1954 was a transitional year for cars because post-war, early 50s style was evolving into mid-50s style.
In other words, cars were entering the jet age and leaving the propeller age.
Here—in no particular order—are the highlights from 1954…your opinion may differ.
Jerry Sutherland
The 1954 Olds Ninety-Eight Deluxe Holiday Coupe is a great start to the Class of ’54. GM led the way in 1954, and this Olds led the way at GM.
These cars were lower, wider and faster—with a minimal amount of chrome. That would change later in the 50s, but the ’54 Olds was a bold step into a jet-age future.
The 1954 Lincoln Capri Hardtop Coupe was a good pick to show how Ford was handling the future in ’54.
Two-door hardtops were still in their infancy, but Lincoln left nothing on the table in 1954. The Capri’s chrome trim level was similar to the ’54 Olds—subtle in its own way, with enough glitter to catch your eye. The roofline was also a highlight.
The 1954 Mercury Sun Valley Coupe was another high-water mark for Ford.
The most obvious feature was the plastic see-through roof. This gave the two-door hardtop a convertible feel without the 70-mile-per-hour breeze in your hair. The Merc also had a profile close to the Lincoln’s–and some of the most interesting factory taillights ever put on a car.
The Cadillac Coupe DeVille brand was so legendary they wrote songs about it–the ’54 version was an outstanding example.
Everything was right about the ’54 Coupe DeVille—from the thin horizontal trim on the front fender to the vertical trim on the door to the lower, wider stance to the incredibly cool roofline. It was a hit record on four wheels.
The 1954 Chrysler Imperial Newport 2-door hardtop went down a retro road in the styling department.
This would be the last year for the boxy early 50s silhouette at Mother Mopar but the ’54 Imperial did it with flair. The hardtop was perfect—and so were the short deck-long hood proportions.
You can’t have a lineup of cars from 1954 without showcasing the ’54 Corvette.
Sure, it’s basically a carryover from ’53, but that didn’t make it any less First-Gen Corvette cool.
The 1954 supercharged Kaiser Manhattan definitely didn’t share the same spotlight as the Vette, but it makes the Class of ’54 list with ease.
Kaiser was nearly over the financial cliff in 1954, but the two-door Manhattan was an example of how a little company went down with a fight. You’ll never see a cooler back glass design and the supercharger made sure a Manhattan would embarrass the local hot rod punks.
The last entry in the Class of ’54 is the Packard Caribbean convertible.
This Packard made the list because it carried an early 50s skin with a flair that made it look like an exotic and expensive European car. Packard tapped the brakes on going too far with the trim—this car would have been country club cool back in 1954.
1954 was 70 years ago, but these cars made that year timeless.
Jim Sutherland
By: Jerry Sutherland
Jerry Sutherland is a veteran automotive writer with a primary focus on the collector car hobby. His work has been published in many outlets and publications, including the National Post, Calgary Herald, Edmonton Journal, Ottawa Citizen, Montreal Gazette, Saskatoon StarPhoenix, Regina Leader-Post, Vancouver Sun and The Truth About Cars. He is also a regular contributor to Auto Roundup Publications.
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