[Shadowmuse Blown]

Yes, this is “Cars I’d Like To Know”, but I couldn’t help but post a version of the car I owned in college in the early 80s.  Mine was white, but otherwise the same as this 1959 Imperial LeBaron Southampton hardtop.  My friends used to call it Christine.  It burned in a fire in the 90s, but I’d like to know another one, one day.  Miss it a lot.  I still have the occasional dream of driving it. So cool.  Few people knew what it was.

Sweet ride.  It must have been nice to be able to get ALL your friends in it at once!   

You could squeeze eight people into the thing if you wanted to.

A couple of notable moments from when I owned it…

When a couple, who were good friends of mine, got married, she asked me to drive her to the church in it on their wedding day.  We wound up getting lost on the way to the church because she didn’t drive and wasn’t quite sure of the way.  Fortunately, she remembered how to get there, eventually.

When a friend of mine shot his thesis film in college, he got a permit to close down a street in the Village to use as a location for a scene that took place after the end of the world.  We parked the Imperial in the middle of the street with its hood up, looking abandoned.  Was loads of fun and a very professionally done shoot. 

[solvegas]

Yes, this is “Cars I’d Like To Know”, but I couldn’t help but post a version of the car I owned in college in the early 80s.  Mine was white, but otherwise the same as this 1959 Imperial LeBaron Southampton hardtop.  My friends used to call it Christine.  It burned in a fire in the 90s, but I’d like to know another one, one day.  Miss it a lot.  I still have the occasional dream of driving it. So cool.  Few people knew what it was.

Sweet ride.  It must have been nice to be able to get ALL your friends in it at once!   

You could squeeze eight people into the thing if you wanted to.

A couple of notable moments from when I owned it…

When a couple, who were good friends of mine, got married, she asked me to drive her to the church in it on their wedding day.  We wound up getting lost on the way to the church because she didn’t drive and wasn’t quite sure of the way.  Fortunately, she remembered how to get there, eventually.

When a friend of mine shot his thesis film in college, he got a permit to close down a street in the Village to use as a location for a scene that took place after the end of the world.  We parked the Imperial in the middle of the street with its hood up, looking abandoned.  Was loads of fun and a very professionally done shoot. 

Great styling that Imperial that you had Shadowmuse. A thing about those 1950's cars had was a distinct personality they all had and you could tell easily which one was which. I think many of them were rolling works of art. 

[solvegas]

On June 25, 1956, the last true Packard Automobile rolled off the Detroit assembly line. The brand lasted for two more years as rebadged Studebakers made in Indiana. My Father used to tell me how one of his uncle Tomas loved the cars. It competed against Buick mostly but it eventually died since Packard did not have the financial resources to compete with GM. The company was born in 1898.

[Shadowmuse Blown]

On June 25, 1956, the last true Packard Automobile rolled off the Detroit assembly line. The brand lasted for two more years as rebadged Studebakers made in Indiana. My Father used to tell me how one of his uncle Tomas loved the cars. It competed against Buick mostly but it eventually died since Packard did not have the financial resources to compete with GM. The company was born in 1898.

If I recall, Packard was in real trouble of disappearing during the Great Depression.  It was only their coming out with a mid-priced model that saved the company for another generation.  Too bad they never regained their former glory days.

[Shadowmuse Blown]

1974 Dodge Charger

Not sure how they got away with such slim bumpers after the ‘73 5 mph bumper mandate

[MaxBigfoot]

1974 Dodge Charger

Not sure how they got away with such slim bumpers after the ‘73 5 mph bumper mandate

I believe they treated that entire chrome section at the rear as a bumper, and the same for the chrome/steel framing section that surrounded the radiator inlet at the front.  Nice piece of thinking, and it looks really good, IMO.

[Shadowmuse Blown]

1974 Dodge Charger

Not sure how they got away with such slim bumpers after the ‘73 5 mph bumper mandate

I believe they treated that entire chrome section at the rear as a bumper, and the same for the chrome/steel framing section that surrounded the radiator inlet at the front.  Nice piece of thinking, and it looks really good, IMO.

If I recall correctly, cars had to be able to withstand a 5 mph crash without significant damage to anything but the bumper.  If that chrome surround is damaged, so too will the deck lid.  I think it might have to do with the overriders, but not sure.

[Shadowmuse Blown]

My favorite car, although I never owned one.  This is a 1959 Dodge Coronet 2-door.  I prefer the hardtop, but otherwise this is pretty much it. Great aggressive stance and cool styling.  The time for me to buy one of these was is the 80s when they were affordable. 

[solvegas]

My favorite car, although I never owned one.  This is a 1959 Dodge Coronet 2-door.  I prefer the hardtop, but otherwise this is pretty much it. Great aggressive stance and cool styling.  The time for me to buy one of these was is the 80s when they were affordable. 

Like so many cars of that era, it has a "Face" on the front and a personality that today's SUVs simply don't have. 

[solvegas]

A truck I wanted to buy but could not afford at the time, a 1975 Jeep CJ5. I had enlisted in the Navy at the time, but my income was way too low, and I had no credit rating, so it had to be a cash deal and I just didn't have the cash for it. So, I kept my 1968 Chevy Impala for many more years until I bought a 1984 S-10 pickup truck, but I always did like the CJ Jeep model. But they wanted so much money for this poor ass Sailor to afford. I do like to buy new cars because the problem with used cars is that you don't always know how the prior owner maintained it or used it. With a new car, you know how it has been treated.

[Shadowmuse Blown]

A truck I wanted to buy but could not afford at the time, a 1975 Jeep CJ5. I had enlisted in the Navy at the time, but my income was way too low, and I had no credit rating, so it had to be a cash deal and I just didn't have the cash for it. So, I kept my 1968 Chevy Impala for many more years until I bought a 1984 S-10 pickup truck, but I always did like the CJ Jeep model. But they wanted so much money for this poor ass Sailor to afford. I do like to buy new cars because the problem with used cars is that you don't always know how the prior owner maintained it or used it. With a new car, you know how it has been treated.

True.  I bought a 1974 CJ-5 in college in the early 80s.  One fine wintry night I felt the car begin to lose grip and turned to my friend in the passenger seat next to me and gave him a warning of what was about to happen: “I think we’re gonna die,” I told him and in the next instant the CJ swapped ends on the ice covered Long Island Expressway.  We didn’t die, but the car I bought had been so badly rusted that the front mounting points gave way when we hit the guard rail twice.  Thank God we didn’t hit anyone else as we spun out of control.

Never buy a used car at night.  LOL

[solvegas]

My mother owned a 1971 Chevrolet Monte Carlo and this Pontiac is its corporate stablemate, the Grand Prix 455 SJ. This particular car has only had one owner, only has 82,000 miles and it still has all of its original parts. The owner recently passed away and it is up for auction. It has the original 455 cubic inch Rochester four-barrel carburetor V-8 and the interior is also original.

[solvegas]

The 1948 Cadillac series 62 convertible. This model was the first true post-war Cadillac convertible which featured the first tailfins of any car which were derived from the Lockheed P-38 Lightning fighter. It also had a relatively compact V-8 engine which was more powerful per cubic inch than those prior to the war. The 1946 and 1947 cars were mostly continuations of pre-war models and the 1948's got many advancements which were derived from the war effort. The engine was derived partly from aircraft engine technology. The fact is that in World War 2, automobile manufactures made more aircraft, under license, than aircraft manufacturers. Ford made more B-24 Liberator bombers than Consolidated Aircraft for example. It also had power steering, Air conditioning and radio as standard equipment. In those days, Cadillac was the standard of the world. 

[Shadowmuse Blown]

Ford made more B-24 Liberator bombers than Consolidated Aircraft for example. It also had power steering, Air conditioning and radio as standard equipment.

Those bombers had it all!

[Shadowmuse Blown]

The 1948 Cadillac series 62 convertible. This model was the first true post-war Cadillac convertible which featured the first tailfins of any car which were derived from the Lockheed P-38 Lightning Fighter

Here’s a ‘46 series 62 for comparison. As sol mentioned, basically a carry over from pre-WWII, but a gorgeous fastback.