History We ALL Love a DARE! PIX of TRULY Extinct Makes?

[Unknown, USA] custom station wagon on Cadillac chassis; the illustration below is from Mechanix Illustrated for December, 1951<small></small>

 

1953 Cadillac Wagons

1. No info found

2. A one-off 1953 Cadillac wagon styled by Brooks Stevens, who also designed the war-time Monart Motors conversions. The builder is unknown, but a clue might be the round medallion on the front fender - it reads "AKM

 

1955 Cadillac Wagons

 

California coachbuilder Eisenhardt & Hess is thought to have built twelve to sixteen Cadillac woodie wagon conversions in 1956. This one was for sale in London during the mid-1980's

 

I think we need to pay more attention to what other people are posting and not just our own unless the point is to up the posting count.

 

More 1956 Cadillac Wagons

 

Sorry about that HJ, I did see that post earlier and got so carried away with Cadillac Wagons, that I missed the duplication. I do read every one else's posts. Not trying to up the posting count. Sure don't want to offend any one. I do have a tendency to cover a subject completely before I move on to the next.

 

This is an interesting thread in it's breadth and depth. Some of the cars posted could easily sustain threads all to themselves. I've also lost count of what's been posted already. Usually I do detailed search before posting anything but I haven't been as diligent for some reason here.

 

Beautiful car. I go back and forth on how much I like the grill but would definitely find space in my garage for one of these. I especially like the ones that are non-town cars (as they are more rare it seems).

 

No offense taken just a smart-a$$ commentary on the comment you made to the NEWBIE 55ChevyDelivery. After that one I hope he doesn't get too embarassed not post here again. Hey I'm up to 900 postings LOL

 

Sure wasn't trying to embarass him or drive him away. Was just trying to direct him to the Brewster Society website where he could learn more. Guess I should of wrote it differently. We can all tend to read things in different ways. I can see how my comment could be taken negatively. I'll send him a private message and let him know he's welcome to post here any time and his posting was appreciated. Like Al, I usually do a detailed search to make sure some thing hasn't already been posted. Even started to make a list of what's already been posted. Up to 4 pages.

 

WOW!! You are making a list!! That is way more effort than I do. I just do a search on this thread and review the postings on subjects already discussed. You know with 1600 posts I can understand new posters or viewers to the thread would not read them all before jumping in. I have been there done that especially on that large vintage racing thread. Sometimes it is good to revisit a subject that has already been covered. It is very possible new info gets dug up from avenues we don't even imagine. I have been known to have done that.

 

Excellent Points HJ. Makes me look at things a little differently. I'm always open to new info and as each of us has found info that one of the others couldn't, what you say makes lots of sense. Don't know that I'll ever get the list completed. LOL Now that I think about it, I should of probably pointed 55 Delivery to the page on the thread where the Brewsters had been discussed.

 

Hey, so we ain't perfect. I kind of like the looser format. We may meander or digress as we will, but we always come back & get back on track. We do have SOME format, at least.

Though I like the long write-ups, sometimes I grawk them, then come back later and read them in detail. If we make mistakes, everyone's shown willingness to take appropriate steps. I prefer "guidelines" to a ton of strict rules. If I wanted didactic, I'd go back to college! LOL (But then ya couldn't make wisecracks & show cabins-on-wheels, etc.) This SHOULD be FUN.

 

And now, back to our regularly scheduled progam. LOL

How Thieves Camouflage Stolen Cars

​

Popular Science, January, 1921

 

Though the Mercury Montclair Sun Valley and its counterpart, the Ford
Crestliner Skyliner attracted over 20,000 buyers during the '54-'56 seasons,
Mercury accounted for only a fraction of those sales. Strange, since stylists
agree that the Sun Valley was the best expression of the concept, and the
Sun Valley should have benefited from a first-rate ad campaign.

The Ford and Mercury "bubbletops" were the production versions of several
futuristic FoMoCo show cars in that era.

Internally, the Sun Valley was little different than the regular Montclair, though
they were mechanically superior to previous models, with the first Merc OHV
V-8, sharp lines and improved suspension, to name but a few features. The
real attraction, though, was supposed to be the see-through plastic top. It was
attention-getting, true, but in service, the wise buyer purchased the zip-up
optional half-headliner screen to keep out the sun's radiant heat -- a real problem.
Less than half of buyers bought the top insert.

As with so many supposedly futuristic gimmicks in the '50s, the market for
bubbletop Mercs & Fords was apparently saturated in 1954, and sales dropped
drastically the final two seasons. For 1957, Ford debuted the Skyliner as a
hardtop convertible, rather than a bubbletop. Mercury, however, did not follow
suit, instead premiering its new top-line Turnpike Cruisers.

Despite production in the thousands, the Sun Valley of '54-'56 survives in dispor-
tionately low numbers. And replacement parts appressing the cars' special
features are just as hard to find.

Here, for '55, an ad shows the Sun valley with its see-through, half-top,
compared to a Mercury Monterey regular model.​

<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=3 width=400 align=center><TBODY><TR><TD><CENTER>
Though Mercury R&D cited "desert" tests showing </CENTER><CENTER>that the inside temperature of the Sun Valley would </CENTER><CENTER>only be five degrees hotter than ambient temperature, </CENTER><CENTER>the REALITY was much warmer! Sincere appreciation </CENTER><CENTER>is expressed to HowStuffWorks, Publications </CENTER><CENTER>International, Ltd., for this photograph.</CENTER></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>​

 

Now, DAT be some clever disguise! Q: Who'd they have
on the job? The Keystone Kops?

 

I have a Speedwell bicycle.....

 

BTW, the only time I ever thought much about post-count on the HAMB was when I was called an "FNG" -- and you know what THAT means!

(HEY!!!! I just went to 2,739!! ALRIGHT!! Chalk up another one! Yeah!)

 

The Keystone Kops, 1913, in "The Gangsters."
Sincere appreciation is expressed to Wikipedia,
the Free Online Encyclopedia.​

 

Pontiac Pathfinder

From Wikipedia

Unique to Canada, the Pontiac Pathfinder was based on a Chevrolet chassis but used most of the distinctive Pontiac styling parts. Engines were also by Chevrolet. The use of Chevrolet-based bodies resulted in shorter front and rear fenders and Canadian specific wheels and hubcaps. Interior trim often was also unique to Canada. The last Pathfinders were built in 1958 as Pontiac's (Canada) base model. Body styles included a sedan delivery. This car was Pontiac's last full-size sedan delivery.

From some point in the forties through 1953, these Canadian Pontiac models used only the front section of Pontiac sheet metal, so that from the rear they appeared to be Chevrolets with Pontiac "stripes" added on the trunk lid. Thereafter, through at least 1958, these low-end Canadian Pontiac models, often nicknamed "Cheviacs", used Chevrolet body shells, but with Pontiac features at both ends. This variant is only readily recognized when compared to the U.S. Pontiac or Chevrolet equivalents, since body details often differ slightly between the U.S. versions of the two makes.

Another item worth noting is that the Pontiac Pathfinders (as well as some other Canadian models) usually used Chevrolet engines and drive trains, so that one can find Canadian Pontiacs with OHV sixes or 283 V8 engines.

The Canadian Pontiac Sedan Deliveries noted above were "only in Canada" models from 1954 through 1958, since that model was only sold in the U.S. through 1953.

It is also worth noting that, although Canada-specific models of U.S. makes were gradually phased out after Canada's "Auto Pact" treaty with the U.S. made them no longer necessary, Pontiacs manufactured and sold in Canada maintained their unique model names for many years thereafter...so one can still see Pontiac "Parisiennes" of fairly recent manufacture on Canadian streets.

Finally, Canadian-built Dodges were, for a number of years, similarly built; so that Canadian Dodges of the same period are only visibly "Dodges" from the dashboard forward, with Plymouth rear body sections. Such cars were often dubbed "Plodges". The same was done with Canadian Dodge Darts during the sixties...which were indeed Valiants from the rear.

This 1958 Pontiac Pathfinder Sedan Delivery is 1 of 449 built in
North America. It originated in British Columbia, Canada but now resides in Winnipeg, Manitoba. It is the original motor, upholstery and colours and hand written numbers on the fire wall with 44,000 miles.This Pathfinder is cherished by John De Wit.



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1959 Pontiac Special Order Convertible for Harley Earls Wife. Yuk!!!

 

What was special order, the paint? The car is not bad looking at all.

 

I'm assuming it was the paint. That's what the YUK was referring to. I actually like '59 Pontiacs. Just not in that color. LOL

 

http://www.carofthecentury.com/New_Folder/Pontiac Pink Lady Press2.pdf

1959 Pontiac Catalina Convertible
$225,000 2008 Barrett-Jackson Auction Scottsdale AZ
The "Pink Lady" is a one-off car special ordered by famed "daVinci of Detroit" designer Harley Earl, for his wife. Features a Pontiac Catalina chassis with Bonneville trim, 389cid Tri-Power with 348hp and every accessory. Restored and AACA Grand National champion twice.


In 1959, at the height of his career, the world's greatest artist/engineer impresario, Harley Earl, ran General Motor's famed Styling Division. Earl often created special order cars for celebrities, GM executives, their wives, politicians and others. Except for Harley Earl, no one else inside any other division of General Motors had the clout to spend large amounts of corporate money building expensive one-of-a-kind custom cars for important dignitaries. The "Pink Lady" is a one-off, special ordered (#90642) Pontiac Catalina chassis with Bonneville trim, 389cid Tri-Power producing 348hp and every accessory available in 1959. Accessories include automatic transmission, full factory air conditioning, power steering, power brakes, power windows, air suspension (pump and lines only as this system didn't work in 1959 and was recalled by Pontiac. The bellows were replaced by stock springs when restored, the rare pump remains), power retractable convertible top, front bucket seats, sportable AM radio that includes small removable battery powered radio, power antenna and removable trunk light.


This motoramic masterpiece had special touches including the shortened Catalina chassis with Bonneville rear trim, Bonneville dashboard, custom interior and exterior chrome trim and custom pink finish with maroon carpeting. Its meticulous body-off restoration has twice garnered an AACA Grand National champion and a Pontiac Owner's Club Senior Award. Driven under 100 miles since restoration. This is a chance to own a car with a direct link to the automotive genius, Harley Earl. This is the first time it has been for sale. Full documentation including written recollections from Semon "Bunkie" Knudsen, Former head of Pontiac, E. A. Bachle of GM Design and John M. Sawruk, P.E., the Official Pontiac Historian, that attest to its authenticity.

 

Barrett beauty: Pink Lady has rosy pedigree

Peter Corbett
The Arizona Republic
Jan. 15, 2008 10:15 AM
SCOTTSDALE - It is called the Pink Lady, a 1959 Pontiac Catalina convertible with a back story that started with legendary General Motors design chief Harley Earl and includes a restoration in Scottsdale that revived the car's elegance.

Now, the family that has cared for the Pink Lady for more than two decades is reluctantly putting her up for auction on Saturday in the Barrett-Jackson Collector Car Event.

"It's just a fun car, big and pink and white," said Brian Ellis, whose late father, Frank, first restored the Pontiac in 1984.<!-- BOXAD TABLE --> <TABLE id=boxAdTable border=0 cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width=10 align=left><TBODY><TR><TD style="COLOR: gray" vAlign=top align=middle>
</TD><TD rowSpan=3></TD></TR><TR><TD><SCRIPT language=JavaScript>OAS_AD('ArticleFlex_1')</SCRIPT><SCRIPT src="http://gannett.gcion.com/addyn/3.0/5111.1/133600/0/0/ADTECH;alias=az-scottsdale.azcentral.com/news/local/articles/articles_ArticleFlex_1;cookie=info;loc=100;target=_blank;grp=585956;misc=1263007618693" text="text/javascript"></SCRIPT></TD></TR><TR><TD></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE><!-- END BOX AD TABLE -->

A half-century-old Catalina is not exactly revered among collectors, but the Pink Lady has a rosy pedigree.

Earl, the automobile stylist behind some of GM's memorable body styles, had the Pink Lady specially made for his wife, Sue.

It started as a white Catalina but Earl had the car pulled off the assembly line, painted pink and fitted with Bonneville trim and taillights. And it was loaded with every conceivable power option, Ellis said.

Pink Lady veers off to obscurity

Sue Earl later switched to custom Corvettes and the Pink Lady veered into obscurity.

Richard Earl, 48, an automotive consultant and Harley Earl's grandson, said the family might have under-appreciated the car.

"We didn't respect the art work of this car the way I do," said Earl, a strident advocate of his grandfather's legacy in the auto industry.

Earl said his grandfather got the Pink Lady's color from his wife's favorite nail polish.

Catalinas sold in 1959 for about $2,600, while the larger, better-equipped Bonnevilles listed at $3,300.

The mixture of parts from the two models confounded Frank Ellis when he first considered restoring the Pink Lady, Brian Ellis said.

The car, long stored in a Michigan barn, had some rust and mice were living in it.

Frank Ellis, a St. Louis pathologist who had previously restored a 1911 Buick and a 1930 Packard, did much of the work himself to restore the Pontiac.

It had about 42,000 miles on it when it was put out to pasture, so to speak, and now has about 60,000 miles on it, Brian Ellis said.

Motoring over the Rockies

He recalls driving the long, low-slung Pink Lady with its pink and white upholstery over the Rocky Mountains on a family trip.

"You don't drive these things, you navigate them," Ellis said. "But I never found the floorboard (with the accelerator) when was I was driving up those mountains."

Pink Lady has a 348-horsepower engine that was nearly the car's demise.

Frank Ellis, who retired to Scottsdale, was driving the car in 2000 when the carburetor leaked some gasoline, sparking an engine-compartment fire.

Brian Ellis said he father hired Barry Bales of Scottsdale for a 42-month restoration of the Pink Lady. And from then on he trailered it to car shows.

2 blue ribbons for Pink Lady

It has twice won First Prize in the Antique Automobile Club of America Grand Nationals.

"He always enjoyed the car," Brian Ellis said of his father. "It was functional fine art for my dad."

Frank Ellis passed away in March.

Brian Ellis said he hopes the next owner enjoys it as much as his father did, and appreciates the Pink Lady's link to Harley Earl.

Previous concept cars designed by Earl have been in strong demand at Barrett-Jackson auctions, including a 1954 Oldsmobile F-88 that sold for $3 million in 2005.

Ellis said he is unsure how much the Pink Lady will sell for but a standard '59 Catalina can sell for us much as $120,000

 

Special Cadillac Eldorado Blue Boy convertible for Bill Mitchell's own use in the Crawford Auto-Aviation Museum.

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1971 Cadillac Eldorado Convertible "Blue Boy"​

​

1975 Cadillac Eldorado Convertible
"Yellow Bird"​

<TABLE class="details fullwidth"><TBODY><TR><TD class=bold>http://www.rmauctions.com/FeatureCars.cfm?SaleCode=HF09&CarID=r143&fc=0#

​

</TD></TR><TR><TD class=extrapad>Est. 190 hp, 500 cu. in. overhead valve V8 engine, front wheel drive, independent front suspension, live rear axle. Wheelbase: 126.3"</B>

In 1927, General Motors Corporation was the first American car company to establish its own design department which it called simply “Art & Color.” Its mission was to concentrate on an automobile’s appearance rather than its mechanical functions. GM chose Harley Earl to head up the new department. Earl would go on to become one of America’s preeminent automotive designers. In 1935, he hired Cleveland, Ohio native Bill Mitchell, who himself would go on to become yet another legend in automotive design. Mitchell would serve as Earl’s protégé and was so successful that within one year, at the young age of 24, he became head of Cadillac design. His first design, the 1938 Cadillac Sixty Special, would be one of many highlights of a brilliant career at General Motors.​

Much like Earl, Mitchell had a profound influence on design at GM. Mitchell not only liked cars that went fast, he liked cars that looked fast too. He became Vice-President of Styling in 1959 with many cars bearing his signature – the 1964 Buick Riviera, the 1965 Chevrolet Corvair, the 1970 Chevrolet Camaro and the 1971 Buick Riviera, all of which were landmark designs. Cadillacs remained his favorite road car, and this Eldorado, designed for his personal use, is no exception. Mitchell had the car built to his specifications, including its distinctive pearlescent lemon yellow exterior with gold pinstriping and custom yellow interior. Mitchell also designed its predecessor, Blue Boy, a 1972 Cadillac Eldorado Convertible with its equally distinctive sky blue exterior. Mitchell was known for wearing suits the same color as his cars so that when he drove them, he matched his cars! ​

Like its sisters the Buick Skylark and the Oldsmobile Fiesta, the first Eldorado was shown to the public at GM’s Motorama in 1953 as a limited-production convertible available in small numbers at a high price. Some 22 years later, Mitchell’s Eldorado would embody much of the uniqueness of its forbearer, though this car was never available for purchase by the American public. The front-wheel drive car with its massive 500 cubic inch V8 engine shows just 3,643 original miles. A parade boot is included. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to own a unique piece of American history personally driven by one of the foremost automotive designers of the 20th century.​

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WAY cool!!!

 

The use of PINK body paint was rather more prevalent in the gaudy, "Fabulous Fifties" than in any other decade. Many makes offered pink in their color pallets. Off hand, I recall seeing pink on Packards, DeSotos, Edsels and Nashes, among others.

But, the '55 and '56 Dodge la Femme was an entire car specifically themed and devoted to the American woman. Though there were no focus groups in that era, the impetus to offer the la Femme seems rooted in public approval of the female-themed 1954 Chrysler la Comtess bubble-top show car. Writing for Jalopnik.com, Murilee Martin wryly observed: "It's hard not to love some of the stuff Detroit thought up in the days before focus groups told them we really wanted cup holders and plastic cladding." Another source called the la Femme the first attempt to market a car directly to women. However, that observer must have been unaware of Ned Jordan's famous 1923 "West of Laramie" magazine ads!

But we do know that many American families could afford a second automobile by the mid-'50s, and Dodge decided to aim for the "Riveter Rosies" who now wanted their own personal cars. Though it had its own distinctive gold scripts, the la Femme was based on the Royal Lancer, rather than standing alone as a model. Aside from pastel two-tone paint to appeal to women, the la Femme could also be ordered with some standard -- and many optional -- items intended to attract female customers. Notice, I said optional, since many today (if they've heard of la Femme at all) think that every la Femme came fully loaded -- not so. In fact, white-wall tires, deluxe wheel covers and automatic transmissions were optional, among numerous other items.

That said, a la Femme edition could be had with la Femme-specific interior fabrics and carpeting and color- and pattern-matching niceties such as rain hat and cape, umbrella, and a shoulder purse full of lipstick, compact, cigarette case, lighter, etc. -- again, all fashion-coordinated. MoPar's earliest Highway Hi-Fi could be fit into the glovebox area.

Because the la Femme was a Royal Lancer option package, specific production numbers were not maintained. But la Femme collectors estimate that 2,500 la Femmes were built, at best, though the consensus is for a significantly lower number yet. Only 40-plus '55s and 20-plus '56s still exist, as well as three known la Femmes based on the hi-performance Dodge Royal lancer D-500 platform. That, of course, makes the latter an exceedingly rare car!

The failure of the la Femme to catch on with consumers may have had several contributing causes, lack of advertising promotion, for one! In a time when other MoPar special editions like the DeSoto Adventurer, Chrysler 300 and Dodge D-500 were widely advertised, there was, oddly, little to no promotion of the la Femme. One aficionado has been searching since 1986 for a la Femme magazine, TV or radio ad -- without success!

Despite a large Dodge dealer network nationally, many dealerships received NO la Femme demonstrator models for their showrooms. Instead they got copies of the one-sheet promo piece shown here, and the la Femme was depicted in artists' concepts, rather than in actual photos. Sort of like asking people to buy the car without seeing it or touching it, eh? Shades of Infiniti.​

<CENTER></CENTER><CENTER>la Femme promotional piece</CENTER><CENTER>For more go to dodgelafemme.com</CENTER>



Inside, same brochure. Sincere thanks to CARTYPE (Segura, Inc.)



1956 Royal Lancer with la Femme package. Thanks again to CARTYPE
(Segura, Inc.)


Source, flickr Sincere thanks is
expressed.

 

Does anybody besides me look and think the '60 Edsel
resembles, well, a "cousin"?