We’ve finally made it out of winter and it’s time for some spring cleaning. These pictures are all at least a year old and I simply haven’t tapped into them. So what better way to share in the harvesting of my hard drive than to take a stroll across the midwest and see the bounty from car shows in Kansas, Missouri, and Illinois? Somebody once said “Go west, young man,” so to be contrary let’s start in Kansas and work our way east.
Grab a snack, as this is a power packed trip!
I stumbled upon this small show in Overland Park, one of the many towns comprising the Kansas City area. The quality was very good as you shall see, such as this 1964 Mercury Comet wagon.
Of the cars that follow from this show, this one captured my attention the most. Comets came in two series for 1964, the 202 and the upscale 404 seen here. There were 1,980 Comet 404 wagons made.
Continuing with this international assemblage (yes, if one counts the “House of Denmark” and “Mafia Pizza” stores seen in the background), here is a matched set of 1941 Chevrolet’s. Seeing one is rare enough, let alone two.
Given the scotch tape holding up FDR’s picture, I would hazard a guess this is a reproduction sticker. On the other hand…
…this sticker looks like it could have been placed sometime in the 1940s.
As an entry level product, this shows a level of quality unlikely to be duplicated on low priced cars any time soon. The only hard, black surface is on the pedals, the only place it should be.
It seems like so many of the Edsels one can find are 1959 models. Have all the 1958 models been used up or placed in museums? Even the 1959 models aren’t exactly plentiful with 2,315 Corsair two-door hardtops rolling out of the factory.
The rear treatment is very nice on the ’59, certainly less decadent than the very busy 1958. This Edsel is powered by either the 332 cid (5.4 liter) or 361 cid (6.0 liter) V8. Both were in the new-for-1958 Ford FE engine series.
When you see a light green 1947 Oldsmobile convertible, what color do you think the interior will be?
Red, of course. There is such attention to detail seen here. Art deco had its heyday in the 1930s, but its influence is still evident here. There were 6,528 six-cylinder convertibles and 3,940 eight-cylinder convertibles with Oldsmobile nameplates produced in 1947.
No car show is complete without at least one vintage Cadillac. As Overland Park is an affluent community, a 1958 Eldorado Biarritz convertible seems rather appropriate, does it not?
This Cadillac reminds me of the bulldogs from 1950s Warner-Brothers cartoons; heavy up front and very delicate in the rear. There were only 815 of these made.
To counter the Cadillac, here is a black 1956 Continental Mark II.
Between this and the Cadillac, I’m not sure which I prefer more. It’s a tough call. With 2,550 made in 1956, it is about three times as plentiful as the Cadillac.
The interior definitely is an inviting cocoon.
We shall now leave Kansas, Dorothy. It’s time to head for the land of Truman, Twain, and that talk radio guy (no, I won’t go into politics, but I will say this particular person and I were born in the same hospital). This next round of specimens are samplings from the monthly Jefferson City car shows from 2013; as seen in the recent post about the April 2014 show, there is quite the variety.
Jefferson City is an area heavily populated with persons of German ancestry; we even have the Old Munichburg area downtown. So what better way to start than with a Mercedes?
I have seen this Mercedes driving around town as well as at another show at the state capital building. Going from memory here, it is a 1962 model. Somebody here will know, so please state if I’m in the general neighborhood. This interior is one of the most beautiful I have ever seen.
Since we are talking large, elegant black cars, here is a Packard. Not quite two years ago, I stumbled upon the house this car calls home. Exactly once I saw it going down the street; any muscle car in the loudest screaming shade of red has nothing on the sheer attention grabbing ability of a large, silent Packard.
This interior is immaculate, but is as amazing as that of the Mercedes. I’m not sure of the year, but it appears to be a 1937 to 1939 model. Again, somebody reading this will know.
Let’s continue with our theme of large cars by taking a look at this 1971 Chrysler 300. This area is very Mopar rich; combined with my affinity for them, this is the first of several in a row.
While not of the same caliber as the Mercedes, this interior is quite delightful. It isn’t difficult to see yourself piloting this down a long stretch of highway with its optional 440 cubic inch V8 burbling quietly in the background, is it?
In 1971, the 300 was the next to top series of Chrysler. The Newport and Newport Custom were at the bottom with the New Yorker filling the top slot. This was the last year for the 300–for a while, anyway.
The paint must be smooth as glass to reflect that guy wearing the John Deere hat.
These curves have an intoxicating aura. There were 6,683 four-door hardtop 300s made that year. At 4,270 pounds, it appears heavier than it really is.
Let’s look at another black car.
Dodge had a great thing with the 1955 Custom Royal sedan.
The Custom Royal was the top series in the Dodge lineup. To make things more convoluted, the Custom Royal series also had the availability of a Custom Royal Lancer.
This was the most common Custom Royal, as well as the most common 1955 Dodge, with 55,503 going to happy homes. 1955 was the first year one could get a three-tone paint job on their Dodge.
Enough black! Let’s try a different color.
Does this change things up any? I neither know nor care if this is a color original to the year of manufacture. However, a Panther Pink Dodge Challenger does seem to work for some odd reason.
On the subject of two-door Dodges, here is a red 1968 Charger R/T.
Don’t like the wheels or the color? This pea-soup color is undoubtedly original on this ’68 Charger. These look like the same wheel covers from the Charger used in the movie Bullitt. Seeing original wheels and wheel covers on a Charger of this generation is rare and appreciated.
Here is a shot under the hood. I’m not certain with what engine this is; again, somebody here will know.
Want sporty, but still need to haul the kids around? This 1972 Dodge Dart should do nicely for hauling the kids, if not exactly sporty.
Perhaps it is the color combination, but the stripe doesn’t look too out of place here.
To balance the Dart, here is a 1936 Dodge rumble seat coupe.
Going through my disorganized jumble of pictures, I had totally forgotten about this 1956 Plymouth Fury, one of 4,485 made after its mid-year introduction. This car was not in the car show area, so technically it would qualify for a CC article. Stay tuned, it’s on my ever-growing list of cars to write up.
Sometimes, even at shows, cars will have quite the story to tell. This Pontiac certainly has a memorable story.
Click on the picture to enlarge it. This tells the story better than I can.
Here is the smoke damage the owner mentioned.
This car looks good from any angle. Pontiac made 3,760 of these two-door Safari wagons for the 1955 model year.
This 1967 Pontiac GTO is another car that has a story to tell.
Here is what the owner had to say.
With the ongoing popularity of the GTO, it seems rather hard to believe such a thing happened, doesn’t it? While it is not reflected in these pictures, there were various signs of wear indicating its high degree of originality and complete absence of molestation.
Earlier I mentioned the Old Munichburg section of Jefferson City; the next few pictures were taken there. Some of these cars were too good to overlook, such as this black Studebaker. According to the overexposed picture of the window sticker, the car was purchased new by the current owner’s father from a now defunct Studebaker dealer about a block from where this car was being displayed.
I witnessed this car being driven into the show. I have included it as any Franklin is unusual and this picture gives a great view of its air-cooled engine.
Yes, this car is likely road legal. Historic plates here require a one-time $25 fee; there are no inspections as long as you keep the car licensed.
Parked nearby was this Chevrolet. The Model A next to it is green, while the Chevrolet is black. Since Henry Ford was such a staunch fan of black, and Chevrolet sold due to color availability, this struck me as a terrific role reversal.
No show around here is complete without several Mopar products. Yes, this article is heavily Mopar, but around here you can’t throw a dog without it hitting a Mopar or GM A-body of some variety. This very nice 1969 Dodge Super Bee, based upon the Dodge Coronet series, is thankfully still wearing its original wheels and dog-dish hub caps.
For those who appreciate their cars more sedate, here is a 1987 Dodge Diplomat. The M-Body is a true unsung hero in the hallowed halls of the Chrysler Corporation as it picked up the Dart baton dropped by the Aspen, then carried it through until 1989. These are truly under appreciated automobiles. Having owned two M-bodies, and having a fair number of pictures, I need to write them up. So many ideas, so little time…
That’s the end for the Jefferson City area. Let’s get on US 54, go through Mexico (where every restaurant is a Mexican restaurant), then hit Route 19 to New London, and jaunt up US 61 to “America’s Hometown.”
Hannibal is in the northeast corner of the state and on the banks of the Mississippi River. These pictures were taken the morning of the Curbside Classic meet-up in Iowa City, Iowa, in May 2013.
What’s this? Another Mopar? Yes, it is a 1970 Plymouth, marked as being a Road Runner.
There was also this Dodge Ramcharger. It’s the last Mopar for a little while.
Okay, looking back over these pictures, Ford products have been quite absent. To rectify this, here is a 1960 Ford Starliner.
Many don’t like the 1960 Ford, but I certainly do. It didn’t ape the ’59 Chevrolet so much as perfect it. Your opinion may vary.
There was also a 1993 Ford Thunderbird Super Coupe. Oddly, I know the owner; we used to talk cars after mass when I lived in Hannibal. He also owns a 1970 Thunderbird in the same shade of black.
Speaking of article ideas, I need to start a history of the Ford MN-10, a highly versatile platform that was woefully underutilized by Ford.
Something prompted Paul to buy that 1972 Ford LTD. Well, folks, that something is this particular ’72 LTD. When Paul saw these pictures later that day, he was beside himself. Never have I seen such animation from anyone. Then, nine months later, he buys one. He knows a good thing when he sees it.
Tired of American iron? Here is a 1963 Morgan, one of 433 made that year.
GM was also present with this Oldsmobile 442 convertible, and…
This Buick LeSabre based 1977 Riviera, one of 26,000 made.
Let’s go east to Barry, Illinois, to one last show. These pictures were taken about five years ago. These cars are a bit more, uh, colorful.
Most people obtain gray hair as they grow older. Instead of going gray, I wonder if some of these old E-bodies go pink as they age.
Of course, some women acquire blue hair. Maybe purple is the automotive version of blue hair, like this ’71 Road Runner…
Or this ’69 Daytona (or ’70 Plymouth Super Bird).
They still like to misbehave since Roscoe P. Coltrane arrived in his 1975 Plymouth Fury to cuff ’em and stuff ’em.
On a serious note, this color is intentional; I want to say this is an actual Dodge LaFemme.
Since we started with white, let’s end in white with this 1958 Plymouth.
This has been a long post, but hopefully anyone reading this will have left with visions of driving one of these fine automobiles.
Wow, some great variety at that show.
47 Olds was my Grandfather’s first car. There’s a photo somewhere of Grandma standing in front of the Olds next to a steam engine.
Put me down for the 60 Ford, great choice on the wheels and tires.
Fake Daytona or Super Bird…front end is all wrong!!
I agree. It has a mesh grille on the front like a Daytona. It has has angled headlight doors which are not correct for Daytona nor Superbird, and the overall shape is wrong for either one. Some of the other details suggest that this car started life as a 1970 Charger R/T.
I think BOC is right. The license plate says Dodge so the owner/builder was certainly trying to make a Charger Daytona, which would make it super rare (500 built vs approximately 2500 Plymouth Super Birds). However, in addition to the odd fit of the headlight covers, it doesn’t have the smoothing pieces on the A-pillars, with those instead covered by vinyl. In addition, I don’t think any of the Charger Daytona’s had a vinyl covered roof, whereas ALL the Super Bird’s had vinyl covered roofs.
Too bad you don’t have a photo of this car from the rear. It would show us whether the rear window was smooth or recessed as all the standard Chargers had. That would be pretty definitive.
Those might be Super Bird headlight doors in a Daytona Charger nose cone.
Ooh, ooh, ooh, I want that Comet wagon!!!!!!
Oh no, the Dirty Dart is getting to you. 🙁
Ha ha ha!
Oh no, you’re RIGHT! That little weasel!
OK, to restore any theoretical good taste I had around here, I’ll also take the green ’68 Charger and the Morgan!
I’d take that Comet in an instant too.
A couple of months ago I was trolling Craigslist and came across a 64 Comet Convertible for $900 I was seriously tempted to call and see about bringing it home. The next day the ad was gone. Then a couple of months later I pulled into a high school to set up for one of the FIRST Robotics Competition events. What do I see but that same Comet. One of the students that takes auto shop there, yes they have an auto shop and it is in a school that just opened this fall, had bought it. He had replaced the leaking intake manifold gaskets and it was mostly rust free and all there. I kind of kicked myself for not calling on it at the time but knowing where it went I feel a million times better.
I’m with you on the 60 Ford. For some time now they have become my favorite 60’s Ford.
I’d take that one too, the 60 is my favorite full size Ford from the 60’s too.
I too love that 1960 Ford. Always liked the front end of that model.
This same ’60 crossed my eyesight earlier today; it is powered by what is claimed to be a 427.
When I was a kid, my parents had a ’60 Ford Sunliner. White with red interior and a black convertible top. It had the 292 with a 3 on the tree.
It was a sharp car, looking good in any situation.
Too bad, one day my dad had just gotten into the driver’s seat when someboy side-swiped him driving the driver’s side door up into the fender almost to the front wheel.
He traded the Sunliner on a ’65 Plymouth Sport Fury, so that wasn’t too bad.
Pink E-body Mopars. Gen will be happy!
Lots of nice cars in this set, but I by favourites are the ’58 Caddy, ’57 Continental, and the ’56 Fury. I could dig the ’58 Plymouth Belvedere too, except the hardtops look so much better and those fake wire wheelcovers don’t suit it at all.
The engine in the green Charger is a big block, 383 or 440. I can’t tell any better with the A/C stuff blocking the view of the front of the block.
As for the 56 Fury, the trim treatment on that model is perfection itself. If only the rest of the 55-56 Plymouth line had been so tastefully adorned, instead of being saddled with some of the most awkward 2 tone treatments known to man.
The Charger engine is a 383 4 bbl (4 bbls came with dual snorkel air cleaners) and it has factory air. Very cool. I agree that I like the OE hubcaps but Chargers look lame with the little OE tires in the back, they need big rubber to fill up those wheelwells and huge quarters. I normally hate pink cars but that Challenger with the black stripes and Keystones looks very 70s street machine cool.
As much as I lust over Mopar musclecars and 70s GM barges, that little Comet wagon had me at hello.
Out of curiosity, how can you tell it’s a 383 and not a 440 from that picture? Did the Charger only get the 440 if it was an R/T?
If it was a 440, it would have had a huge decal on the air cleaner saying so. Plus it would have had fender badges bragging “Magnum”.
Yes, only R/Ts came from the factory with 440s. Since that car is very original-looking, I think its safe to say its not an R/T. Also, 383s are low-deck blocks and as a result 383s are just a little shorter and narrower than 440s. The easiest way to tell a B (low deck block 383/400) from an RB (raised block 413/426/440) is a machined pad on the left front of the block near the cylinder head; RBs have them, Bs dont. Those are also non-HP exhaust manifolds that a 440 Magnum would not have. 440s also had un-silenced air cleaners.
Nice shots. I don’t think there is a single one that I would kick out of my garage. I don’t ever recall seeing a 55 Dodge sedan with that kind of 2 tone treatment.
That Studebaker is a 1959 or 60 Lark. I could not tell from the angle if it was a Lark VI (still running the old Champion flathead 6) or a Lark VIII (the Stude 259). I spent a lot of miles in the back seat of a white 60 Lark 2 door much like this one that belonged to a neighbor kid’s mom. It was pretty sharp with its black and red interior.
Edit – the lark is a V8 – I can see the longer nameplate and the upside down oil filter atop the engine, a Stude hallmark.
Four door Fuseys are my fav, along with the ’68 Charger. Great finds.
Why is the Kansas City area so Mopar friendly?
It’s more the central part of the state that is Mopar rich. The number of pre-’93 Dodge pickups still going is staggering. My guess is that the old tightwads in the area knew a good thing when they saw it and spent their money accordingly. It wasn’t until I was preparing this post and the other one last week where I realized the scope of the Mopar love, because I really haven’t taken many pictures of all the Dart’s and Valiant’s I’ve seen. At a show here back in ’96 or ’97 there was a man who had the black ’69 Charger RT/SE he had purchased new- equipped with a moonroof – on display. That was heaven on wheels.
Let me go on record as being another ’60 Starliner fan. And I never knew that Benz ever made a four-door hardtop.
They are a pretty impressive car, only 3000 built in 5 years plus some (4-door) convertibles with a lower tune version of the fuel injected six as featured in the Gullwing. The rear quarter window should roll down too.
Great coverage Jason, an embarrassment of riches and I think I would be choosing between the Mercedes or Packard.
The Franklin is a rarity, note being registered is surely not the same as road legal? As for pink muscle cars I would expect that many spent some time wearing other colors before it became cool again (?)
Each state differs drastically on how antique cars are registered. In Missouri, when I licensed my ’63 Galaxie, it was a matter of showing property tax receipts, the title, insurance card, and handing over $25. I received plates that are good indefinitely but limit me to 1000 pleasure miles annually. Any car licensed as such is exempt from the annual safety inspection (there is no emissions testing where I am). So, yes, the Franklin could be quite road legal for where it is. And, with it being road legal where it is located, it would be road legal in other states, similar to my drivers license being recognized in other states.
Exempt from inspection etc but does that give you freedom to drive without body panels etc. How about brakes… Then there is the damage that is done to public support of the antique car registration scheme.
Of course the car may have been trailered there rather than driven!
Wow what a choice,Panther Pink Mopars,64 Comet wagon (my first American car was a 64 6 cyklinder 202 Comet 4 door sedan),56 Fury,56 Continental,La Femme,Edsel,Starliner some of my favourite American cars.Thanks for a great read
Thank you!
Something told me you would be the pink fan among us, so I included them specifically for you.
Car shows can be such wonderful places once you learn to ignore the inevitable Camaro’s, Mustang’s and muscle cars.
Absolutely love the Franklin – and the owner is probably doing the viewer one hell of a service by not restoring the car. Most people nowadays don’t realize that the Franklin was the last air-cooled American car until the Corvair. And, although I’ve seen a few Franklin’s in my time, I’ve never seen a naked Franklin motor.
Thanks for the post; enjoyed them all!
I saw a green Mopar recently they sure stand out today
So many great cars and so little money and time. Window shopping like this is the next best thing. Thanks for all the work involved in this writeup.
I’d suspect that FDR sticker is not just a reproduction but a recreation. The font just seems too modern, and likely computer-generated even though I can’t quite place it well enough to find the name.
FWIW the re-elect type is Brush Script, and the remainder is several weights of Copperplate. All commonly available on any Mac or PC these days.
Love the the Pontiac Safari- leaving the smoke damage on the tailgate was such a perfect memorial for its near loss.
Aw man, everytime I settled on a ‘best car in article’ another one popped up. Conty II, Adenauer, Chrysler fuselage 300, 60 Starliner and purple Road Runner. Have them all fuelled and waiting in the driveway in an hour, please. I can’t yet decide what to drive today.
Note the green 1978-83 GM A-/G-body station wagon next to the ’71 Chrysler 300. I actually didn’t notice it in the first picture — it caught my attention via the reflection of its bumper-mounted taillight in the chrome of the 300’s right rear corner.
nice cars you’ve posted, I’m kind of surprised the Dodge Dart was a 1972 model because judging by the bumpers I’ve expected it to be a 1973 or later model.
Terrific show and terrific picks from the show to bring to us. Thanks!
In the mid 1960’s my father had a Mercedes just like that , he bought it for ‘ my Mother ‘.
Some time later he was driving it to Maine for an illicit weekend with his GF when the engine seized up because he didn’t bother to check the oil……..
The GF wound up being his second wife , poor girl , she was actually pretty nice .
The ’60 & ’61 Ford full sizes were a drug on the market new or used no one wanted them .
My self , I like the 1962 models and have owned a few .
-Nate
Nice selection. That Mercedes interior really knocks me out. The inner workings of the Franklin are a rare sight, You are lucky to have been able to see it in action. Thanks for showing the mostly non mainstream examples, I’m even beginning to come around on the ‘flat puppy’ 60 Ford.
Really enjoyed! Thanks for the concentration on the less seen cars. That 71 300 really speaks to me!
That 1987 Diplomat is very nice and very well optioned. Having owned a 1987 Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme sedan with V8, if I had new car money in 1987 I would have had a hard time choosing between the two.
Well, I must mention the 1947 Olds convertible simply because I once saw an original-paint 1965 Chrysler station wagon in that same color combination except that the paint was metallic. Maybe the owner was nostalgic for his late 40’s ragtop when he specced out his Chrysler wagon….
I’m another one who’s always liked the 1960 Ford, especially the Starliner whose smoothly curved top is reminiscent of the 1957-59 Plymouth 2-door hardtops and the 1956 Lincoln as well.
This was a great assortment of cars. Thanks for putting together this piece for us!
Looking forward to reading that article on the Diplomat and its cousins. I don’t remember seeing any Diplomats in that beautiful color (or with those hubcaps). I loved those cars, but I don’t see how anyone too young could have bought one then, they looked ancient! It makes me chuckle when I see a picture of one with an air bag (hideous)!
Some inspiration if needed!
Some really cool cars here! The ramcharger and the blue roadrunner would be my picks! The RR looks spot on as it is. The RC needs some decent wheels QUICK. Tires that are more CUV oriented and ugly teardrop style wheels don’t do that rig justice. That pea green charger would look dead on with the wheels/tires pinched from the ’60 Ford. The bumblebee stripe and rally wheels on the grey dart give a car that would otherwise be pretty dowdy some much needed attitude.
Because someone must always point this out, the Continental Mark II is not a Lincoln — it was the product of Ford’s short-lived Continental Division.
Correct you are; I just updated the text.
The 90s T-birds, Cougars, and Lincoln Mark VIIIs were built on the MN-12 platform, not the MN-10. And yes, you are right, this platform was comically underutilized by FoMoCo.
I purchased a 97 Bird new and it was the best car I’ve ever owned. I stupidly wrecked it about 10 years ago, and I have rued that sad day ever since. I replaced it with another 97 Bird a lady was selling so she could get a new Pontiac, but I’m not able to drive anymore. With the Modular V-8, it was a smooth riding and very comfortable car.