1955 Buick Special 4-door Sedan

"Buick SPECIAL prices start just a few dollars over America's lowest. There the similarity ends."

Massive and elegant, the 1955 Buicks were undeniably masterpieces of Harley Earls GM styling studios. The Special as the entry-level model of the lineup was no exception with its 122 inch wheelbase and 188 hp of thrust. Based on GM's B-body, the 1955 models were a further refinement of the new-for-1954 design. Customers liked it and propelled Buick to the 3rd place in the annual production statistics.

Technically, a new "Variable Pitch Dynaflow" automatic transmission guaranteed an even smoother ride. Buick's catalog stated: "While brand new to motoring, the principle of Variable Pitch is a familiar one to pilots. In their airplanes, they 'switch the pitch' to get extra power when needed. At other times, they use easy-on-the-gas cruising range. You do the same thing in a new Buick. The accelerator pushed to the floor gives you an instant burst of safe passing power . . . ease up the accelerator and you are back to economical cruising range." Well, 'economical' is a relative term, and knowing that most Buicks in Cuba today have manual transmissions implanted, we surely doubt Buicks "Dynaflow" to be so efficient at all.

1959 Studebaker Lark

"Here's the car that's fun to drive. It's The Lark by Studebaker! What makes The Lark so much fun? It combines the most desirable qualities of handling and maneuverability of Continental machines with the spacious 6-passenger interior typical of much larger U.S.A. automobiles. In brief, The Lark provides you with satisfaction at the wheel."

With the 1959 Lark, Studebaker became once again a trend-setter, like in the end-40s when they were "first by far with a postwar car." In 1958 and 1959, the sales of automobiles in the U.S. declined rapidly as a result of the economic recession. The "Big Three" had miscalculated the public demand, and came up with the biggest chrome-monsters of the 50s, such as the Oldsmobile Super 88. Only Studebaker could present a compact model in 1959. Ironically, the Lark was designed in the midst of an economic desaster caused by bad management, which had brought Studebaker close to bankruptcy. The receipe for this car was the same as for all Studebakers since the mid-50s: take parts of old models and mix them up to a new cocktail. At a closer look, the Lark's cabin is similar to the one of the older President. Shorter front- and rearends together with a shortened wheelbase formed the new and extremely successful "compact"-model.

With the launch of the Lark in 1959, the sales soared, and Studebaker wrote black numbers once again for the first time since years. Unfortunately, the blaze didn't last long: already 1960 the "Big Three" launched their compact models, too, and the Lark had to face a strong competition. Sales and customer's confidence declined continually, and finally Studebaker, the oldest carmaker of the U.S., became history in 1966.

1956 Cadillac Series Sixty-Two Coupe de Ville

"In no other single model do Cadillac's new styling and luxury come to more brilliant life than in the glamorous Coupe de Ville."

The brownish paintjob of this Cadillac creates a nice contrast to the blue walls of the Iglesia Parroquial Mayor in Sancti Spiritus. Unlike its famous sibling Eldorado, this 1956 Series 62 Coupe still had modest tailfins and represented the rather "classic" Cadillac. But tailfins were rising inevitably, and Cadillac was among the fashion leaders: already one year later, the entire Cadillac lineup was outfitted with the Eldorado's high tailfins.

Cadillac's catalog announced: "From the smart accent of its new fender crest and nameplate to its new slip-stream rear fender styling, it is truly an inspiration to behold. And inside there are fabrics and appointments and luxuries to excite the most veteran Cadillac owner. In combination with Cadillac's dynamic new performance, this beauty and luxury make the Coupe de Ville one of the most dramatic of all 1956 Cadillacs."

1959 Dodge Kingsway Custom 4-door Sedan

"The Newest of Everything Great! The Greatest of Everything New!"

This Dodge Kingsway Custom is yet another "Plodge" in our collection. This time it's a Plymouth Belvedere, coupled with a Dodge frontend. The habit of the Chrysler Corporation to re-badge Plymouths and sell them as other makes, was originally invented to circumvent canadian trade-laws, as Plymouth's canadian factory could produce other Chrysler-makes as "made-in-Canada" products. Later, the idea spread to other export markets to help selling cars in lower price-classes without damaging the brand image of the higher-priced brands.

"Kingsway" was the name for these badge-engineered Dodges for the export markets. Here in Cuba you can find both versions of 1959 Dodges: the original U.S. specification, and the badge-engineered "Plodges". This is likely because Florida was just a ferry-ride away and although not being sold here, many original Dodges reached the island on this direct way.

1958 Edsel Pacer 4-door Sedan

"This is the Edsel and there has never been a car like it. Originality is clearly written in the elegance of its every line – from its bold vertical grille to the sweep of its low, wide flight deck. You sense this originality, too, in Edsel's effortless performance. And you command a new kind of automotive power – effortless, quiet, unsurpassed for flexibility and responsiveness."

Ford's Edsel experiment is widely used as an example for dramatic failure in establishing a new brand. At a closer look, Edsel didn't fail, but merely couldn't meet the sky-high expectations of its creators and the buying public.

Ford conceived the Edsel brand around 1954, at a time, when sales figures just knew one direction: upwards. Between Mercury and Lincoln was a wide price gap, that Edsel should fill. Ford decided to launch Edsel with a full lineup of 18 models in four different series, the entry-level Ranger and Pacer being based on Ford's 118-inch wheelbase Fairlane, while the upscale Corsair and Citation shared parts of Mercurys 124-inch body.

The models went public in September 1957, accompanied by a huge advertisement campaign. Edsels featured some new gimmicks, such as the "Teletouch Drive" push-button shifter in the center of the steering wheel, and a "Control Center Instrument Panel" with rotating-disc speedometer, but the design was not as radical, as the advertisement had promised since two years. Especially the vertical front grille divided the public opinion. Some called it "horsecollar", while others found more drastic descriptions.

By the end of 1958 Edsel had sold just two thirds of it's planned entry-year numbers, with 63.000 cars handed-over to the customers. This wasn't too bad, considering that 1958 was a recession year, but unfortunately it should become the best year in Edsel's short history. In 1959, the sales dropped to 45.000, and after just 2846 1960-models, the Edsel experiment was stopped.

1954 Oldsmobile 88 4-door Sedan

"There's never been a car like this new Oldsmobile for 1954! It's ultra-new from every point of view with a lower, longer, lovelier silhouette! A daring new slant to its curve-around panoramic windshield! A thrilling 'sports car' flair to its new sweep-cut doors and fenders! This is truly the car of the year-ahead –with a dramatic new flair everywhere– the 'In Advance' Oldsmobile for 1954!"

Oldsmobile's "new-for-1954" models arrived late: they were introduced on January 20, 1954. The advertisement tried to profit from this, and claimed that the 1955 design was introduced one year ahead as the 1954 lineup. We can't tell if this is a myth, but a fact is, that the Oldsmobiles were quite advanced. While the typical Oldsmobile look of the previous generation was kept, a new wraparound windshield and a three-inch lower stance made the new Oldsmobile a looker. The famous "Rocket" V8-engine received it's first displacement increase since its introduction in 1949, and a longer wheelbase further improved the already class-leading ride. Oldsmobiles were hot rides, even as entry-level "88".

Cuba is perhaps the only country in the world, where vintage Detroit Iron is still being driven, instead of waiting pampered in climatized garages. We really enjoy to watch cars like this Oldsmobile 88, roaring along in full effect on cuban carreteras.

1949 Buick Roadmaster Sedanet

"The Roadmaster Sedanet, Model 76-S – Here's the gracious, racy look of a Coupe, combined with the spacious roomy interior of a Sedan. A steady goer with its two-tons-plus, ideal for a family of youngsters with its two doors."

This quote from Buick's 1949 sales brochure sounds almost prophetic when you look at this Roadmaster 60 years later. Young people in Cuba like to tune their cars, just like in other countries. And here, too, taste is often the missing element. This mighty Roadmaster Sedanet once crowned Buick's lineup. Now it is embellished with tribals and racing stripes, and even the front bumper of an Hyundai Accent. What a humiliation...

Buick and Cadillac introduced their first Fastback Coupes in the early 40s, and for a while these cars were all the rage among customers. GMs other brands rushed out their Aerosedans too, trying to cope with the massive demand. But as quick as this bodystyle became popular, as quick it disappeared, when the first "hardtop sedans" came to the market in 1949. Unlike the elegant Aerosedans, which were just seen in GMs lineup, the hardtop-fashion was swiftly spreading across all major brands and proved to be en vogue for much longer.

1951 Mercury 4-door Sport Sedan

"There is no car in its class that will give you such sheer pleasure to own . . . as the mighty, beautiful new 1951 Mercury!"

With their massive grace and elegant proportions, Mercurys of this generation were certainly some of the better cars of the early 50s, although they should become really famous only years later, when used Mercurys got in the hands of Americas youth: 1949 - 1951 Mercurys became their favorite cars for Hod Rodding.

Since it's creation in 1939, the mission of Ford's Mercury brand was to bridge the price gap between the economic Ford and the expensive Lincoln. During the first years, Mercurys were simply better appointed Fords, running on longer wheelbases and with bigger engines. Initially, even the 1949 Mercury was supposed to become a 1949 Ford. But strategic reconsideration after the nomination of Henry Ford II as the new chairman changed the game: for him, the planned car was too big to compete with Chevrolet. He decided to start from scratch to develop a new model, that eventually would become the acclaimed 1949 Ford.

Ford's original design was eventually brought into production as Mercury, and Lincoln alike. Both brands shared the same body on different wheelbases, the difference starting ahead of the windscreen, because the Lincoln needed more room to fit the bigger engines.

In its three-year lifecycle, the 1949 Mercury got a slightly altered front ornamentation and a bigger rear window in 1951, but the basic body remained unchanged until the new generation arrived in 1952.

1956 Continental Mark II

"Obviously, the Continental Mark II can be made only in limited numbers. But, whether you hope to own one or not, we believe you will share the sincere feeling of the Ford Motor Company that the Continental Mark II is the finest car not only in America, but in the world."

When we found the rural version of the Continental Mark II, we couldn't imagine yet to see another one on cuban streets. Well, miracles happen, and today we can show you an Continental Mark II in it's very original shape. Fifty years after it's presentation, the clean and elegant lines of this automotive classic are still breathtaking. Ford deliberately stepped out of the "chrome-and-glamour" trend of the mid-50s, and styled it's flagship with european taste in mind. The 1956 Continental Mark II received a lot of attention during it's presentation, but obviously the design couldn't make points against the "loud" and flashy appearance of the Cadillacs, Oldsmobiles and Buicks, and the self-assured price-tag of 10.000$ didn't help to attract enough customers. After two years, the experiment was stopped, and the Continentals became flashy and cheaper again.

Enjoy some more catalog-quotes: "It is a car designed and built with a particular person in mind: the man of inherent good taste and judgement. It is aristocratic, but in a quietly modern way. it is elegant, but in a simple and uncomplicated way. It is conservative, but in a distinctive and exiting way. It is a car in which quality has always been considered first."

1954 Chevrolet Bel Air 2-door Sedan

"New beauty is only the beginning. There's much more power. Much finer performance. And new economy, too - with money-saving gas mileage. In every way, this 1954 Chevrolet is the finest ever."

Intensive colors and tropical sunlight render some amazing reflections onto this 1954 Chevrolet Bel Air. Introduced in 1953, the short two-year lifecycle of the lineup found it's culmination -as the catalog noted- in "new front- and rearend design, massive new bumpers extending even farther around the fenders and many other styling advances." Anyway, Chevrolet already concentrated it's forces in the development of the famous next generation. In the background you see the 1956 Bel Air. Just two years time between these two cars show the big steps of in automotive styling during this time.

Generally satisfied with it's 1954 Chevy, an owner from Trinidad told us: "The car still runs 90-100 kilometers per hour easily, but you need to pay attention to keep it straight on the road. And you need friends, if you want to keep the car running. The liquid motor-oil that they sell today just leaks out of the engine. So I need to go to Havana from time to time. There a friend has access to the dense oil that the army uses for their tanks and other military vehicles..."