Developed by William B. Stout, a car and aviation engineer the Stout Scarab was envisioned to be an ‘office-on-wheels’. Designed without running boards and using a 135 inch wheelbase the car had the most spacious interior available to any American car at the time. Additional interior space was gained by placing the engine behind the rear axle and moving the driver so far forward that the steering wheel was almost directly above the front wheels. Egyptian scarabs were prominent throughout the car and the use of thin curved chrome gave the car an Art Deco look.
Although Stout was hoping to make 100 Scarabs a year only 10 models were ever produced. Each Scarab was hand built and unique as modifications were made with each build. The first prototype Scarab was completed in 1932, but after that only 9 more were made. The $5,000 price tag made it prohibitive for almost any prospective buyer. It is believed that five Scarabs survive today.
It’s late in 1954 and the 1955 Oldsmobiles have recently arrived at this New York city showroom. The all new Oldsmobiles must have looked pretty impressive to passer-byes that evening. Pictured are a Coral and Polar White Starfire convertible and a Caspian Cream and Bronze Metallic Holiday 88.
“The newest development in wheelless, air-propelled vehicles” was how Ford Motor Company described its Levacar Mach I in 1959. The vehicle slid along on a thin film of compressed air, emitted through three “levapads” underneath the car. While Ford was hoping the levitation system would have applications in high speed public transportation, the real legacy may be the Mach I name for performance Mustangs and perhaps the inspiration for air hockey.
In 1955 Dodge introduced the La Femme, the first and only American car marketed exclusively for women. “Never a car more distinctively feminine than La Femme….first fine car created exclusively for women!” exclaimed the brochure. Though short lived, the 1955 -56 La Femme had a unique chapter in automotive history.
Show cars in the 1950’s with a feminine appeal were actually somewhat common with GM leading the charge. The Cadillac Eldorado Seville Baroness, Pontiac Pink Parisienne and the Chevrlet Impala Martinique were some of the cars making the show circuit. In 1954 Chrysler joined the show car trend by introducing his and her cars- La Comtesse and Le Comte. The La Comtesse sported a plastic top and a two-tone exterior of Dusty Rose and Pigeon Gray. The luxurious interior was finished in cream and dusty rose leather. The Le Comte naturally sported masculine colors.
The La Femme was introduced in the Spring of 1955 as a $143.30 trim and accessory option for the $2,543 two door Custom Royal Lancer. The exterior color scheme was Sapphire White and Heather Rose. Gold colored “La Femme” scripts replaced the standard “Custom Royal Lancer” scripts on the front fender.
The interior also came with feminine appointments. A “stunning shoulder bag in soft rose leather” resided in a special compartment behind the drivers seat. Inside the shoulder bag, a compact, lighter, lipstick, coin purse, cigarette case and comb could be found. The upholstery came in a pattern of pink rosebuds woven into a pale silvery-pink background. Interior seat trim was pale pink vinyl. In 1956 the purse accessory was dropped and replaced with designer rain gear consisting of a hat, raincoat and umbrella, protecting “Milady” from the elements.
The La Femme was dropped for the 1957 model year, likely a victim of a fairly high price for the option and a lack of promotion by Chrysler. There is no evidence that there was any advertising campaign used to promote the La Femme.
1956 Dodge La FemmePictures Copyright Christopher Ziemnowicz
We always had station wagons when I was growing up. There were no minivans yet and SUV’s were used for people who actually had to drive over monster boulders and through 3 feet of snow. The station wagons were never glamorous but Dad could haul a ton of stuff in the back and Mom could use it for the weekly trip to Kroger. Station wagons always rattled, leaked and got horrible gas mileage but they did have the ultimate feature for any kid: the wayback seat.
In our family the wayback seat was only used on special occasions: hauling neighborhood kids around and vacations. Sitting in the wayback with a few friends gave us freedom from the strictly enforced rules of second row seating. Drivers who had the unfortunate luck of being behind a seat full of waybackers were subject to a barrage of waves and gross faces. The drivers almost always kept a straight face, but occasionally a driver would react which of course would have us all in stitches.
Sitting in the wayback seat on vacations gave kids a perfect vantage point to spot license plates on passing cars for the license plate game. Tents could made out out of blankets and a few pieces of strategically placed luggage. A perfect place to sink into a comic book collection for the long drive.
Great 3 minute commercial made at the height of the populuxe era when everything was bigger, better, newer, faster, and easier. Given the length of the commercial, it likely aired in the Fall of 1959 as part of a Ford sponsored show.
A look at 100 years of automotive color history can be seen at Auto Color Library. The website has over 125,000 original paint chips that can be browsed by the make and year of the car.
I took a look at the Plymouth library over the years to see how color palettes have changed with the times.
Reflecting the war years, colors had names like ‘Aviator Blue’, ‘Artillery Green’ and ‘Gunmetal’. With with the hiatus in automobile production during the war, Plymouth didn’t introduce a new colors until 1949 but car colors were still mostly dark greens, blues, browns, grays and burgundies. Yellow was the only lighter color to be had.
It wasn’t until the mid 50’s, when two-tone paint jobs became fashionable that palettes expanded. A look a the 1955 color chart reveals the softer pastel colors that are ubiquitous with the decade. Names included ‘Pompano Beach’, ‘Santa Rosa Coral’, and ‘Tampa Turquoise’
In 1970 at the height of the muscle car era, Cudas, GTX’s and Road Runners could be ordered with Hemi engines and outrageous bold colors that included ‘Lime Light’, ‘Vitamin C’, and ‘Tor-Red’.
1974 shows a green, gold and yellow palette. ‘Yellow Blaze’, ‘Golden Fawn’ and ‘Avocado Gold’ were popular colors for cars and kitchens alike.
If you need to order paint for your classic car project or just want to research color chips from the past Auto Color Library is a great resource.
Ernie Banks is my all time favorite baseball player. I truly believe that he may be the happiest man on the face of the earth. His eternal optimism and perpetual smile to anyone who has never followed him would at first probably seem like an act. But for someone who has followed him for 40 years I can tell you that Ernie’s happiness is sincere.
Ernie played in an era where ballplayers would work during the off season to pick up a few extra bucks. Some guys worked construction, others dug graves, anything to make some money. Ernie Banks sold Plymouths and I bet he was good at it. With Ernie’s charm, I could see him turning a Valiant looker into a Fury buyer in no time.
The pictures here were taken on November 4th 1959. Ernie was working that day when he found out he was named the National League MVP for the second straight year. You can see Ernie sitting in a Valiant reading the press release about his MVP award. I’ll bet Ernie sold a few Furys that day!
When I was growing up in Chicago in the 60’s and 70’s it seemed like there were only two Chevrolet dealerships in town. You either bought your Chevy at “Z” Frank or Nickey. My dad bought several Impala and Kingswoood wagons there before dropping the family wagon for a Monte Carlo.
Zollie Frank founded ‘Z’ Frank in 1939 and originally sold Chryslers and Plymouths. He also founded the a leasing company Wheels Inc., becoming the first person to ever lease a car to a customer. Even though Zollie’s Chrysler/Plymouth dealership was highly successful, he saw a better opportunity with Chevrolet and so in the early 50’s he made the switch.
Zollie was known for adorning customers with gifts of ice cream pies, cuff links or silver dollars as part of his savvy marketing techniques.
Zollie died in 1990 but his sons continued to operate the dealership until it was acquired by Mike Anderson Chevrolet in late 2008.
The huge neon sign that beaconed car buyers driving up Western Avenue will probably be gone soon, too big for a collector to have and not practical for the new property owner to keep. A sign of the times.
In 1958 David Ekman was a young Swedish citizen living in Chicago. The U.S. was in a recession and import car sales were booming, accounting for 10% of U.S. car sales that year. Being a practical Swede, David could have chosen a Volkswagen or a Renault to buy but David chose the flashy all new Bel Air Impala Sport Coupe. David walked into “Z” Frank Chevrolet in February 1958 and walked out with a brand new Silver Blue Impala. David’s Swedish practicality did come through in his engine choice by going with the more fuel efficient and $107 cheaper 6 cylinder engine.
We always had station wagons when I was growing up. There were no minivans yet and SUV’s were used for people who actually had to drive over monster boulders and through 3 feet of snow. The station wagons were never glamorous but Dad could haul a ton of stuff in the back and Mom could use it for the weekly trip to Kroger. Station wagons always rattled, leaked and got horrible gas mileage but they did have the ultimate feature for any kid: the wayback seat.
