| Page | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 |
Buick LeSabre convertible, 1975. The LeSabre was introduced in 1959. In 1975, there were seven variants of the LeSabre which sold 109,121. You could get 350 cube V-8 or 455. She was about a foot longer than a Mercury station wagon. We found this one "for sale" at 5th and Western in Mosinee, Marathon County.
Buick Limited Convertible, 1958. We found this beauty at Lloyd's Auto Repair Inc. at 1815 N. 6th Street in Wausau, Marathon County. You want Detroit Iron, you get Detroit Iron! This "pose" doesn't give you a real sense for the enormity of this Panzer. If this sweetheart hits you, say your prayers and goodnight. She'll roll over your modern car like a M-1 Abrams tank over and Iraqi berm. This next shot might help.
That's a machine! She has a 127 in. wheelbase, and is 227.1 inches long, just short of 19 feet. The Buick Limited was built in Detroit from 1936-1942 as a premium series car. It was reincarnated in 1958 as the "ultimate Buick," a response to Chrysler's forward look, and loaded with chrome. This "bad boy" deserves a few more views. There's nothing like it today. It has more chrome and stainless steel trim than any other car ever manufactured.
The company bragged about this grill, cast of 158 chrome squares, each, according to the company, "shaped in a design to maximize the amount of reflective light." Also note the "V" medallions on the hood and each fender, there are more on the trunk and on the side panels.
It is awesome standing at the car looking at the rear wheel, spokes, special hub cover, those mega-wide white walls, and all the chrome aft.
This is, perhaps, the most incredible part of the car, the rear. Designing the center of gravity for this car must have been a challenge, because that chrome and wheel hang pretty darn far behind the rear wheels. Totally awesome.
Plymouth, 1938: In the mid-1930s, Plymouth came out with a series of cars that had subtle changes in design. As a result, we've had a hard time firming up the year model for this one, parked at Stones Building Center on Bridge Street in Wausau, Marathon County. Obviously, this one has been customized, but the basic features remain, except there is no front bumper. We originally guessed 1937, and a reader said nope, she's a '38. The reader who spotted our error, said he owns two 1938s, which helps, but also remarked that the two years were very similar but there were some differences, the most obvious being that the '38 grill is shorter and wider. He recommended going to this page on the carnut.com to see a '37.
This is a very stylish car, described by some as "graceful and elegant, yet bold enough to attract attention." The first of the line was in 1935 with gently rounded and more aerodynamic then previously. Another tweaking in 1936 made the front look thinner, which turned out to be a mistake. The 1937 was fattened up. The car had a "hint of art deco." We agree with the experts who say the grill "was quite possibly the prettiest of any mass-production sedan in the 1930s." We simply cannot resist showing you the "Mayflower" hood ornament on the grill a little more closely.
Plymouth first started using the Mayflower sailing ship as an ornament in 1934. Plymouth was named after the town in Massachusetts, and the emblem reflected that sturdy vessel that carried so those brave souls to America. That was the message: sturdy, dependable, brave. By the 1950s, it started to look more like a jet airplane than the famous old ship.
The styling of the rear and side is simply outstanding. Note the Mayflower emblem on the trunk. We suspect this customized version is made to fly, as we saw a hot rod club sticker on the windshield. That would be a fun ride to be sure.
Chevrolet Bel Air, 1959: This is a most interesting car, seen parked at Kemp's BP Station in Wausau, Marathon County. In 1953, Chevrolet renamed its premier model series the Bel Air. By 1957 she was the most recognizable American car, perhaps of all time. In the recession year of 1958, because of the Bel Air, Chevy was the number one auto in the US in sales. In 1959, though, Chevrolet made two major changes. First, it introduced the Impala as the premium model, making the Bel Air the mid-level model. Second, the design was very different from earlier versions and from the follow-on versions. This is really a classic, one of a kind design.
As a high school kid at the time, this editor and all the rest of us saw those "fins" as a real trademark. Sleek, and, pardon the expression, sexy, real lines to her. Plus lots of chrome.
She retained the chrome spears on the front fenders from previous years and, oh boy, that grill, a real "Detroit Grill," with a little rubber on the bumpers to nudge along the jerk in front of you! This is a memorable design.
Corvette Stingray, 1976. We found this beauty sitting at Marathon Town & Country in Wausau. That's the owner standing in the background on the cell phone. This was the last year the Corvette would carry the Stingray title. To the chagrin of many Corvette lovers, she had a Chevy Vega steering wheel, a mistake not repeated in 1977. The design was not changed from the previous year, largely because Corvette engineers had to contend with newly emerging pollution and safety regulations. The 1976 edition broke all records for sales, despite a hefty price hike.
Sweet. One of the things that made the 1976 popular had to do with the government's anti-pollution requirements ruining performance. Muscle cars were dying. Not this one. She was not as fast as the engineers would have liked, but she was faster than most.
