Studebaker-Packard was living on borrowed time in the late 50’s. Forced to find niche markets after their earlier attempts to compete with the big three, Studebaker decided to create a car to undercut the value leaders of the time. The result was the Scotsman (even the name implied Scottish frugality), a stripped down version of the Champion that was introduced in May of 1957. Three models were available: The $1,776 two-door sedan, a $1,826 four-door sedan and a $1,995 two-door wagon. The Scotsman was equipped with a 101 hp, 185.6 cubic inch L-head six capable of excelling the Scotsman from 0-60 in a snails pace time of 21 seconds.
Every expense was spared in the Scotsman. Exterior chrome was on the bumpers only and almost all Champion body trim was removed or painted. Paint colors were Lombard Green, Admiral Blue and Highland Gray, all flat and industrial looking. Utilitarian interiors came with “breathable Naugahyde and pin-grain vinyl” upholstery, fiberboard door panels, no armrests, a single visor and vacuum operated windshield wipers. To top off the features of the Scotsman, turn signals and a basic heater were included. If you wanted a radio, whitewalls or a cigarette lighter you would have to look elsewhere. Even the dealers were prohibited from adding these extras.
Helped buy budget conscious buyers during the 1957-1958 recession, the unglamorous Scotsman did enjoy some success for Studebaker but after 1958 the Scotsman name only continued into 1959 as a pickup name.
Flower power collided with the automotive world in 1969 and 1970 when Mopars could be ordered with the ‘Mop Top’ option. Buyers had the choice of choosing from several floral patterns and colors:
Mod-Top with floral interior.
Mod-Top without floral interior.
Regular vinyl roof with floral interior
Convertible Barracuda, with a solid color top, and the floral interior.
Jim Morrison led a life of excess and mystery so it’s only fitting that he drove an extravagant car to match his superabundant personality. It’s also fitting that his Shelby GT500 disappeared in 1969, never to be seen again.
Rumor has it that Electra records bought Jim the Nightmist Blue 1967 Shelby GT500 for the work done on the self titled debut album by The Doors. One story explaining the cars disappearance had Morrison hitting a telephone pole on the way to the Whisky-A-Go-Go. Frustrated, he walked the rest of the way to the club and either never returned to the accident scene or never followed up with the towing company. Another story had him parking the car at Los Angeles International Airport where the car was left for a long period of time while Morrison traveled. Upon his return the car had been towed and sold at public auction.
What does survive is Morrison’s registration card and footage of Morrison driving his Shelby hard through the desert in an experimental film shot in 1969.
Kaufmann Chevrolet dealership in New York. Picture was taken in late 1953. You can buy a brand new 1954 Chevrolet sedan for $1,595. I’m holding out for the 55’s though. I hear they’re gonna to be nice. Copyright PCLjr
I’ve always liked Ramblers. Even when I was a kid and everyone knew only grandmas drove Ramblers I appreciated this somewhat odd segment of American cars. When I found this 1959 Rambler American 2 Door Station Wagon on Ebay, I realized I had never seen an interior of a 1959 American. In an age of gadgety space age dash boards, American Motors came up with one of the simplest dashes I have ever seen.
Whereas most cars of the era had several chrome pods protruding from the dash, American Motors kept it simple with a single round pod centered over the steering wheel.
That’s all folks! All you need to know is tastefully displayed. The transmission selector design is also nicely executed.
Steuarts Garage in Washington D.C. Circa 1920.
Clicking the pictures (and then using your browser magnifying icon) will show you full size detail. Lots of great stuff in the parts department.
When I look at this photo I can’t help but to think of National Lampoons “Vacation” when the Griswald family arrived at Wally World after a cross country trip only to find an empty parking lot and the entrance closed. This family had better luck than the Griswalds, but I’m sure like most families, their vacation adventure was filled with fighting siblings, car sickness and unforeseen obstacles along the way, but in the end it was all worth it. By the time the Country Sedan pulled up to Disneyland all was forgiven. They had reached their destination and Pops only had to pay a quarter for parking. Copyright lreed7649
You talked to Bob and he offered you a great deal on that new Edsel you’ve been eyeing but you’re just not sold on the looks of the new Ford. “Nice car, but that grill looks likes a toilet seat” you thought. Bob let you walk, but being the top car salesman that he is, he’ll be giving you a followup call. Bob’s ready to offer you the deal of the century for that Edsel. The Edsel is yours.
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.
