1952 Ford Customline V-8 Fordor Sedan

"An eye-corner glance tells you that no car — not even one costing far more — has more perfect line and grace than a '52 Ford. And then, close up, you find that every detail reveals the kind of skilled workmanship that only comes from expert hands. But there's something else, and this you've got to feel: Ford 'can do'. It's what comes from the most powerful engine in its field — 110 high-compression horsepower — V-8 style! It's the extra dividend of comfort assured by Ford's own Automatic Ride Control  . . .  the easy passage over roughest roads, the level rounding of curves. And it's the freedom from work, for Fordomatic takes over the shifting. You guide a Ford from an uncluttered cockpit as wide as a sofa. And 'guide' is the word. That's Ford 'can do'  . . .  and for the fun of a real heart-warming experience, please 'Test-Drive' it today!"
Witness design evolution the Ford way: the very successful 1949 Ford sported a characteristic central spinner in its front grille. This styling feature was carried through the various model years: in 1951, a second spinner was added, and for 1952, Ford sported no less than three circular spinners up front. "More is better", might have been the credo at Ford's styling studio, and accordingly, the copywriters texted: "New Wider Grille, with air-scoop design, gives a massive front-end appearance  . . .  maintains unmistakable Ford identification."

In retrospective, the Ford looks decidedly more modern than its competitors. Slab-sided body and an upright cabin with flat roof were design elements that would prevail through the next decades. Yet, in the early 50s, customers were clearly drawn to the flashier, ostentatious Chevrolets. In direct comparison, they looked much more voluptuous and sculptural, and still alluded to a previous era of automotive design. Yet, with their abundant chrome trim, they just looked more "glamorous", too. And thus, perhaps more befitting to the increasingly materialistic lifestyle which postwar America had developed after years of wartime austerity.

1955 Hudson Wasp 4-door Sedan

"Twice as rigid, twice as safe! American Motors' exclusive Double Strength Single Unit car construction is all-welded, rattleproof — with twice the torsional strength of bodies bolted to separate chassis frames in all other cars. You're protected all around by box-section steel girders — makes Hudson a great trade-in value!"

Not often do you come across a Hudson in Cuba. Just 367 Hudson Wasp were exported worldwide in 1955, and seeing one of them in Havana's Miramar district, definitely made our day.

Hudson was a rather small, but influential player in the automotive industry, as it broke new grounds with the unibody construction of its famous "Step-Down" Hudsons. These postwar models became quite legendary as they appealed to both, discerning customers and motorsport enthusiasts, because of their superior handling, due to a stiffer and lighter unibody construction and a lower center of gravity. From 1952 through 1954, these Hudsons could dominate America's NASCAR racing events.

The downside of the unibody design was a very limited potential for body changes. It didn't matter in the late 1940s, when the American car market was still a seller's market and everyone made good business. But already in the early 1950s, the "Big Three" began to push for extensive yearly styling changes, and the customers became so much used to an annual "all-new" look of their cars, that the Hudsons soon looked very, very dated. Sales plummeted severely. On top of that, the costly development of the ill-fated compact Hudson Jet ate up most of Hudson's cash reserves. Consequently, Hudson had to merge with Nash to form American Motors in early 1954. As a stipulation for this merger, all original Hudson models were dropped, and thus, the "all-new" 1955 Hudsons should become merely badge engineered Nash cars. Designed by Ken Samples under supervision of Nash styling chief Ed Anderson, these Hudsons looked actually pretty good: an formal egg-crate grille and the Nash body with its wide wraparound windshield made the cars look pretty stately. Even the mid-level Wasp, despite running on a shorter wheelbase, looked well-proportioned and decent. But good looks weren't enough for Hudson's fan base. The customers didn't buy into the pretense and rejected these disguised, slouchy Nash cars, which they soon derisively nicknamed "Hashes". In an attempt to make them more individual, Ed Anderson and his team restyled the Hudson once again for 1956. The result was too garish for most, even by the time's standards. Customers now completely ignored the brand, and in 1957 Hudson and Nash were given up, leaving Rambler as AMC's remaining make.

There's a certain irony in the fact that the 1955 Hudson still sported an unibody construction, albeit inherited from Nash. Had they had the choice, Hudson engineers would certainly have dismissed the Nash body as being too heavy and generally inferior.

1955 Opel Olympia Rekord

"Opel der Zuverlässige."

"Opel the reliable", truly is a befitting slogan for the 1953-1956 Olympia Rekord. At that time in postwar Germany, Opel was what marketing people today would call a "premium brand". These cars weren't cheap, and certainly not for everyone.

Presented in March 1953, the Olympia Rekord was the first all-new postwar Opel. As it should become common practice for the next Opel generations as well, the car was designed in Detroit by Opel's mother company GM. Opel's German designers merely added "Opelness" to details of the clay models that arrived from Detroit. Hence, the Opel almost looked like Harley Earl's stylists had shrunken a 1953 Chevrolet, which wasn't bad at all, because GM styling in these years generally was considered as being ultra modern. Upon its presentation, Opel chief Edward D. Zdunek even praised the new Opel a "German Chevrolet", which at that time certainly was a positive connotation.

Yet for most Germans, the fashionable Opel was not just too expensive, but also a bit too ostentatious. The country was still recovering from the devastation of World War II and personal mobility was all but common. For the few solvent middle class buyers who could afford the new Opel, it still was a huge investment. That said, the fashion of yearly facelifts, "imported" from Detroit, confused many customers who had rather wished for a stable value in their car. According to Edward D. Zdunek, these facelifts should give customers the opportunity of "social differentiation", but in fact, they were meant as an instrument to stimulate new car sales. What worked well in the U.S., however, wouldn't work in Europe, because people simply didn’t have the money for frequent new car acquisitions.

But at least technically, the Opel Record excelled with stable value: a solid unibody construction and reliable engines meant very few unexpected stops at the garage. Somehow, the little Opel truly exuded new-found "German virtues" of thriftiness and zeal, which made the car very popular outside of Germany, too: soon, the Opel had earned an excellent reputation for being very reliable. In Cuba you'll find quite a few Opel Rekord. Most were shipped disassembled in boxes from Germany as "CKD kits" and, after assembly in Cuba, distributed through GM's Cuban Buick dealer network.

1941 Plymouth Special DeLuxe 4-door Sedan

"It's a pleasure to remind you that this stunning new 1941 Plymouth — so beautiful, so long, wide, low-swung — is a low-priced car! Inside, you'll find glamorous new Fasion-Tone Interior — a miracle in color, fabric, appointments. And you'll discover a new delight in Plymouth's new 4-way Step-Up in  Performance  . . .  giving you new mastery of hills and traffic! And, for 1941, Plymouth announces Powermatic Shifting  . . .  a new Oil-Bath Air Cleaner that adds to engine life and economy  . . .  new Engine Bearings which are 2 to 3 times longer-lived  . . .  new Ignition Protection to assure fast, easy starts! See and drive this Big Beauty today at your nearby Plymouth dealer."

This 1941 Plymouth from Havana exudes the aura of a time when the shape of American automobiles gradually evolved from engineered machinery to highly stylized moving objects. By the 1930s, all American car manufacturers had realized the increasing importance of car styling as a decision factor for new car purchases. Until then, car styling had largely been the business of engineers, with freelance artists and coachbuilders infusing them styling themes. Thus, of course, many interesting ideas were overruled by the practical approach of engineering towards car design.

GM would set a new trend in 1927 with the creation of the first corporate "Art and Color Section", directed by Harley Earl. Slowly but surely, all other manufacturers followed suit. In 1930, Raymond H. Dietrich became the first head of the newly established Chrysler Styling department.

While Harley Earl at GM quickly began trimming the whole company towards obeying the demands of the styling department, engineers remained dominant at Chrysler. Naturally, the new focus on car styling caused much friction and often open confrontation between the corporate departments. Over one of these fights, Ray Dietrich was ousted in 1940, and Robert Cadwallader, much less belligerent than Dietrich, inherited the chief designer's position, becoming responsible for the postwar Mopar lineup.

Yet, before leaving Chrysler, Dietrich had caused quite a sensation with the decent looking Plymouth for 1939. As one novelty, this car featured a front grille with a strong emphasis on horizontal lines. Plymouth should retain that treatment over the next ten years. Thus, our pictured 1941 Plymouth is the famous exception to the rule, as this year the "typical" Plymouth front look was abandoned for something much more fashionable: a new heart-shaped front grille and gimmicky "Speedlines" at the fenders should impart a certain feeling of motion. Suddenly, the rather sensible Plymouth looked almost better than a Buick or Chevrolet, which themselves were considered cutting-edge designs. Customers liked these details and honored the fresh design with a massive demand: the annual production jumped from around 430.000 to just over 522.000 cars.