1955 Oldsmobile 88 4-door Sedan

"Out in front  . . .  with the new 'Go-Ahead' look! See it in the panoramic windshield, the new hooded headlights — in the sweep-cut fender lines, the pure-luxury interiors. In fact, Oldsmobile's Super '88' is new everywhere  . . .  wherever you look!"

This one left us a little puzzled upon first sight: up front it's a 1956 Oldsmobile, but the trim comes from 1955. So, what is it? The rectangular cutout around the rear wheels suggests that this car was built in 1955. 1956 Oldsmobiles  had a curved wheel arch, instead. This, the car's owner confirmed later, was the right guess: the whole front clip had been replaced after an accident years ago.

The American car companies presented their "all-new" models each year with much fanfare, but in fact, the cars were actually evolving pretty slowly. Case in point: Oldsmobile's bodies underwent merely cosmetic changes between 1954 and 1957, which makes it fairly easy to mount a newer front end onto our pictured car.

Mechanically it was all the same anyway, since the introduction of the groundbreaking "Rocket" V-8 engine in 1949 had not only rendered the Oldsmobiles the most powerful cars in the GM portfolio, but also initiated a race for ever more horsepower that spread like a virus across the industry throughout the decade. This "Rocket" V-8 powerplant and Oldsmobile's underpinnings were top-notch tech at the time. Strangely enough, the styling persevered surprisingly conservative throughout the 50s, before it switched completely and became garish in 1958.

1953 Chevrolet Bel Air Convertible

"Here is convertible smartness beyond compare in the low-price field. Interior appointments include a striking new upholstery treatment with trim to harmonize with the exterior of the car. A touch of a button sends top up or down. Available in a wide choice of colors."

Did the Chevy bottom out? (Spoiler: it didn't.) The load of seven people transformed this Chevrolet Convertible into a veritable low-rider, but its cautious driver could avoid a loud smack onto the tarmac.

The 1953 Chevrolets carried essentially the same chassis and mechanicals as all their predecessors since 1949, but their attractive restyling made them look more angular and quite a bit lower, too. Which they actually weren't, as you can see here: bar of all chrome trim and painted in a matte white paint that takes away the play of highlights and shadows, the Chevrolet's "new" outline still looks fairly stout. True package advancements should come only in the latter 50s.

That said, looks can be deceiving: the buying public nonetheless perceived the 1953-1954 Chevrolets as being "all-new" models. Vibrant color schemes and bright chrome trim clearly helped to distract from their stodgy proportions. No less than thirteen exterior colors were available, and eleven two-tone color combinations could be ordered on top of that. Harley Earl and his GM design team had skillfully managed to add that little extra "bling" that made these Chevrolets look so outstanding in the eyes of their customers. In their class, doubtlessly, they were setting the standards in automotive fashion, and the rest of the industry only could follow.

1959-1960 Austin Cambridge / Cambrian

"One look at the Austin Cambridge and you know why people are calling it the most beautifully-styled car in its price class. And there's much more to the Cambridge than its fresh, flowing lines! It seats five people in deep-cushioned comfort  . . .  cruises all day at top highway speeds  . . .  gives you up to 40 miles per gallon! But to discover the full beauty of the Cambridge, you have to visit your Austin showroom to see it in person — and price it in person. You'll find it hard to believe a car so lovely could be priced so low."

At a quick glance, our pictured Austin from Matanzas could easily be mistaken for one of the few Peugeot 404 that populate Cuba's automotive landscape. And in fact, this resemblance ain't accidental, because the French and the British car were both styled south of the Alps by Pininfarina of Torino. More than a few times, Italian car styling companies sold pretty similar looking proposals to different clients. At the end of the day, their work had to be profitable and they sure wouldn't completely "reinvent the wheel" on each new contract.

That said, it was a fairly big assignment that Pininfarina had received from Austin's mother company BMC. For 1959, all BMC brands should use just one standardized body for their cars. Thus, the Austin shared its body with the Wolseley 15/60, the Riley 4/68, the MG Magnette Series III and the Morris Oxford. Front- and rear ends were individual, so that at least the dealers could pretend that all these cars were different.

The Austin, fortunately, was the most modern looking of the pack. Being bigger than its tiny predecessor, the Austin Cambridge Mark II became quite successful on both continents. It arrived in America just amidst the massive "compact" car boom, and Austin could snatch its share of the market, before the "Big Three" would launch their own "compact" cars in the early 60s.

Through 1959, Austin sold its A55 Cambridge in the US exclusively as Cambrian, because earlier Plymouth models had been named Cranbrook, Cambridge and Concord between 1951 and 1953. In apprehension of a possible lawsuit, Austin choose to use another name, but as soon as the lawyers gave their clearance, the name was changed back into Cambridge here as well.

But now we need a bit of concentration, as we are diving deep into the "logic" of contemporary British car fabrication: even if it was supposedly just a name change, the Cambrian wasn't all identical with the Cambridge. It had a 1,622cc engine installed, rather than the 1,498cc engine that was fitted into the English Cambridge. You wouldn't notice it, but the Cambrian also sported ever so slightly altered rear body panels, because it shared its rear lights with the Morris Oxford Series V. That car, by the way, looked identical to the English Cambridge, except for its slightly higher tailfins, and a different grille insert pattern... Are you still following?

1958 Ford Thunderbird Convertible

"The new Thunderbird convertible decisively proves that you can have your cake and eat it, too. For now you can have true Thunderbird performance and Thunderbird fun — and, at the same time, luxurious room and comfort for four lucky people. Your T-bird comes equipped for superior performance with the brilliant new 300-hp Thunderbird Special V-8. Imagine what this beautiful new power plant means in a car so low, so lithe, so compact! When the hide-away top is down, the rear deck is perfectly flush with the rear seats, forming one smooth, uninterrupted line of Thunderbird beauty. See America's most individual car at your Ford Dealer's soon. You've nothing to lose but your heart!"

What a nice place to spend the evening! Cruising along in a Ford Thunderbird, while enjoying a soft tropical breeze, and listening to the characteristic growl of a big V-8 engine under the hood most certainly appeals to all senses.

In 1953, to everyone's surprise, Chevrolet had launched the Corvette, which soon should become a synonym for THE american sports car. Thunderbird was Ford's answer to the Corvette. The first generation, built from 1955 through 1957, was a two-seater, quintessentially embodying the stereotype of a classic sports car. This, of course, in true american fashion: the car looked dashing and was powerful, but it had to give way to purer sports cars as soon as the road became a little twisty.

The market for such a two-seater sports car was limited, and Ford, being much more dominated by bean counters and market research people than most other car companies, made "adjustments" to the original concept with the second generation which bowed in 1958. Now the car literally grew up, gaining 20 inches (51cm) overall length and 400 pounds (175kg) of weight. Perhaps most disturbing to the "purists", the car was now a full four-seater with all the amenities that other contemporary luxury cars would offer. While the first Thunderbird generation somehow fitted into the sports car scheme, the new generation wouldn't. But it didn't matter, as Ford had incidentally carved out a profitable new niche market: the "Personal Luxury Car" at an attainable price. This new market segment should gain momentum and become a necessity in the lineup of any American car maker throughout the 60s.

The Ford Thunderbird was pretty popular since it became a four-seater, and compared to the introductory year 1955, the production doubled in 1958. Considering that this was a recession year, and any bigger car was not moving from the dealer's, this was a respectable success. In 1959, the Thunderbird should again surpass its own success, with more than 67,000 cars finding new homes in American garages. Strangely enough, customers didn't show much interest in the 1958 Thunderbird Convertible. Out of 37,892 Thunderbird built in 1958, just 2,134 were ragtops, accounting for less than six percent of the total production. Granted that the convertible arrived late in the model year, the two-door hardtop was the much more popular choice.