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Chrome: Glamour Cars of the Fifties by BRIAN LABAN
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November 21, 2024
Chrome
Whenever you see a Hollywood movie set in 1950’s America featuring perhaps a drive in movie or crazy preppy kids hanging out at the soda fountain – Happy Days anyone? – there will be huge cars cruising up and down. Those 1950’s gas guzzlers, heavy on chrome and styling that were so redolent of the post Second World War affluence in the USA until the 1958 recession. Chrome wired wheels! Whitewall tyres! Convertibles! Davy Crockett Hats! Hula Hoops! Fins!
‘Chrome’ is a celebration of these much loved and collectable cars and covers the period 1950-1959 when the bulbous looking cars gave way to the sleeker 1960’s styling. All the classic models are featured from the Chrysler Town and Country Newport to the Pontiac Bonneville. It’s like looking at vintage car porn with the fabulous colour photos of the cars throughout the book that accompany each section pertaining to that particular model.
As the author says in the introduction, ‘the curves and fins were potent symbols of conspicuous consumerism and also that ‘American cars of the 1950s were symbols of success, hugely different from the cars of the 1940s’s and little wonder.;’ Car production had been halted during the war years and manufacturers needed to make a living from making cars instead of armaments.’ The author emphasises that styling created the identity of the car and that ‘with ever more flamboyant style and more horsepower per dollar, sales continued to rise until the never to be forgotten record sales year of 1955.’ In that year car manufacturers couldn’t build cars quick enough and maintain quality but sales fell during 1957-1958. He also adds that 1950’s cars were unrepeatable.
The parade of cars begins with the Chrysler Town and Country which was the last genuinely wooden bodied American convertible and was obviously and affectionately known as a ‘Woody.’ It weighted 2 tons.
Henry Ford personally viewed and approved the Ford Custom Crestliner of 1950 before he died in 1947. Ford were struggling and had started to use colour on their cars. This model influenced the US car industry for 10 years according to the author.
Each chapter features a classic car in chronological order and discusses their horsepower, how many miles to the gallon – one did 18mpg on the highway (which wouldn’t get you very far), the key car stylists within manufacturers and the importance of the rocket V8 engine which was capable of achieving 0-60 mph in over 12 seconds.
The popularity of NASCAR and stock car races also loomed large and some cars were almost made for them.
The Cadillac Eldorado ‘reflected the good times of post-war America’ as President Eisenhower rode in in one during his inauguration parade. Sales figures are quoted and also specifications for each car.
There are also the failures such as the Edsel Citation which was ‘the wrong car at the wrong time.’ And the Continental Mark II which was ‘the most expensive car on the market’ and ‘the smell of money would announce its arrival.’ It was ‘the last word in style, engineering and luxury.’ But it was also ‘heavy on gasoline’ and didn’t sell. There was also the Mercury Turnpike Cruiser which was ‘mistimed and misjudged’ and also the Ford Thunderbird which was ‘over engineered’ that vanished after being developed into a 4 seater.
The sheer size of the cars seems incredible now – the Edsel Citation was 18ft long, the Dodge Custom Royal Lancer was 17.5 feet long and 6.5 feet wide.
There were always innovations with each new car produced such as ‘continental’ style spare wheels on the boot, boots that could open at the touch of a button, a clock at the centre of the steering wheel, Park-o=Matic, air conditioning and heating, swivelling front seats, a myriad of seating fabrics including ‘Gotham Texture’ and of course fins! (and lots of chrome!)
There are also some amazing facts such that the poet, Marianne Moore, was asked to suggest names for the Edsel Citation and it could have been named ‘Utopia Turtletop’ amongst others. Also that Howard Hughes bought a Packard Caribbean Convertible for his wife Jean Peters who who never drove it because ‘she didn’t like the colours’. This is now one of the most prized collectors cars.
Severa of the ‘50’s cars were convertibles which died off in the 1970’s due to safety concerns. The Plymouth Fury which featured in Stephen King’s novel ‘Christine’ was an incredible seller with 655,526 sold.
The author is a motoring writer who has a particular interest in 1950s cars seeing them as ‘a mirror of the times’ We will never see cars like this again and this book revels in their incredible looks and styling.
Whenever you see a Hollywood movie set in 1950’s America featuring perhaps a drive in movie or crazy preppy kids hanging out at the soda fountain – Happy Days anyone? – there will be huge cars cruising up and down. Those 1950’s gas guzzlers, heavy on chrome and styling that were so redolent of the post Second World War affluence in the USA until the 1958 recession. Chrome wired wheels! Whitewall tyres! Convertibles! Davy Crockett Hats! Hula Hoops! Fins!
‘Chrome’ is a celebration of these much loved and collectable cars and covers the period 1950-1959 when the bulbous looking cars gave way to the sleeker 1960’s styling. All the classic models are featured from the Chrysler Town and Country Newport to the Pontiac Bonneville. It’s like looking at vintage car porn with the fabulous colour photos of the cars throughout the book that accompany each section pertaining to that particular model.
As the author says in the introduction, ‘the curves and fins were potent symbols of conspicuous consumerism and also that ‘American cars of the 1950s were symbols of success, hugely different from the cars of the 1940s’s and little wonder.;’ Car production had been halted during the war years and manufacturers needed to make a living from making cars instead of armaments.’ The author emphasises that styling created the identity of the car and that ‘with ever more flamboyant style and more horsepower per dollar, sales continued to rise until the never to be forgotten record sales year of 1955.’ In that year car manufacturers couldn’t build cars quick enough and maintain quality but sales fell during 1957-1958. He also adds that 1950’s cars were unrepeatable.
The parade of cars begins with the Chrysler Town and Country which was the last genuinely wooden bodied American convertible and was obviously and affectionately known as a ‘Woody.’ It weighted 2 tons.
Henry Ford personally viewed and approved the Ford Custom Crestliner of 1950 before he died in 1947. Ford were struggling and had started to use colour on their cars. This model influenced the US car industry for 10 years according to the author.
Each chapter features a classic car in chronological order and discusses their horsepower, how many miles to the gallon – one did 18mpg on the highway (which wouldn’t get you very far), the key car stylists within manufacturers and the importance of the rocket V8 engine which was capable of achieving 0-60 mph in over 12 seconds.
The popularity of NASCAR and stock car races also loomed large and some cars were almost made for them.
The Cadillac Eldorado ‘reflected the good times of post-war America’ as President Eisenhower rode in in one during his inauguration parade. Sales figures are quoted and also specifications for each car.
There are also the failures such as the Edsel Citation which was ‘the wrong car at the wrong time.’ And the Continental Mark II which was ‘the most expensive car on the market’ and ‘the smell of money would announce its arrival.’ It was ‘the last word in style, engineering and luxury.’ But it was also ‘heavy on gasoline’ and didn’t sell. There was also the Mercury Turnpike Cruiser which was ‘mistimed and misjudged’ and also the Ford Thunderbird which was ‘over engineered’ that vanished after being developed into a 4 seater.
The sheer size of the cars seems incredible now – the Edsel Citation was 18ft long, the Dodge Custom Royal Lancer was 17.5 feet long and 6.5 feet wide.
There were always innovations with each new car produced such as ‘continental’ style spare wheels on the boot, boots that could open at the touch of a button, a clock at the centre of the steering wheel, Park-o=Matic, air conditioning and heating, swivelling front seats, a myriad of seating fabrics including ‘Gotham Texture’ and of course fins! (and lots of chrome!)
There are also some amazing facts such that the poet, Marianne Moore, was asked to suggest names for the Edsel Citation and it could have been named ‘Utopia Turtletop’ amongst others. Also that Howard Hughes bought a Packard Caribbean Convertible for his wife Jean Peters who who never drove it because ‘she didn’t like the colours’. This is now one of the most prized collectors cars.
Severa of the ‘50’s cars were convertibles which died off in the 1970’s due to safety concerns. The Plymouth Fury which featured in Stephen King’s novel ‘Christine’ was an incredible seller with 655,526 sold.
The author is a motoring writer who has a particular interest in 1950s cars seeing them as ‘a mirror of the times’ We will never see cars like this again and this book revels in their incredible looks and styling.
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