Welcome to another sunny California Saturday morning at the monthly Palos Verdes Peninsula Car Show. Since I’m posting this in mid-February, I know many of you haven’t visited any car shows in four or five months. While I sympathize with your plight, here on the peninsula we attend car shows all year round.
But enough bragging- Let’s look at some cars! This 1984-85 Celica GTS Convertible is just old enough to qualify as a Curbside Classic, but the sunlight and pastoral backdrop really set off that red body. In addition, it seems appropriate to share a top down convertible with my snowbound friends back East.
For some reason, I ended up with a bunch of cars from the Pre-Dave era (1960 and older). I’ve photographed this show three times now, and discovered that parking choices and available lighting often determine my article content, so things are what they are. However, since my knowledge of these cars is pretty thin, I’ll present them to you in chronological order, and provide my subjective impressions without much technical detail.
That approach places makes this 1939 Chevy sedan the first offering. While it’s the senior car in today’s posting, it also may be the prettiest picture. It’s a little heavy on accessory lighting, but I do like the color.
Jumping into the postwar era, this ’47 Chevy convertible also brings a pleasant hue to the proceedings. My Grandpa Skinner was a Ford man, but I think he may have harbored a little Chevy lust when this model first arrived on the scene- I know it gives me a little burning desire.
This ’51 or ’52 Dodge Business Coupe is also a red two door, but that’s where any comparison to our ’47 Chevy ends. I’m a huge fan of Walter P. Chrysler, but it’s shocking how quickly the company lost it’s way after World War II. I understand these early fifties Dodges were well built and reliable, but I’m sorry, that’s just not enough. Ughhh!
Based on the one piece glass windows on this Mercedes 300, it was built between 1951 and 1954 (later years had vent windows on the front and rear door glass). If you’re looking for an example of a well built, reliable, solid, and desirable car, I think this four door convertible delivers the goods. Something about this car also gives me a serious Neidermeyer vibe- Let’s see if Paul weighs in on it.
(I also wanted to get a shot of that “Pagoda” SL Mercedes on the left, but as you can see it was buried in the shadows, and masked by a car on the other side. I’ll try to get a picture of it next time, but no promises.)
I’m also liking this! A Dodge that does not taint the memory of Walter P., this ’56 four door sedan lacks the “cool” of a two door hardtop, but it’s a head and shoulders improvement over that ’52 business coupe. As I recall, this was also the last well-built Dodge for a couple of years, since the “Suddenly it’s 1960” rust-tastic model came out in 1957.
Speaking of ’57, here’s a Pontiac Star Chief Custom Safari wagon, which shared a body shell with the Chevy Nomad. According to Wikipedia, Pontiac only sold 1,292 of these two-door wagons.
Since this wagon is so rare, I thought I’d provide you with two pictures. It also has the typical late fifties chrome detailing, so this second shot gives you a chance to take it all in. I’m guessing the paint isn’t original, but I like it. The aftermarket wheels? Um, no.
I also took two shots of this fuselage era Chrysler Newport. Southern California does not seem to be Chrysler country, so it’s rare I get picture of such a nice Mopar. Based on the grille this is a ’72, the last year of the fuselage styling. That’s a shame, as I find the styling of the ’73 Chryslers far less interesting, and far more derivative.
Note- JPC informs me that ’73 was the last year for fuselage styling. He’s correct, but that does not change my criticism of the ’73’s squared off front end.
Since I captured this boat sliding into it’s slip, you can really take in that jet age styling. I hope our younger readers can get a better idea of the size of these full sized coupes from the end of the domestic domination era. While it appears that trunk can hold eight bodies, I’m not sure the short cabin allows anyone in the back seat, despite the six passenger rating. 
Some of you may recall that I posted a ’72 Camaro Z-28 RS several weeks ago. I saw this same car at the show, but the sun wrecked my shots. No problem, my article provided this image. If you want to see the rest, click this handy link.
This yellow F-Body was also at the show. Once again, the sun didn’t do my camera any favors, but it’s the best I have. Notice the split bumpers on this car- While ’70 to ’73 Camaro’s are pretty common, they didn’t really build very many with this RS appearance package.
Although it seems all the ones they built ended up here in Palos Verdes. Yes Virginia, there was a third RS Camaro at the show.
A bright sunny day and three second generation RS Camaros- We truly suffer from an embarrassment of riches here in Southern California.
An embarrassment of riches that also includes this Brougham-i-fied Mercury Cougar. I’m no fan of dealer installed vinyl roofs, but since it covers up that awful upside down B-pillar glass, I’m going to give it my blessing.
With this Cougar “convertible”, we have come full circle back to the late eighties, so let’s wrap it up until next time.
By the way, if you want a better look at that red Gull Wing in the background, I posted pictures back in my first Palos Verdes car show article, available here. TTFN!
Nice to see another 56 Mopar fan,I love the 2 tone paint.The Pontiac Safari is a real looker too,never seen one in the metal despite many years attending car shows.
I’ve seen exactly one. It was about 15 years ago, at a large show here in Massachusetts. IIRC, it was in somewhat rough condition but more-or-less complete. It was for sale, but I don’t remember how much it was.
Big bucks even for a rough one,out of my price range a long time ago.An attractive and interesting wagon overshadowed by the Chevy Nomad.
As cool as that Newport is, it represents the exact era when American car companies just completely lost their way.
In 1974, GM, Ford & Chrysler really were making some ugly, bloated cars. No innovations like cars experienced in the ’60s. Truly an era of mistakes.
I’d say the author gets it right. The last fuselage cars were the tail end of a glorious era.
The domestics “lost their way” in some respects around the ’73 model year (so, by design cycle, sometime in ’70-’71), but it was not a lost decade. There were a lot of innovations made in the mid-to-late 70s that really didn’t bear fruit until later.
It was an unpleasant but necessary era.
Love the side shot on the Newport, by the way. Fuselage coupes are great, but the sedans also carry the size and styling with relative aplomb.
Nice 1969 Barracuda in the first picture, I like the color.
That Barracuda is a total restomod-
The engine bay contains a current Chrysler Hemi complete with factory fuel injection. Next time I see it, I’ll take some pictures. The engine installation is very sanitary, with a factory look.
That’s a drastic carb to efi conversion. Would be nice to see more of it.
I would like to see that.
+1 more 60s Barracudas please
That color looks like it may be ‘Turbine Bronze’.
I dig the same era Red 1st gen MR2 behind the Celica in opening shot. I wonder if we will start seeing these cars going for Capt. Insaino prices at the auction block in another 15-20yrs as Gen X & Y start nostalgia buying
I’m drooling at the ’47 Buick behind the Newport.
OK, Dave, the sun is out here in Indiana today so I won’t take your weather-gloating so seriously. 🙂
Love that 56 Dodge, really cool to see a 2 tone green (or is it a 3 tone with a black roof?) sedan. Probably a nice original. I also love the flathead Dodge business coupe, though I wish someone had painted it something other than resale red.
Believe it or not, that 57 Pontiac Safari was not the most expensive wagon Pontiac made that year – the four door version (also called the Transcontinental) cost even more, though it did sell a bit better.
Finally, I love that 72 Newport. My car-mentor Howard had a black one just like this, only with no vinyl roof. He occasionally swapped the white letter T/A radials mounted on slotted aluminum wheels onto the Chrysler from his Dodge van, and lemme tellya, that Newport looked positively sinister. The car was fairly roomy in the back seat, once you twisted your way back there. One nit, the 73 was actually the final fuselage body (albeit with a blockier front end).
I like the ’56 Dodge, partly because it has the first inklings of tail fins. My dad’s first two cars were ’56 Dodges.
The Newport brings back memories of a ’72 New Yorker that passed between several members of my family over the years. It was a 4-door hardtop, black with gold interior and no vinyl roof, which was a good looking colour combination. My dad’s cousin eventually gave it to my dad. He wasn’t sure what to do with it, and wound-up selling it to one of my cousins. My dad helped him whip it back into shape before he put it into service as his DD, so it spent quite awhile lingering around our house.
Awful upside down B pillar glass? Whatever. 87/88 Cougars are the best looking Cougars since the 67/68s in my book.
To my mind, that’s damning with faint praise. 😉
However, I will concede the 87/88 B-pillar glass was no worse than the 83/86 models.
Triangular (inverted) quarter windows. If they slanted the back window,, It would have been a Thunderbird. I always thought the column shifter with buckets on these twins, sorta make them less sporty.
Never seen one in the flesh, but I liked the funky side windows and formal backlight on these. The vinyl roof looks odd on the aero style door tops!
To each their own I guess, upswept windows are truly love hate objects but I always thought it was brilliant with the formal roofline. If it weren’t for the upsweep they would have ended up looking like a 6th generation Riviera clone(particularly the 83-86)
Always liked Sajeev Mehta’s 88 XR7. He posted this on TCCoA several years ago and I’ve had it saved to my computer ever since…
Great shots. Love the MB 300, the Fuselage and the black Buick sitting next to it.
Love that Celica! I recall several in the high school parking lot when new, seems like all the girls got one for their 16th…Not many left in that kind of shape though.
I guess I’ll throw another compliment for the ’56 Dodge. Really nice.
I love the body style of the ’39 Chevy, regardless of make.
That Mercedes is impressive. I wish they still made 4 door convertibles from the factory 🙂
The ’57 Pontiac Safari is awesome! Forgot about those. Kinda prefer it over the more common Nomad. The front end is really nice.
The color is also nice, but a more lively period color two-tone would make it stand out.
Were there other versions of the Nomad from Oldsmobile or Buick?
Is that a DB5 next to the last green Camaro?
Don’t see many Aston Martins of that vintage in the wild, specially not DB5s.
Some more pics would be cool.
One of the kids in my high school had a 1947 Chevy convertible that was a dead ringer for the one pictured here. It had just been thoroughly gone through when he got it, and looked as good.
What’s the 1932 car with the great Cal plate and “repeal prohibition” topper on the right of the 57 Safari?
It’s a lovely Chrysler I posted last month. You can see it using this link:
Last month’s PV Show
Random Thought Dept.
The green RS is so incredibly beautiful to me and just blows everything else away. Ironically its yellow cousin screams Billy-Bob like most “owner-enhanced” comerios do..
The blue really looks good on that Newport, wow!
I wonder how that Bullitt clone was ordered originally. The ’67-’68 FB Mustang my “ultimate” Mustang.
Yes, two door fuselage bodied Chryslers had plenty of rear seat room. I was one of six kids in the back seat of my Uncle Al’s 71 Newport Custom back in the day!