Simulated woodgrain: Is there anything it can’t do? At Mercury in 1968, it wasn’t just for station wagons. Convertibles and hardtops could have it, too. Continue reading
Ahoy, Polloi: The Yacht Deck Mercury Park Lane
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Category Archives: Auto History
More Than a Touch of Tomorrow: The 1954 Oldsmobiles
Oldsmobile declared it was reaching into the future with its larger, restyled, and more powerful 1954 lineup. Continue reading
1951 Fordomatic: Ford’s First Successful Automatic Transmission
Ford introduced the Fordomatic automatic transmission in 1951, and its sound basic design served the company well for years. Continue reading
Swing and a Miss: 1934 Baker Axleflex Front Suspension
As the automakers adopted independent front suspension in the ’30s, some of the approaches were less than optimal—for example, the Baker Axleflex system. Continue reading
Jet Smooth Luxury: The 1964 Chevrolet Impala
The Chevrolet Impala came to market in 1964 with redesigned exterior sheet metal and a new top line in its sales pitch: Jet Smooth Luxury. Continue reading
Launch of the Letter Cars: The 1955 Chrysler C-300
The 1955 C-300 sired an entire series of high-performance Chrysler 300 letter cars over the next 11 years, and they are still celebrated today. Continue reading
A New Kind of Motoring: the 1948 Studebakers
With a one year-old but still radical departure in exterior design, Studebaker described its 1948 models as “a new kind of motoring.” Continue reading