American Classic Cars I Have Owned
Some of the Detroit Iron manufactured after WWII until about
1980 can be considered Rolling Art. Several Companies like
Packard, Hudson and Studebaker ceased building cars for one
reason or another during the early part of this span, but they
and the traditional big 3, Ford, GM and Chrysler did turn out
some masterpieces.
As a kid just old enough to think about getting a drivers
license, I would sit in my tree house and fantasize about the
latest crop of finned behemoths pictured in the car magazines of
the time. After careful consideration I would rank them
according to style and features that I could really relate to
and desired to possess. Always decisions. Should I have twin
rear antennas and dual spotlights or would one of each do. Wire
wheels were really neat as were the two and three tone paint
jobs. I ended up choosing the most streamlined and elegant
looking as my favorites always deferring to clean rather than
clutter. I wasn't one for fuzzy dice hanging from the rear view
mirror, instead preferring power windows and air conditioning.
Of course I always opted for the biggest V8 option and always
dual exhaust both for easy engine breathing and the sound.
The late 1940's and early 50s saw the transition from stodgy,
subdued and functional to a more sleek and powerful motif which,
year after year during the 1950's, became a size, power and
chrome enhancement race.
While some models went overboard with various excesses making
their designs overburdened or clumsy, others managed to
integrate fins, masses of chrome and color schemes that were a
delight. All the manufacturers had their winners and losers but
American cars of the period were all individually identifiable
and definitely distinct and could roll down a super highway
without a care.
The straight 6 and 8 motors of earlier periods soon gave way in
the more deluxe models to V8's, which couldn't pull stumps like
the old high torque low rpm straight eights, but could more
lithely move a couple of tons of iron, glass and plastic down
the road. By the mid 1950's all American cars had settled on 12
volt electrical systems, 14 or 15 inch wheels, wrap around
windshields, and with the V8 motor now the entrenched favorite.
It was a time in American history when each new car year was
greeted with excitement and anticipation as each model sought to
capture the limelight with its own distinct identity. Priorities
were simple if not naive. Dazzle the customer with great
expanses of sheet metal and chrome, brilliant colors and lots of
buttons to push. Although mundane items like seat belts were
introduced as selling features from time to time, the consumer
wanted none of that as it didn't add any value as a status
symbol.
Slowly technological improvements did advance along with
convenience and power options. Radial tires were a big plus
adding smoothness, safety and longevity replacing thumping,
rapid tread wear and numerous flats. Disc brakes were a definite
safety advantage replacing the inferior drum and shoe method
that could fade in emergency situations. Automatic transmissions
became the option of choice and then ultimately became standard
equipment. And of course, radios evolved.
In the mid fifties, signal seek or 'wonderbar' AM radios were
introduced, followed soon thereafter by the transistor models
which allowed for 'instant on' instead of waiting for the tubes
to warm up. In the sixties, FM radio appeared, and at first
offered ad and DJ free programming. That of course didn't last
long once the bandwidth became entrenched. By the seventies
there were 8 track tape players which in fairly short order gave
way to cassettes.
1959 marked the pinnacle of the auto as jet sporting gigantic
rear fins, the ultimate appearing on the 1959 Cadillac with the
1959-60 Chrysler and DeSoto not far behind. In another year the
DeSoto would disappear from showrooms and go the way of the
Packard, Hudson and Nash. A sobriety of sorts gripped automakers
after the fin and chrome extravaganza passed. Some really classy
designs were introduced in the early sixties like the 1960
Pontiac, 1961 Buick, 1962 Cadillac and classic 1964 Ford.
Chrysler Corporation would, from time to time, introduce
industry leading stratagems. Their Hemi (hemispherical head)
Motor during the fifties was pure muscle and reliability as was
their Torqueflight transmission. They introduced the 'Forward
Look' in the later fifties which lead styling trends for awhile.
Then again in 1965 they offered some really sturdy and classy
cars that towards the end of that decade lead to the innovative
fuselage cars. These were large sleek machines with an air frame
sculptured look that I found quite attractive. Unfortunately
Chrysler quality control started slipping badly during this
period and didn't recover for many years.
By the late seventies things started going downhill in Detroit.
Automakers, paying little attention to quality control and
mechanical efficiencies found themselves mandated by legislation
to clean up their act, literally. As a result, all manner of
schemes were employed to reduce engine emissions, most, in the
early days, a maze of vacuum lines and fuel injection designs
that were cumbersome and mostly ill conceived, leading to a
myriad of problems and customer dissatisfaction.
It wasn't long thereafter that the Japanese stepped in to fill
the void and things have never returned to the days of American
auto manufacturing preeminence.
Granted American cars eventually improved dramatically but
market share by then was fragmented. I personally lost interest
in Detroit around the mid eighties although some really nice
cars have been produced since. Now, I am afraid, because of the
fickle nature of Americans, demanding SUV's and consuming a
hugely disproportional amount of the worlds resources, the twin
failings of overindulgence and lack of foresight in the face of
world realignment, has pushed MoTown automakers to the brink of
insolvency.
The 1950s through the seventies saw the apex and beginning of
decline of the American auto as a distinct form of rolling art.
A combination of art deco and modern gave way to downsizing and
competition from abroad. Complacent management also failed to
embrace, in a timely fashion, new concepts of quality control,
preferring to market their vehicles through planned obsolescence.
No doubt, some of the greatest American masterpieces in rolling
art were created during the 1920s and 30s, however, the height
of Auto Americana, where form and function took on whole new
dimensions of vim and verve, the 1950s, seems to have marked the
peak of empire as well as its most distinctive product.
About the author:
Henry Ramsey who was fortunate in being able to own and drive
many of these rolling artworks over the years. Now, however, he
is quite satisfied cruising around town on his electric bicycle.
Visit his car collection at: www.Rollingems.com
Written By: Henry Ramsey
|
