This article is about my favorite years for each American auto maque of the late 1i50s and early 1960s. It may be serialized at some Facebook pages.
By STEVE JOOS
Recently, a poster in the Car Museum Facebook group asked if 1957 was the sexiest year for cars ever, or at least my favorite car years in the 1950s.
After I finished blushing, I started thinking about what my favorite year and look of cars were, especially from the 1950s and 1960s. I can't come up with what I think are the most aphrodisac automobiles, mainly because I just don't think about those things.
So, here are my favorite my favorite cars, according to the maque of the vehicle. These aren't all the same year, although I might add them all up at the end and maybe come up with a total then.
And don't even ask about an explanation, because I don't have one other than there was something about these beauties that a little kid in Peoria, IL really liked.
This list is also going to be kind of superficial, focusing mostly on looks along with the personal nostalgia. I wished I'd be able to talk as much about the engineering and interior design of these cars as I do the outward appearance.
Two other caveats: first, my reminiscences of these cars will be somewhat mundane. Members of my family drove some from the great model years, but they were to dowdier cousins that farmers, businessmen and housewives drove. Since I grew up in Peoria, maybe I should repeat "Caterpillar office workers" as often as possible. Second, I can't supply any pictures, unfortunately.
I wasn't sure how to list these, so I compromised. I took how the brands were listed in the phone book, and broke them down into companies. Here we go, finally.
General Motors:
Buick-1958. This is, at least to me, the classic car. Don't ask me why, but I just like the way it looked. One of our neighbors had a powder blue sedan and after seeing that along with a number of other 58s, I just thought it looked appealing (did I mention that there won't be much in the way of explanation?).It was a sleek and stylish car.
Oh, I have to mention some Yes, this was one of squad cars Broderick Crawford tracked down the bad guys in as Dan Matthews on Highway Patrol, but that's way down the list of cool factors. Other cool years? Very well, 1959-60 and 1956-57 (I rode in a 56 convertible once).
Cadillac-1956.It’s tough for me to come up with a specific favorite year as far as Caddys are concerned. Not only that, but my favorites among other luxury maques are a little more streamlined than the 56 Cadillac, which to me at least, was a little bit of the early 50s and a little bit of what was to come. Besides, I had a metal toy version of one, so that might help. Best of the rest: 57-58 ad 1964 (huh?), while the 58 and 60 models are also growing on me.
Chevrolet-11959. Sleek, quick, with a memorable look and style. That's the 59 Chevy. Like most cars of that era, so hip even the squares drove cool-looking ones. Speaking of sleek, but conservative, My aunt had a red and white 59 Biscayne two-door sedan, while one of my cousins had either a model or a dealer promo Impala two-door hardtop in black with a white top. It was only a scale model, but oh wow. One night when I was as fid, I dreamt of a 58 Buick two-door in black white a white top, but I digress.
I also dreamt of a 58 two-toned four-door Chevy hardtop on night. It was driven by a guy on TV who came on after Huckleberry Hound, but I don't hold that against the 58 Chevy.
Oldsmobile-1957. Another neighbor, another powder blue sedan, another favorite year. The 57 Olds was sleek, stylish with not as much chrome as some other models, but still a dependable car. The office manager at a dealership in Havana, IL which I sometimes I actually got some advertising from told me once that the 57 Olds was a favorite of her sons when they were in their younger days. Best of the rest? Well, take and 54-55-56 models and then the 58-59-60 and 62s, then pick the worst. It won't take that long.
Pontiac-1962. So I'm sitting in the back seat of my mom's car at the Zephyr station at Gale and Sterling in Peoria one day when a 62 Catalina four-door sedan whipped through the right turn lane and headed north. From that point on, I was a fan and if you wanted go wide-tracking, I'll pick you up in a 62. Maybe not much there, but it was enough for me. The 58s are my best of the rest, as well as 59 and 60.
Chrysler Corporation:
Chrysler-1958. Once again, I got hooked by seeing a neighbor's car, this one a dark brown four-door hardtop which a family with an icky daughter had. The daughter may have been icky, but the car wasn't, it was sleek and dignified, as were a number of upper-end cars from that era. The torsion-bar suspension was another big selling point, with the car even handling better than the 58 Buick in one test. Do I have to rub it in? Best of the rest? The 55 and 60 models, in any order.
DeSoto-1959. Maybe I secretly think 59 was Detroit's most aphrodisac year, or it's more likely that I hit the age where I started becoming aware of those things that year. Anyway, this is the last year DeSoto offered station wagon and convertible models and they also had that memorable look to them. John Bromfield drove a DeSoto wagon on U.S. Marshall and I think a lot about black four-door sedans again. Hmm. The 56-57-58 models are my next favorites, while the 1960s were the best of the lame duck years. The 61s looked 61 Chryslers that got into fistfights and lost. All of the 56-59 models had those three little tail lights and without those tail lights, wouldn't be DeSotos.
Dodge-1959. Unlike a lot of other maques, Dodge is one where I don't really have a lot of favorites. There are plenty of OK looks, but nothing really cool, like say the 58 Buick or 58 Chrysler. The 59 is about the coolest, with its sleek, powerful look that promises solid performance. The front end looks ferocious, but that helps make it memorable. It must have performed pretty well, since the California Highway Patrol almost exclusively started driving Dodges in 1959. I first picked that up from an ad on The Lawrence Welk Show, but don't tell mom. Best of the rest: the 1958 is a no-brrainer second pick, with the 60s and 61s on the list as well, along with the 1962 Dart. What about the 66-69 D0dges? Are we talking about car models or commercial spokesmodels (the cars were cool, by the way)? There was a hybrid from Chrysler Canada which featured a Dodge front and Plymouth rear ("Plodges") which were almost as memorable as the American Dodges.
Imperial-1956. This is a tough one, but the elegance and dignified style of the "Exclusive" Imperial is a narrow winner over the rest. The second year of Imperial's 17-year run as a separate maque, the 56 is a powerful, prestigious car that performed as well as it looked, at least according to the engineers. And it had those gun sight tail lights coming off the rear fenders. Best of the rest? The 1955 model and well, take the years 1957-64 and pick out the weak-looking ones. It won't take as long. Why do I look at the front grille of the 58 and think of the commercial where the housewife tried the bargain brand and went back to her favorite detergent?
Of course, the Imperial is my favorite luxury maque of the 50s and 60s, which means I think they all have lots of style and elegance.
Plymouth-1955 and 1959 (tie). The pre-Forward look 55s had a nice look that sort of foreshadowed their more streamlined successors with some more subdued edges in the tail light area. One could see where the Plymouths were heading. The 59s were a little more fearsome looking in the front and had those tail fins in the back, with plenty of energy in between. One of our next-door neighbors had a black 59 two-door sedan and I'd sometimes watch his meticulously park it when he would come home from work at night. It was a black Savoy, which meant it resembled an unmarked police car. Another point, although Robert Taylor drove Plymmouths more than Broderick Crawford. Oh well, can't have everything. The 56, 60 and 61 models are my next favorite Plymouths.
When it comes to compacts, the 19 Valiant is my all-time favorite for any maque, followed by a pair of 61s, the Olds F-85, and the Pontiac Tempest. The 1952 is my favorite Buick Special, while the 1963 Dart is my favorite Dodge compact. I'll get to the Fords later and I guess I like the 1960 Chevy compact. Corvairs, however, are unimpressive at any speed.
Ford Motor Company:
This category will be slightly out of alphabetical order. "E" comes before "F", but would you want the Edsels to go first?
Ford-1961. What can you say? The magnificent front grille work, the fantastic styling, the smooth ride and powerful engine. Let's put it this way: my dad drove one. Yes, it was a Fairlaine two-door sedan, but the Galaxies were very elegant, with a design which brought attention at that year's world's Fair. The convertibles and Starliner two-door hardtop were also cool. And I wouldn't say the 61s weren't good cars overall unless I actually rode in one. The 58 and 56s were also cool (yes, we had one of each) and so were the 57s, 59s, 60s, OH HECK! Every Ford made between 1953-1964 were good cars. So were the 65s and 66s, and..did a I tell you that there was a square dance call to the tune of “See the USA in your Chevrolet" which they used in my high school gym classes? I didn't want to be there anyway, so I'd say under my breath "Boo! I'm a Ford fan!"
Want more? You're getting it anyway. Generally, I liked the Thunderbirds made between 1958-1964, early (1960-62) Falcons and the first two years of the Mustang. Styling had a lot to do with those choices, along with having model car, dealer model and toy versions of all of them. Efrem Zmbalist Jr. drove a T-Bird on 77 Sunset Strip, which might have been in there somewhere.
Lincoln (and Continental)-1957. There's that sleek and flashy jet-streamed styling again, with those tail fins. The fins are just one of the 57s' distinctive features. Once again, a powerful-looking prestige car. Best of the rest? well, the 58060 Lincolns have kind of grown on me over the years, especially the Continental with their backsides (had a few friction-powered toy cars which drew one the look of the 58-60 Lincolns and Continentals, while the early-to-mid 1860s Lincoln Continentals were cool as well, but my next favorite Lincolns were the 1856 models. They were the 57s, just without the tail fins.
Merercury-1960 and 1962 (tie). The 60s looked different than most of the cars of the era, at least the ones made by Ford Motor Company. The grille work with its scooping section between the headlights let you know that this was different, as did the rear section A great-looking car.
The 62s weren't that distinctive, but they still has a sleek, powerful look to them. Like most of my choices, there was just something about the 62 Merc that I liked.
The 56 and 57 models were honorable mentions, while the Comet? I lean towards the 64s and 65s. How did the 61 Comets look without a bashed-in rear end?
Edsel-er, Edsel? Are you serious? Just what does one say about Edsels? The 1958 model probably best symbolized the whole thing, with the horse-collar front and the instruments all over. That was without a bout, the most memorable model. The 1960 was perhaps the best looking, but there were only 3,000 of them made before the plug was pulled on the whole thing. My brother had a collection of Mad magazine’s Spy vs. Spy cartoons when he was in about the third or fourth grade. A back-cover description of the book talked about one of the spies stealing the plans for the 1963 Edsel, which of course, was never made, but would have featured a 1962 Pontiac front grille inside a 63 Ford body with 63 Mercury-style tail lights. Did I tell you I was never much of a prognosticator?
Rambler and Studebaker:
This is going to be tough, since a lot of what I thought I knew about Ramblers and Studebakers isn't quite true, like what years were my favorites. Also, I don't really have favorite years for Nash, Hudson and Packard I don't know for sure the year when my great niece's youngest son was born, for instance). Well, you wanted my favorite year for Hudson, didn't you?
Rambler-1956 (I think). The Nash Rambler is my favorite style of late 50s American Motors maque and I thought it appeared in 1958, when AMC replaced Nash and Hudson with Rambler, but I was wrong. The NASH Rambler appeared in 56, when they put a Nash front grille on the body of what would be the Rambler from. It was a memorable car, however, even if it wasn't completely the shape of things to come. As for the best of the rest, how much time do you have? Take the 1960 and 61 models (for their backsides) and the 62s for their overall styling, the 61-62 Ambassadors and the early 60s Americans. You might find some cool cars in there, at least for Ramblers. Youi might be better off finding some reliable cars in there.
Studebaker-1957. I think it’s the 57s. One of the last years for Studebaker as a full-size car, with a solid body and drive train which was highly reliable and once again, a memorable style. The Studebakers met their demise despite being an innovative, reliable car both well-styled and provided dependable transportation. How reliable? Well, the husband of one of my co-workers restored three vintage Studebakers while I was working in Southwestern Indiana, including a 57 four-door sedan which he brought out during a severe cold snap right before Christmas in 1989. It was the only car he had that was running. I've been around a few other vintage Studebakers which have been pulled out of the garage to be driven over the years. No wonder actress Francis Bavier ("Aunt Bea" on The Andy Griffith Show) wept when the company went out of business.
Honorable mention: the 59s, 60s,61s, OH HECK! All the Lark models, from 59-63.
Well, that's it. Maybe not a hottie list, but my favorite year of each American-made car during the late 50s and early 60. No, it wasn't full of technical talk and for that, I apologize. As for a certain type of appeal, well, naw, I can't do that.
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