1949 Oldsmobile 88 4-Door Town Sedan

"The city fades behind you - the straightway stretches before you - you're off on a glorious adventure! You're driving a 'Rocket' Engine Oldsmobile - discovering power and pace such as you've never known before in a motor car! Better yet - you know as you go that each thrilling mile costs you less - thanks to the 'Rocket's' remarkable gas mileage! Coupled with Oldsmobile's Hydra-Matic Drive*, the 'Rocket' gives you Futuramic economy to match its Futuramic smoothness and eagerness! Owners across the country tell us they are getting over 20 miles to the gallon ... at cruising speed! And this unbeatable Hydra-Matic-'Rocket' combination comes to you at its lowest cost in the nimble, spirited '88' Oldsmobile. See your Oldsmobile dealer - and make a lifelong date with the '88'!"

What you see here, parked behind the Iglesia del Santo Angel Custodio in La Habana Vieja, could rightfully be called the first american muscle car: for 1949, Oldsmobile  introduced the "88" Series, a combination of the rather light chassis of the 6-cylinder "76" Series and the brand-new "Rocket" V-8 engine. This combination proved to be an immediate success, especially appealing to younger and performance-hungry drivers. The customer's demand for the new "88" was so huge, that Oldsmobile dropped the "76" line already in 1950 and from now on only offered V-8 engines.

With it's groundbreaking overhead-valve "Rocket" V-8 engine, Oldsmobile declassified every other car around, including Cadillac, which had also introduced an own OHV V-8 engine in 1949. The new layout placed the valves directly above the combustion chamber. This allowed for a much higher compression ratio than the side-valve engines which were common at the time, and thus for more efficiency and (in theory) a higher fuel economy. Yet, Oldsmobile exploited the extra potential for more power rather than better mileage.

The historic significance of Oldsmobile's "Rocket" engine lies in the fact that this innovative engine design literally opened the flood gates, and by 1955, every major car manufacturer in the U.S. offered an own overhead-valve V-8. The race for horsepower was in full swing, and the basic layout of the OHV V-8 should become a standard for american cars well into the 80s.

Furthermore, the unconventional choice of mating this mighty engine with the light GM "A-body" made the "88" one of the fastest cars in America at the time, save for some imported exotics. The "88" literally would drive circles around a similar looking Chevrolet or Pontiac. With the "Rocket" engine, Oldsmobile's brand image rapidly shifted from "conservative" towards "performance", and before Fidel Castro's revolution, even the cuban police trusted in Oldsmobile as being the ideal chase-car. Throughout the 50s, other GM divisions should successfully repeat Oldsmobile's "recipe" of mounting massive engines into smaller cars and so boost their sporty image.

1954 Chevrolet Bel Air Convertible

"Here is a car that's so easy to drive  . . .  so spirited  . . .  so smartly styled  . . .  that it easily doubles your traveling enjoyment. Fact is, 'most any trip is a pleasure trip in a new Chevrolet Bel Air Convertible. You'll like the vacation-size luggage compartment  . . .  the durable, washable vinyl upholstery that keeps its good looks over the miles. And, you can have any or all of the automatic power features you want as extra-cost options. See the new Bel Air Convertible at your Chevrolet dealer's soon."

We seriously doubt that you can find a much better looking Chevrolet Bel Air Convertible across the Florida Strait. Mind you: this ain't Miami, this is Cuba, where official dealerships, factory spare parts or old-car junkyards are non-existent. All the more, we marvel at the determination and stamina of the cuban motorists who keep their cars in such a good condition! But then again, good looks make for good business. Our pictured Chevy Bel Air convertible, much like others, is frequently used as a parade car for fiestas de quince, and that secures a good and steady income for its owner.

In the traditional hierarchy, convertibles were always among the best-equipped and costliest cars in the lineup of any manufacturer, and therefore you can find quite a few postwar convertibles on cuban roads, although the climatic conditions here make open driving not as exciting as one might think. Yet, to own the top model was reason enough for many choferes in Cuba's show-off society to put a convertible in their garage – or better in front of it. However, as soon as the trendy "hardtop convertibles" became fashionable, "real" convertibles gradually disappeared from the customer's wish-list.

Same car in new suit, Chevrolets lineup was completely restyled for 1953, and looked dashing. Under the skin, the cars still had the mechanics of their predecessors, but such loud two-tone colors and interior appointments were previously unseen in Chevrolet's price class and they made the competition look quite bland. Once again, Harley Earl and GM Styling were boldly setting the trend – and the whole industry followed. Especially the Bel Air convertible excelled in the style department, matching interior hues and "fashion fiesta" exterior colors. No one would like to sit on plastic seats today, but back in 1954, an all-vinyl interior was chic: "The gay, color-harmonized interior is distinctively tailored. The all-vinyl seats and sidewalls stay new-looking  . . .  wash clean in a jiffy."

1958 Studebaker Commander

"Long known for value, the names Commander and Champion take on a new deluxe meaning this year. They are (as a pleasant fact) basically low-priced cars. Yet they offer a luxury which only Studebaker could provide and still maintain quality and safety from front grille to rear fins."

Amazing, how the tone of Studebaker's advertisement changed within a year, emphasizing on "basically low-priced cars" rather than on "a look of importance", like in 1957. The reason: by 1958, the Studebaker Packard Corporation was already in big financial trouble, and customers didn't buy into a glamorous image anymore. Packard was in an even bigger mess, now selling badge-engineered Studebakers as "luxury cars", but Studebaker's designers were on an equally short leash.

While the competition launched a sparkling firework of fancy new designs, Studebaker had to rely on the aging body which already served the 1953 lineup and which was shared with Packard since 1957. Restyled tailfins and new double-beam headlamps in strangely tacked-on fiberglass  pods were the only updates that the tight budget would allow.

But, as sometimes difficult conditions lead to creative outbursts, this story has a rather happy end, as Studebaker, deliberately searching for a market proposition, had invented the "compact" Lark for 1959, which shared it's body with the big Studebakers. Presented amidst a sharp economic recession, these "compact" cars sold like crazy, and kept the ailing company afloat for a few more years.

1958 Plymouth Belvedere 4-door Sedan

"Only from Plymouth: the Broadway Look at a Main Street Price."

The stunning Plymouth lineup for 1957 earned rave reviews, and rightfully so: like the new cars from all other Chrysler brands, the Plymouths now sported an extremely low, road-hugging design. Although being 2 inches shorter than their predecessors, they looked much longer, mainly due to the graceful horizontal body lines, and due to the switch to a space-saving torsion-bar front suspension. This new suspension also accounted for superior handling, and with their powerful engines, the new Plymouths were fast and eager cars for the time's standards. Compared to this second generation of "Forward Look" cars, the competition suddenly looked quite chubby.

The new Plymouths for 1958, pictured here, were merely an minor update, now sporting four headlights and a restyled front grille. Even Plymouth's advertisers had perhaps difficulties to sell these updates as innovations. You can sense it in the sales catalog, which merely focused on "exciting new exterior colours", "a wide range of striking new fabrics", or tailfins, now called "Directional Stabilizers", as novelties.

Here's some more advertisement poetry for your enjoyment: "There's more than getting 'more for your money' in owning a Plymouth. Add to the dollars you save the proud knowledge that one of the world's greatest cars is yours. Don't settle for less. No matter what your budget is, there's a Plymouth to fit ... as your Plymouth dealer will gladly prove to you ... today!"

1952 Buick Special 4-Door Tourback Sedan

"When better automobiles are built BUICK will build them. Sure is true for '52."

Sixty years ago, this Buick Special 4-Door Tourback Sedan, model 41D, rolled from an assembly line in Flint, Michigan. And sixty years later, despite looking quite battered, it's still in a pretty original condition: six decades of daily driving without pampering didn't do much harm to the massive grace of this elegant automobile.

There's a reason why Buicks of the early 50s have a reputation of being almost indestructible cars. Of all GM divisions, especially Buick managed to excel not just with bold styling, but also with an impeccable build quality. And in a time, when the decade's styling-craze just began to kick-off, the inner values of a car still played a much more important role for the buyer's decision. Optimized and lightweight construction for better fuel efficiency or higher profits? No, señor! Instead, massive and durable metalwork and a "Fireball" V-8 engine so big that it probably never came even close to deploying its full potential. Engineered this way, cars like the Buick Special could survive for more than half a century without regular manufacturer maintenance. Sure, flashier Buicks can be found in Cuba, but we like this particular Buick Special from Sancti Spiritus for its original patina and for the fact that, until now, its embellishment is almost complete and didn't get lost over the years.

In 1952, the Buick Special was the "smallest" and leanest car in Buick's portfolio. The design was largely carried over from 1951, and just sported subtle alterations, like a different chrome trim for the new model year. Small chrome "fins" were now added atop the rear fenders, but it certainly wasn't a year of major changes. Change wasn't necessary anyway, as Buicks were constantly selling good. Despite being pricey offers, the output was good for a fourth place in the annual production statistics, closely trailing the budget brands Chevrolet, Ford and Plymouth. However, Buick's production for 1952 was only limited by government restrictions due to the korean war, but this was a problem which every major american carmaker had to face in 1952.