SATURDAY, AUGUST 26, 2006
We’re heading north for a few days of R&R, to keep from heading south. If you ordered a print before today, it’s on the way. Now where’d we put those train tickets?
WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 23, 2006
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When Life Gives You Lemonade 
The 1941 Fargo truck brochure is as a deep well that may be drawn from again and again. And again. And again. Here, the two-ton cab-over with bottle-carrier body.
We were a crossing guard ourselves once, back when we were singular, so this Motor Age cover takes us back. To Morningside Elementary. The year was 1969 . . .
TUESDAY, AUGUST 22, 2006
Another selection from the hyper-colorful Fargo catalog for 1941, Form A2F2-24M-941, lithographed in Canada, 56 pages, one of 24,000 copies. How many are left?
MONDAY, AUGUST 21, 2006
More eye candy from Fargo and 1941 with this cab-over-engine stake bed.
SATURDAY, AUGUST 19, 2006
Styled for business prestige — economical, too! Smartly streamlined . . . bucket seat has two-way adjustment to suit driver . . . dome light in center of body . . . gas filler cap on left side of body . . . bumpers front and rear . . .
Chrysler’s mostly badge-engineered version of its Dodge truck for the Canadian and export markets (history) was short on frills but long on eye appeal — if five-year-olds made purchasing decisions, it would have had 100 percent market share. The origins of the Fargo name, discontinued in the 1970s, are, according to Wikipedia, obscure. “One theory is based on the imagery of open range in the American West, while another lies in a play of words on Far and Go, denoting durability.”
FRIDAY, AUGUST 18, 2006
Longer, lower . . . created in supreme good taste with a colorful new personality . . . the stunning Imperial Newport is almost nineteen road-hugging feet of clean-cut, purposeful steel. A motorcar of tremendous individuality and incomparable luxury, this Chrysler-originated body style provides true open-air spaciousness while retaining the steel top protection of a conventional sedan . . .
The extraordinary reputation which the Imperial has built in the luxury car field is most convincingly testified to by the very nature of its owners — men and women who, able to afford the finest of all motorcars, are satisfied with nothing less. In the Imperial they have found performance of incomparable excellence . . . the utmost in riding comfort and luxury . . . and the immense prestige of a world-famous name. Now, for 1955, the Imperial adds new lustre to its brilliant record. It is a completely new motorcar — restyled from road to roof and from end to end — literally, inside and outside everything is new but the name . . .
For 1955, Imperial became a separate make and lost the “Chrysler” in front of its name, although it would continue to be a fancier (and stretched) version of that car until 1957, when it shrank a bit and was given its own body shell. For 1955, hardtops were called Newports; the following year they were known as Southamptons.
THURSDAY, AUGUST 17, 2006
The strange world depicted in this illustration likely doesn’t look half as fantastic to you as our world today would look to people 100 years ago. Many new products are in the offing. Aluminum and magnesium alloys, possessing lightness combined with great strength, will play an important part in these new developments . . .
From 1946, the only signed illustration we know of by Arthur Radebaugh (1906-1974) for Bohn Aluminum and Brass.
WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 16, 2006
What a ride — “Rocket”! What a number — “88”! WHAT A CAR — OLDSMOBILE! That’s the triumphant new Super “88” — and it makes every mile a miracle of smooth-riding comfort! You’ll thrill to the action of Oldsmobile’s great new gas-saving “Rocket” Engine! Smooth! Traffic — you take it in stride — with Oldsmobile’s easier-than-ever Hydra-Matic Drive! Smooth! You relax in the roomy new Super “88” body — so big, so beautiful — styling so Smooth! You revel in the softness of Oldsmobile’s velvet new “Rocket Ride”! Super-Smooth! See your nearest Oldsmobile dealer! Ride the newest “Rocket”! Make a date with an all-time great — Super “88” by OLDSMOBILE!
We were going to say something witty here, but typing the above has left us completely exhausted. Where’s that pitcher of martinis?
MONDAY, AUGUST 14, 2006
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For
People Who Don’t Have to Prove a Point
One of the rewards of success, of course, is enjoying it. For some men, this means surrounding themselves with obvious reminders of how well they’ve done — with the emphasis on cost. For others, who’d rather let their accomplishments speak for them, this means the pleasure of spending their money where it will bring them the most satisfaction — with emphasis on worth. Among this latter group, ROADMASTER is gaining an ever-widening circle of owners. As the top-of-the-line Buick, ROADMASTER is the one fine car whose merit stems not from cost but from a brilliant array of new advances that can come only from volume production experience . . .
The 1957 Buick Roadmaster, a car with the discreet charm of a Mardi Gras float and all the subtlety of a five-alarm fire, as painted by the illustrious illustrators Art Fitzpatrick and Van Kaufman.
SUNDAY, AUGUST 13, 2006
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Where’s
My Cadillac, Cont’d.
Perhaps you are one of the many so eagerly awaiting delivery of new Cadillacs. If so, we wish to assure you that everything possible, consistent with Cadillac’s standards, is being done to get your car into your possession. But despite our best efforts, some delay in delivery is still inevitable. We feel confident, however, that you will wait with patience — because you are waiting for a Cadillac!
An apple green 1947 Cadillac Fleetwood Sixty Special, back in the days when a desperate car buyer might buy the salesman’s necktie for $500 in hopes of being moved to the top of the waiting list.
SATURDAY, AUGUST 12, 2006
Through 45 years of undeviating adherence to the highest principles of engineering and craftsmanship, Cadillac’s one purpose has been to bring into being the finest personal transportation it is practical to manufacture. It is a matter of the utmost regret to Cadillac that its capacity to produce so fine a motor car is as yet unequal to the demand. Some delay is still inevitable. But if your heart is set on a Cadillac, please be assured that patience will bring you one. And once you have it in your possession, we think you’ll agree that patience never brought you a richer reward!
Two years after the end of World War II and the reconversion of industry to civilian production, there was such a huge demand for cars that it might take months for an order to be filled. This ad for the 1947 Cadillac, ending on an apologetic note, addresses the delay.
FRIDAY, AUGUST 11, 2006
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“This
Man Can Have Any Car He Likes”
SOLID FACTS lead a man to the new Continental Mark III. The engine is built to a whole new standard of precision tolerances. Result: A coin may be balanced on the hood while it is running. Materials and leathers are the finest available in the world. Craftsmen lavish care on every stitch and fitting. That is why the new Continental Mark III will remain silent and secure over any terrain . . . why it will endure.
For 1958, Lincoln out-Cadillaced Cadillac with a massive package that was an interesting mix of over-the-top flamboyance and, from the right angles in the right light, elegant understatement. The most expensive model, the Mark III convertible, had a trick roof that disappeared into its own little trunk and a retractable glass rear window just like the closed Continentals. Restored, these cars can flirt with six figures.
THURSDAY, AUGUST 10, 2006
Give credit for extra freshness in your cigarettes to a lining no thicker than the ink on this page — the aluminum foil that protects every package . . .
Power lawn-mowers of tomorrow will combine real beauty with utility. Lawn-mowers are only one of the products that will be made more attractive and more readily useable, through the use of light alloys in substitution for heavier metals . . .
From May 1945, another chilling projection of Your Postwar World, courtesy of Bohn Aluminum and Brass. Paging Stephen King . . .
WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 9, 2006
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What Kind
of Cruise Did You Say This Was?
These happy young people of the Dominican Republic are dancing the Carabiné and having the time of their lives. But it’s nothing compared to the wonderful time you can have on an Alcoa Caribbean cruise. These 16-day de luxe cruises sail every Saturday from New Orleans — visit Jamaica, Trinidad and the Dominican Republic . . .
Alcoa’s aluminum freighters, traveling from the U.S. mainland to various Caribbean islands where bauxite is mined, were fitted with staterooms for 12 passengers as well as swimming pools and lounges, and had a lively sideline in the cruise trade. Not that there’s anything wrong with that.
TUESDAY, AUGUST 8, 2006
Adroit use of masonry and roof overhang at the front adds to the architectural enchantment of this ranch-type home design. The front hallway forms a focal area about which the rooms of this three-bedroom house are tightly designed with a minimum of waste space. The L-shaped kitchen is a triumph of good planning, bypassing service entry traffic. The bath arrangement is especially interesting . . .
From a 1957 book of house plans, this one with the imprint of Hinkle Lumber of Paris, Texas, we present Design No. 7601 — 1,232 square feet, three bedrooms, 1.5 baths, garage. Painted by Edwin Sabotka.
MONDAY, AUGUST 7, 2006
The Packard Clipper for 1955 has been designed for people with a desire to be different . . . for people who appreciate possessions which express distinctive personality . . . for people who realize individuality need not be measured in dollars. The lines of the Clipper are long and low and lithe. With subtly curved, advanced design, the Clipper achieves a sculptured look; the look of having been formed by a master hand working in steel and glass and chrome. Every line radiates vitality, and the total impression is of a thing “alive,” of thrilling action even in repose . . .
Introduced in 1941, the Clipper had a vaguely nautical theme and, for 1955, taillights that looked like skinned knuckles. The copy in the sales brochure laid it on with a trowel, but to no avail. The Clipper, and Packard along with it, was about to sail off into the sunset.
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For
Modern Living . . . For Magnificent Driving
ONE GLANCE AT THE 1955 LINCOLN
tells you it is a stunning automobile — in sweep
of line, dynamic use of color, tasteful use of chrome. But this is beauty
with quite a difference. It is a kind of beauty which designers
call functional; the basic concept here is that the first function of
a fine car is its performance . . .
This was Lincoln’s final year as kissing cousin to Ford and Mercury; for 1956 the brand would go on to bigger and better things. The 1955 model was one of the few American cars (if not the only) that could be ordered with a wiper for the rear window.
SATURDAY, AUGUST 5, 2006
If the illustration is any guide, they were an awe-inspiring sight.
TV and tenderloins — baseball and barbecue — sweet summer living with an Admiral Portable! But these light, compact beauties are more than just fair weather friends. Come Fall, they’ll leave the summer cottage, patio or porch to travel upstairs with Junior, into the kitchen with Mother, to the bedside table for late shows — even downtown to the office with Dad! Three picture sizes . . . wide choice of gay color combinations . . . light as 16 lbs . . . from $89.95.
From 1956, the ideal family on the ideal patio with the perfect TV — Admiral’s T105AL portable. Those steaks ready yet, Hon?
More artifacts from Ford Advanced Styling, circa 1957 — the Front Seats of Tomorrow, in terra cotta. Not to mention the Dashboard of Next Wednesday.
THURSDAY, AUGUST 4, 2006
Have you ever wondered about the years 2000 or 2050 A.D. — about what kind of car Americans will be needing or using then? Will it be, perhaps, a triple-function vehicle — one capable of traveling on land, on sea and in the air — a combination of amphibian and flying saucer? How will this far-future conveyance be powered? Still by gasoline? Or by a compact, long-life atomic capsule — or an invisible energy radiating from a source in the highway? In an isolated area of your Styling Center, behind doors to which few have keys, there are people who make a business of letting their imaginations run free, conceiving such ideas and realizing their dreams in the form of sketches, colorful renderings and clay and plastic models. These are the “visioneers” of Advanced Styling. To them, no concept is too fanciful for exploration; it may contain the germ of something valuable — a new shape or design feature that may be used in the more immediate tomorrow — to your advantage as a car owner.
Illustration from a circa 1957 promotional booklet called “Styling at Ford Motor Company.” The artist was James Powers and the story behind these pictures was told in the February 2002 issue of Collectible Automobile.
Members of the studio’s creative team design new products in other fields, then interpret the results as they will perhaps affect your own vehicle in some distant day. The stylist lives not for today but for tomorrow. His eye and hand are guided more by thoughtful research than by fanciful dreams. He uses trends in the sciences, in materials and in human needs and desires to shape his patterns of a new day . . .
Another Powers illustration. Sign on the control tower says “Earth-Moon Flights,” then something illegible underneath. Script on the rocket says “Lunar Liner.” What we wouldn’t give for the original!
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Wonderful
— In Sunlight or Moonlight!
The Pontiac Eight convertible for 1951, the car’s 25th anniversary year.
WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 2, 2006
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Whatever
Your Reason for Getting There Faster . . .
— You go fastest by far in a DC-7. You fly up to 50 m.p.h. faster in the new DC-7 than in any other airliner now in service. With its four giant turbo compound engines, its clean straight lines and single tail, the DC-7 has a top speed of 410 m.p.h. . . .
From 1955 and Douglas Aircraft, “The Hunt for Red November.”
TUESDAY, AUGUST 1, 2006
What happens when Raymond Loewy does not design your bus.
Think of dashing through your correspondence with this imaginary scribe! It converts your voice into electronic impulses which type, micro-record, fold, insert, seal, address and stamp letters almost as fast as you can dictate! It’s just a notion now, but when some foresighted engineer works it out, you can bet New Departure will be called in to design the right ball bearings to keep these intricate parts working smoothly. New Departure Division of General Motors, Bristol, Connecticut.
This amusingly off-the-mark 1955 illustration by Fred McNabb for GM’s New Departure ball bearing division looked five years into the future and saw an electronic secretary that would transcribe your dictation, microfilm it for filing and stuff a paper copy into an envelope that popped out of a slot in your desk, stamped and ready for mailing.
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Like
to Get Off the Beaten Path?
Don’t let its suave boulevard beauty fool you — this car is a bearcat when the going is rough. You’ll gain new respect for your Nash Ambassador when you and it leave the asphalt behind and take to the woods. You’ll delight in the sure-footed way its soft-sprung wheels ease you over a bumpy road. You’ll thrill as your great Ambassador motor swoops up the mountain in a burst of effortless power. And when you stretch out at night in the comfortable Twin Beds, you’ll wonder why on earth other fine cars don’t provide this practical convenience . . .
Influenced by styling trends in vogue after the war, the 1951 Nash, like many other cars of the era, strove for a streamlined look that did away with pontoon fenders and running boards. The resulting bulbous contours and shallow wheel openings made the cars look a little too much like pregnant bathtubs.
Your Oldsmobile dealer is truly proud to invite you to his showroom. For this year he has a car to present that far surpasses any Oldsmobile ever built . . . in beauty, in luxury, in all-over elegance. It’s a new Ninety-Eight. A “Rocket” Ninety-Eight. A Classic Ninety-Eight. Outside and in, it’s the absolute last word in smartness and good taste. From the long sweep of its extended rear deck to the new glamor of its customized interiors . . . it’s new, it’s exciting, it’s Classic. But wait until you drive it — that’s the top thrill! Truly, it’s Oldsmobile’s car of cars — the car for you to own!
Oldsmobile’s top offering for 1952 was the jumbo-size Ninety-Eight, whose Buck Rogers accouterments in chrome and stainless steel included jet-tube taillights and Saturnian hood and trunk emblems.
Wherever . . . whenever people of fine taste congregate . . . there is likely to be a new Lincoln Cosmopolitan. For ownership of this magnificently distinctive automobile is another means by which people of fine taste distinguish themselves today. Unquestionably, it is the First Car of the Land. All 1950 Lincoln cars equipped with improved HYDRA-MATIC transmission at extra cost.
The 1950 Lincoln, which along with Packard and Nash (see above) was partial to the Tin Balloon school of design, was a distant also-ran in the sales race with Cadillac, and would have been ever farther behind save for the fact it used Cadillac’s Hydra-Matic transmission.
Here is America’s newest travel sensation, the red-and-silver diesel-powered Sunset Limited! Daily this great streamliner flashes east and west over Southern Pacific rails between New Orleans and Los Angeles. In just 42 hours she takes you “West by South” to California, or returns you “Home the Southern Way.” It’s new. You see Arizona, Texas, Louisiana bayous. With Luxury Chair Cars, she’s styled to scenes and colors of the Old South . . . French Quarter Lounge has watermelon walls, white grillwork . . . Audubon Dining Room has gulf-green ceiling, Audubon prints . . . Pride of Texas Coffee Shop car has gay longhorn and cattle brand designs . . .
A 1950 illustration for Southern
Pacific’s Sunset Limited,
“The Streamlined Train With the Southern Accent.”
Clear, safe drinking water is pretty much taken for granted in this country. Available almost everywhere, pure drinking water can usually be had for the asking . . .
From 1951, this illustration by Woody Ishmael for Mathieson Chemicals shows a Hall “Ball” pitcher pouring a glass of water.
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