It has been a while since I’ve done a Car Show Classics post. With Turkey Day over and car shows well and truly done for over a month and a half, it’s time to dip into the archives and look at some nice cars in warmer times. So grab a favorite beverage, recline your favorite chair, and let’s look at some neat cars I saw during a nice, warm July day back in 2012. I am sure our esteemed Mr. Martin will approve of our starting with this lovely navy blue 124 Spider.
No Camaros or Mustangs allowed in this post! No, I have to seek out the more uncommon fare. Granted, two-seat T-Birds are not so rare, but I think this one’s Dusk Rose paint and white interior make up for it.
Here was an immaculate dove gray over blue DeSoto Seville–yes, Seville! The “Hundred Million Dollar Look” 1955 Mopars were stunning–and rightfully so–but I like the 1956s ever so much better.
This one was clearly treated to a no-expense-spared restoration. The whole car was finished to a remarkable standard. I wish I had gotten more pictures of it.
I am not the biggest fan of modified classics, but this Country Squire was very nice, especially the black paint and red leather seats. The taillights were incorporated into those narrow slots on the lowermost piece of wood trim on the tailgate.
How about a 1958 Skyliner? The ’58 seems to be the rare variant, as I see far more ’57s and ’59s at the many car shows I attend in the summertime. There tend to be a lot of these at the Iowa City cruise nights (since moved to Coralville in 2013); one time there were at least four or five, all parked in single file!
The peach interior was very nice–and unusual. I’d never seen one in that shade before. I’ve always liked the 1957-58 Ford instrument panel–stylish yet functional.
This 1963 Pontiac limo was built by Superior, as noted by the small chrome plaque on the front fender. Who needs a minivan when you’ve got a nine-passenger version of one of the Sexiest Sixties Pontiacs?
But if you really needed a wagon, this 1957 Mercury Voyager fit the bill admirably. And lost no style points compared to a coupe or sedan, thanks to its pillarless hardtop design.
And I would be remiss to not include a shot of that oh-so-cool Buck Rogers-style interior. Perfect for seeking new life forms on Mars–or just going to F.W. Woolworths for a new barbecue fork.
The 1957-58 Mercurys have not been very kindly remembered, but I love them. They are so distinctive, and I love the jet-intake front bumper, stylish dash, scalloped quarter panels and those 45-degree “angry” taillights. And in wagon form–well! This car was my favorite at the show.
There was an amazingly-preserved ’70 Impala hardtop coupe too. I am going to go out on a limb and say that this car will be Zackman’s first choice.
The local branch of the Iowa Corvair Enthusiasts Club were out in force on this day, with several choice rear-engined Bowties in attendance.
I think this blue-on-blue ’64 was my favorite.
But this second-gen version was just as nice. As I recall, this one was a rare final-year 1969 model.
Getting into the personal-luxury era, this 1974 Gran Torino Elite was very nice in triple-black. The vintage Keystone wheels added to its appeal.
The interior was just as well-preserved. This instrument panel looks great with the extra gauges. Note that it has speed control as well. Yep, it’s fake wood, but I think it contrasts nicely with the black trim. These and their 1974-76 Cougar XR7 siblings made pretty convincing mini-Mark IVs.
Last but not least, we have this very original 1976 Pontiac Grand Prix. I talked to the owners and if I remember correctly, the wife’s parents bought this car brand-new. They were enjoying driving the car to shows and on nice days, but were thinking about selling it. That was over a year and a half ago, and I haven’t seen it since. I hope the owners either decided to keep it or sold it to a caring new owner.
It even had the original stereo with built-in CB microphone. The blue-on-blue colors drew me in as well. I am well-known here on CC to be a big fan of the Colonnade Cutlass Supreme (proven here and here), but I have a serious jones for the 1973-77 Grand Prix too–especially the ’73 and ’76.
And with that, it’s time to return to the present. As I write this (the day after Thanksgiving) it is about 30 degrees out and the Town Car is almost certainly frosting over, parked on my parents’ street. So, stay warm, Curbsiders!
I also like that Mercury wagon. As a whole it’s a bit awkward and overdone, but it’s still very interesting to look at.
A very nice selection, Tom. I do like that DeSoto Seville. I also share your love of those Mercury hardtop wagons. With as many squeaks and rattles as all old station wagons got, I can only imagine how many more these had with no real B pillar.
That peach interior on the Ford retractable is,uh, interesting. I once saw a 59 Edsel that was a sort of copper color with either that interior color or one very much like it. Not my preferred color combo.
The last thing that hit me is how much I liked that early 70s Ford steering wheel. Sort of boring, but I always considered it very attractive. That next version that Ford used in everything from 75 79 was a major letdown.
The Mercury wagon probably wasn’t as rattly as you remember. A lot of the cacophony produced in ’50s station wagons came from the two-piece tailgate, whether open or closed. As the Merc had a single-piece gate, that source of noise was eliminated.
That ’63 Pontiac Superior limo looks so familiar to me, but I can’t place it. Its roof line and C Pillar are rather odd, to say the least. Looks a bit cobbled up.
Love the DeSoto. The woody wagon looks good too.
> I am going to go out on a limb and say that this car (’70 Impala) will be Zackman’s first choice.
My guess is he’d prefer the red convertible parked next to the Mercury wagon. 😉
I really like that Mercury wagon. One day I will own a large old Detroit wagon.
I didn’t know a dusk rose 57 Thunderbird was a rare sight. Someone local to me owns one. It even has the same wheels but with the rear fender skirts installed. It looks really sharp.
Well, maybe not that rare, but most of the ones I see are red, black or white. Plus, I just really like this color combo–I have an Ertl Precision 100 ’57 T-Bird in the same combo:
When have you ever seen a Skyliner that didn’t have the roof I that half-open (or is it half-closed?) position?
Kids reading the site in fifty years will think that’s how folks drove them around!
(c:
I still maintain that this is the only pose where they are actually attractive. With the top all up or all down, the high, long decklid and short roof look very awkward.
Agreed. Just like all the current retractables.
You are so right JP. Top up, it looks like a business coupe. Top down, it looks like a Piper Cub is supposed to land on the trunk!
I think the ’59 looked the best, as the blockier proportions blended better with that roof and decklid.
I still love all three years of Skyliners though!
Agreed, but possibly due to being ‘used to’ the 59, the earlier cars just look awkward.
All beautiful, but my favorites are a Chevy trifecta: the ’70 Impala coupe, the red ’63 Impala convertible and the blue ’64 Corvair convert. I love the ’57 T-bird, but not the color.
Looks like possibly an ’89 Turbo Trans Am next to that Desoto.
It’s always embarrassing how much I like those Ford Elites.
That’s a weird-looking license plate on the 57 T-bird – I suspect it’s a reproduction 56/57 Iowa plate.
I’m surprised that most of the cars shown have ordinary passenger plates. In shows hereabouts one sees a lot more year-of-manufacture plates as well as vanities. Come to think of it though, I don’t think Iowa has a collector vehicle plate other than the antique plate, which would be for older cars.
Great pics Tom! I find the raised overall ride height of that Gran Torino Elite really helps make it look more athletic and toned… in spite of the visual weight of the boat anchor bumpers. Same applies to the Grand Prix. The sagging springs on many of these overweight intermediates added to their bloat/dumpiness back in the day. Besides the rust.
The Mercury wagon, Skyliner and second generation Corvairs are truly beautiful. The Corvair in particular, is such a timeless design. Real shame it was applied to a star-crossed platform.
A great selection of cars,thanks Tom.The DeSoto is gorgeous,also the Mercury wagon.The Mercury taillights always remind me of slices of pie.These are cars you don’t see a lot at UK shows
Nice selection Tom Who was styling Mercuries back then there was a 57/58 in my home town the only one Ive virtually ever seen live a sedan, Someone was demonstrating a skyliner retractable at wheels on Windsor very cool cars but very rare out here, I like the Woody even with LED rear lights.
Wow, Tom, it’s hard to tell the exact colors from your photo, but if that ’56 DeSoto is charcoal gray over a kind of coral pink, it is my grandmother’s exact car, the Firedome Seville (the Seville was a step below the Sportsman hardtop, a one-year only model, I believe). How I loved that car, and those stacked triple taillights, I was only eight years old when she bought it in the fall of 1955, but it remains one of my favorite ’50’s cars. And I, too, share your love of the Big M ’57-’58 Mercuries, at the dawn of the Space Age they were so, well, space-agey. Nice finds.
Actually it was a light dove gray with dark blue accents. I did find a pink ’56 DeSoto last year at the Kewanee car show, though. A very nice ’60 Fireflite four-door hardtop was also in attendance: https://www.curbsideclassic.com/blog/car-show-classic-vintage-iron-in-the-hog-capitol-of-the-world/
Well, I’m confused, I thought you had two DeSotos, guess it was just the one? But the colors in the second picture look entirely different from the first. No matter, it’s still such a cool car!
Nope, it was the same car 🙂
The Fiat 124 brings tears to my eyes. Glad to see someone appreciates what they have. And the Vairs. While still in college I bought a ’64 Monza convertible, black-on-black-on-black 110 4-sp for 100 bucks. The interior was perfect but the top and body weren’t exactly concours. Great car to drive, but when my roommate showed up with his aunt’s ’65 4-de Vair with a Glide I had to admit that it was so much better than my ’64 that it was in a different league. I’d love to have either one today.
I’d love to find a four-door second-gen Corvair for CC. Never seen one in the metal, but I really like the way they look.
I too have always liked the looks of that era of Grand Prix’ (Prixes?)
Love that Grand Prix! Last of the great Pontiacs. For as many as were sold in that era, seeing one at a show or on the road is quite the rarity today.
Another fan of the ’76 Grand Prix here. While the ’73 is by far my favorite, the ’76 has very sharp lines in the front. The waterfall grille & crystal-like turn signals are very nice and what a beautiful shade of blue. Not much going on inside in the options department besides the tilt and cruise and the radio doesn’t look quite right to me: I’m thinking that might be an early aftermarket unit. What a nice car. I hope it found a deserving home.
That 1970 Impala is one of the few cars that the ubiquitous Rally Wheels are meant to be installed on. It’s as if the entire car was styled to go with those wheels – a perfect combination 🙂 While not my favorite color combination, it is a most handsome machine.
I’d love to see more of that white Trans Am if it’s not the Turbo version. I find the ’86 – ’90 Trans Ams to be gorgeous machines…and few have survived tasteless bastardization. The lowest output carbed LG4 T/A interests me more than the Buick-powered Messiah.
I’m salivating over the dash clock in that Mercury Wagon. Must….add….to….collection…..
Even out here where we have shows like this all year round it’s rare to see a Corvair let alone three of them. Never see anything like the Gran Torino Elite which is spectacular here in black. I bet that Grand Prix interior still smells new.
The imports are well represented by the Fiat (or was it a Bertone by then?), the blue metallic paint in combination with parchment interior is just lovely.
That was a seriously good collection of cars, thanks for posting!