If These Top 20 1950's Cars/Trucks Could Talk - "We think we are the best - what do you think?"

hello and welcome to another episode of if this car could talk today we're trying something new we're trying a new feature that we're calling the top 20. the beauty of devising top 20 lists are that the topics are endless my personal favorite era is American cars of the 1950s after the Korean war ended nearly 10 years since the conclusion of World War II and our country's potential for technological innovation and optimism expressed by consumers led to many wonderful Automotive Creations many of them from the smaller independent makes so without further Ado here's the list I came up with after much personal deliberation it's in no particular order and is only my personal opinion there are at least a dozen cars that didn't make the final cut for one reason or another let me know in the comments which car I might have missed what you agree or disagree with and subjects for future top 20 lists if this is a popular feature we'll do it more often it was really fun to think back on all of the wonderful cars I've seen in person over the years and how I felt when seeing them up close and from every imaginable angle a great design still stirs something inside of me I purposely only considered cars that I have actually seen at some point in my life and were readily available to the American Consumer so no one-off dream cars or Ferraris were considered although they're also beautiful in their own right I also didn't take drivability braking and handling into consideration no on my list it's all about style and the cool Factor so let's get started [Music] number 20. 1956 57 Continental Mark II in 1956 Ford created a new division that was intent on designing and building some of the finest Motor Cars available for a small handful of very discriminating customers each engine was hand built after tolerances were checked over and over same with the Transmissions the paint was color sanded between multiple coats and the wheel covers were assembled by hand to ensure Perfection then each car was taken to the test track and run through its Paces the drive trains were then removed disassembled rechecked and reassembled before being placed in an enclosed rail car and covered with a soft fleece car cover before reaching its final destination these cars were priced at over ten thousand dollars each and it said Ford lost money on each one clients included Frank Sinatra and Elvis Presley among some of the country's other wealthiest people the Continental division continued to build the Mark III the mark IV and the Mark V from 1958 to 60 respectively the design on these cars are so Timeless and classy that mere words cannot describe what I feel whenever I see one considering the years they were built and where the rest of the industry was heading this design is ultra conservative just like the Chrysler 300 cars of the same era number 19. Jeep CJ5 the Beloved Jeep first produced by Willie's Overland and then in conjunction with Ford during the years of World War II is to this day one of the most recognized and popular brands the world has ever known they played a key role in ensuring an Allied Victory and became endeared in the hearts of countless people that saw and used them during this time the designation CJ was first used on the cj1 model built in 1944. they were made for the growing civilian Market mainly Farmers ranchers and outdoor enthusiasts that loved them when they first used them while in the service the first CJs were created by quick modifications of a standard military model Willis added a tailgate put in lower gearing a draw bar and a civilian style canvas top the first CJs proved to be very popular especially after the war ended and civilian vehicle demand increased tremendously the CJ-5 was influenced by new corporate owner Kaiser and the Korean War m38a1 Jeep it was intended to replace the cj-3b but that model continued its production throughout the years Jeeps have evolved and continue to be the vehicle of choice for millions of Jeep lovers number 18. 1953 Buick Roadmaster Skylark this car is exceedingly beautiful it was a new body style and its design at first glance seems typical of the early 1950s cars from General Motors but when really diving into all of the nuances seen from nearly every angle both inside and out it becomes obvious that this car is truly one of GM's masterpieces it was one of a trio of three specialty convertibles produced in 1953 by GM the other two being the OLS 98 Fiesta and the Cadillac series 62 El Dorado the Skylark featured open wheel wells a drastically lowered Belt Line a four inch chop from the standard roadmaster's windshield the absence of ventaports and a new sweep spear that anticipated Buick's 1954 styling Kelsey Hayes wire wheels and a solid boot cover were both standard it was certainly one of the more expensive cars available that year at about five thousand dollars so only one thousand six hundred ninety units were produced Roadmaster production continued into 1954 but they were now based on the new and larger sea body design I personally prefer the 53 and I think the overall design of it is a bit more conservative than the following year number 17 1955-57 Ford Thunderbird Ford responded to Chevrolet's Corvette almost immediately when they began designing the Thunderbird for its 1955 debut even if the car wasn't so iconic just the name alone could qualify it for many lists the first T-Birds weren't performance oriented just like the first Corvettes weren't either but in three years the Thunderbird was a car that could be ordered as a personal luxury vehicle or it could be optioned as an all-out performer in 1957 the standard engine was the 312 four barrel now known throughout various Ford Model lines as the Thunderbird special next up was the 312 with dual quads and then finally a 312 equipped from the factory with a McCulloch supercharger along with a long list of auctions colors and trim choices people were finally able to have a sporty two-seater convertible built to each person's preferences these cards are still seen at nearly every car show and auction because of their continued popularity number 16. 1957-58 Oldsmobile with the J2 rocket engines they produced 305 horsepower and were available in all models by the late 50s multiple carbs and even fuel injection was becoming more and more available on domestic offerings although many were problematic introduced in the middle of the 1957 model year the J2 golden rocket had three two-barrel carburetors with a vacuum operated linkage I must confess that I've always been fascinated with multiple carbs and the concept of running on one carburetor until you need more power push that gas pedal down and you instantly get a lot more fuel to the engine great in theory but not so much in real life many factors affected the tuning and performance of multi-carb setups but oh they look so cool the 1957 and 58 Oldsmobiles were Worlds Apart in appearance from one another but if I had to pick one I guess I probably prefer the looks of the 57 because of the more conservative use of trim as compared to the 58. now for typical late 50s over-the-top Chrome and exciting colors that 58 is hard to beat this one's a toss-up for me which do you prefer and why number 15 1957-58 Mercury Turnpike Cruiser again the name alone should qualify it for any list of best 50s cards right Ford wanted buyers to associate this car with long road trip travels over many of the nation's newest Turnpike highways it'd be hard to find a roomier car that would be more comfortable for the whole family when on these extended tours than this car it was offered in several body styles and for only two years 1958 was the first year for the 368 cubic inch Turnpike engine option which was now available on all other Mercury models offered in Many Colors both inside and out plus a huge list of options made every new car a potential one-of-one creation my favorite styling cue has to be those antennas above both top side corners of the windshield absolutely gorgeous number 14. 1957 Studebaker Golden Hawk yeah independent makes Studebaker was beginning to see the riding on the wall the kind of writing that says you're in trouble but until that fateful day nearly a decade later they built some of the most memorable cars ever including the Lark and the Avanti in 1956 after a merger with Packard Studebaker equipped some of their cars with a 352 cubic inch Packard V8 but it was heavy and not very efficient so performance suffered for 1957 the Golden Hawk would have more ornamentation more pronounced fins and a Studebaker built 289 cubic inch V8 that came equipped with a Paxton Supercharger now we're talking available in several strikingly complementary colors in both single and two-tone the right colors really make them shine it exemplified what a proper 50s car should look like although the 1957 models looked fresh it was actually based on the totally new 1953 Coupe and hardtop models Studebakers saved money by using some clever sheet metal and trim updates that carried on through all of the various Hawk series until the end of the GT hawk in 1964. this Golden Hawk is a one of a kind handsome presentation from a larger independent manufacturer that still turns heads today number 13. any of the forward look Chrysler products prior to Virgil exner being hired at Chrysler to begin designing the 1955 models a few years earlier Mr exner brought a breath of fresh air to the number three automaker from what had mostly been lackluster designs since the end of World War II as a matter of fact he brought so much excitement to the showroom floors all over the country that their sales nearly doubled that first year exner's Reign lasted until the end of the 1963 models his Design Concepts were single-handedly credited with changing American automotive design for nearly two decades my favorite It's gotta be the stunning 1957 De Soto Adventurer convertible hemi-powered is standard of course really any of them look great in our garage I think I'm drooling number 12 1958 Chevrolet Impala the Impala debuted this year and was worlds apart from its immediate predecessor now having quad headlamps and the new optional 348 cubic inch engine with multiple carburation or even a fuel injected small block engine they had softer angles and what I think was more carefully thought out trim and ornamentation placement than the 1957 models plus that iconic steering wheel that's a masterpiece of design all by itself you could see the influence of the jet age in many of its styling cues the following year would also change dramatically so the full-size 58 Chevy is really a one-off car absolutely beautiful from all angles many color choices and interior trim options and better performance I prefer the look of the hard top although a convertible would look especially nice in our garage what's not to love number 11. 1957-59 Ford Fairlane Skyliner also known colloquially as their retractable hardtop this car lasted for three model years and was a highly technical series of Motors switches and relays that moved the solid hardtop into the trunk and then concealed it so it appears the car is a convertible extremely complicated even by today's standards but when working properly it's a truly magical site to see that top moving through its various functions no other car had a feature like it it made the cars very expensive resulting in sales over that time to just 48 394 cars my favorite gotta be the 57 with either a 312 dual quad engine or a 312 with a McCulloch supercharger I'll take mine in black with a contrasting interior oh I wish number 10. 1955-57 Chevrolet Cameo pickup when the mid-50s rolled around and people were buying trucks as not only utility vehicles but personal Transportation the manufacturers took notice and styled trucks as handsomely as their cars in my opinion the most beautiful of all was the first series of the Cameo truck essentially a standard Stepside Pickup with a bolt-on fiberglass quarter panel and a longer steel tailgate to transform it from an already good looking truck into something altogether different even though the Cameo carried on for two more years into the Next Generation I prefer the look of the earlier version probably because of the headlight and Grille configuration class and style in a utility truck simply stunning number nine fifty 51 Ford and Mercury station wagons more commonly referred to as a woody these cards would be the most recognized two-door Woodies of any era in 1949 the Ford Motor Company began building these iconic cars with real wood as a fascia over a steel substructure earlier examples used wood for both the substructure and the fascia wood-bodied cars were falling out of favor because of the high degree of maintenance required for the wood so later cars of all makes generally used wood decals these remain popular through the early 1990s my favorite well if you know me you also know that I have a very very bad weakness for classic mercs so mine would be the 1950 version beautiful front-end styling and an equally striking dashboard and steering wheel Oh Be Still My Foolish Heart number eight 1959 Cadillac if you wanted to look up a picture of excessive over-the-top styling you could understandably stop when you got to an image of the 1959 Cadillac in all flavors these fins were gargantuan and really epitomized late 50s Automotive styling but that's what's great about it by themselves those rear fins could be deemed as too much but when taking the entire car and all of its individual styling elements into consideration it somehow works make mine Wood Rose metallic with a black leather interior and matching top sorry I know pink is Iconic but my color choice is so classy number seven 1951-53 Kaiser dragon or Manhattan Kaiser was a short-lived company started after World War II in 1947 by shipbuilding magnet Henry J Kaiser while it's true they built several memorable products the fierce competition in the industry drove them out of business in 1954. my favorite cars are the dragon and the Manhattan both in two or four-door body styles however the dragon was not produced in 1952. but it's the distinctive roof and Greenhouse design that catches my eye every time I see one and that's not often I wanted to propose the Kaiser Darren but it was very expensive and only 435 were ever built for one year in 1954. however it was the second fiberglass American car behind the Corvette to this day they still have a Timeless design the doors slide back into the body and that was a revolutionary design idea but to me the distinctive styling of the Dragon in Manhattan is a bold statement made by one of the smaller Independents still left after the war number six 1955 Chrysler C300 considering what most other cars were evolving into the first of the 300 letter series cars were quite reserved but that conservative styling brought us one of the most strikingly beautiful cars to ever grace the American Road by 1956 the 300b looked similar but upon close inspection had many subtle differences for me the 55 is the clear winner considering that Virgil exner along with Robert McGregor Roger designed this breathtaking personal luxury car at the same time he was doing his forward look cars the contrast is quite noteworthy these cars are Simply Beautiful from any angle I doubt that any designer with any credibility today could suggest altering even one component to look better than what it was originally designed because everything is perfect as intended to put one of these in your garage is going to cost you plenty especially if it's fully restored and a desirable color combination but I'll take mine in Embassy gray and I'll be one happy guy number five 1955-57 Chevrolet well no list of classic 50s American cars would have any credibility at all if it didn't include what is arguably the most popular car Series in post-war collectible automobiles and that would be the mid-50s Chevrolet Passenger cars it doesn't matter the year the series the body style the color combination people just love these cars just look at the lines and you'll see why blessed with a huge aftermarket supply of parts for both restoration and serious modification the tri-5 as it's now commonly known amongst enthusiasts is certainly legendary entire bodies are now being produced in steel and shows across the country are dedicated to the faithful my personal favorite is the 56 Nomad or Sedan Delivery I love the design of the rear wheel openings compared to the 55 nomad however the 55 Sedan Delivery yeah works too the 57 is also a beautiful car but I prefer the front end and taillights of the 56 the most if any car on this list will generate more comments than this one I'd be very surprised number four 1955-57 Pontiac Star Chief Safari yes friends if you know me then you also know that classic Pontiacs are a particular weakness for me I'm also a long Rook guy so put all that together and it's inevitable that this car would be on the list if you didn't know the Pontiac Safari used the greenhouse and tailiate with the trim bars directly from the Chevy Nomad this Poncho has a Trim Design that lends itself to stunning two-tone color combinations I don't have a preference from one year or another it'd be fine with me if any of these three would end up in my garage you rarely see them but they sure attract a crowd when one turns up at a show or a cruise although I really like the nomads there's something about an orphan brand that seems especially cool like a now gone part of Automotive History is preserved for future Generations although the same could be said for any of the cars from current makes that have long ago ceased production my favorite part on these Pontiacs for those years are the two Chrome strips that run across the outer edges of the hood hard to beat those don't you think number three 1958 Edsel the Edsel is now finally gaining the respect it should have had all along amongst the history of the automobile some recent auction sales show this to be true all in Ford lost about 250 million dollars on this program Ford conducted extensive research a few years prior to launching the Edsel its debut was one of the most expensive in history look it up on YouTube it's fascinating management believed that a market existed between their low priced Ford line and their medium-priced Mercury line they cited GM as an example of different cars for different price tiers and social status could keep a customer loyal to GM for a lifetime edsels came in 5 series the shorter wheelbase Ranger and Pacer series which were based on the Fords and powered by a 361 cubic inch engine and the larger Corsair and citation series based on the Mercury and powered by a 410 cubic inch m e l based power plant additionally Edsel offered three wagons the two-door Roundup the Villager and the top of the line Bermuda the last two were available as both six and nine passenger versions and were built on the Ford Chassis in 1958 every Edsel was equipped with a V8 engine and available in Many Colors color combinations interior trim and options the so-called horse collar Grille is certainly iconic and I just love the taillights on the wagons I had a nine passenger Bermuda in a pink and white paint Scheme and that would still be my choice today number two the C1 Corvettes putting these on the list is a no-brainer which one is your favorite and why the early cars had production problems and were only available with a six-cylinder engine but in 1955 those issues were resolved and now there was a V8 under the hood by 1957 these cars had multiple carburation or even fuel injection some even had four speeds my favorite cars from the C1 era are the 58 to 62 models I just love those front ends with the quad headlights and the coves look so cool painted a contrasting and complementary color dashboards and steering wheels are also Ultra Cool and a car that sits right with the perfect color combination which in my opinion is black with silver coves and a red interior stops me in my tracks whenever I encounter wanted to show no wonder the Corvette is still produced today and is known as America's sports car God bless the Corvette number one 1955-56 Ford passenger cars my first collector car nearly 40 years ago was a Buckskin Brown 55 Crown Victoria glass top known as a Skyliner I think the amount of chrome and the color choices available both of these years really make for some breathtakingly gorgeous cars whether it's a Crown Vic a Sunliner a two or four-door hardtop or even a wagon the side moldings seem as if they were specifically designed for two and even three tone collar combinations as I stated earlier about the Chrysler c355 not one element of this Perfect Design could be improved upon even after all these years maybe 1955 was the most magical year in the 50s what do you think in my opinion I prefer the 56 models I like the grill and park lamp design just a bit better and I prefer the dashboard design and steering wheel more than the 55. I also think the Victoria hardtop has a more attractive roof line that here in 56 Ford also offered a deluxe version of their two-door wagon calling it Park Lane to compete with the Nomad and the Safari will make mine a coral and black 56 Sunliner convertible loaded with options and I'll be eternally grateful well that's my list of my all-time favorite American cars from the 1950s what cars did you think I missed and why which cards did I mention that you agree with let me know in the comments but please be kind remember these are my favorites and it's just my opinion but I'd like to know what you guys think next week join us again as we bring you another fun video if you love classic and special interest cars you won't want to miss it thanks for watching

Channel: If This Car Could Talk

Views: 416,607

Keywords: Car stories, classic cars, car collection, automobiles, auto, vehicles, muscle cars, car show, classic muscle cars, car vlogs, car restoration, amazing cars, coupe, sports car, drive with me, car tour, dream car, car history, history of cars, automobile, automotive, car review, car review channel, top cars, classic car show, classic car, best cars, if this car could talk, 1950, 1951, 1952, 1953, 1954, 1955, 1956, 1957, 1958, 1959, ford, mercury, dodge, chrysler, desoto, studebaker, corvette, jeep

Id: YSR0PY2bej8

Length: 28min 0sec (1680 seconds)

Published: Sun Oct 16 2022