Let’s revisit the topic of colors, with colors on top. Should you feel there’s not enough in the modern automotive world, then this gallery is for you. A collection of American iron in bright two-tone treatments.
We’ll open with the ’57 Fairlane Town Sedan above, in what looks like will be a family outing.
1950 Oldsmobile 2-door sedan.
1954 Chevrolet BelAir two-door Sport Coupe.
1954 Buick Century.
1954 Pontiac Chieftain.
1954 Oldsmobile Holiday Coupe.
1955 Chrysler.
1955 Chevrolet BelAir.
1955 Nash Statesman.
1955 Ford Fairlane Victoria.
1956 Plymouth Savoy.
1950s Nash Metropolitan.
1958 Ford Thunderbird.
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In the first photo, can’t help but think the son on the right is the proud new owner of the `57 Fairlane Town Sedan. Very popular color combo that year was Inca gold and white. Looks fresh off the showroom floor!
The Dad on the left is probably saying “you bought this? You can’t afford this! What were you thinking?” The women are just staying quiet.
What can I say?
You get to the point.
Very well observed.
And the son is probably saying “But Dad, it’s only a Ford!”.
That’s what I’m thinking also… Always had family showing off their new cars back then. Aunts uncles cousins. My cousin was a sport car guy, would always come and take me for a ride , had tr4s, sunbeam tigers, new 70 240z… We bad a nice straightaway North of my house… Big fun when I was a kid
I’d take the Plymouth Savoy, remove the fender skirts, and go cruising.
Seeing the four 1954 GM car photos grouped together really highlights how the different shapes of the side trim make the cars look very different: straight on the Chevy, concave-down on the Pontiac, concave-up on the Buick, and a little bit rocket-shaped on the Olds, pointing to infinity and beyond.
The orange and white 55 Ford…..what’s he got in the trunk?
The architecture in the picture with little Nash strongly suggests that the photo was taken in the residential complex of a US barrack in the south of West Germany (could it perhaps be in Würzburg or Nuremberg ?).
I would bet it is. There is also a green number plate with white writing indicating this.
The other interesting bit in that photo is the two-tone VW Type II, demonstrating that multiple paint colors on a vehicle was not a uniquely American phenomenon.
We’ve seen other shots from this (or a similar) compound. It definitely is from a military housing complex in W. Germany.
Some beautiful homes in the background as well. Love those craftsman/bungalow homes behind the gold 57 Ford. The big, deep front porch is something you never see on any post war house.
Not sure exactly what you call that style house behind the blue 55 Chrylser. Tudor? English cottage? A lot of those style houses here in Tennessee had beautiful all stone masonary, limestone I think.
I second your opinion of craftsman/bungalow homes. Our current home is a 1920s bungalow with a 400 sq. ft. porch – I use that porch a great deal. When you see porches on modern houses, they’re usually so small, there’s hardly room for a chair, but it’s great having a big, covered porch.
I’m not great with architectural styles, but I call houses like the one behind the Chrysler Tudor Revival, largely on account of the steeply-pitched roof. But I’m never sure if the “Tudor” name really applies to houses that don’t have the classically Tudor design embellishments.
The picture of the ’54 Pontiac was taken at Hains Point Park in Washington, DC. The building in the background is the National War College, located on the grounds of Ft. McNair. The smokestacks belong to the Buzzard Point Power Plant, which was constructed in the 1930s – I believe it’s no longer operational, though it’s still standing.
Here’s the Google StreetView link to the location:
https://maps.app.goo.gl/zgmQMCkU1NhsL6mU6
You confirmed what I had thought — it looked like Washington DC near the Tidal Basin. Hains Point also has lots of cherry trees with their beautiful blossoms in the spring.
When did we stop rolling up the cuffs on our jeans?
That look is coming back with young men out here in LA. But more to the point, that charcoal and coral ’55 Belair is my favorite two tone of all time.
Well, it goes together like licorice and the taste of strawberries.
Two tone always looked nice unfortunately for Kiwis most, local assembly cars were solid colour a white top or other two tone paint job was a dealer added extra on most cars and GM cars in particular range topping models had factory twotone anything lower on the food chain wasnt, I still have a twotone Hillman Capri blue with foam grey roof, original it never had a blue top its faded direct to primer in places.
For a moment I misread that. Thought you had a Hillman Capri! 🙂 Need another coffee….
I’ll take the ‘54 Ninety Eight Holiday! Actually I would take any of them except the Metropolitan. The picture reminds me of my childhood. Whenever someone bought a new car the whole neighborhood would turn out to inspect it. Nowadays nobody cares. No wonder, almost all new vehicles are a snooze. I am so tired of silver, charcoal, black or white.
Remove the skirts and it would be even more of a “Plain Jane”.
Never wore so never started.
Besides the nice colors, I miss the white wall tires. Those wide whites looked great on Fifties era cars.
I am positive that the 1950 Oldsmobile turned heads on the streets… wasn’t much/anything else of style in 1950
The homes in the first pic put me in mind of the neighborhood on “Mama’s Family”.
Great photos. I have always liked cars with some color, both inside and out.
#1 ’57 Fairlane that looks brand new. The full wheel covers and whitewalls really set it off. ’57 was an interesting year for Ford with two wheelbase offerings. The beginning of the end for Mercury?
#2 Sharp Futuramic 88 also with full wheel covers and whitewalls that has just been washed and is wearing a ’51 Ohio license plate. It looks like someone’s shirt swinging in the breeze on the clothes line.
#3 Nice Bel Air that is showing a little wear with dull paint. It has a Maryland plate issued in ’56 that expired in ’57 so it is at least a couple of years old at this point. It has the accessory grille guard which moves the standard bumper guards outward.
#4 A nice, clean Buick that looks close to new.
#5 Out sightseeing on a warm day in a very sharp Chieftain Deluxe Catalina that is well dressed with the deluxe bumpers, fuel door guard, backup lamps, fender skirts, and whitewalls. A ’52 Ford Fordor from New Jersey is parked in front of it.
#6 A Ninety-Eight Deluxe Holiday Coupe that is very clean and close to new looking.
#7 A Windsor Deluxe sedan in a rich color that looks very nice but is not too flashy.
#8 A cool looking dude with his V8 powered Bel Air from a Los Angeles dealer. That is an interesting apartment complex with what looks like covered parking in the back.
#9 The top of the line offering from Kenosha with this V8 powered Ambassador Custom sedan with a Continental kit and tinted glass.
#10 A traveling man in this V8 powered Fairlane Victoria with the sun attacking the high fade red already. He has a clothes rack in the back seat and a load in the trunk. Perhaps a ’50-’53 Oldsmobile in the background.
#11 A dressed up V8 powered Savoy with fender skirts, full wheel covers and whitewalls. A ’53 Oldsmobile DeLuxe 88 2 door sedan in next to it.
#12 I don’t see a trunk handle so I am going to call this Metropolitan a ’56-’58 model. The lady driving looks apprehensive about backing out, I would be as well in a car that small. There is an interesting array of cars in the lot starting with a ’56 Ford Fairlane Town Sedan to it’s right. Across the lot from right to left is ’55 Buick Super sedan, a pre-’58 VW Type 1 with a sunroof, a rare Auto Union DKW Estate, the dark red one is stumping me at the moment, ’56 Oldsmobile 88 Holiday Sedan, ’57 Buick Super or Roadmaster 4 door Riviera, ’58 or ’59 Rambler wagon, VW Type 2, another pre ’58 VW Type 1, and perhaps a ’55 Chevrolet Two-Ten or Bel Air 4 door sedan.
Thanks for the photos.
#13 A gentleman cleaning the bugs off of the windshield on this T-Bird with the optional fender skirts and whitewalls. The rear bumper looks like it may have a bit of a twist to it.
“#12 … the dark red one is stumping me at the moment, … ”
I’d classify it as an MY 1955/56 Opel Olympia Rekord. Below a clearer image showing the rear of an other car of that type.
(The vehicle pictured here – also painted in two colors – is currently available for purchase on mobile.de).
Thanks. I thought it had Opel vibes but I could not find a match.
Two tone color was common in the 50s. My uncle had a 1956 Buick ,Century that was tri-tone. Creamy white, Coral and, the top was black. I have a 56 Buick die cast that’s the same colors.
A nicely curated gallery, Rich. Great fun to peruse. Thanks!
MY FAVOURITE MULTI-COLOUR PAINT SCHEME IS TRIPLE-TONE YELLOW / BLACK / WHITE.
Thank you for mentioning the DKW Estate, I like wagons and was wondering what it might be .
The Nash Metropolitan is a mid 1959 because the windshield trim and back lights both changed before it got an opening trunk lid .
I miss two and three tone vehicles greatly .
The ’57 Ford is glorious, better in a two door but still .
-Nate
Some great looking color combos. A tri-five Chevy was available in 15 solid colors and 17 two-tone combinations. Compare to today’s choices of white, black or two grays. Like the current practice of grouping options in just a few trim packages, instead of choosing from pages of options, it’s all about simplifying the manufacturing process. The fewer choices the consumer has, the the more streamlined (and profitable) the production of motor vehicles can be.
I had a 1956 town sedan in Arizona. Basically a four door Victoria. It had factory air that still worked. Most cars then had no a/c which is why the rooves were white.