Motion Pictures GM's Five for 1958... Who got it Right?

Jive-Bomber submitted a new blog post:

GM's Five for 1958... Who got it Right?

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Every time I see a 1958 Buick with its full load of chrome, it always reminds me of a Spanish galleon under full sail. I can't explain why but the image inevitably returns. Personally, I prefer either the preceding (1957) or following (1959) styling. !958 just looks "bloated" and way overdone somehow.

 

For me the Impala is #1 for styling and moderate use of trim along with it’s performance image, the Caddy for a luxury look at #2 , the coves on the Pontiac quarter panels were lame, the Buick’s hash marks on the quarter panels were too much that really added nothing. And the Olds? The side trim shows they were still stuck in the Rocket theme to my eye.
Jump forward a few years and the ‘61 Starfire was an absolute winner.
JMO.

 

While I am a BOP guy at heart, I need to go with the Chevy on this one. Most likely because of American Graffiti shaping my opinions in my youth.

 

I was 16 in 1958, with a newly minted drivers license. We had a '51 Ford 4 door as a "second car" that my older brother and I shared with my mother. Then, in early '58, my dad (the quintessential "Oldsmobile man") did it. He ordered a brand new Oldsmobile Super 88. On the down side, it was a 4 door sedan in a relatively horrid shade of purple Oldsmobile labelled "Mountain Haze". To counter this, my brother and I were able to successfully lobby the old man to order the optional J2 package. I had a love/hate relationship with that car. Yes, it was our brand new family car of impeccable pedigree, but we knew even back then it was garishly ugly and of the family car genre' with all of those doors. Nevertheless, it was the fastest car in town, a fact my brother and I proceeded to prove on weekend nights. We reigned supreme until one of the older guys bought a new '59 Bel Aire 2 door post with the 335 hp 348 and a four speed.

I will see one of these once in a while these days, and they are quaintly charming in a 50's way with the "Music Staff" on the rear fenders and the garish trim sweeping back from the headlights, but to get right down to if, they are ****-ugly. There is nothing wrong with the basic design, as the '57 models are great looking cars, but it shows how wrong stylists could be back then.

 

Impala first, then Pontiac.

 

Impala all the way, but I am a little biased. My Grandpa bought his 348” stick car new.

 

I am amazed by the fact that Chevy and Pontiac both came out with two distinct two door hardtops that year.

 

Sorry.... Plymouth!

Dave

 

My order would be:
1 - Chevy
2 - Pontiac
3 - Olds
4 - Cadillac
5 - Buick

The 58 Impala is one of the best Chevy designs in history. I'll die on that hill. Just a gorgeous car, and finally the larger, independent body style for the top-of-the-line Chevy, like the Bel Air should have had.

The Pontiac is a great looking car like the Impala but I personally prefer the quarter on the Impala to the cove on the Pontiac.

The Olds is sort of overkill on chrome but I prefer the lack of fins and flatter quarter despite the wild musical staff.

The Cadillac is actually a nice looking car in the front but I don't love the fins that seem to step up, and the thinness of the fins on the top seems stylistically at odds with the weight of the styling on the front of the car. It looks awkward to me.

The Buick I think is just ugly front and back. I don't like the trim package, the front end styling, the tail lights.... nothing. And a torque tube to boot? P***.

 

I wish Pat Ganahl were here to weigh in. I recall he had some choice words about GM's 1958 offerings. I'm right with @Jive-Bomber on those rankings, though I'm still on the fence about the Chevy/Pontiac debate. Solid point about the Chev missing a little starch in the rear quarters, but otherwise it's tough for me to find too many flaws. I used to overlook the '58 Pontiac until I saw the one Watson painted pearl white with scallops. That car is stunning. That and the Floyd DeBore Pontiac really bookend that era of custom paint. I love them both.

 

Curt, those are both Pontiacs. The Olds had the wild musical staff on the side. That could be a real looker too with the right treatment, just like D'Agostino's "Egyptian", built by Oz. A complete knockout.

 

All of Detroit's Big Three turned out some rather, shall we say, awkward designs for 1958. Seemingly overthought and overwrought. Even the independents seemed to be somewhat afflicted. None of the '58s ever held any real appeal for me. The simpler trim of the Bel-Air was easier to like, without all the geegaws and gingerbread trim of the Impala.

But it's surprising to me that Cadillac showed so much restraint in 1958. Maybe their stylists figured they had no other choice since the other four divisions seemed hell-bent on copying Cadillac's front end styling as much as possible.

Also in the illustration in the OP the Pontiac appears to have Oldsmobile lettering on the front of the hood. Or did it spell out Bonneville instead?

 

The hood lettering spells "Bonneville"

 

That was my best guess as both names have 10 letters.

 

Chevrolet.

 

I guess I've developed an appeal for the "****rel" models in my old age, and not just the 58's, the 55 Two-Ten two door sedans and the 57 One-Fifty two door sedans and Handyman two door wagons are like a magnet for me.
Two 58 models that appeal to me are the Yeoman and DelRay two door wagon and the sedan delivery.

 

Yep, I know. Brain fade. I fixed it in my post...thanks man.

 

Howza Bruthas-

Man, '58 was such a rush job for design it seems. From the GM lineup, I agree, the Pontiac was amazing. The Mopar line up was hands down the best looking from all of the big three, but, I still love the '58 Fords and the Edsel. But, ya gotta love the '58 Merc. I mean, look at this!

 

1. Chevy

2. Pontiac- very close to Chevy

3. Cadillac-not the more chrome laden ones but just a clean Coupe DeVille

4. Olds

5. Buick- but I love the grilles in a select few other cars.

 

Hard not to love a 2 door hardtop wagon!!!!

 

Isn't that the one that got a frame-up restoration? If I remember correctly, they didn't make too many of those!

 

There is an old-timer locally to me that has a 58 Turnpike Cruiser with the Big M "Super Marauder" 430 and tri-power. It is stunning

 

BLOATED. Exactly. It was a bad design year for all of the Big Three, but MoPAR was the least offender IMO. They just didn't have a clue about preventing rust.

 

I think in 58 GM hit it out of the park.
5. Oldsmobile
4. Cadillac
3. Chevrolet
2. Buick
1. Pontiac

 

Mopar had their "bad years" too. Some of their '60-'63 models can best be described as "bizarre".

 

I love '58 Oldsmobiles and I'd take a clean one in literally any body style and any color. A buddy of mine bought a rough parts car one but even in rough shape it I thought it looked incredible. Fixing up a rough one would be a nightmare though, so much chrome and stainless, so much sheetmetal and none available.

I like the Chevy and Pontiac as well. I don't dislike the Buick design but I'm not a fan of the Dynaflow or their enclosed driveshaft system.

 

Man, I gotta agree with that!

Dave

 

There isn't any 1958 model that's better looking than its 1957 version. The Mopars were repeats of 57, the Fords are mediocre, except for the ridiculous Lincoln, but the GMs were the worst. The only new 58 GM that is not ugly is the Corvette, and that was only half a new design and they kept the grill that looks like it belongs on a DeSoto, which was the worst part of the 57. They should have just used a 55 BelAir e grill and called it good. The 58 also had all that chrome and the washboard hood that they spiked after the first year, so it ended up being the worst version of itself, and arguably the worst looking Corvette until the early 70s.
1958 was a recession year, and I still think that was caused by all the ugly 1958 GM designs.
.

 

I dig the Impala for the roof vent and devilish pitchforks on the quarters.