Hardtop Orgy

[Sixty8panther]

Buick started it all in 1949...

Edited May 5, 2007 by Sixty8panther

[Flybrian]

You can continue with the orgy as long as ugly cars are not posted.

[HarleyEarl]

Who produced the first pillarless hardtop wagon?

[Sixty8panther]

Chevrolet, Pontiac, Oldsmobile & Cadillac joined in very quickly...

There's a fair amount of Hardtop Mopars too:

[HarleyEarl]

Now this is pillarless!

[Z-06]

You can continue with the orgy as long as ugly cars are not posted.

And dear Sir, which ones would that be?

[Sixty8panther]

Fly thinks for some reason that Auroras are more attractive than 1961 Plymouths.

[Flybrian]

Fly thinks for some reason that Auroras are more attractive than 1961 Plymouths.

They aren't?

Didn't Virgil Exner shoot himself over this car?

[Chris_Doane]

Buick started it all in 1949...

Actually Chrysler started it all in 1946 with the Town and Country

They did sedans, verts aaaand a 2 door hardtop.

Edited May 5, 2007 by Chris_Doane

[Intrepidation]

So which is this...Saratoga, Winsdor, or what? I like it without the 2-tone paint...and the coupe version of these models are growing on me..as is is the `59 Imperial.

Edited May 5, 2007 by Dodgefan

[Sixty8panther]

Dodgefan:

That's not a Chrysler, it's a 1958 Dodge.

As far as the model I think it's a Coronet.

That balck beauty has been living inside

my harddrive for months, like so many

other thousands of car photos that I've

right clicked over the years.

[CARBIZ]

.......Dodgefan I am shocked, indeed, HORRIFIED, that you didn't recognize your own namesake. Plymouth and Chrysler always got the better end of the styling stick in the late '50s, IMO. Dodges were always rather over done and had heavy-handed styling. I would take a '58 Fury or New Yorker over the above black beauty any day. but that is not to say I would say NO to the above car if it was given to me..........

[Intrepidation]

.......Dodgefan I am shocked, indeed, HORRIFIED, that you didn't recognize your own namesake. Plymouth and Chrysler always got the better end of the styling stick in the late '50s, IMO. Dodges were always rather over done and had heavy-handed styling. I would take a '58 Fury or New Yorker over the above black beauty any day. but that is not to say I would say NO to the above car if it was given to me..........

I knew someone was gonna say that, but to be honest most of my Mopar-recognizing knowledge only goes to the mid-60's. Shame on me I know.

Edited May 5, 2007 by Dodgefan

[Z-06]

.......Dodgefan I am shocked, indeed, HORRIFIED, that you didn't recognize your own namesake. Plymouth and Chrysler always got the better end of the styling stick in the late '50s, IMO. Dodges were always rather over done and had heavy-handed styling. I would take a '58 Fury or New Yorker over the above black beauty any day. but that is not to say I would say NO to the above car if it was given to me..........

I knew someone was gonna say that, but to be honest most of my Mopar-recognizing knowledge only goes to the mid-60's. Shame on me I know.

Come on 'BIZ. Dodgefan is a Mopar guy for name sake, his blood runs on a LS small block, no wonders he spends so much time posting at a GM forum.

[Intrepidation]

Come on 'BIZ. Dodgefan is a Mopar guy for name sake, his blood runs on a LS small block, no wonders he spends so much time posting at a GM forum.

Which must explain the only GM in the family is technically a rebodied Toyota!

[CARBIZ]

...was a diehard Mopar fan in years gone by. My first car was a '67 Dodge Polara that I bought for $50 and a pair of stereo speakers from a friend of mine in 1979. It had after market Sears a/c that still worked! My father was a Mopar freak, having owned a '66 300 and '69 300 (after he rolled the '66!). My fondest memories were of playing in and on a '57 Plymouth when I was about 6 years old.

I miss the old hardtops. One of the things people may not know about those old hardtops is that there was very little wind noise on the highway with the windows down because there was no B pilar and no shoulder belts to flap in your ear. Try that with most modern cars! NO wonder everyone needs a/c these days!

And those who crow that hardtops were not safe are mis-informed. My dad rolled his '66 down an embankment and it rolled 3 times on it side, blowing out all the windows, but the roof was not that badly deformed - and he walked away from the incident!

[Cory Wolfe]

Pfft. Hardtop, lardtop... I'd rather not die when I get t-boned by some red-light-running-redneck.

Edited May 5, 2007 by blackviper8891

[Sixty8panther]

CHrysler certainly did NOT have the first production hardtop, they made

something like 6 or 7 of their hardtops... historians agree, the first car

to qualify for a production (pillarless) hardtop is the Roadmaster Riviera

in 1949, there were one thousand or so made for every 1946 Chrysler

Town & Country hardtop. IIRC GM also coined the term "hardtop".

Pfft. Hardtop, lardtop... I'd rather not die when I get t-boned by some red-light-running-redneck.

So true, I hear the Fiero is a great car ot get T-boned in, or some $h!box

Mazda MX-5 Miata like you wanted to buy. Most convertibles don't have

B-pilars either you know?

Oh, almost forgot...

[Cory Wolfe]

So true, I hear the Fiero is a great car ot get T-boned in, or some $h!box

Mazda MX-5 Miata like you wanted to buy. Most convertibles don't have

B-pilars either you know?

Oh, almost forgot...

Yes, you better note the smiley, as I was being facetious.

Also, Fiero's are some of the safest cars out there. I don't know what you're talking about. As well, a two seat roadster is quite a bit different than the usual hardtop. Oh, and I didn't mention B-pillars, just hardtops. Fool.

[Chris_Doane]

CHrysler certainly did NOT have the first production hardtop, they made

something like 6 or 7 of their hardtops...

Yep they made seven. Chrysler was the first OEM to produce a hard top.

[Oracle of Delphi]

The Custom-S' window goes down!

[knightfan26917]

Hmmm...don't have a pic (yet) of my '72 MC with the windows down, but it, too, is a hard top......

Cort:33swm."Mr Monte Carlo.Mr Road Trip".pig valve.pacemaker

PICS:lego.HO.model.MCinfo.RT.CHD = http://www.chevyasylum.com/cort

"I kept my heart hidden" ... Bryan White ... 'So Much For Pretending'

[Delta Force79]

Actually this is a Canadian 1957 Dodge...and lovingly refered to by the Forward look Mopar crowd as Plodge, it is a 1957 Dodge nose bolted to what is from the firewall back a 1957 Plymouth body and interior. This car seems to be wearing 1957 Plymouth Savoy side trim. It looks like a 1957 Dodge Regent V8 Sport Coupe. If it had sportone along the sides like Christine, it would then be equal to a Plymouth Belvedere, and it would be a Dodge Mayfair.

I'm a huge 57/58 Plymouth fan. :AH-HA_wink:

Edited May 6, 2007 by Delta Force79

[ocnblu]

Thanks for that clarification, Delta. I had a nagging feeling something wasn't right about that car because I knew right away it had a Plymouth back end (the bumper and fin are dead giveaways) and a Dodge front end, with crazy side trim. Something I hadn't seen before, I thought it was a homemade special, done really well.

[Sixty8panther]

Yeah.... that damn sure ain't a Dodge arse.

I feel like a moron for not noticing that.

What makes me pissed was that I saved

for that reason to use for a back to back

trivia question wiht this car and GM's own

Pontiac/Chevy Canadian only products.

It certainly IS a 1957 Dodge-Plymouth

hybrid, and a quite handome devil IMHO.

I must have been pretty delirious to

have posted a "Swept-Wing" Dodge with

a Savoy arse and not notice.

1957 Dodge

1957 Plymouth

[Delta Force79]

Thanks for that clarification, Delta. I had a nagging feeling something wasn't right about that car because I knew right away it had a Plymouth back end (the bumper and fin are dead giveaways) and a Dodge front end, with crazy side trim. Something I hadn't seen before, I thought it was a homemade special, done really well.

Not a problem, I was surprised no one mentioned it before I saw this thread.

[HarleyEarl]

Rambler Ambassador was the first hardtop wagon.

Kaiser introduced the first 4 door hardtop.

[HarleyEarl]

[HarleyEarl]

One of my all-time mopar favorites, the 67 Cuda hardtop:

Edited May 6, 2007 by HarleyEarl

[HarleyEarl]

'63 Studebaker hardtop with a hole:

[HarleyEarl]

Now this one, I always thought of as a two-door hardtop, but really it's a pillared coupe....it kind of blurrs the line a bit.

The '55 Ford Crown Victoria:

[Intrepidation]

My hardtops...

[Flybrian]

1960 - the last year of the decent-looking Plymouth.

[Sixty8panther]

Well... where it says "Suddenly it's 1960" it's actually a 1957 Dodge, the

ad is trying to make the point that Fifty-7s were way out ahead.

[Intrepidation]

1960 - the last year of the decent-looking Plymouth.

You don't think the Cudas are good looking?

[Camino LS6]

Fly has a thing for big cruisers.

I like your 'Cudas, now start fixing them up! :AH-HA_wink:

[Intrepidation]

Fly has a thing for big cruisers.

I like your 'Cudas, now start fixing them up! :AH-HA_wink:

Well the whole key to me putting money in them is if/when they are put in my name. They are in my mom and dad's name right now...and they are in the middle of a divorce. I figure I'll reason with mom that selling them is pointless because you don't get much for them unless you put a lotta money in them to restore them...and reason with dad that mom would sell them...but i wouldn't...plus he once told me he would pass them on anyway).

I plan to start the `69 up this summer..an put my plan into action. assuming the `69 still is roadworthy...I'll register it the day I get it in my name :AH-HA_wink:

[Sixty8panther]

Dodgefan:

Offer still stands, I'll help you get the'69 started if only to get

the fluids circulating and see how roadworthy she is, perhaps

after the whole Tulsa trip. Right now 've got my hands FULL!

[Intrepidation]

Dodgefan:

Offer still stands, I'll help you get the'69 started if only to get

the fluids circulating and see how roadworthy she is, perhaps

after the whole Tulsa trip. Right now 've got my hands FULL!

No rush, but if we succeed I say we drive it and the Buick down the street and take photos!

Edited May 7, 2007 by Dodgefan

[Sixty8panther]

[Sixty8panther]

Good luck finding this DeSoto...

[Sixty8panther]

Gorgeous!

http://www.buickclub.ch/cars/Merten_57-century.html

[Delta Force79]

1961 Desoto, Production ended in November 1960...not many were produced.....indeed a very rare and somewhat sad way for the company to end.

[balthazar]

Real nice collage, S8, tho I have to point out you snuck a 4-dr sedan in there:

Fleetwood Broughams went to a longer wheelbase for '64 (133") and became sedans from then on. I am going to assume it was because of structural reasons, but I have no evidence either way.

[Sixty8panther]

Go figure, that pic came up on a Google search

for 1968 Sedan deVille... My bad.

Also... Balthazar: is it just me or isn't the 1961

DeSoto flattering the '59 Buick by immitation?

I think more so than any other one single car

it borrowed many styling features & themes,

although I much prefer the B-59 in terms of

styling... Mopar fans might disagree though...

[z28luvr01]

Show of hands - how many people didn't know I'd show up in this thread to post this?

And because I like to keep everyone guessing, here's another one of my favorites

[Ravenfreak13]

[Intrepidation]

Go figure, that pic came up on a Google search

for 1968 Sedan deVille... My bad.

Also... Balthazar: is it just me or isn't the 1961

DeSoto flattering the '59 Buick by immitation?

I think more so than any other one single car

it borrowed many styling features & themes,

although I much prefer the B-59 in terms of

styling... Mopar fans might disagree though...

The Buick looks far better.

[balthazar]

>>"is it just me or isn't the 1961 DeSoto flattering the '59 Buick by immitation?

...I think more so than any other one single car it borrowed many styling features & themes"<<

Well, the late '50s were years of great experimentation with headlights, what with quads only becoming legal in '57 in some states. Lincoln had canted quads '58-60, Chysler had them '61-62 and DeSoto in '61. The B-59 was the ONLY canted headlight GM vehicle. Nash had stacked quads in '57. But if you've ever seen some of the Pontiac sketches for the '59s; hoo-whee!

Did DeSoto (in turn after Chrysler) ape Buick? I have no inside info. The lead times for this era were still about 2 years between finished clays & the dealer floor. The GM '59s were started in the fall of '56... the infamous 'course-change' was in March '57 and production jobs hit the dealer floor in Sept '58... that's 1.5 years there, but to be accurate- you'd have to go back to -conservatively- Dec '56... that's 21 months. Assuming ChryCo had similar lead times: 21 months prior to the Sept 1960 '61 DeSoto unveiling would be oh waitaminnit: Dec '58... enough time to 'get inspired' by the '59 Buick. Hmmmm.........

I still tend to think it was moreso just the brief fashion of the time, tho Exner was in mid-flight over the shark by '60.

The one car from this era that always DID make me think 'rip-off' was the '60 Edsel (of the '59 Pontiac).

I love the '61 DeSoto- stumbled onto a 2-dr hardtop (911 built) maybe 20 years back, black w/ a red interior, but it wasn't in the cards for me. Haven't seen one since.

[knightfan26917]

*raises eyebrow*

Is it a bad thing to want to drive all of those cars?

Cort:33swm."Mr Monte Carlo.Mr Road Trip".pig valve.pacemaker

PICS:lego.HO.model.MCinfo.RT.CHD = http://www.chevyasylum.com/cort

"I can’t stop driving" ... New Radicals ... 'Someday We'll Know'