accounted for the highest sales, durability problems with the new frame led to the engineering of a convertible first, which ensured adequate stiffness. Overall length of the Mustang and Falcon was identical, although the Mustang’s wheelbase was slightly shorter. With an overall width of 68.2 in (1,732 mm), it was 2.4 in (61 mm) narrower, yet the wheel track was nearly identical. Shipping weight, approximately 2,570 lb (1,166 kg) with the straight six-cylinder engine, was also similar to the Falcon. A fully equipped V8 model weighed approximately 3,000 lb (1,361 kg). Although most of the mechanical parts were from the Falcon, the Mustang’s body was completely different; sporting a shorter wheelbase, wider track, lower seating position and lower overall height. An industry first, the “torque box” was an innovative structural system that greatly stiffened the Mustang’s construction and helped contribute to better handling. The car was launched in 17th April 1964, as a hardtop and a convertible, with the fastback version following in August. It was an instant sensation, with demand massively exceeding supply. Since it was introduced four months before the normal start of the 1965 production year and manufactured alongside 1964 Ford Falcons and 1964 Mercury Comets, the earliest Mustangs are widely referred to as the 1964½ model. Nevertheless, all “1964½” cars were given 1965 U.S. standard VINs at the time of production, and – with limited exception to the earliest of promotional materials – were marketed by Ford as 1965 models. The low-end model hardtop used a “U-code” 170 cu in (2.8 litre) straight-6 engine borrowed from the Falcon, as well as a three-speed manual transmission and retailed for US$2,368. Standard equipment for the early 1965 Mustangs included black front seat belts, a glove box light, and a padded dash board. Production began in March 1964 and official introduction following on April 17 at the 1964 World’s Fair. V8 models got a badge on the front fender that spelled out the engine’s cubic inch displacement (“260” or “289”) over a wide “V.” This emblem was identical to the one on the 1964 Fairlane. Several changes to the Mustang occurred at the start of the “normal” 1965 model year in August 1964, about four months after its introduction. These cars are known as “late 65’s”. The engine lineup was changed, with a 200 cu in (3.3 litre) “T-code” engine that produced 120 hp. Production of the Fairlane’s “F-code” 260 cu in (4.3 litre) engine ceased when the 1964 model year ended. It was replaced with a new 200 hp “C-code” 289 cu in (4.7 litre) engine with a two-barrel carburettor as the base V8. An “A-code” 225 hp four-barrel carburettor version was next in line, followed by the unchanged “Hi-Po” “K-code” 271 hp 289. The DC electrical generator was replaced by a new AC alternator on all Fords (a way to distinguish a 1964 from a 1965 is to see if the alternator light on the dash says “GEN” or “ALT”). The Mustang GT version was introduced as the “GT Equipment Package” and included a V8 engine (most often the 225 hp 289), grille-mounted fog lamps, rocker panel stripes, and disc brakes. In the interior the GT option added a different instrument panel that included a speedometer, fuel gauge, temp. gauge, oil pressure gauge and ammeter in five round dials (the gauges were not marked with numbers, however.) A four-barrel carburettor engine was now available with any body style. Additionally, reverse lights were an option added to the car from August 1964 production. In 1965, the Shelby Mustang was born, it was available only in newly introduced fastback body version with its swept-back rear glass and distinctive ventilation louvres. The standard interior features of the 1965 Mustang included adjustable driver and passenger bucket seats, an AM radio, and a floor mounted shifter in a variety of colour options. Ford added additional interior options during the 1965 model year. The Interior Decor Group was popularly known as “Pony Interior” due to the addition of embossed running ponies on the seat fronts, and also included integral armrests, woodgrain appliqué accents, and a round gauge cluster that would replace the standard Falcon instrumentation. Also available were sun visors, a (mechanical) remote-operated mirror, a floor console, and a bench seat. Ford later offered an under-dash air-conditioning unit, and discontinued the vinyl with cloth insert seat option, offered only in early 1965 models. One option designed strictly for fun was the Rally-Pac. Introduced in 1963 after Ford’s success at that year’s Monte Carlo Rally and available on other Ford and Mercury compacts and intermediates, the Rally-Pac was a combination clock and tachometer mounted to the steering column. It was available as a factory ordered item for US$69.30. Installed by a dealer, the Rally-Pac cost US$75.95.A 14″ rim option was available for Rally-pac and GT350R vehicles widening front and rear track to 57.5″. Reproductions are presently available from any number of Mustang restoration parts sources. A compass, rear seat belts, A/C, and back-up lights were also optional. The 1966 Mustang debuted with moderate trim changes including a new grille, side ornamentation, wheel covers and filler cap. Ford’s new C-4 “cruise-o-matic” three-speed auto transmission became available for the 225 hp V8. The 289 “HiPo” K-code engine was also offered with a c4 transmission, but it had stronger internals and can be identified by the outer casing of the servo which is marked with a ‘C’. The long duration solid-lifter camshaft that allowed the high revving 289 to make the horsepower it was known for, was not friendly for a low stall speed automatic torque converter. The “HiPo” could be spotted very easily by the 1-inch-thick vibration damper, (as compared to 1/2 inch on the 225-hp version) and the absence of a vacuum advance unit on the dual point distributor. With the valve covers off, there is a large letter “K” stamped between the valve springs, along with screw in studs (vs. a pressed in stud for other 289s) for the adjustable rocker arms. A large number of new paint and interior color options, an AM/eight-track sound system, and one of the first AM/FM mono automobile radios were also offered. It also removed the Falcon instrument cluster; the previously optional features, including the round gauges and padded sun visors, became standard equipment. The Mustang would be the best-selling convertible in 1966, with 72,119 sold, beating the number two Impala by almost 2:1. The 1965 and 1966 Mustangs are differentiated by variations in the exterior, despite similar design. These variations include the emblem on the quarter-panels behind the doors. From August 1964 production, the emblem was a single vertical piece of chrome, while for 1966 models the emblem was smaller in height and had three horizontal bars extending from the design, resembling an “E”. The front intake grilles and ornaments were also different. The 1965 front grille used a “honeycomb” pattern, while the 1966 version was a “slotted” style. While both model years used the “Horse and Corral” emblem on the grille, the 1965 had four bars extending from each side of the corral, while on the 1966, these bars were removed. The 1966 model year saw introduction of ‘High Country Special’ limited edition, 333 of them were sold in Colorado, Wyoming, and Nebraska. When Ford wanted to introduce the Mustang in Germany, they discovered that Krupp company had already registered the name for a truck. The German company offered to sell the rights for US$10,000. Ford refused and removed Mustang badges from exported units, instead naming the cars as T-5 (a pre-production Mustang project name) for the German market until 1979 when Krupp copyrights expired. In 1965, Harry Ferguson Research purchased 3 Mustang notchbacks and converted them to 4×4 in an attempt to sell potential clients on their FF AWD system. A similar system was used in the Ferguson P99 Formula One car, and would go on to be featured in the Jensen FF, widely considered the first AWD passenger car. As in the Jensen FF, the AWD Mustangs also featured an ABS braking system, long before such a feature was commonplace. Ford Australia organised the importation and conversion of 1966 Mustang to right-hand-drive for the Australian market. This coincided with the launch of new XR Falcon for 1966, which was marketed as “Mustang-bred Falcon”. To set the official conversion apart from the cottage industry, the RHD Mustangs were called “Ford Australia Delivered Mustang” and had compliance plates similar to XR Falcon. About 209 were imported to Australia with 48 units were converted in 1965 while the further 161 were done in 1966. The 1967 model year Mustang was the first redesign of the original model. Ford’s designers began drawing up a larger version even as the original was achieving sales success, and while “Iacocca later complained about the Mustang’s growth, he did oversee the redesign for 1967 .” The major mechanical feature was to allow the installation of a big-block V8 engine. The overall size, interior and cargo space were increased. Exterior trim changes included concave taillights, side scoop (1967 model) and chrome (1968 model) side ornamentation, square rear-view mirrors, and usual yearly wheel and gas cap changes. The high-performance 289 option was placed behind the newer 335 hp 6.4 litre FE engine from the Ford Thunderbird, which was equipped with a four-barrel carburettor. During the mid-1968 model year, a drag racer for the street could be ordered with the optional 428 cu in (7.0 litre) Cobra Jet engine which was officially rated at 335 hp. All of these Mustangs were issued R codes on their VIN’s. The 1967 Deluxe Interior was revised, discontinuing the embossed running horse motif on the seat backs (the source for the “pony interior” nickname) in favor of a new deluxe interior package, which included special colour options, brushed aluminium (from August 1966 production) or woodgrain dash trim, seat buttons, and special door panels. The hardtop also included upholstered quarter trim panels, a carryover from the 1965-66 deluxe interior. The 1967 hardtop also had the chrome quarter trim caps, carried over from 1965-66, but these were painted to match the interior in 1968 models. The 1967 deluxe interior included stainless steel-trimmed seat back shells, similar to those in the Thunderbird. These were dropped at the end of the 1967 model year, and were not included in the woodgrain-trimmed 1968 interior. The deluxe steering wheel, which had been included in the deluxe interior for the 1965-66, became optional, and could also be ordered with the standard interior. The 1968 models that were produced from January 1968 were also the first model year to incorporate three-point lap and shoulder belts (which had previously been optional, in 1967-68 models) as opposed to the standard lap belts. The air-conditioning option was fully integrated into the dash, the speakers and stereo were upgraded, and unique center and overhead consoles were options. The fastback model offered the option of a rear fold-down seat, and the convertible was available with folding glass windows. Gone was the Rally-Pac, since the new instrument cluster had provisions for an optional tachometer and clock. Its size and shape also precluded the installation of the accessory atop the steering column. The convenience group with four warning lights for low fuel, seat belt reminder, parking brake not released, and door ajar were added to the instrument panel, or, if one ordered the optional console and A/C, the lights were mounted on the console. Changes for the 1968 model increased safety with a two-spoke energy-absorbing steering wheel, along with newly introduced shoulder belts. Other changes included front and rear side markers, “FORD” lettering removed from hood, rearview mirror moved from frame to windscreen, a 302 cu in (4.9 litre) V8 engine was now available, and C-Stripe graphics were added. The California Special Mustang, or GT/CS, was visually based on the Shelby model and was only sold in Western states. Its sister, the ‘High Country Special’, was sold in Denver, Colorado. While the GT/CS was only available as a coupe, the ‘High Country Special’ model was available in fastback and convertible configurations during the 1966 and 1967 model years, and as a coupe for 1968. The 1968 Ford Mustang GT Fastback reached iconic status after it was featured in the 1968 film Bullitt, starring Steve McQueen. In the film, McQueen drove a modified 1968 Mustang GT 2+2 Fastback chasing a Dodge Charger through the streets of San Francisco. There were further annual updates until the model’s replacement in 1973, but with each the car got steadily bigger and less overtly sporty. Sales reduced, too, suggesting that Ford were losing their way. Mustang II did not fix that, of course, but gradually, the legendary nameplate has returned to delivering the same sort of promise as those early and much loved cars were able to do.

1950 Hudson Pacemaker: The Pacemaker was offered for the 1950 through 1952 model years. It was the cheapest model in the Hudson range in each of the three years. The Pacemaker utilised a 119-inch wheelbase, five inches shorter than that used for all other contemporary Hudson models. The Pacemaker had the flathead 232 cubic inch 6-cylinder engine. The Wasp debuted in 1952 with the 262 six, but when the Pacemaker was discontinued, the 1953-54 Wasp base engine became the Pacemaker’s 232. The 262-equipped Wasp models were designated Super Wasp.

1950 Packard Super Deluxe: After 1942, Packard concentrated on the new Clipper styling that was developed for an upper-class sedan the previous year. There were Super Clippers and Custom Super Clipper in the One-Sixty and One-Eighty tradition until 1947. After a heavy facelift, the name Clipper was dropped. For 1948 the most senior Custom Super Eight One-Eighty became the Custom Super Eight, while its slightly lower-priced sibling, the Super Eight One-Sixty, once again became simply the Super Eight with the more modestly priced Eight with five body styles including the Packard Station Sedan. Clipper Custom Super Eights and Custom Eights were very close relatives to their respective Super models, distinguished outside by the lack of an eggcrate grille and small rear chrome trim moulding under the trunk lid on Supers. In 1949, a new Super Eight Deluxe was added to the line. This car had also the Custom Eight’s eggcrate grille, but not the rear trim. The entire range of Packard’s motorcars was renamed for the 1951 model year (twenty-fourth series), when the Super Eight was renamed 300.

1954 Packard Caribbean: The Packard Caribbean is a full-sized luxury car that was made by the Packard Motor Car Company of Detroit, Michigan, during model years 1953 through 1956. Some of the Caribbean’s styling was derived from the Pan American Packard show car of the previous year. Available only as a convertible from 1953 until 1955 with a hardtop model added in its final year of 1956. The domestic “Big Three” automakers were developing “quasi-custom” models. Marketers at the time described them as a “sports car, which usually meant anything with a convertible top, lots of performance, a few unique styling touches, and top-of-the-line price tag. The image of Packard automobiles during the early 1950s was “perceived as stodgy and old-fashioned.” Packard needed a “halo car to cast a modern glow on the marque.” The company prepared a concept car, the Packard Pan-American, earning positive reception at auto shows during 1952. The Caribbean was introduced for the 1953 model year as “Packard’s sportiest car … based on the standard Cavalier convertible, with custom touches transforming it into a line-topping stunner.” The 1953 Caribbean was perhaps Packard’s most easily identified car because of its full cutout rear wheel housing and side trim, limited to a chrome band that outlined the bottom of the car’s entire length. The band also helped further delineate the car’s wheel openings, and the door handle was concealed and aligned with the chrome beltline surrounding the side windows, the bottom of the windshield, and the rear window. A steel continental spare tire was also standard. The hood featured a broad, low leaded-in hood scoop. Bodies for the Caribbean were modified by Mitchell-Bentley Corporation of Ionia, Michigan instead of Briggs Manufacturing Company, who had supplied bodywork to Packard beginning in 1941. Available “advertised” colours for the car were limited to Polaris Blue, Gulf Green Metallic, Maroon Metallic, or Sahara Sand. However, a mere handful of special-ordered cars were built in Ivory or Black. Interiors of the Caribbean were richly upholstered in leather. Most Caribbeans were also generously optioned, although the Ultramatic transmission was optional on the first year model at US$199. A list of optional equipment on other Packard vehicles was standard on the Caribbean that included heater and windshield defroster, power windows, power-adjustable front seat, power steering, and “Easamatic” drum power brakes. Only the signal-seeking radio with antenna and “Solex” tinted glass were extra-cost items. A total of 750 Caribbeans were built for the first model year. The listed retail price for the Caribbean Convertible was US$5,210, placing as a competitor to the Cadillac Eldorado and Chrysler Imperial convertible. The convertible Caribbeans are sought after as collectible cars. Restored cars regularly sell in the six-figure ranges. Beginning in 1954, the Caribbean was elevated to senior Packard status and was related to the Packard Pacific hardtop. The Caribbean continued to have its unique styling features. However, the full rear-wheel cut-outs were eliminated, and chrome/stainless trim became more liberal and allowed for two-tone paint combinations. A four-way power seat was available. along with standard equipped power steering, power assist “Easamatic” drum brakes, heater and windshield defroster, power-adjustable seats, and power windows. Like the Patrician and the Pacific coupe, the Caribbean also gained heavier “finned” headlight housings, one of the visual cues applied to help differentiate the senior Packards from the lower-priced models. The 359-cubic-inch (5,880 cc) senior engine was used in this final incarnation of Packard’s flat-head straight-eight, which had been introduced in 1924 in the Packard Eight. A total of 400 Caribbeans were produced for the model year, making 1954 the rarest year for the Caribbean. The listed retail price increased to US$6,100. The model year 1955 saw the Caribbean line, now with an all-new Packard developed Over-Head Valve V8 engine, fully adopt the Senior Packard line styling. The car was available in two or three-tone paint patterns. Designer Dick Teague succeeded in restyling the old Packard Senior body into a modern-looking design. The single hood scoop was split into two units, and the car also received Packard’s Torsion-Level Torsion bar suspension at all four wheels. The listed retail price was $US5,932. Production for 1955 Caribbean increased to 500 units. For the 1956 model year, the Caribbean was designated as a separate luxury series, and a hardtop model was added. Trim styling differences between the 1955 and 1956 cars were minimal, with new tri-tone exterior colour combinations the most visible differentiation. The Grille textures changed to match those used on concurrent Patricians. The rear treatment, featuring Packard’s cathedral-style taillights was continued. The headlights also received slightly more exaggerated brows. Unique new interiors featured reversible seat cushions with cloth on one side and leather on the other. The thick foam rubber cushions eliminated coil springs in the seats, preventing sagging, while the covers could be removed for cleaning. The 374 cu in (6.1 L) V8 engine included Packard’s “Ultramatic” push-button automatic transmission. The engine features dual four-barrel carburetors and a 10:1 compression ratio to develop 310 hp and with 405 lb/ft (549 N⋅m) of torque, the highest-rated power among U.S. automobiles. A 12-volt system was introduced, and electrically operated door locks were new. All Packards offered a new limited-slip rear differential. Total model year production equalled 263 hardtops and 276 convertibles, with the convertible being the most expensive Packard model listing at US$5,995. The model was discontinued when the original Packard model production ended with the automaker’s Detroit engineering and assembly shutdown.

1951 Frazer Manhattan x 2: Named for longtime American automobile executive Joseph W. Frazer, who had become president and general manager of Kaiser-Frazer. The Frazer was styled by Howard “Dutch” Darrin with some input from other K-F stylists. The new Frazer won the Fashion Academy of New York Gold Medal for design achievement. Production began on May 29, 1946, and the Frazer made its public debut on June 29, 1946. There was one basic four-door sedan body shell that was shared with the similar but lower-priced (by $200 to $600) Kaiser. The Frazer used the Continental Red Seal 226 CID “Supersonic” L-head six engines, which reached 115 hp by the end of Frazer production after the 1951 model year. The luxury line Frazer Manhattan Series F47C was introduced on March 23, 1947, at a $500 premium over the original Frazer Series F-47, which continued on as the Standard. By 1948, Frazer sales totalled about 1.5% of all American cars built. The dramatically restyled 1951 Frazer models included a four-door convertible, a hardtop sedan, and the Frazer Vagabond, a unique hatchback sedan. A notable feature of the Frazer was that its four doors had push-button openers. This feature was shared at the time only by such cars as the Lincoln. Both Henry Kaiser and Joseph Frazer were convinced by evidence that the existing automobile manufacturers centred in Detroit had combined to shut off the supplies of materials and parts necessary for the success of the new automotive company. The final Frazers—which were face-lifted from leftover 1950 models—were introduced in March 1950 and were an immediate hit with the public. Over 50,000 orders were placed, but at that point, Joseph W. Frazer had left the company and K-F management decided to concentrate only on Kaiser production after building 10,214 of the 1951 Frazer when the supply of leftover 1950 bodies ran out.

1950 Nash Rambler Custom Landau: The Nash Rambler was introduced on 13 April 1950, in the middle of the model year. The new Rambler was available only as an upmarket two-door convertible – designated the “Landau”. Without the weight of a roof, and with a low wind resistance body design for the time, the inline 6-cylinder engine could deliver solid performance and deliver fuel economy up to 30 mpg‑US (7.8 L/100 km; 36 mpg‑imp) and even more with the optional automatic overdrive. Several factors were incorporated into the compact Nash Rambler’s marketing mix that included making the most from the limited steel supplies during the Korean War, as well as the automaker selecting a strategy for profit maximization from the new Rambler line. The new Nash Rambler came only in a convertible body, a style that had a higher price in the marketplace and incorporated more standard features that make the open-top models suitable more for leisure-type use than ordinary transportation. With a base price of $1,808, the Nash Rambler was priced slightly lower than the base convertible models from its intended competition. To further increase the value to buyers, the Nash Rambler was well equipped compared to the competition and included numerous items as standard equipment such as whitewall tyres, full wheel covers, electric clock, and even a pushbutton AM radio that were options available at extra cost on all other cars at that time. In summary, “it was a smartly styled small car. People also liked its low price and the money-saving economy of its peppy 6-cylinder engine.” The abbreviated first year of production saw sales of 9,330 Nash Rambler convertibles. In 1951, the Nash Rambler line was enlarged to include a two-door station wagon and a two-door pillarless hardtop – designated the Country Club. Both the hardtop and convertible models included additional safety features. Two levels of trim were available: Custom and Super. A 1951 Nash Rambler convertible was used by Tunku Abdul Rahman in Melaka in 1957 when as Federation of Malaya’s first prime minister he declared the country free from British rule. There were no major changes for the 1952 model year. Models included a new Deliveryman 2-door utility wagon for $1,892. The “Custom” models featured Nash’s Weather Eye conditioning system and an AM radio as standard equipment. The new Greenbrier station wagons received upgraded trim with two-tone painted exteriors and they were priced at $2,119, the same as the Custom Landau Convertible model. The 1950–1952 Nash Ramblers “gained instant popularity with buyers who liked its looks, as well as loyalty among customers who appreciated its quality engineering and performance.” A total of 53,000 Nash Ramblers were made for the year. The Rambler received its first restyling in 1953 and resembled the “senior” Nash models that had received all-new “Airflyte” styling the year before. The new styling was again credited to Italian automobile designer Battista “Pinin” Farina. The hood line was lowered and a new hood ornament, designed by George Petty was optional. The “racy” ornament “was a sexy woman leaning into the future, bust down, and pointing the way.” The standard engines were increased with manual transmission cars receiving a 184 cu in (3.0 L) I6 producing 85 hp, while a 90 hp 195.6 cu in (3.2 L) I6 powered cars with the optional “Hydra-Matic” automatic supplied by General Motors. The Custom models added Nash’s “Weather Eye” heating and ventilation system, as well as a radio as standard equipment, with the convertible and hardtop versions all getting a continental tyre at no extra cost. The marketing campaign focused on the Nash Rambler as a second family car. Advertisements also featured the wife of Jimmy Stewart and her Country Club 2-door hardtop she described as “a woman’s dream-of-a-car come true!” and promoting buyers to spend “one wonderful hour” test driving to discover how “among two-car families – four out of five prefer to drive their Rambler.” A survey of owners of 1953 Ramblers conducted by Popular Mechanics indicated the majority listed their car’s economy as the feature they like best. After they had driven a total of 1,500,000 miles (2,400,000 km), owners’ complaints included a lack of rear-seat legroom, water leaks, and poor dimmer switch position, but none of the Rambler drivers rated acceleration as unsatisfactory. Fully 29 percent had no complaints and “only four percent of Rambler owners described the car as too small and 67 percent rated their Ramblers as excellent over-all.” Production for the model year was 31,788 and included 9 Deliveryman models in the station wagon body, 15,255 Country Club hardtops, 10,598 Convertible Landaus, 10,600 station wagons (of which 3,536 were in the Greenbrier trim and 7,035 were Customs, with 3M’s DI-NOC simulated wood-grain trim), and 1,114 standard wagons.  After offering only two-door-only models, Nash introduced a four-door sedan and a four-door station wagon in the Nash Rambler line starting with the 1954 model year. This was the automaker’s response to demands of larger families for more roomy Ramblers. The four-door body styles rode on a longer, 108 in (2,743 mm) wheelbase. Following the industry practice at the time, the heater and radio were now made optional. Added to the options list was Nash’s exclusive integrated automobile air conditioning system, a “very sophisticated setup” for the time incorporated heating, ventilation, and air conditioning in one system that was “priced lower than any other competing system; at $345, it was a remarkable advance.” The four-door Rambler sedan was at first only available in “Custom” trim. The “Country Club” hardtop became available in the lower-priced “Super” trim and without the “Custom” model’s standard Continental tyre (external spare tyre carrier). The 4-door station wagons were designated Cross Country. They featured an unusual roofline that followed the slope of the sedan’s roof, then dipped down behind the rear seat area before levelling and continuing rearward. The design by Bill Reddig allowed the use of the same dies to produce door framing for sedans and station wagons, while the dip in the rear portion of the roof included a roof rack as standard equipment to reduce the visual effect of the wagon’s lowered roofline. There was turmoil in the U.S. automobile market as the Ford-Chevy sales war broke out and the two largest domestic automakers cut prices to gain sales volume. This battle decimated the remaining independent automakers in their search for customers. The marketing battle put a squeeze on the much smaller independent automakers, so even though the Nash Rambler economy cars proved popular in the marketplace, they were not particularly profitable for the company. On 1 May 1954, Nash and Hudson Motor Car Company announced a merger, and the successor corporation was named American Motors Corporation (AMC). Following the merger, Hudson dealers began receiving Ramblers that were badged as Hudson brand cars. The Hudson Ramblers and Nash Ramblers were identical, save for the brand name and minor badging. The Nash Rambler’s most significant change for the 1955 model year was opening the front wheel wells resulting in a 6-foot (2 m) decrease in the turn-circle diameter from previous year’s versions, with the two-door models having the smallest in the industry at 36 ft (11 m). The “traditional” Nash fixed fender skirts were removed and the front track (the distance between the centre points of the wheels on the axle as they come in contact with the road) was increased to be even greater than was the Rambler’s rear tread. Designers Edmund Anderson, Pinin Farina, and Meade Moore did not like the design element that was insisted by George Mason, so soon as Mason died, “Anderson hastily redesigned the front fenders.” Tongue-in-cheek, Popular Science magazine described the altered design for 1955: the “little Rambler loses its pants.” As part of the facelift for 1955, the Rambler’s grille was also redesigned with only the centre emblem differentiating the cars now sold by both Nash and Hudson dealers. The Rambler was a new model for Hudson dealers and it replaced the compact Hudson Jet. The interiors of the economical Nash Rambler were designed by Helene Rother to also appeal to the feminine eye. American Motors featured “Created to Your Discriminating Taste” in the car’s marketing knowing what women looked for in a car and Rother’s designs featured elegant, stylish, and expensive fabrics that coordinated in colours and trim. Model and trim combinations were again reshuffled with a two-door Suburban and Club two-door sedans available in “Deluxe” or “Super” versions. Four-door sedans and wagons came as Super or Custom models, while a new Deluxe four-door sedan was introduced. The pillarless Country Club hardtop was reduced to only the “Custom” trim, while the convertible model was no longer available. Fleet sales-only versions included a Deliveryman wagon that was not shown in the regular catalog, as well as another new model, a three-passenger business coupe: a two-door sedan with no rear seat. The automaker’s marketing efforts included sponsorship of the Disneyland television show on the American Broadcasting Company (ABC) network. The inaugural broadcast was on 25 October 1955; just five days after the new Ramblers debuted in both Nash and Hudson dealerships, and the Disney show quickly became one of the top-watched programs in the U.S., thus helping AMC sell more cars. The focus continued on fuel efficiency and economy of operation. A Rambler four-door set a new record for cars with automatic transmissions achieving 27.47 mpg‑US (8.56 L/100 km; 32.99 mpg‑imp) in the 1955 Mobil Economy Run. The U.S. domestic market was turning to bigger and bigger cars; therefore, prospects for the compact Nash Rambler line were limited and production was discontinued after the 1955 model year.

1954 Nash Healey: The Nash-Healey is a three-seat luxury sports car or grand tourer produced from 1951 to 1954. It was marketed by the Nash-Kelvinator conglomerate in North America as a halo car to promote sales of its Nash Motors division. The car resulted from a joint venture between Nash-Kelvinator and British automaker, the Donald Healey Motor Company. Nash supplied the drivetrain from their range-topping Ambassador model, and Healey provided the chassis and early bodies. One year after its introduction, the car was restyled by Pininfarina, and the final assembly was transferred to Italy. Some describe the Nash-Healey as the first sports car introduced in the U.S. by a major automaker after the Great Depression. Various Nash-Healeys, some modified road cars, and some purpose-built racers competed in several endurance racing events, most notably posting a third-place finish at the 1952 24 Hours of Le Mans. In December 1949, British engineer, rally driver, and automaker Donald Healey sailed for America aboard the RMS Queen Elizabeth ocean liner. He was going for a meeting with General Motors’ (GMs) Ed Cole, hoping to secure a supply of Cadillac’s new 331 cu in (5.4 L) V8 engine. Healey planned to use the engines in his company’s Healey Silverstone club racer. Two such Healey/Cadillac hybrids had already been built, one in the US by American sportsman Briggs Cunningham, and one in England by Healey’s own Donald Healey Motor Company; the Cadillac-engined X 4 prototype. While aboard ship, Healey encountered a man using an elaborate stereo camera system that intrigued him. The man was George W. Mason, president of Nash-Kelvinator. The two made an acquaintance based on their shared interest in photography. Hearing Healey’s plan and anticipating GM’s reply, Mason told Healey to contact him if the negotiations were unsuccessful. When GM turned Healey down due to their defence commitments, Healey contacted Mason, and development of the Nash-Healey started. As part of the arrangement between the companies, Nash paid off Healey’s £50,000 bank debt, which was to be repaid in assembled cars. A prototype was previewed at the Paris Motor Show in October 1950. The fate of this car is unknown. The Nash-Healey made its official debut in February of the following year at the 1951 Chicago Auto show. The car’s full name is the Nash-Healey Series 25. Some time after its release, the Chrysler Corporation purchased a Nash-Healey from a Detroit dealership, disassembled it, and submitted an analysis of it to the company executives. The 1951 Nash-Healey is called the first post-war sports car from a major American automaker, as it was released two years before the Chevrolet Corvette. This appellation excludes the limited volume Kurtis-Kraft and Muntz Jet, as well as the diminutive Crosley Hotshot, Super Hotshot, and Super Sport roadsters. Nash supplied Healey’s company with the powertrain components: the Ambassador’s inline six-cylinder OHV 234.8 cu in (3.85 L) engine and three-speed manual transmission with Borg-Warner overdrive. Healey fitted a lighter, higher-compression aluminium cylinder head (in place of the cast-iron stock item) with twin 1.75-inch (44 mm) SU carburettors. This increased power from the stock 112 hp version to 125 hp. The chassis was a widened and reinforced Healey Silverstone box-section ladder-type steel frame. Independent front suspension, also Healey Silverstone, was by coil springs, trailing link, and an anti-roll bar. The rear suspension featured a Nash-supplied torque tube and live axle, replacing the Silverstone’s Riley Motor parts. Lateral location of the axle was handled by a Panhard rod. Healey designed the aluminium body, but it was outsourced. Panelcraft Sheet Metal of Birmingham fabricated the body. It incorporated a Nash grille, bumpers, and other trim. Healey was responsible for the car’s final assembly. The car had drum brakes all around. Wheels were steel, with full-diameter chrome hubcaps and 4-ply 6.40×15-inch whitewall tires. The interior featured luxurious leather upholstery, foam rubber cushions, an adjustable steering wheel, and a cigarette lighter. Completed vehicles were shipped to the United States and marketed through the Nash dealership network. The 1951 Nash-Healey was the first post-war sports car from a major American automaker, two years ahead of the Chevrolet Corvette. The custom-built Kurtis-Kraft which predated it never reached “production car” status, with 18 units being built. A prototype was exhibited at the Paris Motor Show in September 1950. The production model debuted at the February 1951 Chicago Auto Show, followed that month by the Miami Auto Show. Also classified as a grand tourer for its luxury appointments and extreme price, the car served its purpose and was campaigned in several racing circuits. Donald Healey gave the first example to Petula Clark, with the registration number PET 1. The only colours available were “Champagne Ivory” and “Sunset Maroon”. The suggested retail price (MSRP) of US$3,767 F.O.B. New York City was considered to be high priced. For the 1952 model year, Nash commissioned Italian designer Battista Farina and his carrozzeria, Pinin Farina, to revise the original body design. One objective was to make the new sports car resemble the rest of Nash’s models more closely. The front received a new grille incorporating inboard headlights. The sides gained distinct fender character lines ending with small tailfins in the rear. A curved windshield replaced the previous two-piece flat windshield. The restyled car appeared at that year’s Chicago Auto Show. Reflecting its role as a halo car, the Nash Ambassador and Statesman models adopted a Nash-Healey-inspired grille with inboard headlights for 1955, and advertising featured the new Nash with a Nash-Healey in the background to show the similarity. Pininfarina in Turin built the steel bodies with the exception of the aluminium hood, trunk lid, and dashboard. The aluminium panels, plus careful engineering, reduced curb weight. The Nash engine was enlarged to 252 cu in (4.1 L), producing 140 hp with American-made twin Carter Carburettors. Shipping costs were considerable and moderated by Kelvinator’s trans-Atlantic success in the European marketplace. From Kenosha, Wisconsin, the Nash engines and drivetrains went to England for installation in the Healey-fabricated frames. Healey then sent the rolling chassis to Italy, where Pininfarina’s craftsmen fashioned the bodywork and assembled the finished product. They were then exported to the U.S., with the car’s complicated logistical process resulting in a $5,908 sticker price in 1953, approaching double the new Chevrolet Corvette’s $3,513. The 1953 model year saw the introduction of a new closed coupe alongside the roadster (now termed a “convertible”). Capitalizing on the 3rd-place finish at Le Mans by a lightweight racing Nash-Healey purpose-built for the race (see below), the new model was called the “Le Mans” coupe. Nash had already named the engine the “Le-Mans Dual Jetfire Ambassador Six” in 1952, in reference to the previous racing exploits of the lightweight competition cars. Some describe the new design as “magnificent”. Some “people didn’t take to the inboard headlights”. This headlight mounting was described as “Safety-Vu” concentrating illumination, and their low position increased safety under foggy conditions. The 1953 “Le Mans” model was awarded first prize in March of that year in the Italian International Concours d’Elegance held at Stresa, Italy. Leveraging the popularity of golf to promote their cars, Nash Motors and Nash dealers sponsored what the automaker described as “more than 20 major golf tournaments across the country” in 1953, and golfer Sam Snead was shown with his Nash-Healey roadster on the cover of the June 1953 issue of Nash News. Product placement was another marketing strategy. A roadster owned by Dick Powell was driven by George Reeves, as Clark Kent, in four TV episodes of the Adventures of Superman. Another roadster appears in the 1954 film Sabrina starring Humphrey Bogart, William Holden, and Audrey Hepburn. Nash-Kelvinator became reorganized as a division of American Motors Corporation (AMC) that was formed as a result of a merger with Hudson Motor Car Company on 1 May 1954. Nash was faced with limited resources for marketing, promotion, and further development of this niche market car compared to its volume models. By this time AMC knew that a similar luxurious two-seat Ford Thunderbird with V8 power was being planned. In light of the low sales for the preceding years, Nash delayed the introduction of the 1954 models until 3 June and discontinued the convertible, leaving just a slightly reworked “Le Mans” coupe, distinguished by a reverse slanted “C” pillar and a three-piece rear window instead of the previous one-piece glass. Healey was focusing on its new Austin-Healey 100, “and the Nash-Healey had to be abandoned.” Although the international shipping charges were a significant cost factor, Nash cut the POE (port of entry) price by more than $1,200 to $5,128. Production ceased in August. A few leftover 1954s were sold as 1955 models. All 1951 Nash-Healeys were British-built. Bodies were crafted at Panelcraft Sheet Metal, and final assembly was completed at the Healey factory in Warwick. The 1952 through 1954 models were built in Italy by Pinin Farina. A total of 506 cars were made.

OTHER EXHIBITS

In addition to all the cars, there are all manner of exhibits, with impressive collections of various household items ranging from period tv sets and radio units, to the sort of equipment used in the kitchen and around the home, some early computers, office equipment such as typewriters and so much more. The site would probably be worth a visit just to see these in their own right.

AND A FEW MORE CARS

There were a few more cars parked in a sort of open barn area, looking like they are awaiting some form of restoration work.

1959 Cadillac Series 62: The 1959 Cadillac is remembered for its iconic huge tailfins with dual bullet tail lights. The new model year also saw two distinctive rooflines and roof pillar configurations, new jewel-like grille patterns and matching deck lid beauty panels. For 1959, the Series 62 became the Series 6200. De Villes and 2-door Eldorados were moved from the Series 6200 to their own series, the Series 63 and Series 64 respectively, though they all, including the 4-door Eldorado Brougham (which was moved from the Series 70 to Series 69), shared the same 130 in (3,302 mm) wheelbase. Engine output was an even 325 hp from the 390 cu in (6.4 L) engine. The Series 62 was identifiable by its straight body rub mouldings, running from front wheel opening to back bumpers, with crest medallions below the spear. A one-deck jewelled rear grille insert was seen. Standard equipment included power brakes, power steering, automatic transmission, back-up lamps, windshield wipers, two-speed wipers, wheel discs, outside rearview mirror, vanity mirror and oil filter. The convertible model had power windows and a two-way power seat. Plain fender skirts covered the rear wheels and 4-doors were available in either four-window or six-window hardtop configurations. With the De Villes and 2-door Eldorados in their own series sales plunged to only 70,736, the lowest since the 1950 model year. The 1960 Series 62 had smoother, more restrained styling. General changes included a full-width grille, the elimination of pointed front bumper guards, increased restraint in the application of chrome trim, lower tailfins with oval shaped nacelles and front fender mounted directional indicator lamps. Series 62 models were distinguished by plain fender skirts, thin three-quarter length bodyside spears and Cadillac crests and lettering on short horizontal front fender bars mounted just behind the headlights. Four-window and six-window hardtop sedans were offered again. The former featured a one-piece wraparound backlight and flat-top roof, while the latter had a sloping rear window and roofline. Standard equipment included power brakes, power steering, automatic transmission, dual back-up lamps, windshield wipers, two-speed wipers, wheel discs, outside rearview mirror, vanity mirror and oil filter. The convertible model had power windows and a two-way power seat. Technical highlights were finned rear drums and an X-frame construction. Interiors were done in Fawn, Blue or Gray Cortina Cord or Turquoise, Green, Persian Sand, or Black Caspian cloth with Florentine vinyl bolsters. Convertibles were upholstered in Florentine leather single or two-tone combinations or monochromatic Cardiff leather combinations.

The 1979 Mustang was based on the larger Fox platform (initially developed for the 1978 Ford Fairmont and Mercury Zephyr). The larger body with an increased wheelbase yielded more interior space for four passengers, especially in the back seat, as well as a larger capacity trunk and a bigger engine bay. Body styles included a coupe (or notchback), hatchback, and convertible which was added for the 1983 model year. Available trim levels included an unnamed base model (1979–1981), Ghia (1979–1981), Cobra (1979–1981, 1993), L (1982–1984), GL (1982–1983), GLX (1982–1983), GT (1982–1993), Turbo GT (1983–1984), LX (1984–1993), GT-350 20th anniversary edition (1984), SVO (1984–1986) and Cobra R (1993). Engines and drivetrains carried over from the Mustang II including the 2.3 L I4, 2.8 L V6, and 4.9 L V8 engines. A troublesome 2.3 L turbocharged I4 was available during initial production startup and then reappeared after undergoing improvements for the mid-year introduction of the 1983 turbo GT. The 2.8 L V6, in short supply, was replaced with a 3.3 L I6 engine during the 1979 model year. That engine was ultimately replaced with a new 3.8 L V6 for 1983. The 302 cu in (4.9 L) V8 was suspended after 1979 and replaced with a smaller, 4.2 L V8 which was dropped in favour of the high output 302 cu in (4.9 L) V8 for 1982. From 1979 to 1986, the Capri was domestically produced as a Mercury-badged version of the Mustang, using a few of its own styling cues. The third-generation Mustang had two different front-end styles. From 1979 to 1986, the front end was angled back using four rectangular headlights, known by enthusiasts as “four eyes”. The front end was restyled for 1987 to 1993 model years to reflect the contemporary, rounded-off “aero” style of the Ford Taurus using flush-composite headlamps and a smooth grille-less nose. The Mustang was selected as the 1979 Official Indianapolis 500 Pace Car with replicas sold to the public. Its special body-appearance parts were adapted by the Cobra package for 1980–81. 1982 marked the return of the Mustang GT (replacing the Cobra) which used a specially-modified high-output 302 cu in (4.9 L) engine. 1983 saw the return of the Mustang convertible after a nine-year absence. The front fascias of all Mustangs were restyled, featuring new grilles, sporting “blue oval” Ford emblems for the first time. 1984 introduced the high-performance Mustang SVO, which featured a 2.3 L turbocharged and intercooled four-cylinder engine and unique bodywork. The Mustang celebrated its 20th anniversary with a special GT350 model in white with red interior and red lower-bodyside rocker stripes. 1985 Mustangs received another front-fascia restyle. In response to poor sales and escalating fuel prices during the early 1980s, a new Mustang was in development. It was to be a variant of the Mazda MX-6 assembled at AutoAlliance International in Flat Rock, Michigan. Enthusiasts wrote to Ford objecting to the proposed change to a front-wheel drive, Japanese-designed Mustang without a V8 option. The result was the continuation of the existing Mustang while the Mazda MX-6 variant had a last-minute name change from Mustang to Probe and was released as a 1989 model. The Mustang received a major restyling for 1987, including the interior, which carried it through the end of the 1993 model year. Under the newly established Ford SVT division, the 1993 Ford Mustang SVT Cobra and Cobra R were added as special, high-performance models.

Heading back to the main building, I came across a few more cars – not American ones this time also parked up:

BMW-Isetta 600: The Isetta is far more significant than many would realise, as without these cars, the modern BMW company simply would not exist. However, the car originated with the Italian firm of Iso SpA, and it is two of those models which were to be seen here. In the early 1950s the company was building refrigerators, motor scooters and small three-wheeled trucks. Iso’s owner, Renzo Rivolta, decided he would like to build a small car for mass distribution. By 1952 the engineers Ermenegildo Preti and Pierluigi Raggi had designed a small car that used the motorcycle engine of the Iso Moto 200 and named it Isetta—an Italian diminutive meaning little ISO. The Isetta caused a sensation when it was introduced to the motoring press in Turin in November 1953, it was unlike anything seen before. Small (only 7.5 ft long by 4.5 ft wide) and egg-shaped, with bubble-type windows, the entire front end of the car hinged outwards to allow entry. In the event of a crash, the driver and passenger were to exit through the canvas sunroof. The steering wheel and instrument panel swung out with the single door, as this made access to the single bench seat simpler. The seat provided reasonable comfort for two occupants, and perhaps a small child. Behind the seat was a large parcel shelf with a spare wheel located below. A heater was optional, and ventilation was provided by opening the fabric sunroof. Power came from a 236 cc 9.5 hp split-single two-stroke motorcycle engine.  The engine was started by a combination generator-starter known as Dynastart. A manual gearbox provided four forward speeds and reverse. A chain drive connected the gearbox to a solid rear axle with a pair of closely spaced 25 cm (10 in) rear wheels. The first prototypes had one wheel at the rear, but having a single rear wheel made the car prone to roll-overs, so the rear wheel layout was changed to two wheels set 19 in apart from each other. This narrow track eliminated the need for a differential. The front axle was a modified version of a Dubonnet independent front suspension. The Isetta took over 30 seconds to reach 50 km/h (31 mph) from rest. Top speed was only about 75 km/h (47 mph). The fuel tank held only 13 litres. However, the Isetta would get somewhere between 50 and 70 mpg depending on how it was driven. In 1954, Iso entered several Isettas in the legendary Mille Miglia where they took the top three spots in the economy classification. Over a distance of 1,600 km (1,000 mi) the drivers achieved an average speed of over 70 km/h (43 mph). In view of its maximum speed, which was just 15 km/h (9 mph) higher, this was an almost incredible figure. However, despite its initial success, the Isetta was beginning to slip in popularity at home. This was mainly due to renewed competition from Fiat with its 500C model. Renzo Rivolta wanted to concentrate on his new Iso Rivolta sports car, and was extremely interested in doing licensing deals. Plants in Spain and Belgium were already assembling Isettas and Autocarros using Italian made Iso components. BMW began talking with Rivolta in mid-1954 and bought not just a license but the complete Isetta body tooling as well. Rivolta did not stop with licensing the Isetta to BMW. He negotiated similar deals with companies in France and Brazil. After constructing some 1,000 units, production of the Italian built cars ceased in 1955, although Iso continued to build the Isetta in Spain until 1958. In addition to the Turismo, Iso in Spain also built the Autocarro, a commercial version with full-width rear axle. The Autocarro was offered in several body styles, a flatbed pickup, enclosed truck, a tilt-bed, or even a fire engine, although some of these might not have been sold. The Autocarro was an extremely popular type of vehicle in Italy, and numerous manufacturers produced some variant of the type. Iso had previously produced a motorcycle-type Isocarro. The Iso Autocarro was larger than most, with its four-wheel layout, conventional rear axle with differential and leaf springs, and a large tubular frame. It could carry a 500 kg load. It is thought that more than 4,000 Autocarros were built.

Messerschmitt KR200: The Messerschmitt KR200, or Kabinenroller (Cabin Scooter), is a three-wheeled bubble car designed by the aircraft engineer Fritz Fend and produced in the factory of the German aircraft manufacturer Messerschmitt from 1955 until 1964. Messerschmitt, temporarily not allowed to manufacture aircraft, had turned its resources to making other products. In 1952, Fend approached Messerschmitt with the idea of manufacturing small motor vehicles. These were based on his Fend Flitzer invalid carriage. The first of Fend’s vehicles to enter production at Messerschmitt’s Regensburg factory was the KR175. The title Kabinenroller means “scooter with cabin”. While the Messerschmitt name and insignia were used on the car, a separate company, incorporated as Regensburger Stahl- und Metallbau GmbH, was created to manufacture and market the vehicle. The KR200 replaced the KR175 in 1955. While using the same basic frame as the KR175 with changes to the bodywork (notably including wheel cutouts in the front fenders) and an improved canopy design, the KR200 was otherwise an almost total redesign. The rear suspension and engine mounting were reworked, and hydraulic shock absorbers were installed at all three wheels. Tire sizes were enlarged to 4.00×8. Retailing for around DM 2,500, the KR200 was considered an instant success with almost 12,000 built during its first year, which was the highest annual production for Kabinenroller models. A maximum speed in excess of 90 km/h (56 mph) despite a claimed power output of only 10 PS, 1 more PS than the 175 cc engine from the KR175, reflected the vehicle’s light weight and low aerodynamic drag. The KR200, however, was 23 kg heavier than the KR175 it replaced but had a 10 km/h (6 mph) higher top speed. An “Export” package included a two-tone paint scheme, painted hubcaps, a fully trimmed interior, a heater, a clock, and a sunshade for the canopy. In 1956, around a year after West Germany joined NATO, Messerschmitt was allowed to manufacture aircraft again and lost interest in Fend’s microcars. Messerschmitt sold the Regensburg works to Fend who, with brake and hub supplier Valentin Knott [de], formed Fahrzeug- und Maschinenbau GmbH Regensburg (FMR) to continue production of the KR200 and his other vehicles. In 1957 the KR201 Roadster was launched and remained in production until 1964 with very limited numbers produced. It had a frameless windscreen with no window frames, an optional folding cloth roof and removable side curtains made from transparent plastic. In February 1958, the KR200 Kabrio Limousine model was released, featuring a cloth convertible top and fixed side window frames. A Sport model was later offered with a cut down plexiglas windscreen with no roof and with fixed side panels so that the driver would have to climb in and out at the top of the car. Production of the Sport was extremely limited and, apart from the KR200 ‘Super’ it is the rarest type of KR200. Production of the KR200 was heavily reduced in 1962 and ceased in 1964 as sales had been dropping for a few years. The demand for basic economical transport in Germany had diminished as the German economy boomed. A similar situation developed in other parts of Europe such as in the manufacturer’s biggest export destination, the United Kingdom, where sales were particularly affected by the increasing popularity of the Mini. A total of 30,286 units of the KR200 were built.

MG MGA: The MGA replaced the long running T Series sports cars and presented a complete styling break from MG’s earlier sports cars. Announced on 26 September 1955, the car was officially launched at the Frankfurt Motor Show. A total of 101,081 units were sold through the end of production in July 1962, the vast majority of the 58.750 cars made were exported. Only 5869 cars were sold on the home market, the lowest percentage of any British car. It was replaced by the MGB. The MGA design dates back to 1951, when MG designer Syd Enever created a streamlined body for George Philips’ TD Le Mans car. The problem with this car was the high seating position of the driver because of the limitations of using the TD chassis. A new chassis was designed with the side members further apart and the floor attached to the bottom rather than the top of the frame sections. A prototype was built and shown to the BMC chairman Leonard Lord. He turned down the idea of producing the new car as he had just signed a deal with Donald Healey to produce Austin-Healey cars two weeks before. Falling sales of the traditional MG models caused a change of heart, and the car, initially to be called the UA-series, was brought back. As it was so different from the older MG models it was called the MGA, the “first of a new line” to quote the contemporary advertising. There was also a new engine available, therefore the car did not have the originally intended XPAG unit but was fitted with the BMC corporate B-Series type allowing a lower bonnet line. The MGA convertible had no exterior door handles, however the coupe did. It was a body-on-frame design and used the straight-4 1489cc “B series” engine from the MG Magnette saloon driving the rear wheels through a 4-speed gearbox. Suspension was independent with coil springs and wishbones at the front and a rigid axle with semi-elliptic springs at the rear. Steering was by rack and pinion. The car was available with either wire-spoked or steel-disc road wheels. The 1489 cc engine fitted with twin H4 type SU Carburettors produced 68 hp at first, but was soon uprated to 72 hp. Lockheed hydraulic drum brakes were used on all wheels. A high-performance Twin-Cam model was added for 1958. It used a high-compression (9.9:1 later 8.3:1) DOHC aluminium cylinder head version of the B-Series engine producing 108 hp. Due to detonation problems, a 100 bhp low-compression version was introduced later. Four-wheel disc brakes by Dunlop were fitted, along with Dunlop peg drive knock-off steel wheels similar to wheels used on racing Jaguars, unique to the Twin-Cam and “DeLuxe” MGA 1600 and 1600 MkII roadsters. These wheels and chassis upgrades were used on a small number of the “DeLuxe” models built after Twin-Cam production came to a halt. Aside from the wheels, the only outside identifier was a “Twin-Cam” logo near the vent aside the bonnet. A careful look at the rear wheel vents would also reveal another feature unique to Twin-Cam and DeLuxe: those 4 wheel Dunlop disc brakes . The temperamental engine was notorious for warranty problems during the course of production, and sales dropped quickly. The engine suffered from detonation and burnt oil.  Most of the problems with the Twin-Cam engine were rectified with the low-compression version, but by then the damage had been done. Many restored Twin-Cams are running more reliably today than they ever did during production. The Twin-Cam was dropped in 1960 after 2,111 had been produced. Production ended in April 1960, but had slowed to a trickle long before. In May 1959 the standard cars also received an updated engine, now at 1588 cc producing 79.5 bhp . At the front disc brakes were fitted, but drums remained in the rear. Externally the car was very similar to the 1500 with differences including: amber or white (depending on market) front turn indicators shared with white parking lamps, separate stop/tail and turn lamps in the rear, and 1600 badging on the boot and the cowl. 31,501 of these were produced in less than three years. A number of 1600 De Luxe versions were produced with leftover special wheels and four-wheel disc brakes of the departed Twin-Cam, or using complete modified Twincam chassis left redundant by the discontinuance of that model. Seventy roadsters and 12 coupés were built. The engine size was increased again to 1622 cc by increasing the bore from 75.4 mm to 76.2 mm for the 1961 Mark II MGA. The cylinder head was also revised with larger valves and re-engineered combustion chambers. Horsepower increased to 90 bhp. It also had a higher ratio 4:1 rear axle, which made for more relaxed high-speed driving. An inset grille and Morris Mini tail lamps appearing horizontally below the deck lid were the most obvious visual changes. 8,198 Mark II roadsters and 521 coupés were built. As with the 1600 De Luxe, there were also some Mark II De Luxe versions; 290 roadsters and 23 coupés were produced.

MG MGB: Launched in October 1962, the MGB was produced for the next 18 years and it went on to become Britain’s best selling sports car.  When first announced, the MGB was an innovative, modern design, with a monocoque structure instead of the traditional body-on-frame construction used on both the MGA and MG T-types and the MGB’s rival, the Triumph TR series, though components such as the brakes and suspension were developments of the earlier 1955 MGA and the B-Series engine had its origins back in 1947. The lightweight design reduced manufacturing costs while adding to overall vehicle strength, and with a 95hp 3-bearing 1798cc engine under the bonnet, performance was quite respectable with a 0–60 mph time of just over 11 seconds. The car was rather more civilised than its predecessor, with wind-up windows now fitted as standard, and a comfortable driver’s compartment offered plenty of legroom. The roadster was the first of the MGB range to be produced. The body was a pure two-seater but a small rear seat was a rare option at one point. By making better use of space the MGB was able to offer more passenger and luggage accommodation than the earlier MGA while being 3 inches shorter overall. The suspension was also softer, giving a smoother ride, and the larger engine gave a slightly higher top speed. The four-speed gearbox was an uprated version of the one used in the MGA with an optional (electrically activated) overdrive transmission. A five-bearing engine was introduced in 1964 and a number of other modifications crept into the specification. In late 1967, sufficient changes were introduced for the factory to define a Mark II model. Alterations included synchromesh on all 4 gears with revised ratios, an optional Borg-Warner automatic gearbox, a new rear axle, and an alternator in place of the dynamo with a change to a negative earth system. To accommodate the new gearboxes there were significant changes to the sheet metal in the floorpan, and a new flat-topped transmission tunnel. US market cars got a new safety padded dashboard, but the steel item continued for the rest of the world. Rostyle wheels were introduced to replace the previous pressed steel versions in 1969 and reclining seats were standardised. 1970 also saw a new front grille, recessed, in black aluminium. The more traditional-looking polished grille returned in 1973 with a black “honeycomb” insert. Further changes in 1972 were to the interior with a new fascia. To meet impact regulations, in late 1974, the chrome bumpers were replaced with new, steel-reinforced black rubber bumpers, the one at the front incorporating the grille area as well, giving a major restyling to the B’s nose, and a matching rear bumper completed the change. New US headlight height regulations also meant that the headlamps were now too low. Rather than redesign the front of the car, British Leyland raised the car’s suspension by 1-inch. This, in combination with the new, far heavier bumpers resulted in significantly poorer handling. For the 1975 model year only, the front anti-roll bar was deleted as a cost-saving measure (though still available as an option). The damage done by the British Leyland response to US legislation was partially alleviated by revisions to the suspension geometry in 1977, when a rear anti-roll bar was made standard equipment on all models. US emissions regulations also reduced horsepower. In March 1979 British Leyland started the production of black painted limited edition MGB roadsters for the US market, meant for a total of 500 examples. Due to a high demand of the limited edition model, production ended with 6682 examples. The United Kingdom received bronze painted roadsters and a silver GT model limited editions. The production run of home market limited edition MGBs was split between 421 roadsters and 579 GTs. Meanwhile, the fixed-roof MGB GT had been introduced in October 1965, and production continued until 1980, although export to the US ceased in 1974. The MGB GT sported a ground-breaking greenhouse designed by Pininfarina and launched the sporty “hatchback” style. By combining the sloping rear window with the rear deck lid, the B GT offered the utility of a station wagon while retaining the style and shape of a coupe. This new configuration was a 2+2 design with a right-angled rear bench seat and far more luggage space than in the roadster. Relatively few components differed, although the MGB GT did receive different suspension springs and anti-roll bars and a different windscreen which was more easily and inexpensively serviceable. Although acceleration of the GT was slightly slower than that of the roadster, owing to its increased weight, top speed improved by 5 mph to 105 mph because of better aerodynamics. 523,826 examples of the MGB of all model types were built, and although many of these were initially sold new in North America, a lot have been repatriated.

This bespoke vehicle would appear to be based on a late version of the Model T Ford.

And finally, there were a couple more historical vehicles in the parking lot.

Chevrolet “Advance Design”: The Advance-Design is a light and medium duty truck series by Chevrolet, their first major redesign after WWII. Its GMC counterpart was the GMC New Design. It was billed as a larger, stronger, and sleeker design in comparison to the earlier AK Series. First available on Saturday, June 28, 1947, these trucks were sold with various minor changes over the years until March 25, 1955, when the Task Force Series trucks replaced the Advance-Design model. The same basic design family was used for all of its trucks including the Suburban, panel trucks, canopy express, and cab overs. The cab overs used the same basic cab configuration and similar grille but used a shorter and taller hood and different fenders. The unique cab over fenders and hood required a custom cowl area which makes the cab over engine cabs and normal truck cabs incompatible with one another while all truck cabs of all weights interchange. From 1947 until 1955, Chevrolet trucks were number one in sales in the United States, with rebranded versions sold at GMC locations. While General Motors used this front end sheet metal, and to a slightly lesser extent the cab, on all of its trucks except for the cab overs, there are three main sizes of this truck: the half-, three-quarter-, and full-ton capacities in short and long wheelbase. In1947, the gasoline tank filler neck was on the  passenger side of the bed. No vent windows in doors. Hood side emblems read “Chevrolet” with “Thriftmaster” or “Loadmaster” underneath. Serial numbers: EP 1⁄2 ton, ER 3⁄4 ton, & ES 1 ton. Radios were first available in Chevrolet trucks as an “in dash” option on the “Advance-Design” body style. In 1948, the manual transmission shifter now mounted on column instead of floor. Serial numbers codes: FP 1⁄2 ton, FR 3⁄4 ton, & FS 1 ton. Frome early 1949, the gasoline tank was now mounted upright behind seat in cab; filler neck aft of passenger door handle. New serial number codes: GP 1⁄2 ton, GR 3⁄4 ton, & GS 1 ton. In late 1949. hood side emblems no longer read “Thriftmaster” or “Loadmaster”, but are now numbers that designate cargo capacity: 3100 on 1⁄2 ton, 3600 on 3⁄4 ton, 3800 on 1 ton. Serial number codes remain the same as on early 1949. For 1950, telescopic shock absorbers replace lever-action type. Last year for driver’s side cowl vent, its handle is now flat steel, not maroon knob as in previous years. New serial number codes: HP 1⁄2 ton, HR 3⁄4 ton, & HS 1 ton. For 1951 the doors now have vent windows. Mid-year change from 9-board bed to 8 boards per bed. Last year for 80 mph speedometer, chrome window handle knobs, and chrome wiper knob. New serial number codes: JP 1⁄2 ton, JR 3⁄4 ton, & JS 1 ton. For 1952, the outer door handles are now push button type as opposed to the previous turn down style. Speedometer now reads 90 mph instead of 80 and dashboard trim is colour-matched instead of chrome. Mid-year, Chevrolet no longer uses the 3100-6400 designation on the hood and changes to maroon window and wiper knobs. New serial number codes: KP 1⁄2 ton, KR 3⁄4 ton, & KS 1 ton. 1953 was the last year for the 216 in3 inline-six. Hood side emblems now only read 3100, 3600, 3800, 4400, or 6400 in large print. Door post ID plate now blue with silver letters (previous models used black with silver letters). Last year to use wooden blocks as bed supports. New serial number codes: H 1⁄2 ton, J 3⁄4 ton, & L 1 ton. 1954 was the only year for significant design changes. Windshield now curved one-piece glass without center vertical dividing strip. Revised steering wheel. Revised dashboard. Cargo bed rails, previously angled, now horizontal. Tail lights round instead of rectangular. Grille changed from five horizontal slats to crossbar design commonly referred to as a “bull nose” grille, similar to modern Dodge truck grilles. New engines are now 235-cubic inch straight-6 and 261-cubic inch straight-6. Serial number codes unchanged from 1953. Hydramatic automatic transmission became available for the first time, as a paid for option. In1955, the First Series was similar to the 1954 model year, except redesigned hood-side emblems and modern open driveshaft in place of enclosed torque tube. Serial number codes unchanged from 1953 and 1954. The model was replaced by the “Task Force” series of trucks.

1936 Twin Coach Ohio Helms Delivery Truck: To Angelenos of a certain age, few vehicles are as instantly evocative as the Twin Coach Helms Bakery truck. Looking not unlike a plump bread loaf on wheels, these delivery vehicles—along with the special whistle sounded by the “Helmsman” at the wheel—announced the arrival of bread and sweets, fresh from the ovens at Helms’ sprawling, modern bakery facility in Culver City, California. Helms Bakery products were never sold in stores, and founder Paul Helms, who established the company in 1931, wisely realized that distinctive delivery vehicles served as an effective form of advertising in their own right. To that end, he commissioned Twin Coach of Kent, Ohio to produce 148 of these flat-nosed vans. A stout Hercules four-cylinder provided ample power, while wooden cabinets in the back housed the delivery items. As is so often the case, these commercial vehicles were used hard for years on end, and they were typically upgraded over their working lives before being disposed of and scrapped. This 1936 Helms Twin Coach is one of very few that have survived to the present. Wonderfully restored in the Helms livery of light yellow and blue, it retains its four-cylinder engine (many were converted to six-cylinder power over the years). Mock baked goods line the wooden shelves in the back, and the exterior is adorned with period-correct graphics. Worthy of special note is the “First and Finest on the Moon” poster on the driver’s door, which recalls a remarkable moment in Helms history; its bread accompanied astronauts into space on the 1969 Apollo 11 mission. Unfortunately, this new Lunar delivery territory was not enough to overcome market pressures from modern supermarkets, and the company shuttered later that year. Helms used a range of delivery vehicles over the years, but it is these iconic Twin Coach trucks that have endured in the public memory.

Seemingly, I had discovered a real treasure trove here, well worth a visit if you are in Southern California. With lots to see, and extensive grounds to enjoy as well as food and drink available on site, you could easily make a day out of your time here. More information ( not much, admittedly), is available on the museum’s own website: https://deerparkmuseum.com/