Land Yacht. Parade Float. Passes everything but a gas station. Yes, yes and yes. But still. What a compelling way to travel! You see one of these, then you see the sad sacks driving Sorentos, CR-Vs and xBs and think, geez, what the hell happened?
Tag: 1958
1958-61 Facel Vega Excellence: Classy, Lush And Over The Top!
Note: Another contribution by my pal, Tony LaHood! Now this is a superior machine… -TK
In the interest of full disclosure, I must tell you that I am a Francophile. Set a baguette, Brie and Ch. Carbonnieux in front of me and I can die a happy man. Visions of Cote d’Azur or a cafe on Champs-Élysées can bring peace to my tormented mind. And while I acknowledge and regret the national (actually mostly Parisian) reputation for arrogance and condescension, I defend neither it, nor their inexplicable fondness for the comedy of Jerry Lewis. With this in mind, I feel it my obligation to share with you the story of the Facel Vega Excellence, a singular automobile at once quintessentially American and undeniably Gallic.
While Facel Vega—which aside from half its name has no connection to that other Vega, s’il vous plait—had produced automobiles since 1955, the company itself dates back two decades, when M. Jean Daninos, late of Citroën and the military aircraft concern Bronzavia, founded Métallon, a fabricator of kitchen cabinets and sinks and, in 1939, established Forges et Atéliers de Construction d’Eure-et-Loire, (FACEL). The two firms combined and made aircraft engine components during World War II.
1958 Mercury Park Lane Convertible: Flamboyant Finery
Mercury just never seemed to truly hit its stride. Sure, there were some great cars, but they always seemed to be stuck in the middle. Introduced in 1939 as a slightly more upmarket variant of the well-loved Ford V8, it had its own sheetmetal and sold rather respectably, with nearly 65,000 units built in its first model year; but in short order, Mercury became an uptrimmed Ford. With the exception of the natty 1949-51 models, Mercury never got a really unique look. At least, that is, until the mid- to late-’50s.
The mid-price market really took off in the mid- to late-’50s. Makes like Oldsmobile and Buick were making hay as the sun shone, and Ford looked on with jealousy as Buick took third place in U.S. sales. The all-new 1952 Mercury looked a lot like the 1952 Lincoln–which also looked a lot like the 1952 Ford–but that would be corrected quite soon.
1958 Lincoln Continental Mark III And 1959 Mark IV – Luxury Parade Floats
Today, let’s take a closer look at the Wixom-produced example of the road-going Chris-Craft…the 1958 Lincoln Continental Mark III. Some love them. Some hate them. But there’s no doubt the 1958-60 Lincoln Continental Mark III, IV and V were substantial luxocruisers.
The 1958 Lincolns and Continentals were Ford Motor Company’s no expense spared bid to out-Cadillac Cadillac. Their 131-inch wheelbase was longer than the Cadillac Series 62 and de Ville sedans, and only two inches shorter than the 1958 Cadillac Fleetwood Sixty Special.
1958 Cadillac Fleetwood Sixty Special – A Vision In Turquoise!
The 1958 Cadillac Sixty Special. The top of the line Cadillac, from a year when even the standard Series 62 coupes and sedans were something to see. But the Sixty Special, now that was something to behold! Fins, chrome, sheer unvarnished size and comfort! It was the Cadillac of Cadillacs.
“The moment you take the wheel…you will find a wonderful new world of motor car performance! When you turn the ignition key and that great, powerful Cadillac engine comes to life-you will sense instantly that something very special awaits you in the miles ahead.”
1958 Continental Mark III – The Party’s Over
Note: This post was written by Carmine, a friend of mine, for another site several years ago. In keeping with the appearance earlier this week of a similar-vintage Cadillac, I thought this would be a good time to add this Continental to Riverside Green. Enjoy!
I photographed this laid-low 1958 Continental a few months ago, but had forgotten about the pictures until recently. It was spotted with a group of other cars in a warehouse parking lot in an industrial area. I had seen them from the interstate several times, and made note of the cars, meaning to get back to them.