I saw red 63 Galaxie 2 door HT today...reminded me of my old 66, as when the guy hit the gas, it bucked and sputtered and coughed before finally moving along. Oh the memories of the great Ford 4bbl.
Oh lord, are we at the point where we revived all the great ones and now are reviving the mediocre ones?---LOL!!! I can hardly wait to see the reborn Fraser and Ford's retro Pinto.
how companies will sue each other over something like a similar grille design (H2 and Jeep both having 7 slots in the grille), but then, occasionally they'd end up using the same names. For example, DeSoto had a Seville in 1956 and 1959, and Cadillac was using that name at the time. Plymouth and DeSoto both used the Suburban name at various times as well, concurrently with Chevrolet. Heck, DeSoto even had an Explorer for a few years! I don't think Ford used that name on any of their trucks back in the 50's though.
I remember that Daewoo was forced into keeping an SUV of theirs out of the American market because it had 7 slots in the grille, and either Jeep or Hummer was threatening to sue them. Couldn't they have just made it 6 or 8 slots?!
Edsel had a Ranger and Pacer model. Ranger was also a trim level on the F-Series before it became the compact PU. I believe Explorer was also a trim level for a while.
Of course until recently Silverado and Sierra were trim levles on the Chevy and GMC trucks.
2024 Jeep Grand Cherokee L Limited Velvet Red over Wicker Beige
2024 Audi Q5 Premium Plus Daytona Gray over Beige
2017 BMW X1 Jet Black over Mocha
the top-line Edsels in 1958 were Corsair and Citation. "Corsair" is just one letter away from "Corvair". And then, for 1980 Chevy used the Citation name.
I keep forgetting sometimes that Silverado and Sierra used to just be trim levels. Whenever I go into the auto parts store and need them to look up something for my truck, if I say "1985 Chevy Silverado" they try to pull it up on the computer and then give me this confused, blank stare. Technically it's a C10 Silverado, and I think most auto part stores computers just have it listed as "C/K" (2wd/4wd)
Dodge used the Matador name for one year, 1960. I think they only built like 20,000 of them though, as that year most buyers went for the slightly smaller, much cheaper Dart, so most people had probably forgotten about it by the time AMC started using the name.
I don't hink I've ever seen one! I believe they were in production for maybe 3-4 years? I recall Henry J. Kaiser lamenting his foray into the automotive world-"I tossed $100 million into the pond-I didn't expect it to disappear without a ripple"! Seriously, were these cars greatly inferior to the Fords and Chevvies of the era? Why would anyone buy one-they styling was a tad bizarre! :sick:
Weird styling and plain old oddness (bamboo trim anyone?) probably did them in. Although I always have kinda liked the widowers peak-style of the top of the windshield.
Seriously, were these cars greatly inferior to the Fords and Chevvies of the era? Why would anyone buy one-they styling was a tad bizarre!
Actually the Kaiser-Fraser story was quite a remarkable one. Edgar Kaiser made a fortune during WWII building escort Carriers and Liberty Ships on an assembly line basis. I guess he figured he ought to use the factory capacity and know how he'd built up to supply cars to a market that was clamoring for them.
It seems a lot of car makers squandered the cash pile they built up making war material. Packard made millions building copies of the Rolls Merlin V12 for use in Mustang fighters and PT Boats.
Studebaker made army trucks by the zillions many of which went to the Red Army under lend-lease. There are more than a few left in the former USSR.
the "Indies" were technologically backward and had a slim dealer network...they were not without their merits (Hudsons did very well in racing even with flatheads and Packard as a dying gasp pioneered electronic transmissions with torque converter lockup and active suspension) but by and large they were under-capitalized, badly styled and losing market share. The brilliant 1955 models from GM and Ford just about did them in---no way they could compete.
One of my favorite "undervalued" cars, but only if it's a well maintained 2.0 liter version. Two trunks, targa top, ferocious handling and a real Porsche transmission and front suspension. Styling is an acquired taste, like olives and tripe.
that probably hurt Frasier is that it was introduced soon after WW-2, in a time when a car-hungry public would buy ANYTHING. The Big Three fielded mainly just warmed-over 1942 models. The Fraser, introduced in 1947, was ahead of its time style-wise. The body had fully-integrated fenders, both front and rear. Fords would get that in 1949, but Chevrolets and Plymouths really wouldn't have that feature until 1955.
Frasers were also expensive. A 1947 model base priced at around $2250. A 1947 Chevy started as low as $1160 if you wanted a stripper business coupe. A more comprable 4-door sedan started at $1276. A 1947 Buick Roadmaster 4-door sedan was "only" $2232! And even a 1947 Cadillac Series 61 4-door was only $2324!
I don't think people regarded Frasers and Kaisers as luxury brands, but that's where they were priced. Established brands like Cadillac and Buick, Chrysler, and even Packard did well right after the War, but it probably wasn't a good time to try introducing a new brand.
The Kaiser, introduced in 1947, wasn't that much cheaper. It survived longer, as well. By 1953 a Kaiser Manhattan 4-door sedan was base priced around $2650, about on par with a DeSoto Firedome or Buick Super. Going with either of those brands, however, got you a bigger car with a fairly modern 160-170 hp V-8. The Fraser just had an inline 6 putting out like 118 hp.
Those DeSotos, and Chryslers, with the exaggerated tailfins were stars when I first remember them. They were showy, and in-your-face. I liked seeing them. I'm amazed there are that many surviving from an era where most cars rusted out.
ChryCo pretty much lost it in styling after 1959, when they arguably had the best looking cars of the Big 3. Perhaps "Not as ugly as a '61 or '62" would be more accurate. :P
The Wolseley is helpless in America and I doubt very popular in England. It's just an ungainly car, really clunky. I can't imagine anyone wanting to go through the torture and expense of restoring it. The seller's "meticulous" father needs more lesson in meticulous-osity it appears. These cars are notorious engine block crackers...the mention of needing a water pump further fuels my suspicions. The bid was more than enough. Potential value in Pebble Beach condition? Maybe $35,000.
1975 Olds with bling-bling: Can't people see how grotesquely out of proportion the wheels are, and how the style and finish rudely bang into the 70s design? What's hard about this concept?--- BIG wheels on BIG truck!
I guess the good thing about having bad taste is that you don't know you have it. Thank the lord these people have individuals like us willing to spend the time to point that out for them. :P
1934 Buick -- like the car a lot, even if it is a big rough around the edges (patina, as you say, very nice) but his claims about the World's Fair purchase are all Blue Sky at this point...he's got nothin'......and so don't add the history to the price. Actual value for a #3 car? The bidders have already exceeded top dollar and have been very generous. So seller should be quite pleased with the result. I would have bid $10K tops.
57 Firedome--my two cents is that the only thing that big that looks good in red, is a fire engine. I like 'em in pastels--it suits the era---like that sea foam green or whatever they called it.
I think DeSotos surived because they became an orphan and people saved them. I remember Andre mentioning something about a huge percentage of 61 DeSotos surviving. Same for Edsels...they are not really rare, even 1960 models can be found with little work. For all their problems, people saved them.
About that Buick...I don't think the Worlds Fair thing adds any value, even if true. I mean, not many people are around who remember that event anyway. But it's kind of a cool anecdote to carry with a car, and hopefully it won't be butchered up into some kind of rod.
I think that DeSoto would look nice in a good turquoise or sky blue, like my fintail. Very soothing period color.
BUICK: I think it would only matter if one could prove that this was THE car on the showroom floor at the World's Fair.
There is a very active, rabid fervor for World's Fair Memorabilia in general, but it has to have solid provenance and the world's fair nut also has to want a whole car....so yeah, the "premium" for a documented World's Fair connection can't be that much...maybe 10%?
I'd have thought the original owners would have taken photographs. All the little books with it look cool, but with ebay all that stuff can be found and it isn't terribly expensive.
Maybe a 64 Fuelie Vette (or XKE or 230SL etc) from some stand at the 64 New York Fair, or a 39 Caddy from the art moderne orgy that was the 39 New York Fair, but a midrange Buick from Chicago? Yeah, maybe 10-20% with a pic of it there. My family went to most of those events, but they didn't bring back any cars!
I can remember the reds in the Desotos and Chryslers. The blues I can't remember. Is there a website that collects the color samples for various years of cars from the past? There are those with brochure scans...
the only history that really matters for value is a) celebrity history and b) racing history. And Frank Sinatra's gardner's station wagon doesn't count, nor does Amy Grant's Gremlin. But Seinfeld's old Porsche does (or did at one time---and it was a top notch car to boot).
I haven't seen a color site, just a brochure site as you mention.
I once had dozens of old paint chip books from the 50s and 60s, I got them at a yard sale when I was younger. But when I was at school, my mother cleaned out the garage and had a sale of her own, and that was it for them.
It'd be cool to have a fintil with racing history, like one of the 1960 Monte Carlo winners.
I found a website for an automotive paint company that showed the paint charts for just about every year of domestic out there. Unfortunately I lost the bookmark and have never been able to stumble across it since. I have some '57 DeSoto literature, but I can't remember if I have a color chart anywhere.
However, I did find this page, which shows the colors available. I think it might be incomplete though, as I know there was a salmon color available as well. I knew some people down in Southern MD that had a '57 Firedome 2-door hardtop with single headlights in that color. In some lights it looks kinda sickly reddish, but in other lights it's definitely salmon.
Also, if I'm reading this webpage right, you could actually order separate colors for the roof and body spear! I've never seen a 3-tone '57 DeSoto though. Also, if you want to see pics of '57 DeSotos in their various body styles and color schemes, this page: http://www.angelfire.com/de/petrus/ has some links with a bunch of pics down at the bottom. I know there's an old pic of my '57 in there somewhere. I'll have to send the guy some better pics.
'57 DeSotos do seem to be coming out of the woodwork these days, but at one time they seemed pretty rare. Years ago, when I was a member of the National DeSoto club, I remember reading the stats in one of their roster issues. I think THE most popular year of DeSoto in the club was 1956, which sounds logical. They were well-built, good looking cars that sold well with the public that year. They also had 12-volt electrical systems, which made them easier to deal with than the '55's. The '55 actually sold better when new, but the '56 is often regarded as more stylish...rare for the second year of a design. It was a better performer, too. A '55 Fireflite would do 0-60 in about 13 seconds with its 200 hp 291 Hemi, but the '56 was down to something like 9.8 seconds, IIRC, with its 255 hp 330.4 Hemi.
Anyway, 1957 was an excellent sales year for DeSoto, but the cars didn't hold up well with regards to rust protection, and were also prone to water and wind leaks. 1958 was a horrible year, seeing sales drop to about 49,000 units, from 117,500 the year before. The 1959's actually were better built, but the styling was more heavy-handed, and by that time the handwriting was pretty much on the wall. DeSoto was doomed. They sold about 46,000 that year. As I recall though, in the club roster they had more '59's listed than '57's! I think in addition to the poorer build quality on the '57's, another thing that did them in was the engine.
While Plymouth didn't offer a Hemi in 1957, Dodge only offered a limited production 325 and 354 Hemi in the D-500/D-501 performance package, and Chrysler was limiting the Hemi to the expensive New Yorker and 300C, DeSoto was more of a mass-market producer of the engine. Every single Firedome, Fireflite, and Adventurer used the Hemi, with only the entry-level Firesweep using the Dodge 325 poly-head. As these cars aged, and especially once they were relegated to loser status after the brand was discontinued, it was common for the Hemi engines to be yanked out and put in a hotrod, and the body to be junked.
The DeSoto Hemi was also more compact (although montrous by today's standards) than the Chrysler Hemi, and weighed about 100 pounds less.
In 1958, DeSoto went to the new corporate wedge-head "B" engine, 350's for the Firesweep and 361's for the rest of the line. They had more horsepower than the Hemi and poly engines they replaced, but I've heard mixed results on the actual performance. I think the Hemi was actually better at higher rpms but the Wedge was better at low-end torque, so it was kind of like a pre-historic version of the OHC versus pushrod bickering that goes on today! :P
In some ways though, I wonder if the orphan status of DeSoto has helped them some in later years? That and the National DeSoto Club. If the brand was still in existence, I don't know if there would be big club devoted to it. There are plenty of clubs devoted to Mopars in general, but because they're more all-encompassing, they don't focus on anything particular like, say, the 1957 Chrysler or Dodge. Now there are clubs devoted to the Fury and the 300 Letter Series, but they're a bit more niche-ish.
The National DeSoto Club always has a good turnout at the Mopar show in Carlisle. Seems like Forward Look era cars in general (normally considered 1957-61, but sometimes expanded to cover 1955-56 and '62 as well) are having a better turnout. I remember the first Carlisle Mopar show I went to, back in 1997, there were 4 or 5 '56-61 Mopars there. One of them was a 1959 Firesweep that had originally been a hardtop but was turned into a convertible. It was used in the movie "Mystery Date". There was also an odd looking '57 Dodge that had quad headlights. Instead of the turn signal being oversized and mounted inboard of the headlights, giving it a fake-me-out quad look, this one had real quads, and a rectangular turn signal mounted down between the heavy bars of the bumper/grille.
Nowadays though, I'd say there's at least 50+ of these era cars that show up. Especially now that there seems to be more of a turnout in Furys and 300 Letter Series cars.
triple-toned? It's hard to tell in the pic, but the spear actually appears to be a pale blue, while the top is white.
Truthfully, I wish my '57 Firedome had some green or blue in it instead of the stereotypical white-over-red. But by the time I was in the market for one, it wasn't quite so easy to special order your color. :P
for that dark blue color. That's a color I've always associated with upscale, formal cars (or at least cars pretending to be upscale and formal) It would look good on any number of 70's luxobarges, either with a white vinyl top, matching midnight blue vinyl top, or just a steel roof. Or something like a '57 Cadillac, Lincoln, or Imperial perhaps. But in 1957, DeSoto was becoming kind of the "Not your Father's Oldsmobile" and was luring in a more youthful crowd.
That was another thing that came back to bite Chrysler on the butt. The sleek 1957 style lured in a lot of customers that never would have considered a Chrysler otherwise. It was a very good year, and I think Chrysler ended up taking 20% of the market that year, and they forecast taking 25% for 1958. However, the reliability issues were bad enough, coupled with recession that hit that year and overcrowding in the middle-priced market, forcing Chrysler down to something like 15% of the market.
A lot of people who took a chance on the sleek 1957 styling were probably destined to never buy a Chrysler product again.
that green '57 Fireflite is a custom job. I think the Samoa green was more of a dark greenish gray, kind of a non-metallic version of that color they use on modern 300C's and Chargers. I've seen a similar shade on 90's Caprices, Buick Roadmasters, and whatever year or two of the Impala SS that they let you get a color other than black.
That bright green makes me think more of the Sublime that Mopar offered in the late 60's. Or the Limefire that GM offered in the 70's.
That 2-toned blue Firedome looks like a custom job, too. The light silvery blue just looks too modern, and the shine just looks too deep. Pretty color scheme though.
I think that pinkish one is the color I was referring to as Salmon. I think it does look nice in that picture, under that light. Nice and shiny.
I wonder why the Firesweep was offered in slightly different colors from the Firedome/Fireflite? Maybe because they were built on a Dodge assembly line, and that forced them to share colors with the Dodges?
Comments
-Late Porsche 928S
-Porsche 944 Turbo
-Porsche 911SC Targa
and a brand new Porsche Caiman S (dark blue).
Plus these non-Porsches-
Ferrari 328 GTS
Mid-80s Pontiac/Daewoo LeMans :sick:
Pontiac Fiero GT.
2001 BMW 330ci/E46, 2008 BMW 335i conv/E93
LOL, nope, I didn't see any faux Daytona Spiders or white Testarossas.
2001 BMW 330ci/E46, 2008 BMW 335i conv/E93
MG's return forcasted.
2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.
Some cars really need to stay dead, out of respect. What's next, a Malaysian Packard built on an Isuzu chassis?
I will have to see if I can find the picture of it.
http://www.autoworld.com/apps/news/FullStory.asp?id=2275
http://www.theavanti.com/XUV.html
I just don't know what to say...
I remember that Daewoo was forced into keeping an SUV of theirs out of the American market because it had 7 slots in the grille, and either Jeep or Hummer was threatening to sue them. Couldn't they have just made it 6 or 8 slots?!
Edsel had a Ranger and Pacer model. Ranger was also a trim level on the F-Series before it became the compact PU. I believe Explorer was also a trim level for a while.
Of course until recently Silverado and Sierra were trim levles on the Chevy and GMC trucks.
2024 Jeep Grand Cherokee L Limited Velvet Red over Wicker Beige
2024 Audi Q5 Premium Plus Daytona Gray over Beige
2017 BMW X1 Jet Black over Mocha
I keep forgetting sometimes that Silverado and Sierra used to just be trim levels. Whenever I go into the auto parts store and need them to look up something for my truck, if I say "1985 Chevy Silverado" they try to pull it up on the computer and then give me this confused, blank stare. Technically it's a C10 Silverado, and I think most auto part stores computers just have it listed as "C/K" (2wd/4wd)
Dodge used the Matador name for one year, 1960. I think they only built like 20,000 of them though, as that year most buyers went for the slightly smaller, much cheaper Dart, so most people had probably forgotten about it by the time AMC started using the name.
Actually the Kaiser-Fraser story was quite a remarkable one. Edgar Kaiser made a fortune during WWII building escort Carriers and Liberty
Ships on an assembly line basis. I guess he figured he ought to use the factory capacity and know how he'd built up to supply cars to a market that was clamoring for them.
It seems a lot of car makers squandered the cash pile they built up making war material. Packard made millions building copies of the Rolls Merlin V12 for use in Mustang fighters and PT Boats.
Studebaker made army trucks by the zillions many of which went to the Red Army under lend-lease. There are more than a few left in the former USSR.
None of these lasted much longer than K-F
2001 BMW 330ci/E46, 2008 BMW 335i conv/E93
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Frasers were also expensive. A 1947 model base priced at around $2250. A 1947 Chevy started as low as $1160 if you wanted a stripper business coupe. A more comprable 4-door sedan started at $1276. A 1947 Buick Roadmaster 4-door sedan was "only" $2232! And even a 1947 Cadillac Series 61 4-door was only $2324!
I don't think people regarded Frasers and Kaisers as luxury brands, but that's where they were priced. Established brands like Cadillac and Buick, Chrysler, and even Packard did well right after the War, but it probably wasn't a good time to try introducing a new brand.
The Kaiser, introduced in 1947, wasn't that much cheaper. It survived longer, as well. By 1953 a Kaiser Manhattan 4-door sedan was base priced around $2650, about on par with a DeSoto Firedome or Buick Super. Going with either of those brands, however, got you a bigger car with a fairly modern 160-170 hp V-8. The Fraser just had an inline 6 putting out like 118 hp.
Looks pretty decent
Early power windows
The colors make the car, couldn't be more striking
Anyone want a new Pacer?
I like the patina and history of this, very respectable
Wagons are popular
Odd, not very pretty
Fins and trucks
Surprised a dealer is selling this
Like those tires on a fintail
Appears to be honest and nicely original, but it'll take a lot to get it pristine
Andre-mobile
Such an ugly fad
Unusual color scheme for this tank
The Chrysler wagon is actually ugly in an artful way... like an Aztek or Element.
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
I kind of like that wagon, save for the wheels.
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
2001 BMW 330ci/E46, 2008 BMW 335i conv/E93
1975 Olds with bling-bling: Can't people see how grotesquely out of proportion the wheels are, and how the style and finish rudely bang into the 70s design? What's hard about this concept?--- BIG wheels on BIG truck!
I guess the good thing about having bad taste is that you don't know you have it. Thank the lord these people have individuals like us willing to spend the time to point that out for them. :P
1934 Buick -- like the car a lot, even if it is a big rough around the edges (patina, as you say, very nice) but his claims about the World's Fair purchase are all Blue Sky at this point...he's got nothin'......and so don't add the history to the price. Actual value for a #3 car? The bidders have already exceeded top dollar and have been very generous. So seller should be quite pleased with the result. I would have bid $10K tops.
57 Firedome--my two cents is that the only thing that big that looks good in red, is a fire engine. I like 'em in pastels--it suits the era---like that sea foam green or whatever they called it.
About that Buick...I don't think the Worlds Fair thing adds any value, even if true. I mean, not many people are around who remember that event anyway. But it's kind of a cool anecdote to carry with a car, and hopefully it won't be butchered up into some kind of rod.
I think that DeSoto would look nice in a good turquoise or sky blue, like my fintail. Very soothing period color.
There is a very active, rabid fervor for World's Fair Memorabilia in general, but it has to have solid provenance and the world's fair nut also has to want a whole car....so yeah, the "premium" for a documented World's Fair connection can't be that much...maybe 10%?
Maybe a 64 Fuelie Vette (or XKE or 230SL etc) from some stand at the 64 New York Fair, or a 39 Caddy from the art moderne orgy that was the 39 New York Fair, but a midrange Buick from Chicago? Yeah, maybe 10-20% with a pic of it there. My family went to most of those events, but they didn't bring back any cars!
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
I once had dozens of old paint chip books from the 50s and 60s, I got them at a yard sale when I was younger. But when I was at school, my mother cleaned out the garage and had a sale of her own, and that was it for them.
It'd be cool to have a fintil with racing history, like one of the 1960 Monte Carlo winners.
However, I did find this page, which shows the colors available. I think it might be incomplete though, as I know there was a salmon color available as well. I knew some people down in Southern MD that had a '57 Firedome 2-door hardtop with single headlights in that color. In some lights it looks kinda sickly reddish, but in other lights it's definitely salmon.
Also, if I'm reading this webpage right, you could actually order separate colors for the roof and body spear! I've never seen a 3-tone '57 DeSoto though. Also, if you want to see pics of '57 DeSotos in their various body styles and color schemes, this page: http://www.angelfire.com/de/petrus/ has some links with a bunch of pics down at the bottom. I know there's an old pic of my '57 in there somewhere. I'll have to send the guy some better pics.
'57 DeSotos do seem to be coming out of the woodwork these days, but at one time they seemed pretty rare. Years ago, when I was a member of the National DeSoto club, I remember reading the stats in one of their roster issues. I think THE most popular year of DeSoto in the club was 1956, which sounds logical. They were well-built, good looking cars that sold well with the public that year. They also had 12-volt electrical systems, which made them easier to deal with than the '55's. The '55 actually sold better when new, but the '56 is often regarded as more stylish...rare for the second year of a design. It was a better performer, too. A '55 Fireflite would do 0-60 in about 13 seconds with its 200 hp 291 Hemi, but the '56 was down to something like 9.8 seconds, IIRC, with its 255 hp 330.4 Hemi.
Anyway, 1957 was an excellent sales year for DeSoto, but the cars didn't hold up well with regards to rust protection, and were also prone to water and wind leaks. 1958 was a horrible year, seeing sales drop to about 49,000 units, from 117,500 the year before. The 1959's actually were better built, but the styling was more heavy-handed, and by that time the handwriting was pretty much on the wall. DeSoto was doomed. They sold about 46,000 that year. As I recall though, in the club roster they had more '59's listed than '57's! I think in addition to the poorer build quality on the '57's, another thing that did them in was the engine.
While Plymouth didn't offer a Hemi in 1957, Dodge only offered a limited production 325 and 354 Hemi in the D-500/D-501 performance package, and Chrysler was limiting the Hemi to the expensive New Yorker and 300C, DeSoto was more of a mass-market producer of the engine. Every single Firedome, Fireflite, and Adventurer used the Hemi, with only the entry-level Firesweep using the Dodge 325 poly-head. As these cars aged, and especially once they were relegated to loser status after the brand was discontinued, it was common for the Hemi engines to be yanked out and put in a hotrod, and the body to be junked.
The DeSoto Hemi was also more compact (although montrous by today's standards) than the Chrysler Hemi, and weighed about 100 pounds less.
In 1958, DeSoto went to the new corporate wedge-head "B" engine, 350's for the Firesweep and 361's for the rest of the line. They had more horsepower than the Hemi and poly engines they replaced, but I've heard mixed results on the actual performance. I think the Hemi was actually better at higher rpms but the Wedge was better at low-end torque, so it was kind of like a pre-historic version of the OHC versus pushrod bickering that goes on today! :P
In some ways though, I wonder if the orphan status of DeSoto has helped them some in later years? That and the National DeSoto Club. If the brand was still in existence, I don't know if there would be big club devoted to it. There are plenty of clubs devoted to Mopars in general, but because they're more all-encompassing, they don't focus on anything particular like, say, the 1957 Chrysler or Dodge. Now there are clubs devoted to the Fury and the 300 Letter Series, but they're a bit more niche-ish.
The National DeSoto Club always has a good turnout at the Mopar show in Carlisle. Seems like Forward Look era cars in general (normally considered 1957-61, but sometimes expanded to cover 1955-56 and '62 as well) are having a better turnout. I remember the first Carlisle Mopar show I went to, back in 1997, there were 4 or 5 '56-61 Mopars there. One of them was a 1959 Firesweep that had originally been a hardtop but was turned into a convertible. It was used in the movie "Mystery Date". There was also an odd looking '57 Dodge that had quad headlights. Instead of the turn signal being oversized and mounted inboard of the headlights, giving it a fake-me-out quad look, this one had real quads, and a rectangular turn signal mounted down between the heavy bars of the bumper/grille.
Nowadays though, I'd say there's at least 50+ of these era cars that show up. Especially now that there seems to be more of a turnout in Furys and 300 Letter Series cars.
Which blue were you referring to, Fintail?
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
Truthfully, I wish my '57 Firedome had some green or blue in it instead of the stereotypical white-over-red. But by the time I was in the market for one, it wasn't quite so easy to special order your color. :P
I think that bottom car is tri-toned too
That was another thing that came back to bite Chrysler on the butt. The sleek 1957 style lured in a lot of customers that never would have considered a Chrysler otherwise. It was a very good year, and I think Chrysler ended up taking 20% of the market that year, and they forecast taking 25% for 1958. However, the reliability issues were bad enough, coupled with recession that hit that year and overcrowding in the middle-priced market, forcing Chrysler down to something like 15% of the market.
A lot of people who took a chance on the sleek 1957 styling were probably destined to never buy a Chrysler product again.
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
That bright green makes me think more of the Sublime that Mopar offered in the late 60's. Or the Limefire that GM offered in the 70's.
That 2-toned blue Firedome looks like a custom job, too. The light silvery blue just looks too modern, and the shine just looks too deep. Pretty color scheme though.
I think that pinkish one is the color I was referring to as Salmon. I think it does look nice in that picture, under that light. Nice and shiny.
I wonder why the Firesweep was offered in slightly different colors from the Firedome/Fireflite? Maybe because they were built on a Dodge assembly line, and that forced them to share colors with the Dodges?