On a recent road trip South, I glanced up from refueling the truck and did a double take as this car hauler was approaching with a colorful load…
If my spotter-fu is en pointe, I spy a 1952 Olds 88 (top front), 1954 Ford Customline (top middle), 1950 Chevrolet Deluxe (top rear), 1937 Plymouth P4 (bottom front) and a 1953 Plymouth Cranbrook (bottom rear).
I’ll take the Chevrolet with its pronounced haunches, thanks. What strikes your fancy?
There are TWO Fords on tne top deck, a Tudor (to use Ford terminology) stripper, and an optioned-up Fordor.
I wonder where they’re going, and what else may be there.
The 1952 Tudor Ford isn’t a stripper. Both it and the ’54 are Customlines, the mid line model. In 1952 the high end models were only convertibles, hardtops, or Country Squires. The stripper 1952 Mainline models really announced their stripperness with no chrome trim other than in front and back except a beltline bit around the base of the windows, and instead a black rubber gravel guard on the rear fender suggesting sculpture and black rubber around the windshield and rear window. The ’54 mainline splurged on a chrome gravel guard and a bit at the front edge of the rear window on the C pillar. They might as well of had lettering on the side “Yes I’m a Cheapskate 50’s Dad or Maybe a Spinster School Teacher”.
(I didn’t know all those details off the top of my head. I consulted http://www.oldcarbrochures.com.)
Possibly going to a period film shoot?
That was my guess too. I’m torn between the two Mopars in the lower level. I’ll take the Cranbrook, but only if it comes with a hat for me to wear while driving it.
That’s my guess.
Early 1950’s Automotive Lust.
The dominance of two-tones supports the film guess. A collection heading for auction would be more monochromatic. Hollywood thinks all ’50s cars were two-tones.
FWIW, this was shot in Lebanon, IL, less than an hour from Country Classic Cars.
I am not an expert on these, but could the front Ford be a 52? The back one is a 54 for sure.
I had not thought of a film shoot, but it is a good idea. I might surprise everyone here and opt for that Olds 88. A Rocket and a Hydra Matic always makes for a good day.
Make mine Chevy,that looks really nice in that maroon color with the whitewalls.
When I was a little kid I thought the ’49-50 Chevies were so ugly I didn’t understand how anyone could buy one.
Still feel that way? One cool fact about these chevy’s is that they look like the contemporary Bentleys or the Bentleys look like the Chevy,dont know who copied who. i mean the fastback ones.
Shazam, Ed! Quite a catch!
I’ll take the burgundy one at the top rear. (‘50 Chevy DeLuxe?)
I wonder if it has aPNDLR? 😉
I really like the maroon ’50 Chevy. My Dad pointed one out to me while we were having breakfast on the way to Carlisle two weekends ago (in black) and said my great uncle had one, only his was a fastback.
My personal favorite is the seafoam green ’52 Olds. There’s an old guy that frequents the Hunt Valley Cars & Coffee where we had the Baltimore CC Meet-Up last year that has one and is quite proud of his (He bought it NEW! – pictured below).
One of those cars REALLY looks out of place though. It’s over the cab of the truck. Apparently, it wasn’t worthy of an I.D. by our esteemed author…. ;o)
Sadly, I didn’t notice it either, nor can I identify it.
The proud owner of that ’52 Olds…
Current model Buick Regal GS.
Chevy proclivities aside, the ’49-’52 models were among the best-built Bowties in the history of Chevrolet. Then again, the guy running Chevy at the time, Nicholas Dreystadt, had previously been at Cadillac and before that, Mercedes-Benz.
That’s pretty bad, considering I used to own a Regal GS… (a ’98 W-Body)
I must be slipping.
As to the Chevys, I am learning to appreciate these older ones more and more. I was always partial to a tri-five, but a ’52 Bel Air convertible in the color of the Olds I just posted is simply a beautiful car.
One of the main characters on the TV show “Supergirl” has one*. It’s his sometimes daily driver and spaceship on the show. LOL
* (Correction?) According to IMCDB, it’s a Skyline De Luxe…
https://www.imcdb.org/v001078918.html
I *think* the modern car up front was a Volvo of some sort…
I blew the pic up as much as I could, but still can’t tell. Could be a Volvo…..
It’s a 2011-2013 Volvo S60, most likely a 2012-2013 FWD T5 due to those horrible (IMHO) base-model rims. The 2011 was T6-only.
As for the classics, I’ll take the Olds. The Chevy’s haunches just don’t do it for me, and it’s a lot sleeker than the Fords to my eye.
Agreed. Second gen Volvo S60, pre-2014 facelift.
I’ll take the Oldsmobile. Even the convertibles and hardtops of this vintage don’t show up often at car shows.
Wait… I know which one I’ll take… The HOLDEN Commodore from which this picture was shot! ;o)
Ha! I was in the truck on this trip!
Is the Oldsmobile in a period colour? If so, I’ll take it!
That is indeed a period correct color for the Oldsmobile. My wife’s grandfather had one nearly like it (well before my time of course), and I have seen pictures of it. The Olds would be my choice as well; Rocket V8 with the old school Hydra Matic would make for quite the cruiser.
What car? I’ll let Ike Turner speak for me.
You may have heard of jalopies
You’ve heard the noise they make
But let me introduce you to my Rocket ’88 …
Definitely the Olds. The blue four door Ford is a close second.
I’m curious what the rig is. It looks sharp.
The blue ’52 Olds 98 convert guy is Ron S. (name withheld to protect the innocent) of Greenspring near Hunt Valley. I first met him in the mid ’80s when I founded the OCA’s Blue & Gray Chapter (had 3 early Toronados and a ’57 Super 88 convert in those years) and he came to the 1st meet-up. Heck of a nice guy and I’m thrilled to see he’s still active with his Olds!
An entertaining fellow with lots of stories.
The week after I took this picture, he said he was going up to Carlisle for some sort of Olds event.
Those pics were shot a couple of weeks before the CC Meet-Up. He wasn’t there the day of the meet-up however.
All depends on the transmission for me. Must be a manual transmission. The Olds would be my first although unlikely choice, since I think they were mostly automatics. I like the Chevrolet for the whistling gasoline filler that I used to play tunes on back in the day. If you have one of these cars, be sure you get yours to work, they often get clogged with mud. If the Chevrolet turns out to be a Powerglide, I would then choose the ’52 Ford tudor only if it has a stick. The ’54 fordor is my next choice unless it is a six. Even with a stick shift the combination of 4 doors and six cylinders just pulls it down too much. Yes, the V-8 only has 3 main bearings, it’s an OHV though. I’m sure both Plymouths have the correct transmission. The ’37 came with the lever on the floor. Make that one mine.