Right out in East Vancouver traffic, a Ziploc-perfect 1952 Chrysler Windsor DeLuxe. The driver even honked his horns (great big spiral ones made by Auto-Lite Canada in Sarnia, Ontario), and they sounded exactly right.
In-Motion Classic: 1952 Chrysler Windsor DeLuxe
– Posted on March 30, 2018
Ahh, the nautical sounds of a flathead six churning its way through the Fluid Drive. I can just hear those horns!
My 1953 Windsor had a one piece windshield and I am somewhat sure it did not have that center fresh air vent… or did it? I’m trying to remember.
Great find and photo catch (in the driver’s side mirror no less).
Must have been a nice spring day for the owner to take the grand old girl out for a spin, though I’d have been a bit concerned to have a tailgater so close to that big beautiful chrome rear bumper.
Yep, ’53 was the first year for the 1-piece curved windshield, and while I don’t know for sure, I think you’re right about the ’53 dropping the cowl scoop.
We can also see an illustration of the main reason why the (North) American auto industry went to amber front turn signals for ’63: look how easy it is to miss the white turn signal amidst all the reflections in the chrome. Did you notice the guy is using his indicator until I mentioned it?
It is a beautiful Spring day today, yes, but I took this picture in September (of 2014, as it happens).
I had no idea the driver of the ’52 was using his turn signal ‘indicator’ until I read it. I could not tell.
Nice shot Daniel. The very close proximity of the turn signal lights to the headlights, as the headlight beams would drown them out at night, would be another contributing factor to them being hard to see on the Windsor.
Yep, those were the two arguments put forth: hard to see white turn signals amidst all the chrome in daytime, hard to see white turn signals at night near the white headlamps.
I find this to be a problem with a lot of new vehicles. Automakers are mounting the parking light/turn signal in the same housing as the headlights to save costs. Unfortunately the headlights are so bright they drown out the other lights. Cool picture Daniel S.
I’ve noticed that some current vehicles with mascara lights have the turn signals so close to those silly but bright LED lights that the electronics turn off one of the mascaras when the respective signal is active so the intended turn can be determined by oncoming traffic.
Most specifically noticed on Audis, but probably some others too.
Some people call them daytime running lights, but the term “mascaras” nicely manifests my [perhaps uniformed] distaste for them.
“Silly mascara lights”…? Yes, you’re misinformed. How do you reckon they’re silly? They work; they reduce crashes (yes, they really do), and they work better, with less energy, than other DRL implementations (full or dimmed headlamps, etc). Extinguishing or dimming the DRL on the turn signal side is a good idea, especially when the two lamps are close to each other. It’s mandatory under the regs in some (not enough) circumstances.
The regs also require turn signals located within 10cm of the low beam, the fog lamp, or the DRL to be 2.5× brighter than turn signals spaced farther from those other lamps—noble intent, but not enough to make sure the turn signals are clearly visible when the other lamps are on.
Our Honda Pilot has those same mascara lights. They work okay. At least Honda moved the turn signal lights away from them. And for other car makers they shut them down when the turn signal is on, which I think is better. Our Focus’ and my younger sons Ranger has the turn signal in the same housing as the standard headlights. At night it is almost impossible to see the turn signal when the headlights are on (low beam obviously).
I have also heard of them being called “halo lights”
The main downside to DRL’s I see is that together with always-illuminated instruments or screens, there are so many people driving without their proper headlights on at night. Perhaps it will be required that tail lights are also always-on, and then things will be better for other drivers at least.
The cowl scoop was still on the 1953 models actually last through 1956. The 1955-56 models did not stick up as much and were wider to make up for it, but they were still there.
My father owned a 1955 Dodge Regent and I can remember the handle inside to push and pop open the cowl vent.
Perfect composition. I’ve tried to capture a classic in the side mirror and know just how difficult that is.
Thank you kindly. I could wish that generic recent blob of a car weren’t in front of my mirror, but.
Piss on the 57 Chevy. This is 1950’s majesty in motion.
Amen! Preach it! Oyez, oyez!
After he left office, Pres. Harry Truman & wife Bess, made a long range cross-country type trip in his 1953 Chrysler New Yorker —
https://www.google.com/amp/s/jalopnik.com/5791608/the-secret-of-harry-trumans-lost-1953-chrysler/amp
Now, about those horns ………
Like this ?
https://youtu.be/Tn0hzqkrUdM
or like this ?
https://youtu.be/L4LBnirmQQ8
The first link, the duals.
My Grandfather had a ’51 Windsor…it was the first car in my Mother’s family (they lived in a city so they walked/took bus or travelled in cars of relatives or friends before that).
He bought it at a long gone dealer on Market Street in Kingston PA…I remember the building had a huge clock on it, the clock is long gone as is the dealership, but the building is still there, something else, as I live far away I don’t recall what now occupies that building.
It had semi-automatic transmission…My Mother learned to drive in that car (to this day she’s never really been comfortable with manual transmissions, despite my Father having several manuals and me “reteaching” her to learn manual on my GTi in preparation for a trip to Poland/Slovakia in 1998 so she could be backup driver for my Uncle). My Uncle had the Windsor almost all the way through his undergraduate days, but it apparently blew a head gasket weeks before his graduation, he didn’t have time to mess with it, so he got rid of it buying a new 1969 Ford LTD on anticipation of him getting a job upon graduation (he did…that job lasted a shade less than 40 years).
My Grandfather rented out a garage in their city to house the Windsor (their house didn’t have a garage, in fact they had a Mom/Pop grocery store at the lowest level which they lived above, and had a small apartment they rented above their abode).
I don’t remember much about the Windsor, but it had lots of chrome inside around the radio and vent controls, and complete gauges encircling the speedometer, plus “unusual to me” fabric on the seats….it was some sort of woven fabric, kind of hard to describe…I remember going fishing with my Uncle early one morning, wasn’t too productive a trip and my Uncle managed to tear his hip boots…must be part of the reason I’m not a fisherman myself (but my Uncle still is).
Up until 10 years ago, the Windsor was the longest owned car in our family (18 years)…but my Mother broke the record when she kept her Tempo 21 years until it was let go for a state version of the “cash for clunkers” program ….it ran fine, but needed a new compressor and other things that made my Father decide to replace the car. My Sister is honing in on that record now; she’s tied it with her 1997 Nissan 240SX and is the likely new record holder. I should say that my Brother-in-law has owned older cars than any of us but never has kept them long durations; he’s owned probably 10 times as many cars as I have since I’m also a long duration owner (I’m at 18 years on my 2000 Golf).
Back in 50 or 51 wasn’t it one of these Tom McCahill tested that he said “was as solid as the rock of Gibraltor and just as fast”?
That sounds like something he would have said. Not a fan.