| Some of the Detroit Iron manufactured after WWII until | | | | transistor models which allowed for 'instant on' instead |
| about 1980 can be considered Rolling Art. Several | | | | of waiting for the tubes to warm up. In the sixties, FM |
| Companies like Packard, Hudson and Studebaker | | | | radio appeared, and at first offered ad and DJ free |
| ceased building cars for one reason or another during | | | | programming. That of course didn't last long once the |
| the early part of this span, but they and the traditional | | | | bandwidth became entrenched. By the seventies there |
| big 3, Ford, GM and Chrysler did turn out some | | | | were 8 track tape players which in fairly short order |
| masterpieces. | | | | gave way to cassettes. |
| As a kid just old enough to think about getting a drivers | | | | 1959 marked the pinnacle of the auto as jet sporting |
| license, I would sit in my tree house and fantasize | | | | gigantic rear fins, the ultimate appearing on the 1959 |
| about the latest crop of finned behemoths pictured in | | | | Cadillac with the 1959-60 Chrysler and DeSoto not far |
| the car magazines of the time. After careful | | | | behind. In another year the DeSoto would disappear |
| consideration I would rank them according to style and | | | | from showrooms and go the way of the Packard, |
| features that I could really relate to and desired to | | | | Hudson and Nash. A sobriety of sorts gripped |
| possess. Always decisions. Should I have twin rear | | | | automakers after the fin and chrome extravaganza |
| antennas and dual spotlights or would one of each do. | | | | passed. Some really classy designs were introduced in |
| Wire wheels were really neat as were the two and | | | | the early sixties like the 1960 Pontiac, 1961 Buick, 1962 |
| three tone paint jobs. I ended up choosing the most | | | | Cadillac and classic 1964 Ford. |
| streamlined and elegant looking as my favorites | | | | Chrysler Corporation would, from time to time, |
| always deferring to clean rather than clutter. I wasn't | | | | introduce industry leading stratagems. Their Hemi |
| one for fuzzy dice hanging from the rear view mirror, | | | | (hemispherical head) Motor during the fifties was pure |
| instead preferring power windows and air conditioning. | | | | muscle and reliability as was their Torqueflight |
| Of course I always opted for the biggest V8 option | | | | transmission. They introduced the 'Forward Look' in the |
| and always dual exhaust both for easy engine | | | | later fifties which lead styling trends for awhile. Then |
| breathing and the sound. | | | | again in 1965 they offered some really sturdy and |
| The late 1940's and early 50s saw the transition from | | | | classy cars that towards the end of that decade lead |
| stodgy, subdued and functional to a more sleek and | | | | to the innovative fuselage cars. These were large |
| powerful motif which, year after year during the 1950's, | | | | sleek machines with an air frame sculptured look that I |
| became a size, power and chrome enhancement | | | | found quite attractive. Unfortunately Chrysler quality |
| race. | | | | control started slipping badly during this period and didn't |
| While some models went overboard with various | | | | recover for many years. |
| excesses making their designs overburdened or | | | | By the late seventies things started going downhill in |
| clumsy, others managed to integrate fins, masses of | | | | Detroit. Automakers, paying little attention to quality |
| chrome and color schemes that were a delight. All the | | | | control and mechanical efficiencies found themselves |
| manufacturers had their winners and losers but | | | | mandated by legislation to clean up their act, literally. As |
| American cars of the period were all individually | | | | a result, all manner of schemes were employed to |
| identifiable and definitely distinct and could roll down a | | | | reduce engine emissions, most, in the early days, a |
| super highway without a care. | | | | maze of vacuum lines and fuel injection designs that |
| The straight 6 and 8 motors of earlier periods soon | | | | were cumbersome and mostly ill conceived, leading to |
| gave way in the more deluxe models to V8's, which | | | | a myriad of problems and customer dissatisfaction. |
| couldn't pull stumps like the old high torque low rpm | | | | It wasn't long thereafter that the Japanese stepped in |
| straight eights, but could more lithely move a couple of | | | | to fill the void and things have never returned to the |
| tons of iron, glass and plastic down the road. By the | | | | days of American auto manufacturing preeminence. |
| mid 1950's all American cars had settled on 12 volt | | | | Granted American cars eventually improved |
| electrical systems, 14 or 15 inch wheels, wrap around | | | | dramatically but market share by then was |
| windshields, and with the V8 motor now the | | | | fragmented. I personally lost interest in Detroit around |
| entrenched favorite. | | | | the mid eighties although some really nice cars have |
| It was a time in American history when each new car | | | | been produced since. Now, I am afraid, because of the |
| year was greeted with excitement and anticipation as | | | | fickle nature of Americans, demanding SUV's and |
| each model sought to capture the limelight with its own | | | | consuming a hugely disproportional amount of the |
| distinct identity. Priorities were simple if not naive. | | | | worlds resources, the twin failings of overindulgence |
| Dazzle the customer with great expanses of sheet | | | | and lack of foresight in the face of world realignment, |
| metal and chrome, brilliant colors and lots of buttons to | | | | has pushed MoTown automakers to the brink of |
| push. Although mundane items like seat belts were | | | | insolvency. |
| introduced as selling features from time to time, the | | | | The 1950s through the seventies saw the apex and |
| consumer wanted none of that as it didn't add any | | | | beginning of decline of the American auto as a distinct |
| value as a status symbol. | | | | form of rolling art. A combination of art deco and |
| Slowly technological improvements did advance along | | | | modern gave way to downsizing and competition from |
| with convenience and power options. Radial tires were | | | | abroad. Complacent management also failed to |
| a big plus adding smoothness, safety and longevity | | | | embrace, in a timely fashion, new concepts of quality |
| replacing thumping, rapid tread wear and numerous | | | | control, preferring to market their vehicles through |
| flats. Disc brakes were a definite safety advantage | | | | planned obsolescence. |
| replacing the inferior drum and shoe method that could | | | | No doubt, some of the greatest American |
| fade in emergency situations. Automatic transmissions | | | | masterpieces in rolling art were created during the |
| became the option of choice and then ultimately | | | | 1920s and 30s, however, the height of Auto |
| became standard equipment. And of course, radios | | | | Americana, where form and function took on whole |
| evolved. | | | | new dimensions of vim and verve, the 1950s, seems |
| In the mid fifties, signal seek or 'wonderbar' AM radios | | | | to have marked the peak of empire as well as its |
| were introduced, followed soon thereafter by the | | | | most distinctive product. |