"AS ALWAYS - THE STANDARD OF THE WORLD!"

"AS ALWAYS - THE STANDARD OF THE WORLD!"

I was on a brief field trip to Connecticut when this ocean liner presented itself:

This is a 1953 Cadillac Series 62 sedan in (mostly) Black. Normally I would write that hood off as primer but I think it's the handsome factory color Court Gray. This car is basically a building.
I ran across the original salesman's booklet that Cadillac gave to their dealers so this post will be sprinkled with quotation marks. They copy was great!

Try to let it sink in just how much metal and chrome we're talking about here. The bumper is absolutely monumental! That V on the hood was originally gold in color. Those two chrome rockets jutting out of the sides are Dagmars named after a voluptuous actress of the same name who was basically a blonde Jessica Rabbit. Here she is singing on the Frank Sinatra show back in 1951. I always thought they looked a bit like cigars on the side of some old time gangsters snarl. 

There are styling cues here that will show up on other GM vehicles in the coming years. In particular this lidded headlights would be mimicked somewhat on the 1955-1958 Chevrolet Bel-Aire/Impala series. The Dagmars would appear in more modest form on the '57 Chevy.
What looks like turn signals are actually the newly optional fog lights bragged about in their sales brochure of the day. If the option wasn't chosen there would be a metal filler plate in that space with a small round turn signal in the center.

This stylized hood ornament is simply known as The Goddess.

When this beast was built it was the mountaintop for styling and engineering in a luxury car. Packard was still around and producing high end rides as well but there lack of innovation was starting to show. Chrysler was making Imperials and they were great cars but not produced on the same scale as Cadillac. If you were someone important or of serious means it was either a Caddy or a Rolls Royce.

The interior is nicely laid out and relatively free of flash for '53. A 331 overhead valve V8 engine mated to a 4 speed Hydra-Matic transmission was standard. I can't tell if this one is so equipped but air conditioning was available as an option for the first time. This one sports a clock and radio. Power steering was standard too. Check out the little crank for the vent window!

This funky little lens is mounted on the dash to the right of the steering wheel. It is the Autronic Eye! This device would sense oncoming headlights and automatically dim your brights for you. Remember that this was 64 years ago to get a feel for how futuristic this was at the time.

For an enormous vehicle this has great lines and nice proportions. The fins are still subtle compared to what was to come later in the decade. These smaller fins were first introduced in 1948 and were almost identical to these.

The exhaust comes out of those holes on the lower corners of the bumper. The brochure refers to the "big, husky rear deck" of the trunk which has a "luggage compartment of cross-country proportions."  

One of the coolest features of this ride is the location of the gas cap, which is hidden within the drivers side taillight! Press that small reflector button and the top lens pops up on a hinge, exposing the cap underneath. I explained this to a fellow gawker who was walking around the car barking out questions like "I wonder what this is?". I would answer each one of them and then I mentioned the gas cap. He pressed the button and it opened. I wouldn't recommend doing this without permission!

If this were the "magnificently luxurious" Fleetwood 60 Special there would be a series of chrome gills in front of the rear wheels. It's a shame the fender skirts are off the car because they add to the formality.

These hubcaps were optional in '53. Known as the Aerodynamic Wheel Discs, they were said to reduce wind noise and drag. I just think they're cool.

I'm including this interior shot because the floor is busy with switches. There is a headlight dimmer switch on the far edge and above that there ought to be the on/off switch for the Autronic Eye. There is yet another floor mounted button that's next to the brake pedal that activates the signal seeking Wonderbar radio. Again, in 1953 stepping on a switch to change the station was unheard of!

That vertical chrome bar at the front of the rear fender is marketed as a simulated air scoop gravel guard. Up close it does indeed have 10 little fins giving it the look of a huge intake.
"And here in this car is new massiveness, new strength, and new beauty for 1953" reads the copy of the sales book given to dealers for that year. Every page of that booklet boasts about the sheer size of the car, using the word massive at least 6 times.

10 minutes into Netflix and Chill the Caddy leans over and gives you this look.
This is where I respectfully back away from this majestic craft. Sales were fantastic for Cadillac in 1953, with a record-breaking 85,446 Series 62 cars sold. These heady times wouldn't be gone anytime soon as the prestige of the brand continued through the '70s unabated while other historical marques continued to fold. Hudson, Packard, Rambler, Nash, Kaiser, and DeSoto would all be gone by the turn of the next decade. Ford tried to crack into the luxury market with the Continental Mark II in '55-'56 but they lost money on each one and surrendered quickly. Imperial would become a stand alone brand from '55-'75 but the numbers could never quite compete and they, too, went back into their parent company. Somehow Cadillac soldiers on as the top of the heap in the domestic market to this day. 

A sleek black beauty from the tailfin era

TESSY WITH THE FINS

I was driving around the tiny and very secluded enclave of Mill Basin, Brooklyn when this rocket ship presented itself. Forgettaboutit!

This is a 1959 Dodge Royal in Jet Black. This car is powerful and evil. This is for the hitman who works alone. Christine was a '58 Plymouth Fury but you could just as easily picture this smooth ride mowing down Arnie's enemies while on fire.

There was just no way to get a pic of the front which is a shame. The front has 4 headlights nestled under slanted, angry chrome eyebrows. The grill looks like a metal monster clenching 2 swords in its teeth. I wanted to reach out and touch it but I was afraid of the consequences. *Time Bandits spoiler alert! Even the hubcaps double as roulette wheels to take all your money.

Royal is written out so innocently on that electric razor trim. In fact, look how subtle and perfect that trim is at the starting point. The chrome follows the exact shape of the fin, framing it.
I even dig the door handles on this ride.

The rear end of this thing is straight-up science fiction! Four rockets form the taillights and the fins look like they help keep this thing on its course while engaging light speed. Its very hard to miss but the door hiding the gas cap is unceremoniously placed right on the side of the fin! Any less dynamic of a car and it would stick out like a sore thumb, but here you barely notice it.
If these fins look outrageous consider this: 1959 was the year of Ecto-1 and the other tallest-fins-ever Cadillacs. These are actually somewhat reserved!

This Royal is playing a neat trick as it is truly a large automobile. The trunklid remains flat as a table before coming down at almost a right angle from the end of the fins. The space inside is colossal! However with the Forward Look design of the late '50s Dodges it exudes an air of athleticism.

Well that's where we'll back away from this black beauty that just wants a moment alone. Mill Basin is a unique little pocket of folks who definitely don't like the idea of outsiders rolling through their hood so I made a quick pit stop to take these pics. A few blocks later we passed an unmarked but extremely obvious cop waiting on a side street. The thing is there is ZERO traffic in the dead-end cul-de-sac of Mill Basin in the middle of the day. I got the impression that anyone suspicious would be stopped and sent their merry way stat!

Show Car Sunday gets its due with a knockout punch of a classy classic!

THE CLASSIEST UNICORN IN THE FORM OF A WASP

Take a minute to soak this all in.
Here I am standing between Brooklyn Heights and DUMBO with a classic in front of me that's so rare I can't even find production numbers. This is one of the only things I've ever Googled that wouldn't eventually auto-fill what it thought I wanted to search. Just like you never know WHAT is gonna come through that pawn shop door you never know what is lurking behind a closed garage door in Brooklyn.

What we have here is a 1953 Hudson Super Wasp 5C Brougham convertible in Honey Cream. It is just so damn beautiful in person that it's hard to imagine that somebody needed to drop it off at the shop to get inspected. This car is registered and ready for daily use right now. Where exactly do you drive this? To a palace?

Hudson was an innovative automaker known for unique advances in technology that placed them at the head of the pack in many ways. The bodies of this era are what they called Mono-Bilt. The frame wrapped around the lower perimeter of the car where the rocker panels usually are and the floor pans are set down in between the rails. This allowed for a low center of gravity and vastly superior side impact protection (just about every other vehicle was a box sitting on top of the frame). It is also referred to as the step-down chassis because you literally step down into the car as opposed to climbing up into it.

This car was built solidly in the Jet-Age era. We can see from this angle that the mock hood scoop approximates a jet taking off with the dreaded chemtrails beneath (contrails for you level-headed folk). I wish I'd taken a better pic of the grill emblem as it's like a piece of jewelry.

The most famous of all Hudsons was the mighty Hornet. It looked much like this but a bit bigger. Powered with the the inline 6 cylinder engine and Twin-H-Power (dual carbs) and with the cornering help of its low center of gravity it dominated Nascar for years.
In 1952 they introduced the smaller Wasp (replacing the former smaller offering called the Pacemaker). However if you ordered the Super Wasp you got the larger Hornet 6 cylinder in the lighter body, making this one of the first factory muscle cars. This one was also ordered with the optional Twin-H-Power so it's a true screamer! This drivetrain combination proved at least as powerful as the top of the line Hudson Commodore Straight-8 cylinder engine in '53.

Everything was just about perfect on this ride. You could easily fix your hair in the reflection.

That chrome molding on the lower edge of the body is about where the frame is. The fit and finish of the top could be improved if you were headed to Pebble Beach but that's about it.

It was a brilliant bright blue autumn day and I was conscious of the mechanics watching so I just snapped a quick interior pic. It looks to me like we have a 3-on-the-tre manual transmission and a radio from the factory. The door panel is off for some reason.
The '53 Hudson brochure is online and through it I discovered a sweet detail; the Steering wheel itself and the glass covered centerpiece are color coded to match the interior!

The one thing the brochure failed to mention was the existence of a Wasp convertible at all. I know they were built in their Detroit factory because others are around with flawless provenance but production must be truly minuscule. As an example they only built 30 Commodore convertibles in 1952 but that made the brochure!

That TWIN H-POWER emblem let's folks know you mean business. I like how the Super Wasp badge is only on the front near the engine much like the engine badges of the '60s and '70s while the trunk just gets Wasp.

Well there you have it; a real deal stunner of a classic ride. The license plates, inspection sticker, road tires filled up to the proper amount, and the fact that this was sitting at a mechanic all point to this beauty being driven. I can only imagine putting the top down and going on a lazy drive through the upstate autumn leaves (with the heater on your feet of course).
Recently Hornets have been gaining real value on the auction block. A beautiful 1953 Hornet Twin-H-Power Brougham convertible recently sold for $187,000 (more than 50% over the high estimate!). That is still the rarity with most Hudsons selling under $30,000. When you think of all the hugely mass-produced Mustangs and Camaros that sell for much more than that it's a wonder these classier rides don't get all the attention.

Classic case of Monumentalism

CLASSIC CASE OF MONUMENTALISM

Brash! Bold! Dashing! Tucked alongside a country road in rural PA was this mammoth testament to executive power. Thanks to Sarah from Everywhere for this luxurious submission. Now please rise. . .

What we have here is an ocean liner otherwise known as the 1968 Chrysler Imperial LeBaron dressed in Formal Black with a Polar White vinyl roof. This is the end of an era in American automotive design. The Imperial would continue on as the Chrysler flagship after '68 but the severe formality of this vintage would be tempered by the Fuselage style to come.
Check out that War of the Worlds looking single orange eye at the center of the windshield base. That is the Twilight Sentinel feature which was available from '67-'75. It would notice oncoming headlights and automatically dim your brights. 

Look into the relaxed eyes of a vehicle that knows it's at the top of the food chain. Whoever hung that LOST IN THE 60'S license plate on this beauty ought to be escorted out of their office by a guard ("we'll send your things along to the address on file. Please leave now").
Everything about this car is solid. You know just by looking at it that the grill and hood are made from heavy gauge metal crafted with great care. This is a 48 year old car sitting by the side of the road but every panel fits perfectly and the chrome refuses to dull.
This is how Chrysler itself chose to advertise the '68 Imperial:

Here it is having emerged from the depths of the ocean after feeding on shipwrecks and getting stronger. The grill has the look of baleen. The brochure for this ride is 100% superlatives and declarations of awesomeness.

The scale of this is undeniable but so is the level of quality. Imperials are still legendary for holding up beautifully. No expense was spared at any point in creating this beast. Fun fact: Imperials are the only car universally barred from entering demolition derbies because they would nonchalantly destroy everything else on the track without breaking a sweat. It wasn't even a fair fight!
The LeBaron series was the top-of-the-heap above the Crown and base models. Appointments were bordering on excess. Those tiny vent windows in the front doors are power operated. The air conditioning is actually 2 separate systems; one for the front and one for the rear.

The door panels are currently removed most likely for electronics repair. Power windows, vent windows, and locks are joined by a courtesy light at the bottom (out of view). All of this makes for a mighty complicated door! *Incidentally each door had its own glove compartment as well; the armrest lifts up exposing a generous and hidden storage area.
The dashboard is very sleek with "antiqued bronze" featured heavily for the full width of the car. The radio is kept hidden behind a lift-up panel that you can make out in the open position here. Options were few as the LeBaron Imperial came almost fully equipped as-is. The parking brake automatically disengages when the car is put in gear, the climate control allows you to set a temperature and it will use a/c or heat depending on what's needed, and cruise control is included. Leather seating in this pattern was LeBaron only, this example in Red.

Alright Chrysler isn't even playing it cool in this image! The rear seat is tryst-ready as shown by this comely lass laying languorously on the champagne-colored leather bench. A tiger rug? Cattails in a vase? The message is clear! Buy the Imperial and harvest lunchtime secretaries from the lower floors of your office daily!

I love the severity of the full-width chrome-hidden taillights on this beast. That center circle is the gas filler door which consists of a cast metal eagle! You'll be using this door often as the only engine available was the 440 TNT V8. Despite its size the Imperial was known as the luxury car for drivers because it accelerated, handled, and stopped much like a smaller, sportier car.

Well that's it for this car but I'll close out with a personal anecdote. When I was a kid living in Paradise California my stepfather Cliff had a 1962 Imperial that he loved. One day he got into a heated argument with some guy who claimed his new Toyota pickup was stronger than an old Chrysler. Cliff came home to get the Imperial and grabbed myself and my best friend Dan to sit in the backseat for added traction. We drove to a Safeway parking lot where the guy with the truck was waiting (with a fresh pile of gravel in the truck bed for his own traction).

They hooked the two vehicles up back to back with a chain connecting the rear axles and inched them forward until the chain was tight. At that moment Cliff leaned over the seat and told us to get down because "if that chain snaps it's coming through the window and might take your heads off".

Somebody must've given the signal and both men stomped the gas to the floor. After a brief screaming of tires there was a loud sound and we were moving forward. We stopped and got out to see that the Imperial had torn the rear axle off of the truck completely which was now slumped on it's haunches, gravel spilling out onto the pavement. We drove home victorious with Cliff saying what an idiot the guy was for overloading the truck bed with ballast. True story!

Monterey Cruiser!

MONTEREY CRUISER
I was way out on the North Fork of Long Island shopping for something BBQ related when I saw this car pull into the lot. Take as many spaces as you want partner!

This is a 1955 Mercury Monterey in Tuxedo Black. Incidentally the colors offered by Mercury in '55 are some of the most beautiful in automotive history. Persimmon, Lime, Tropic Blue; check these out!

Just look at the stage presence this thing has.

The Monterey was introduced in 1952 as the top of the line offering from Mercury, and remained that way for 3 years. In '55 the Montclair was the name given to the top trim level while Monterey was relegated to mid-tier status. Even the lowest end Custom had plenty of class though. 

The '52-'54 look wasn't terribly different from this ride except that the headlights extended out from the fenders as opposed to being recessed, and the grill was a touch simplified though the same in overall shape. The biggest difference was the flat windshield of the older cars as the wrap-around was unveiled in 1955.

This thing is immaculate at first glance! Even the jewelry remains pit-free and fresh. Dig that stylized hood ornament heralding the Jet Age.

These headlights look more than a little like those of the Packard Caribbean of the same year. In fact several major styling cues are found on both cars that I suppose are a 1950s coincidence.

When you look a little closer you start to see that things are repaired in the driveway as the need arises. The bumpers are spray painted a shiny silver and there are screws holding some of the trim in place. However, if this is a daily driver (which it looks like it is) then how can you possibly fault the owner for patching it up however he wants? He's the one with the '55 Merc not you!

I saw this guy run into the shop to grab some stuff, leaving the windows down. He gave me enthusiastic permission when I asked if he minded that I snap a bunch of pics. Thanks dude!

This design only lasted for 2 years; 1955 and '56. In '57 the dimensions grew a great deal and the Monterey gained a small ocean in chrome. This era suits me just fine with enough glamour to know it's a higher-end car but not in gaudy amounts.

A new motor was introduced this year only to be replaced a year later! The 292 V8 Y-block engine used in the Thunderbird powers this beast. The years previous had a Flathead and the 5.1 Liter 312 V8 took over starting in '56.

Inside is much like the outside; striking and beautiful with only slight deviations from perfection to be found. He added a stereo but thankfully left the original tube powered Bendix intact. Gauges were added below the dash which have to be more reliable than the ancient ones in the speedo cluster. There are more options on display here too; the clock is one, as is the Merc-O-Matic 3 speed transmission. The latter brought with it an increase in horsepower when chosen. This is very similar to the Ford-O-Matic transmission but that was only a 2 speed.

The fuzzy dice and Confederate flag have to go!

Look at the ornate shape of these rear bumpers! This is car design as architecture.

MERCURY spelled out in the bumper center is awesome. Those exhaust tips are period correct aftermarket glitz.

Stuffed animals and fuzzy dice bum me out to an irrational degree, but try to go to a car show without drowning in both. Stuffed animals that get tied up to the fronts of garbage and delivery trucks amuse me to no end, but toss one on the dash and I'm somehow triggered.

That's the most honest taillight lens you're likely to see. 61 years of use has left it cracked and crazed but it's still doing the job. Those reverse lights are worth noting too as they are some of the first available. These might automatically light up but earlier models (and possibly these too) only lit when the headlights were on already. Reverse lights aren't required to pass NYS inspection if your car is from 1968 or older. My '63 Beetle had none from the factory!

This was the perfect sort of day to show off a shiny black car.

The Monterey continued without pause through the 1974 model year. Unfortunately at the end it was a bloated colossus that looked like a slightly larger LTD. It was the only Mercury model to be built in every year of the '60s.

Wide white walls and perfect Mercury hubcaps are doing their part to class up the joint. Ads of the day bragged about the silent driving experience of every Mercury.

Well there we have it; a well loved and well used example of a classic car that's not afraid to go to the store to pick up supplies. I love the idea of the owner living life out on the end of Long Island driving a '55 Merc around! These cars really are simple and easy to maintain. If you don't mind checking fluids, greasing up the chassis (easier than it sounds), changing filters, and driving at a measured pace you can certainly use this as your main transportation. Driving a classic daily is the best thing you can do for it as sitting dormant lets things seize up, dry out, and crack.

Happy motoring, Long Island Mercury Guy!