1949-1953 Willys CJ-3A

"4-Wheel Drive  . . . gets thru and gets the job done!"

This colorful Willys CJ-3A from Trinidad del Mar is a direct descendant from the original Jeep MB, the iconic vehicle that once represented the United States of America throughout the world, much like Coca Cola, chewing gum or the Statue of Liberty. Today it's universally just known as the Jeep, but most cuban choferes still refer to the times when this wasn't such an iconic name yet. They don't drive a Jeep. They drive a Willys!

Willys-Overland is well-known for its Jeep, although it was originally neither conceived nor designed at Willys-Overland: the company inherited the blueprints for its most famous product from a direct competitior in the industry.  At the dawn of the Second World War, the U.S. Army Quartermaster Corps started a contest for an all-wheel driven compact scout vehicle. The requirements were set really high and the deadline extremely short: participating companies should deliver their running prototypes within just 49 days. Finally, only a small company named American Bantam could finish their proposal in time to match this demanding deadline. The proposed design, however, still was anything but the final Jeep. The Army Quartermaster passed the Bantam blueprints on to Ford and Willys-Overland, assuming that these big corporations would have the power to develop and fabricate the car with much more vigor. Ford and Willys-Overland developed their own proposals, based on the Bantam prototype. After a long refinement phase, involving thousands of "prototypes" that were evaluated in regular Army service, the Willys-Overland proposal eventually was selected for mass production, and massive orders went to Ford and Willys-Overland alike. American Bantam, ironically, was left out.

The actual look of the Jeep, by the way, wasn't defined by any of the involved parties. It's claimed that the doorless silhouette of one of the most iconic cars of the last century was penned down by an unknown member of the Army's Quartermaster office when the first prototypes didn't show the expected simplicity.

However, the Jeep showed up at every frontline of the Second World War, and contributed heavily to the victory of the allied forces. Incidentally, US soldiers were renowned in postwar Europe for only moving their feet when they could push a pedal. This is certainly exaggerated, but it speaks a lot about the american lifestyle, that was so much more related to cars than anywhere else in the world.

Already amid the Second World War, Willys-Overland's top management envisioned a peacetime future for their cash-cow. The CJ-2 (read: "Civilian Jeep-2"), presented in 1944 and built from 1946, was a conversion of the Army vehicle to match the higher speeds and different demands of normal on-road driving. The CJ-2 was mainly intended for use in a rural environment, and if you ordered the rear and/or front "power take-off kit", multiple additional tools made it a quite versatile farmhand. In 1949, the CJ-3 arrived at the dealer's, distinguished by a one-piece windshield including a vent and wipers at its bottom edge. The front seats moved a bit backwards to allow for a more comfortable driving position. This was the last "classic" Jeep, before a bigger and more refined version took its place after a five year production run.

1946-1948 DeSoto Custom 4-door Sedan

"A DeSoto owner is in a enviable position. He envies nobody. He drives without shifting. No other car could give him a smoother ride. He is accustomed to DeSoto's extra comfort and extra safety. He knows a good thing when he see's it . . . and he's got it!"

Perhaps, the DeSoto wasn't the most elegant car in Chrysler's postwar portfolio, but its hallmark "waterfall" front grille made it undoubtedly the most ostentatious proposal. The grille design dates back to prewar times, when DeSoto had pioneered with "Airfoil Lights" in 1942. These concealed pop-up headlamps were an unique feature and previously unseen on a mass-produced american car. The swiveling headlights had to go with the overhaul of Chrysler's lineup for 1946, but the wide front grille that had beautifully emphasized them, stayed. However, to make room for the new round headlight bezels, the previously straight top line of this grille now had to dip down quite strangely on both ends, which makes for a quite baroque look of the postwar DeSoto. The rest of the car was essentially carried over from 1942, save for some cosmetic updates on the front fenders which now extended into the doors.

Through early 1949, DeSotos looked virtually the same. There really was no need for a facelift until the arrival of the next generation in 1949, because the drained car market in the U.S. absorbed everything new on wheels, anyway. Thus, the most notable "innovation" on postwar DeSotos was the change to smaller "Super-Cushion" tires in 1947.

1960 Studebaker Lark Regal VIII Convertible

"Look at the Lark convertible! Newest Lark under the sun and moon, pridefully styled and built for lovers of road and sky. Here at last is the means to enjoy The Lark's marvelous maneuverability and stable agility while reveling in the delight of refreshing breezes and warm sunshine. Beyond a doubt, this Lark is one of the world's most charming and distinctive cars. And, the power of its V-8 or six cylinder engine can propel it with sufficient verve to satisfy the most demanding motorist. This is a perfect blending of happy handling, scintillating styling, queenly comfort and a wonderful way to enjoy the weather."

This 1960 Lark Regal VIII convertible from Cienfuegos is just another of the "late arrivals" on the island, and opposed to it's much more common sedan sibling, it's a pretty rare sight.

There were quite a few ups and downs in the history of Studebaker, but fortunes changed really rapidly in the latter 50s. In the critical year of 1958, just four years after the optimistic merger with Packard, Studebaker had to stop building Packards, which by then were nothing but rebadged Studebakers, anyway. With an overall output of just 44.745 cars, the company was at the verge of bankruptcy. All bets were on the new "compact" Lark for 1959, to be launched already in the fall of 1958.

And indeed, the Lark changed Studebaker's fortune. Not that the car was so advanced (in fact, it was essentially an older Studebaker body with chopped front and rear ends), but the timing for the company's new saviour was just right: amidst a sharp economic recession, customers suddenly were looking for smaller and leaner cars, and no one else, except Rambler and some exotic imports, had their bases covered. The Lark had a stellar impact, and within one year, Studebaker's financial numbers changed from a bright red to a deep black.

Surfing the wave of sudden success, Studebaker introduced even a convertible for 1960, but it didn't do much for a long-lasting success of the Lark: meanwhile, the Big Three had reacted to the changed car market and introduced their own "compacts", such as the Chevrolet Corvair, Ford Falcon, Dodge Dart or Plymouth Valiant. Life for Studebaker became increasingly difficult and sales plummeted in each consecutive year. In 1966, the brand ceased building cars, and the oldest American car manufacturer became history.