SEPT 29 MSCC STAR OF THE WEEK:’61 DODGE-UNLOVED LONG ROOF ASCENDS TO COOL STATUS

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sept13-29-074-001SEPTEMBER 29 MSCC STAR OF THE WEEK: 1961 DODGE WAGON-UNLOVED LONG ROOF ASCENDS TO COOL STATUS

Most observers back in ’61 thought the Plymouths and Dodges were the product of too many late night parties at Chrysler. The sales reflected that perception and this era at Mopar was bleak.

Despite the lack of sales, nobody could accuse Chrysler styling of falling into a bland, cookie-cutter mode.

The car guys who did love these cars defended them with a passion that often ended up in a fistfight but in reality, the public hated these cars.

Time heals a lot of wounds so if you pull into a big Mopar show in 2013 in a ’61 Dodge or Plymouth wagon you are going to upstage every Cuda guy there for attention.

That’s called an MSCC Star of the Week ascension into cool because this ’61 Dodge wagon at a big show a few weeks ago was a scene stealer.



SEPTEMBER 30 MSCC STAR OF THE WEEK: 1961 DODGE WAGON-UNLOVED LONG ROOF ASCENDS TO COOL STATUS

sept13-28erbimgp7611-001Most observers back in ’61 thought the Plymouths and Dodges were the product of too many late night parties at Chrysler. The sales reflected that perception and this era at Mopar was bleak.

Despite the lack of sales, nobody could accuse Chrysler styling of falling into a bland, cookie-cutter mode.

The car guys who did love these cars defended them with a passion that often ended up in a fistfight but in reality, the public hated these cars.

Time heals a lot of wounds so if you pull into a big Mopar show in 2013 in a ’61 Dodge or Plymouth wagon you are going to upstage every Cuda guy there for attention.

That’s called an MSCC Star of the Day ascension into cool because this ’61 Dodge wagon at a big show a few weeks ago was a scene stealer.

SEPTEMBER 28 STAR OF THE DAY: A TYPICAL SCENE FROM THE FIFTIES- ’57 MERC MEETS ’58 PONTIAC

sept13-28erbimgp7611-001This was a scene that played out many times in the late 1950s…a ’57 Mercury meets a ’58 Pontiac on a narrow paved road.

Most of this scene was period correct because the cars were from the 50s and the location was even older but this meeting took place in 2011.

And it wasn’t on the outskirts of Havana Cuba.

The cars were on a scheduled road trip that July day and they met on the grounds of an old government experimental farm where time really stands still.

In this case it stood still long for this MSCC Star of the Day shot.


SEPTEMBER 27 STAR OF THE DAY: 57 CHEVY TWO-DOOR POST- A TIMELESS COOL FACTOR

sept13-27imgp4859-002Friday is a good day for a ’57 Chevy 2-door post because these were weekend statement cars.

Many of them started life as basic econo-boxes with 6 cylinder three-on-the-tree manual transmissions.

These were affordable and bullet-proof cars but somebody figured out they could be monsters with hotter motors under the hood.

Thus began the birth of an icon.

The ’57 Chevy looks great as a hardtop but it goes on steroids with a tricked-out 2 door sedan.

This MSCC Star of the Day classic example of cool ’57 Chevy post was at a show a few weeks ago.

SEPTEMBER 26 STAR OF THE DAY: THE CLASSIC CAMELOT LINCOLN ERA

sept13-26imgp4903-001aJohn F Kennedy was a huge fan of the 1961-2 Lincoln during the Camelot era. He owned a few and used them when he was on vacation.

JFK liked the classic lines of the new-look Lincolns and Thunderbirds because the man knew what defined class and style.

The Lincoln embodied that concept.

The 1961-3 Lincolns have become more popular with the low-rider crowd and rat rod guys so you’re seeing a lot of bumper scraping air riders, skulls and flat black paint in 2013.

Fifty years ago they represented something a little more mainstream society.

This MSCC Star of the Day Camelot era was at a show a few weeks ago and for a second we were all back in Camelot.

SEPTEMBER 25 2013 MSCC STAR OF THE DAY: PLYMOUTH SUBURBAN WAGON-THIS IS HOW WE ROLLED IN THE BRADY BUNCH ERA

sept13-25imgp1385-001aStation wagons were still a fact of life in the early seventies. Minivans were still a decade away so soccer moms piloted their kids and half the neighborhood kids in these large, functional vehicles.

The Baby Boom may have ended but the residual effects carried over in the early 70s so enormous kiddie-haulers were a huge part of the social fabric.

Wagons were becoming a cliché in the suburbs so any car company that inserted “suburb” into a name was clearly identifying a target group.

Plymouth had it figured out with the Suburban wagon and this classic example was on the street this past summer. This MSCC Star of the Day really stood out in 2013 traffic but in 1971 it would have been a pretty routine sighting.

SEPTEMBER 24 MSCC STAR OF THE DAY: 1947 PACKARD-FROM THE UNUSUAL SIGHTS IN TRAFFIC FILE

Modern traffic can be pretty mundane because it’s an endless series of lookalike rides like trucks, minivans, SUVs-all painted either silver or white.

That kind of bland look can make the driving experience less exciting than a two-hour discussion on potato farming.

Occasionally you get a real break and actually see a car that isn’t cloned from the same cookie-cutter but you have to go back a few decades.

This ’47 Packard was a classic example.

It was in rush hour traffic yesterday and it was such a highlight on an a Monday afternoon that it became an instant MSCC Star of the Day.

SEPTEMBER 23 MSCC STAR OF THE DAY: ’69 BARRACUDA 440-WAS IT TOO MUCH?

sept13-23imgp2952-001aThe 2nd Generation Plymouth Barracuda debuted to less fanfare in 1967 because another pony car called the Camaro debuted that same model year.

The 2nd Gen Barracuda left the Valiant look behind in a big way.They added notchback and convertible models in a clear attempt to keep up with the Mustang but the coolest version was the fastback.

The Barracuda debuted with the mighty slant-six leaning tower of power and small block 273 V-8 as the only options but by 1969 Plymouth stuffed the 440 under the hood.

This monster barely fit in the already cramped engine bay but it did give Plymouth the king of the pony car big block title in ’69.

Despite limitations like no room for disc brake boosters, uneven weight distribution and no power steering, these cars were still a classic example of the how far the bloodbath for sheer power went in Detroit.

This MSCC Star of the Week ’69 Barracuda 440 was at a show last year and it was a subtle reminder of sixties automotive ambition.

For past MSCC Southside Stars of the Week please follow this link.

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