Text by Patrick Bell.
Today we have a gallery of lovely fifties style two tone cars. The color palettes and their application mushroomed in this decade, and we have a good selection for you to look over.
To begin, we have a sharp looking ’55 Mercury Monterey 4 door sedan from Massachusetts. It has some extras such as fender mounted mirrors, rain guards on the side windows, and a rocker molding. This was the most popular model of the year and had a base list price of $2400. Behind it was a ’40 Chevrolet Special DeLuxe.
Here we had an Oldsmobile family, with a nice and shiny green ’50 Futuramic Ninety-Eight Holiday Coupe facing this way, along with a blue ’54 Super 88 4 door sedan. And in the far background was a white over red ’57 Chevrolet Two-Ten or Bel Air 2 door sedan. The Ninety-Eight looks very good for its age, but was not all that popular amounting to less than 8% of the Ninety-Eight sales. Meanwhile the Super 88 was the most popular of the year with over 111,000 units out the door.
This ’54 DeSoto Firedome Club Coupe with a V8, wire wheels (or covers), and a toothy grin could have been a promotional shot. It looked brand new, had no dirt on it, and I don’t see much for tire tracks in the dirt. It was the second best seller of the Firedome line having been far outpaced by the four door sedan and had a base list price of $2652.
The color composition of this image is quite good, whether or not it was intentional is hard to say. The rich brown body of the ’51 Buick Super Riviera Sedan blends well with the dirty pavement, while the off white top blends with the cloudy sky. Then the lady’s coat splits the difference and there is enough shiny chrome to brighten it up. This was the most popular model of the year and was equipped with a 263 cubic inch straight 8.
A smiling lady was riding shotgun in a clean ’54 Chevrolet Bel Air 4 door sedan. This one was also the best seller of the year with nearly 249,000 units produced. It had a base list of $1884. Parked in the street was a ’54 Studebaker 4 door sedan that could have been any of the trim lines. It was a nice summer day in a well established neighborhood.
Late in the 1950 model year Ford introduced a new top of the line two door sedan called the “Crestliner”. Standard equipment included a V8 engine, vinyl roof with matching painted side panels, special wheel covers, fender skirts, plus interior items as well. Per the original brochure it was only offered in two colors; Coronation Red Metallic and Sportsman’s Green, both with black trim. It was $200 more than the Custom Tudor Sedan’s $1511, and because of the late start sold less than 18,000 units. It carried over into ’51 with some additional color combinations, but sold less than half of the ’50 figures. The Victoria 2 door hardtop was introduced that year and was very successful, so the Crestliner did not return for ’52. Presuming the original brochure is correct the featured ’50 model has been repainted and was missing the fender skirts. Parked in the street was a ’54 Chevrolet.
Pontiac introduced a new 287 cubic inch V8 with their total restyle in 1955, and this Star Chief Custom Catalina was the best seller of the year with almost 100,000 units produced. It was dressed up with some different wheel trim and aftermarket exhaust tips. The lawn looked freshly mowed on a late spring or early summer day.
Now we have a sharp V8 powered ’55 Ford Fairlane Sunliner from Illinois. Almost 50,000 copies of this were built in ’55, and they had a base list price of $2224. In the background with the door open was a ’42 or ’46-’48 Chevrolet Coupe.
Another popularity contest winner here, a V8 powered ’56 Chevrolet Two-Ten 4 door sedan. Over 283,000 units were produced topping the number two Bel Air 4-door sedan by less than 14,000. It carried a base list of $1955, while the Bel Air’s was $113 more at $2068. This one had a bug shield, a back seat full of stuff, and was a traveler taking a break.
A Cadillac in your driveway spoke volumes in the fifties, even though it may have been a visitor. This ’55 Series 62 Coupe was third in sales for the year behind the Coupe de Ville and Series 62 4 door sedan. It’s 331 cubic inch V8 was Cadillac’s first overhead valve style that was introduced in ’49. This was the last year before the bore was increased in ’56.
We are now on the backside of an amusement park with a roller coaster going by. In the background looks like a used car dealer. At the curb was a ’56 Ford Thunderbird from California with wire wheel covers, no portholes in the roof, and no front license mounting bracket. Behind it was a ’55 Chevrolet One-Fifty with a torn headliner.
The two door Riviera hardtop body style from Buick was very popular during ’54 and ’55, as they were the best sellers in all trim lines save the Roadmaster. This ’55 Special was the top seller for the year with over 155,000 units delivered. You couldn’t go wrong with red and white and its base list price was $2332.
It was a different story at cousin Oldsmobile’s store, as the four doors were more popular in ’54, and in ’55 only in the base 88 line were the Holiday Coupe’s the top seller. The feature car was a ’55 Ninety-Eight Deluxe Holiday Coupe, the top of the line but least popular series with a base list of $3069.
Here was DeSoto’s most popular model for ’56, a Firedome 4 door sedan. It comprised over 40% of total sales, and had a base list of $2678. Parked beside it was a ’54 Buick Special 4 door sedan. The setting was an apartment complex, perhaps government housing.
Our final image is a happy vacationer who has just arrived in Florida apparently all the way from Virginia in a ’57 Dodge Coronet 4 door sedan. You can see from the bumper stickers they had been enjoying the sights along the way. This was the most popular model from the first year of the “Swept Wing” styling with over 71,000 units finding a home. It carried a base list of $2451. In the background was a ’57 Ford Fairlane 500.
Thanks for joining us and to all good day!
Dear Rich, do you ever bring back memories for an old man! Love the photos. Your ability to discern the sights is always terrific, such as the torn headliner on the Chevy 150. Your comment about having a Cadillac in the driveway is so true. Thanks. Now, if you will excuse me, Betty Lou and I are going to the ice cream drive-in in that Ford convertible. I hope all the kids in town see us.
And maybe go see ‘The Incredible Shrinking Man’ and ‘The Blob’ at the drive in movies?
2 tone seems to be coming back somewhat, at least with roofs of a different color. Here’s on of several 2 tone DeSotos we had a few years back, now in the Tuscon AZ area.
Yes, I’ve noticed that. Mostly black roofs over white bodies. Let’s hope it’s a trend. The boring, limited color choices of the last 20 years or so after the demise of the vinyl roof has to stop. Two toning also made a bit of a comeback in the eighties, but faded after a few years. In the fifties it seemed that more cars were two tone than not.
In th first image, the `55 Mercury Monterey sedan is painted a color they called “Persimmon”–it was a spring addition and a color I just love. Always wanted an ultra-rare `55 Sun Valley in that shade with a white top.
I’d love to see an actual “Sun Valley” myself! Always been curious how those liners to block sun worked.
Saw the “ford version”; could see no place where anything could be hooked on/in.
btw it is an awesome color..
JT, the ‘screen’ was a zippered affair that was two piece. zipped up the sides and then one in the middle up towards with windshield header. They didn’t really help much I was told. You were a poached egg by the time you reached your destination.
I have so many memories of traveling with my parents around the country in our new 1955 Olds ’98’ two door Holiday and Starfire convertibles. Both ours were turquoise & white. The picture of the Dodge pic in Florida with bumper stickers also reminds me of Dad. Back in the day, going to tourist spots, you might come back to the parking lot and find your car had been tagged with a bumper sticker. Without fail the sticker would be removed at the next gas station fill-up. A similar quirk was Dad never allowed an emblem of a car dealership attached to any of his cars. I have never bought a car allowing for a dealership emblem, even requiring a note on the sales invoice stating that. Dad once said if they want me to advertise for them, they can pay me. One last habit I learned from Dad, don’t test drive a new car until you settle on a price. That has always been my habit as well and probably saved me many $ over the decades.
Back In he fifties, most dealer emblems were actually screwed into the trunk lid. A real eyesores as they tarnished and rusted in short order.
I don’t understand how not test driving a car until you settle on price saves you money. Before I start the tedious haggling over price I want to make sure I really want the car.
Some of these pics have a drab dark ’40s car behind the bright flashy ’50s. People were happy to leave the drab dark Depression and war behind, and expressed their happiness with bright colors and lots of chrome.
Thanks very much for the memories. The colors just ‘pop’, both of the cars and scenery. Those of us old enough to remember those days are fortunate to have you.
I’m always amazed at how popular two- and even three-color paint schemes were in the 1950s, and how they suddently disappeared around 1960 except for the occasional white roof for the next year or two. I also recall how two-color paint reappeared in 1977 especially on GM’s downsized B bodies and stayed popular through about 1982, though not nearly as prevalent as it was in the ’50s.
As a pre-teen, I used to collect many new car brochures in the late ’70’s. Two-tone paint was again, heavily promoted by the domestic automakers. By 1979, Chrysler (for example), significantly promoted two-tones in their marketing. Across, most of their car lines. Including the lower cost Omni/Horizon, O24/TC3, and the Volare/Aspen.
However two-tones, did not appear well-represented on the street, here in Canada. Whether it was the added cost, lack of availability, or extra maintenance, the public was not buying two-tone in high volume. At least, in less luxurious cars.
Picture #6 (1950 Ford Crestliner) was taken in Evansville, Indiana.
The brick building containing Majestic Electric has been demolished, but the Grusin’s General Store building in the background is still standing.
Google StreetView link:
https://maps.app.goo.gl/SAsDQvP69QbDVndZ6
Great work!
Sad to see the lovely building on the left gone. However, it appeared well-worn in the ’50’s. If only more forward-thinking property owners pursued restoration, rather than building replacement, or demolition.
How does he do it? Majestic Electric Co got me very little for a location.
Just a good bit of searching and guessing. I enjoy the hunt.
But I absolutely can’t get ’em all. The lead image here has completely evaded me – I’m pretty sure the storefront sign in the background says “Al’s Market” and it looks like Boston, but I can’t hone in on a location.
In like two tone cars I still have a longroof in foam over capri blue, of all the two tone cars Ive owned blue/white was on most of them.
Lovely pictures that bring back many good memories .
Two tones are a very subjective thing, because I live in the Desert I like white roofs and have been pondering painting the roof of my new (old) car white before the red paint gets cooked and cooks me inside it .
I’d gladly take the 1940’s Chevrolet Coupe ‘Babbit Pounder’ 216 CID engine and all over any other car here .
-Nate
The first photo says it all; the bright cheerful colored Mercury contrasted with the dour dark colored Forties model. Such a difference! While many of the ’50’s designs were not beautiful in my eyes, the colors and chrome gave them an optimistic appearance. I try to get pleasing colors for my fleet with a Forest green, Ruby red, bright blue, maroon, and bright silver with black top vehicles.
The ’55 Pontiac looks particularly sharp in that photo.
Coming from an Oldsmobile family, I especially enjoyed …..
— The 1950 Olds 98 2-dr. hardtop. Must have been garage kept all, those winters.
— It’s buddy, the ’54 88, hunkered down low with her fender skirts & dog-dishes.
** the 1955 98 2-dr. hardtop.
That was our car …… from which I learned the word “marvelous.”
Mom kept repeating that, as she transitioned away from the rusty, old ’49 Star Chief.
Had no idea the 98 was so pricey — over the 3K mark.
Another great series, Rich!
Right there with you, Dan. We were an all-Olds family in the 50s including a two-tone green ’53 98 sedan and a green/green 1955 Super 88 2 door. But all of these cars have me wishing for a wayback machine.
COLOR! Wow, what a eye pleasing difference it makes on vehicles instead of the BORING WGB (WhiteGrayBlACK) of today. When will consumers revolt???!! Yes, the cars I sold were almost all quite colorful, and the color$ helped sell them! Amazing, huh??!! 🙂 Sadly only 1 of my 3 cars has color: my ’88 Camaro IROC-Z is what Chevy called MEDIUM RED, a metallic. DFO
This is why scale model cNNar builders love building cars from the `50s. All the great color combinations you can come up are FUN, and miles ahead of all the boring beiges, grays, silvers, and whites of tday`s cars.
The two tone DeSoto second to last yes it certainly looks like the government housing unit we lived in 50/60 back when automobile had style character and elegance.. Today we have boxes hard to even determine mfg until you see the badge.
Look at all those beautiful colors. Contrast that today with the endless sea of dreary dull lifeless grey with black wheels or white with black wheels. It’s getting so dreary out there in the world of automobiles. Bring back color.
I drive an orange car and people think I am crazy. The cars today all come in black, white, silver, gray, another couple of drab colors and maybe one bright color. The difference today is that the manufacturers build the cars and deliver them to the dealers and THEN people choose them. I remember my father buying our first new car. We drove something on the lot to figure out what car we liked. Then we sat down with the color chart. My parents argued back and forth. Then we chose a color and options and waited for the car to be built. I don’t think you can even buy a car that way these days.
The stated 55 cad 2 door is a 54.
Antennas on 55 are on the left side. Also 55 says Coupe deville below back windows.
Good catch on that antenna, Paul. But I am going to stick with my ’55 model ID. On the ’54’s the horizontal ‘vent’ on the quarter panel went down all the way to the rocker molding, and the door molding stopped short of the end of the door. The reason it does not say ‘Coupe de Ville’ is because it is a Series 62 model. Actually, ’54’s and ’55’s both had a left side antenna. And this one has a mirror, which were not common on the right side. So, I think we have a reversed image that I did not catch. If you could see the steering wheel that would be a big help. Thanks for your comment.