(First Posted August 10, 2013) If one looks around, it is easy to spot any number of awesome manmade contrasts around them. How about a fitness facility next door to a funeral home? Or, a church next door to a tatoo parlor?
Such a contrast could be found at the Mother’s Day car show in Hannibal. Yet these three also have some commonality as well as only a few degrees of separation. Yes, you are looking at a Cadillac, an AMX, and a Messerschmitt!
Let’s start with the Cadillac. Built in the ’50’s, it was the height of automotive aspiration for many in the United States.
From any angle, it is a lot of car with chrome, dagmars, and fins galore.
Then we have the AMX, the ultimate in AMC’s performance car heritage (full history here). While it looks a bit juiced up in appearance, it still sports its original looking tri-tone paint.
This is a truly attractive car and belies its diminutive 97″ wheelbase. Do the similarities start to emerge?
Lastly we have this Messerschmitt – it’s not much bigger than a minute. With this being the first one I had ever seen, it was a captivating machine.
Due to its being less common than the other two, here are some specifics.
Here’s a rear view for better insight into its size.
Looking at this further, I see as many similarities as dissimilarities. The degree of separation isn’t quite as colorful as you might think.
What do you see?
Ya know…I was riding through the University district of my town…and I could have SWORN that Messerschimitt was parked outside a bar!
No, really. Looked like an Isetta – rare enough – but seemed way too small. Traffic being heavy, and the Sobriety Patrol being out
(I wasn’t partaking but once you’re stopped, odds are you’ll get a ticket, especially on a cycle)
…I couldn’t round back to look.
Oh, well. Could very well have been an Isetta; which is something never seen here, either. Can’t imagine using one to go out drinking in college bars…but there it was.
Your mention of two different facilities sharing the same building brought to mind this sign we saw in Seaside, Oregon last year.
Could I have a bridge and bottle of Vat 69?
Thanks
I’ll take the Caddy, I’ve never seen a real tri-tone red, white and blue AMX, I have seen a Messer before, if people didn’t want such crazy money for one, it would make a neat little car to drive to the store and back for beer and smokes.
Cool collection I dont reckon Ive ever seen a cabinroller in traffic parked on display yep but not out in the herd, Caddies I see lots of mostly recent imports but there are 60s Limos working nearby fully inspected and legal with PSV stickers. AMXs not enough about now only 2 Ive seen recently were at a show, Nice 38 Ford in the background too, theres a 55 Chev a Chevelle a Bronco yegods the place is alive with CCs.
I believe that is a Dodge Ramcharger in the background.
I always thought that color scheme on AMXs/Javelins was cool in the same way Panther Pink was cool on the Mopars. They look awesome but I wouldn’t actually want to be seen in one.
I don’t mind the hopped up look of that AMX but I wish it had different wheels, maybe polished Ansen Sprints or something more period correct. Regardless, that’s my Favorite of the trio. 58s aren’t my favorite of Cadillac designs and the Messerschmitt, while cute and novel is about the most useless toy I can imagine. You’d be better off on a bike(as in bicycle) other than not having a covered roof if it rains, which would still be no less harrowing in that.
That Messerschmitt gets around! I’ve seen it at the Coralville, IA and Geneseo, IL car shows, and even at a show right here in Rock Island. Here’s a closer look at the engine. Yes, they actually had a spare tire, too.
The Messerschmidt next to the AMC is great placement, it resembles something AMC would come out with, styling and all! That Caddy is gorgeous, I bet it’s a dream to drive.
What all three of them have in common is a certain exuberance of design. These are not cookie-cutter cars. The in-your-face paint job on the AMX, the angry-shark styling of the Caddy and the “take that, SAAB” aircraft styling of the Messer all insist that you notice and remember these cars. I’m not sure which one is my favorite. If I was Jay Leno, I think I’d take all three.
I see this and I want to tie all of these to the present day equivalent products.
The Escalade is probably spiritually the closest to the Caddys of the 50s.
I see the VW XL 1 as the current day hi dollar exotic materials re-imagining of the European super efficient small foot print car.
The AMC is a bit more difficult to find a current equivalent for. The paint job invokes the over the top boy racer styling of a Mitsu Evo or Subaru STi I sort of want to say the Toyobaru FT86 but its not domestic; no one else makes a RWD car at that size and price point anymore.
I get all warm and fuzzy looking at that AMX!
I don’t mind the Centerlines on the AMX, it looks like it might have back in the mid-70’s. Looks absolutely period correct, to me.
It would be quite the collection if the same guy owned all 3!
Just the idea of a Mother’s Day car show fits your criteria of unexpected pairings, at least to me. But I suppose it kind of works in a “get the hell outta the house so I can have a couple of hours of chocolate and Hallmark movies” kind of way. 🙂
The 58 Cadillac – I am a fan, full stop. Although I tend to prefer the 4 doors or convertibles of this style.
I think I like the AMX more in concept than I would in real life. I really want to like AMC cars of this era. I guess my problem is that they are too quirky to be normal cars and too normal to be quirky cars. Chrysler made better normal cars and Studebaker made better quirky cars. So there is my sad problem.
Messerschmidt. I would want this just to tell people that I own a Messerschmidt.
Maybe Hannibal counterbalances the Mother’s Day Car Show by offering a Father’s Day Flower Show?
That’s a good point about American Motors. The new management team was in such a hurry to run away from the Rambler that they overcompensated in self-defeating ways. The AMX was supposed to change the company’s image, but to what end?
The AMX didn’t do anything well. The lopsided weight distribution undercut the car’s handling and braking. The lack of even a marginal rear seat limited the AMX’s use as a daily driver. Meanwhile, the styling didn’t have the panache of a typical two-seater. To my eyes the first-generation Javelin had much better proportions.
The AMX might have sold better with a bit longer wheelbase, a fold-down back seat and either a hatchback or a tunnel to the trunk. That would have aligned at least a little bit with the Rambler’s reputation for practicality. But then they might as well have slapped on a Javelin emblem and called it a day.
I think that they are connected in that they were often driven solo. The Caddy coupe was a personal luxury car. While it was the same size as the sedan, the hardtop roof and two doors gave it a cozier air. The sedans were for those that would regularly carry back seat passengers. The AMX was a two seat design on a shorter wheelbase than the Javelin. It was touted as a competitor to the Corvette. I imagine that the little Messerschmitt was mostly driven by the driver only, I think that a passenger would be pretty uncomfortable. So maybe the relationship are vehicles descending in size that usually only carry the driver? I do love the whitewalls on the Messerschmitt!
… while we are on the topic of car shows, here’s one last Saturday in Velveetaville, California, officially known as Chico. Why is it called “Velveetaville”?
Answer (and exotic iron in an unexpected location) here:
https://56packardman.com/2019/08/27/gear-head-tuesday-exotic-iron-in-velveetaville/
Some cool stuff there, 56PM
While it seems like I hadn’t commented on it before, yes, I’m old enough to remember the Messerschmitt. And, no, not the WWII planes! I’m not that old. But, I do recall going to the grocery store with my Mom and seeing a Messerschmitt in the parking lot. And, that would be in central Ohio, in the late 50’s and/or early 60’s. And, we never parked that close to one. Only saw it from a distance a number of times.