1977-1985 GAZ-24 Volga

"Traditionnelle et moderne. Fiable et confortable."

With just six words the Belgian Avtoexport leaflet cut right to the chase. The Volga it promoted was clearly one of the finer cars that were driving behind the Iron Curtain. While earlier Volga models had been heavily inspired by the products from Detroit, the designers developed an unique and recognizable design for the GAZ-24. Presented in late 1967 and mass-produced since 1970, the well-proportioned and spacious car soon became a Russian equivalent to the average GM or Ford fleet cars: the GAZ-24 served as a typical government vehicle or taxi in the whole of Eastern Europe, and rarely got into private hands. Did we mention the KGB yet? They, of course, got their own pimped version, called "Device 2424". This car looked like your average Volga, but under its bonnet sat a powerful V-8 engine instead of the standard four-cylinder.

Small improvements from time to time kept the Volga on top of its game. Our pictured car is from the second generation, produced between 1977 and 1985. This revision comprised small indicator lights at the front fenders, yellow fog lights and bumper guards. Demand usually exceeded the production capacities by far, and thus, the eastern designs had a lifespan that was unthought of in the western world. Annual facelifts? Not necessary, comrade.

1952 Ford F-5

"Ford trucking costs less and Ford trucks last longer!"

There's some truth in that slogan, although we'd bet that the copywriters of this 1952 ad would never have imagined that a Ford truck would need to last more than six decades in daily use. Pickups and light trucks such as this 1952 Ford F-5 perfectly suit the automotive needs of rural Cuba, and therefore you still see a lot of them today. Contrary to privately owned cars, privately owned trucks were always considered important to the socialist community, and the bureaucratic strings were held a little bit less tight. The truck owners usually do good extra business with smaller jobs on the side, and the officials usually pretend to be blind on one eye. That symbiosis enables a more or less working system of haulers for smaller transport needs, parallel to the bigger state owned transport companies.

Our pictured Ford, of course, doesn't run on its gas-guzzling original engine anymore. "We've installed a Perkins Diesel engine, for much better economy", told us the proud owner. Regular maintenance is a breeze as the entire front clip is easily removable. Ford used to apply a similar looking design to all of its trucks, from the ½ ton pickup F-1 to the heavy-duty three ton F-8. They only differed in the cabin size, which makes it difficult to tell at a glance which version of F-trucks it is. While its owner doesn't care for these fine details, he sure does care for the truck's 1½ tons load capacity — for him the Ford is merely a tool.

1954 Hudson Super Jet 4-door Sedan

"Here's a car so wonderfully compact it's a delight to handle, drive and park — even in congested traffic — yet with ample room for six passengers. Here is a car with Instant Action Engine featuring Super Induction — a car so powerful it leads the lowest price field for performance, yet so economical it's thrifty like a Scot on gas, oil, tires and upkeep."

Above its shoulder line, the Hudson Jet looks handsomely styled and has an almost European flavor to it. But here's the catch: because this shoulder sits pretty high, there's a long distance to cover until road level, resulting in a massive, slab-sided body that makes the narrow Hudson look unnecessarily stodgy. The Willys, in comparison, shows that it wasn't impossible to create a proportionally attractive compact car.

Obviously not so at Hudson, where the design team under Frank Spring had initially proposed much more daring ideas. Yet, biased by the opinion of Hudson's biggest dealer, Jim Moran, Hudson president A. E. Barit insisted on design changes that should make the final design look much like a contemporary Ford.

Accordingly, the motor press didn't rave over the styling when the Hudson Jet was presented in late 1952, but was rather impressed by its mechanical soundness and the peppy performance. Mind you, technically the Hudson wasn't a bad car at all. The standard engine already offered 104 hp — considerably more than a comparable Willys, Rambler or Henry J. An optional aluminum head and "Twin H-Power" gave you an additional 10 hp power boost, enough to out-accelerate any 1953 Ford or Chevrolet.

Because the Jet offered comprehensive standard equipment, its price tag was well in the territory of the base models of Detroit's "Big Three". Unsurprisingly, only few customers choose the ugly duckling over the more comfortable full size cars from Chevrolet, Ford or Plymouth. When Hudson merged with Nash to form American Motors in 1954, one of the casualties was the slow-selling Jet. Hudson stopped the production of the Jet as soon as the tooling costs were amortized and soldiered on with badge engineered Nash models until the brand was given up in favor of the more successful Rambler in 1957.

1948 Pontiac DeLuxe Torpedo 4-door Sedan

"The day you come into possession of your new Pontiac will mark the beginning of a wonderful friendship — for there is no more faithful or satisfying car to be had anywhere in the world. First of all, it is such a big and beautiful and distinctive car that you will be proud to have it as a companion wherever you go. It performs so well, and is so easy and safe to handle, that it will make a big contribution to the pleasure of every journey. And, finally, it is so completely dependable and trouble-free that you will learn very soon to trust it implicitly — as you would any other good and capable friend.

The statements we are making here apply, with special emphasis, to the wonderful Pontiacs we are building today. But they also apply, with equal force, to the Pontiacs that will be built in the future — for Pontiac is always a good car. For goodness — in all that the term implies — is a constant Pontiac virtue. Regardless of when you get it, your Pontiac will be beautiful, safe, dependable — and a great comparative value. You can never do better than a Pontiac!"

The advertisement hyperbole makes one almost forget the fact that the 1948 Pontiac Torpedo was merely a better appointed Chevrolet. Admittedly, the liberally applied chrome trim and the signature "Silver Streaks", running from bonnet to boot, make the Pontiac look way more dashing than its economic sibling. These "Silver Streaks" echoed the trendy Streamline Art-Deco lines of the 1930s, and were first devised by GM designer Frank Hershey for the 1935 Pontiac. Sticking to that design element should make the Pontiacs easily recognizable. There was one problem, though: because these chrome stripes would appear old-fashioned in the postwar years, Pontiac began turning into a stuffy old man's brand — sound but uninspired. Fortunately not for long. Under new management, the focus shifted to power, the "Silver Streaks" got axed in 1957, and the brand rose like a phoenix from the ashes.

In Cuba, torpedo has become a general moniker for vintage fastback body styles. Yet, the Pontiac Torpedo was not limited to the fastback look. It simply was the designation of Pontiac's entry level model which shared GM's corporate A-body with Chevrolet. Only one out of four Pontiac buyers opted for the Torpedo in 1948. The vast majority choose the pricier Streamliner series, which ran on a 3-inch (7,62 cm) longer wheelbase and used GM's bigger B-body, just like the junior Buick, Cadillac and Oldsmobile lines.

1952 -1954 Morris Minor Series II

"The Morris Minor has road-proved its way to popularity in nearly every country of the world. Everything of first-rate importance in modern automobile design has been incorporated in this car. With family budgets under daily review it is small wonder that the Minor is so much sought after everywhere. There is room for the family and luggage in a Minor — the world's biggest small car buy!"

Don’t be fooled by the radiant red of this Morris Minor from Havana: this ain't a sports car. Who expected less than lethargic performance from this tiny car was in for a great disappointment. Zero to 62 miles (100 km/h) took about a minute. If you got there at all, that was, because the Morris could reach its 63 miles (101 km/h) top speed only in still air conditions. Even tinier cars could outrun the Morris. So, why bother buying one? Rather than speed, it was comfort that attracted many Morris customers.

Its tall roof made the Minor look a bit cartoonish, but all passengers could sit upright and comfortably. And compared to other English cars of the same vintage, it didn't look so bad, after all. Another strong point of the Minor was its cushiony ride. Cornering and road holding qualities were considered very good for a car of that era. Unsurprisingly so, as the Minor had an unconventional torsion-bar suspension, just like the Porsche and Volkswagen Beetle models. A rack-and-pinion steering made the handling pin-sharp. And the car had a monocoque body instead of the prevailing body-on-frame design. Responsible for all  this engineering extravaganza was Sir Alec Issigonis, who later should become famous as the father of the Mini. Issigonis always took great pride in the fact that the Minor's little "development team" — him and two draftsmen that interpreted his freehand sketches — could pull off such an innovative and successful design.

For postwar standards, the Minor was a well-constructed, spacious car that didn't cost too much — exactly what England's war-ridden middle class needed for their first steps into motoring. Presented in 1948, the little Morris should become a constant seller for two and a half decades, with almost 1,620,000 examples built. Across the Atlantic Ocean, though, the Morris Minor had rather minor success.

Split windshield and rectangular grille opening with parking lights that are confined within the grille frame suggest that this car was built between 1952 and October 1954. Later, the parking lights moved out into the front fenders while the grille opening got a softer shape.