A Deluxe Decade

 It's well known that the automobile industry had taken a serious hit in the 1930s as the Great Depression rolled across the nation and the world. Things didn't get much better for car sales during the 1940s as World War II caused manufactures to turn their factories toward arming America's fighting forces (granted the companies made very good money during this time it just wasn't on civilian vehicles).

Chevrolet, being the "entry" level line of the General Motors empire, was able to maintain some fairly respectable, for the time, sales numbers. Much of that, during the 1940s, was due to the Chevy Deluxe.

Introduced in 1941 as a four door sedan, numerous other body styles and trims were added throughout its life span, the first being a two door coupe. The car was pure 1940s style with smooth, rounded curves and headlights mounted in the bulbous front fenders. This first generation had two trims, the Master and the Special Deluxe. In 1946, despite minuscule changes in the cars, the trim names were changed to Stylemaster and Fleetmaster.

The initial series, which ran through the 1948 model year, was powered by a 216 cubic inch inline six cylinder engine that generated 90 horse power. A three speed manual transmission was standard but a Power Glide automatic was optional. Interiors were, logically enough, spartan considering the lean economic years being seen by the entire nation. Still, there was chrome to be had.

1949 saw Chevy's first styling changes following the war. The Deluxe had become Chevy's top of the line model with a starting price of just under $1500. The biggest upgrades were the addition of 11 inch brake drums, a front suspension with stabilizers and a new, full instrument panel. The now improved Thriftmaster 216.5 cubic inch engine generated up to 92 horse power.

The following year saw the introduction of a new hardtop coupe trim that was dubbed the Bel Air. It featured such amenities as a full upgraded cord and leather-vinyl trim and full carpeting, options previously not available in a Chevrolet. Also, an optional 235 cubic inch inline six that pushed 106 horse power was available.

Following the 1952 model year the Deluxe line was halted. The Special and Deluxe names were replace with 150 and 210 and the Bel Air, as history will surly recall, became its own highly successful line.

The two cars seen here are a first generation 1948 Coupe and a second generation 1949 Coupe. Both are beautiful cars and even today you can see why they were in demand during the war and post war years.

Sport - Lightweight

It actually started out as a race car but Mercedes Benz found substantial success with a light weight sporty grand tourer (GT) that became a standard part of automotive line-up. In 1952 Mercedes had a fair amount of success on the track with what was dubbed the W-194. This pure race car was powered by a powered by a 3.0 L single overhead cam straight six engine. This success gave American auto dealer Max Hoffman an idea. He saw that post World War II Americans were buying up British sports cars and he managed to convince the powers that be in Stuttgart that a street version of their racer would sell quite well.

Given the marketing designation of SL, for Sportlich Leicht or Sport Lightweight in English, this car was dubbed the 300 for its 3.0 liter engine. It made its debut in 1954 and everyone was blown away not only by the performance but also by the innovative design that featured gullwing doors that opened up and out rather than to the side. Pretty much considered a race car for the street, the 300 SL could hit speeds of 160 miles per hour, making it the fastest production car in the world. Shortly after its introduction a drophead roadster version was introduced using the same mechanicals but moving, obviously, to standard door design.

Unfortunately for Mercedes, the cost of manufacturing the 300 SL in either guise caused the prices to be well beyond the basic target audience. Still, sniffing an opportunity, Mercedes created a somewhat smaller, less powerful and less luxurious version of the car. Using a 1.9 L inline four engine, the 190 SL did what they had hoped the 300 would do; it sold well. The 190 came out in 1955. By 1957 the 300 gullwing was no longer being manufactured. Both the 300 roadster and the 190 were continued through the 1963 model year.

With the success of the 190 Mercedes realized that they were onto something solid with these light weight sports cars. In 1963 they introduced a 2.3 L car that had a completely different look. With a low "waist line" and a tall roof, the 230 SL and its successors the 250 and the 280 got to be dubbed the Pagoda models by the automotive press. In addition to stepping up the size of the engine (the 230 was a 2.3 L, the 250 a 2.5 and the 280 a 2.8) Mercedes also graduated to using inline six cylinder power plants. The 230's production ran from 1963 to 1967. The 250's lifespan was from 1966 until 1968 while the 280 was manufactured from 1967 until 1971.

1971 brought the next iteration of the SL line with the 350. As with past models the numeric designation related to the size of the engine but this group now featured, with one slight exception, a V 8 power plant. This group ran throughout the 1980s with engines growing to a massive 5.6 L version in 1986.

Mercedes has continued to upgrade and release new versions of the SL line and today they have have supercars that are thrust down the road by a 6.0 L 621 horse power turbocharged V 12. These are not for the feint of heart nor for those light in the pocketbook. Still, the car continues the tradition that was established in 1954 and has ensured that the world still sees Mercedes as a maker of not only high end luxury but also luxury sports cars.

Simplify, Then Add Lightness

Engineer Colin Chapman and some partners initially created Lotus Engineering Ltd. in 1952. The company had their initial success with race cars, particularly Formula 1 as well as components for other racing teams.

There was a good deal of success, especially utilizing the concept of small, powerful engines and very light cars. Chapman famously said, "Simplify, then add lightness." It seemed to work as Lotus cars consistently ran very well in races.

Perhaps the design mantra of Chapman was best summed up with the release of the Lotus Seven. This open air two seater sported a pure fiberglass body and, as you can see from the photo, absolutely no extraneous weight. Initially powered in 1957 by a 1.2 L inline four engine, that proved to be plenty for such a light weight car. That engine would grow over the years all the way to a 1.7 L inline four. Chapman ultimately soured on this car and sold the rights to Caterham Cars who have successfully made them since 1973.

While success came in limited spurts with sports cars, particularly the early Elite in the 1950s and the Elan in the early 1960s, it was perhaps the engineering feat that became the Europa that really made Lotus a player in the sports car world.

Initially believed to have been designed for Ford when they were looking for a car with which to beat Ferrari (following Enzo Ferrari halting a deal for Ford to take them over, the Detroit giant decided to build a car that would go head to head with them on and off the track; this car became the GT 40 - search the blog for more information on the Ford). 

With the standard fiberglass body and a now mid mounted inline four engine that started as a 1.5 L Renault but soon was switched to a 1.6 L Lotus/Ford inline four design and an amazing aerodynamic body design, the Europa weighed under 1400 pounds when first introduced.

 Introduced in 1966, the car was initially built solely for the European market. In fact fewer than 650 of the first generation were actually built. The second generation was introduced in 1968 and a small number of these were altered to fit rules and regulations required in America.

The car was made through the 1975 model year and in all, nearly 10,000 were sold, making them very rare indeed. But following Chapman's plan, these light cars were fast enough to go from 0 - 60 in under 10 seconds (pretty impressive for the time) and could hit a top speed of around 120 miles per hour.

Daimler Automobiles

Gottlieb Daimler was a German engineer who, in the late 1800s, had created quite a sophisticated motor. Initial success was found in powering rail cars. It was through this process that he met Fredrick Simms, an Englishman and engineer. The two became friends and Simms purchased the patent to manufacture the engine in England.

In 1896 H. J. Lawson got the idea to go into the automobile business. He set up shop in Coventry, England, made a deal with Simms for the use of the engine and bought the rights to use the name Daimler. In 1902 it won the right to manufacture cars for the British Monarch (a position the firm held until the 1950s saw Rolls Royce earn that right).

The Birmingham Small Arms Company (BSA) had, in addition to manufacturing weapons, developed some military vehicles and even a few BSA branded automobiles. They saw the possibilities of moving more deeply into the car business and managed a deal to merge with Daimler. BSA would also see quite a profit from manufacturing bicycles and motorcycles.

Through World War I and the 1920s, Daimler focused mostly on manufacturing military vehicles though there were some civilian cars being made. In 1930 Daimler expanded its reach when they obtained the Lancaster Motor Company. Initially the two lines were kept separate but by mid-decade they were sharing components and the Lancaster badge began to disappear.

Following World War II the company still manufactured regular upper tier cars, more of their emphasis was turned toward limousines and even taxis (they had purchased the Carbodies firm) as well as the successful BSA motorcycles.Their double decker buses were renowned throughout England.

In 1960 Daimler was purchased by Jaguar who was keen on using their engines. Six years later Jaguar was taken over by the British Motor Corporation (BMC) and the following year Daimler exports to the United States were stopped and this pretty much meant that, at least state side, the Daimler name would all but be forgotten. The two cars shown here are a 1961 and a 1962 SP 250.

An American From Italy

For decades Ferraris have been some of the most prestigious and sought after automobiles in the world. But selling cars for people to drive around in was never important to founder Enzo Ferrari. Enzo's passion was racing and he reluctantly began making road versions of his cars for two reasons, to meet homolgation rules and to finance the racing side of the business.

The thing was that as Enzo became more successful on the track more people wanted to own one of his cars. In the 1950s his road car production began to grow, particularly with a line of cars that were dubbed American. Starting in 1950 Ferrari began selling slightly modified versions of his racers. The cars were built on a 2800 milometer wheel base which is slightly more than 110 inches. In many cases these were done in extremely small numbers. For example, the 352 American only saw six made all time.

All of the America cars were built as Gran Torismo or Grand Touring cars. This means they were designed to allow their occupants to travel for long periods in comfort. But of course, since they were powered by some of Ferrari's largest, most powerful V 12 engines, they did so with elan.

In 1955 Ferrari introduced the 410 Superamerica which sported a 5.0 L engine with triple Weber carburetors that generated 335 horse power. The 410 was the first Ferrari to use a shorter 2600 mm wheel base (designated SWB) which is about 102 inches. Each of the cars had custom body work. Some were by Boano, others by Ghia but most, like the car shown here, were penned by long time Ferrari partner Peinin Farina. This particular model, one of only 17 series 1 cars built, was originally owned by Italian food magnet Pietro Birilla (yes, the same one you can see in your grocery store aisles). Only 35 total were every made.

By 1959 Ferrari released another Superamerica, this one with a smaller 4.0 L Colombo V 12 engine. Called, logically, the 400 still managed to produce the same raw horse power as the 410. The 400 featured disc brakes all around, something new for Ferrari. In all, 47 of the 400 model were built with only 17 of the Coupe Aerodinamicos, like the 1961 concourse winning car seen here. This car also sports custom Pinin Farina coach work.

The series would see two more models introduced. Starting in 1964 and running through 1966, the 500 went back to a 5.0 L V 12 engine and it rode on a 104 inch wheel base.In 1966 the 365 California made its debut, "borrowing" the name from the popular 250 California of earlier in the decade. Only 14 of these were ever built.

It's no surprise that these cars are all highly sought after by collectors. Each of the America series cars regularly draws prices of well over $1 million and, such as the 400, over $3 million. Start saving your pennies.

A Starline In the Galaxie

Introduced in 1958, the Galaxie was Ford's top of the line full sized car. In 1960 the company introduced two new trims to make up the Ford Galaxie Special Series. The hard top, fastback version was called the Starliner. The thin pillars and sleek fastback design was emblematic of "jet age" design that dominated at the time.

The standard engine was a 292 cubic inch Y Block V 8 which is the power plant of our featured car. There was an optional 352 engine available and in 1961 you could order your Starliner with the Thunderbird 390 cube monster that roared with 375 horse power.

The Starliner trim, despite being fairly popular, only lasted those two years and so these cars are fairly rare. A total of 68,841 were built in 1960 with 29,669 more rolled out in 1961.

A Special Return

In 1936 Buick, like all car makers, was doing what they could to sell their wares during the throes of the Great Depression. That was the year Buick introduced a new full-sized car, the Special. Unfortunately for the mid to high end manufacturer (they were slotted just beneath Cadillac in GM's hierarchy) people weren't buying. So the Special, which wasn't so special. was pulled from Buick line.

Two years later, in 1938, the Special returned but it was far from the same car. It had been downsized to a mid-size and came in as Buick's least expensive offering. In reality this Special had more in common with the Series 40 that had been around since 1930 than to it's full sized name sake.

This was a true entry level car for an up scale brand. It rode on a comfortable 118 inch wheel base and was initially powered by a 233 cubic inch in line eight.  By the time the Special was re-introduced, while called a mid size, it had grown in both wheelbase and in engine size. As the 1938 model shown here rolled off the line and onto the streets it was gliding on a 122 inch wheel base and was being pushed by a 248 cubic inch in line eight engine.

Expected changes were made with this re-introduced generation of cars, including new trims that offered shorter wheelbases. But other than cosmetics, this is the Special that Buick rode through the 1949 model year.

The Special name ran through 1979, by then as a trim of the Century. It made a brief return in the early 1990s as part of the Century line.

While the Depression hampered sales for all manufacturers, Buick made the right decision in creating the Special as an entry level car. It helped them weather those economic hardship years. One look at the 1938 model seen here and you can see why buyers from that era wanted to step up to a Buick.

The First Mercury

In 1938 Edsel Ford wanted to bridge the gap between its highly successful Ford line and its luxury Lincoln automobiles. Enter the Mercury. As a middle price point marque it was up against the likes of the top tier Oldsmobiles, Dodges and Hudsons as well as the entry level Buicks and DeSotos. Ford thought they could put a huge dent in the buying public for this price point.

The very first Mercury came out in 1938. The Mercury 8 would be the company's only offering, though in various guises, until 1951. The main idea behind the 8, as it was known, was to make a big car economical.

With a wheelbase of 116 inches and an overall length of 196, it certainly qualified as a big car. Powered by the soon to be legendary Ford Flathead V8 engine that pushed 95 horse power, the car could get up to 20 miles per gallon. That, for the time, did make it fairly economical.

The car buying public responded. By the end of the first generation of the 8 in 1940, Mercury had sold over 150,000 of the cars.

In 1941 the 8 saw a substantial number of changes. The most apparent was the body style. The overall design took on a more modern look but much of it went beyond mere aesthetics. Styling was designed to help the car slip more smoothly through the air. And though the car's wheelbase grew to 118 inches, it was still powered by the same 239 cubic inch Fladhead V8. 

Over the eight year run of the second generation there were numerous cosmetic and mechanical changes. Though interrupted by World War II, Mercury managed to produce a number of 8s during the war.

A third generation of 8s appeared in 1949 and showed more substantial changes. The biggest was the fact that the engine was upgraded to 255 cubic inches and punched out more power. While the wheelbase stayed the same the length grew by over five inches.

By the end of 1950 Mercury had decided to move on. The 8 was no more and a new line of cars was introduced. Still, the Mercury 8 was the car that ensured that Mercury, until its ultimate demise in 2011, was a strong player in the mid-range car game.

The first car shown here is a first generation 8 and the second comes from generation two. Both are beautiful examples of what made this car so popular.