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