American Luxury in 1960

[HarleyEarl]

It will be sadder yet if the big three go away and were forced to buy a Kia Amanti as our signature car.

We need to get back to building "American" cars again...the G8 is a very nice start, methinks.

Chris

Very sad indeed.

While the G8 is a very nice car in itself...it still looks like a European copy.

If the big three or two or one survive, they need to hire head designers who get it. And then give them some freedom to do their job. And the mandate would be to study American design in the past and be inspired by that. Not retro design either. Just bold, American esthetic.

[HarleyEarl]

I feel nostalgic every day of my life!

Meantime today Lincoln is a joke, Cadillac refuses to make

a big car, even a mid-size luxury coupe or ANY form of

hardtop or V16 derivative, & Imperial is dead as a doornail.

Sad F*&%ig time, this is.

We really don't have a true American luxury car line anymore. When you think of it, isn't that amazing!

While Cadillac is doing some interesting things, it's not really Cadillac.

And when Lincoln has Mazda based cars, you know they have no luxury credibility anymore.

And Imperial, what a shame, amazing history. It should still be with us.

[cletus8269]

Ironic- on another board I have been in the back-n-forth this week all on the GM bubbletop. There, the 'purists' I guess you'd call it, claim the term 'bubbletop' only applies to '61 GMs with that roof & the '62 Bel Air, the only '62 GM model with that roofline. I am of the opinion -and I'm not the only one- that this term should apply to the '59-60 hardtop coupe, too- the only thing visually different there RE the greenhouse is the windshield; why not also include them ??

Frankly- the lower roofline of the '59-60 is sleeker than the '61-2 with it's funky A-pillar.

Othe claim there is that the '62 Bel Air bubbletop is rare, but the figure I found says 127K were built. My dad had one new...

i was told the sport coupe was the proper term across the board but i call it what it is, bubble top. i wished they had made a version of the impala but the roof was limited to the belair only in '62. ive read in several magazines that the reason for the roof on the belair is for the drag racers. i'n not sure about that number it seems kinda high.. i'll have to check my hemmings for that one, seems like there were less than 15,000 by what i read... the really low numbered ones are the 409 4spds

[balthazar]

Well, 'Sport Coupe' would be Chevy's term, while 'bubbletop' is an enthusiast's nickname.

127K does look high for what's always been claimed as a 'rare' car, but perhaps 'rare' is relative to other Chevys. If you look at other totals (75K Impala convertibles, 323K Bel Air & Impala 2-dr hardtops), it looks to be in line. Why would it be unusually low- doesn't make sense- it should fall in line with other year/make 2-doors.

I buy 127K.

[cletus8269]

just found this tid bit on another forum... knowing was nagging me to look it up all day.

These figures are from the 348-409 website:

1962 Bel Air Sport Coupe 8 cyl (American) = 5940

1962 Bel Air Sport Coupe 6 cyl (American) = 3825

1962 Bel Air Sport Coupe 8 cyl (Canadian) = 710

1962 Bel Air Sport Coupe 6 cyl (Canadian) = 2045

1962 Bel Air Sport Coupe..409 (approxim) = 600

that is from a thread at http://www.chevytalk.org/fusionbb/showtopic.php?tid/200529/

he quotes his source at www.348-409.com but i cant find his chart.

[Intrepidation]

I love the late `50's Imperials. They are rolling works of art. Every detail is carefully crafted and interesting. I had the pleasure of seeing a fully restored one a few month ago. Beautiful cars. I love the tail light/fin design. Back then Chrysler could run with the best of them.

Edited December 9, 2008 by Dodgefan

[CARBIZ]

Dodgefan, now you've depressed the hell out of me. I think I was born 10 years too late: I only got to see these cars in their rusting, falling apart beater days. Every time I see an old movie with street scenes of some American city and all the beautiful be-finned cars (like the original Attack of the 50 Foot Woman and all those stunning Chryslers!), it brings a tear to my eye.

When I see all the ugly, boring cars on the road today, it makes me want to scream.

[ocnblu]

Damn, that bronze Imperial is fantastic.

[A Horse With No Name]

Dodgefan, now you've depressed the hell out of me. I think I was born 10 years too late: I only got to see these cars in their rusting, falling apart beater days. Every time I see an old movie with street scenes of some American city and all the beautiful be-finned cars (like the original Attack of the 50 Foot Woman and all those stunning Chryslers!), it brings a tear to my eye.

When I see all the ugly, boring cars on the road today, it makes me want to scream.

I feel the same way. 'Biz, when you sell cars, you really should be selling rolling art.

Chris

[Drew Dowdell]

The almost 1960 Packard.

Facel Vega entered into discussion with Studebaker-Packard Corporation as that company hoped to resurrect its moribund Packard division. However, Mercedes-Benz, which had a marketing deal with S-P using Studebaker's dealership network to sell its product in the United States, objected to the plan. The cash-strapped company could not afford to lose its cash stream from Mercedes-Benz, and Studebaker-Packard withdrew from further discussions. Facel Vega did however export the Excellence to North America for private owners.

Like its other cars, Facel Vega chose to power the car using Chrysler's famed big-block V8 Hemi. Built in limited quantities, the car included numerous styling hallmarks usually found on American cars including tailfins, wraparound windshield, stacked quad-headlights and a four-door hardtop design. In a nod to the Cadillac Eldorado Brougham, Facel Vega incorporated a pillarless four-door mechanism, allowing the car to be designed with "suicide" styled rear doors for easier access and egress.

Before Facel Vega closed, the Excellence received its only major restyling in which the car replaced its outdated fins and received a more squared off rear styling.

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I can see a Packard nameplate with that and it wouldn't have looked out of place with the up market but quirky Avanti that rolled in in 1962

[HarleyEarl]

I like the Facel Vegas. Nice example of one and great historical information. Thanks.