The Glory of American (Classic) Automobile

"QUANTUM SHOT" #182
Link - by A. Abrams

"American Dream", as seen in the vintage ads

Long gone since the 80s (finished by gasoline prices and "imports" competition) these dinosaurs still hold power over public imagination and true car connoisseurs; their outrageous size and engine's unbridled power give off a statement of pure excess, and some wild optimism.

The world has moved on, but the vintage styling (transformed into a sort of "retro fantasy") is preserved by such sites as Plan 59 (former "Ephemera Now"). With their kind permission, we present the AMERICAN CAR of the 50s and 60s AD RETROSPECTIVE, a showcase for the American Dream of Happy Motoring (make sure to visit their site for loads more of great automobile ephemera).

We'll start with the visualization of a FUTURISTIC HIGHWAY, showing repair crews and driver-less lanes:

I promise to post more futuristic highway images later, some from science fiction pulp magazines - exciting visions of the world dominated by cars and built for cars, with people as an afterthought.

The mainstream car ads, however, painted more family-friendly picture, in many cases just as removed from reality, but speaking to the sensibilities of the era. It was not only an advertisement for a car, but also for the goodness of American Family and whole American Way of Life. No communist of 50s could see such pictures without the sinking realization that they have lost the Cold War.

The glamor of vintage car styling is most obvious when combined with the glamor of the 50s and 60s era beauties (an approach that is entirely missing from car advertisements today). Miss America would be expected to pose with the latest luxury car, making an unforgettable statement.

The standards of beauty has changed, together with the idea of what constitutes a perfect automobile. The "glitz" and glaring excess of American vintage cars would live on as an example of a dream, perhaps never to be fully realized.

Main image sources: Plan59.com, used by permission; Old Iron Online

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- "Cars & Girls, Part Four: The Very Definition of Eye-Candy!"

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