The Ten Most Beautiful cars of the 1950s

Count to ten, guys. 1950 is the end of the '40s decade. The 50s are '51-60.

How bout a '55, Mike?

 

49ratfink - You can't fool me! ... your post was just a ploy to get me to post in this thread!

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As much as I love the Nash Healey I'd say it's stretching it to call it an 'American' car- without Donald Healey it just wouldn't be the same. So, I'd replace it with one of my all-time fave all-American cars which happens to have been from 1952: the Cunningham C-4R.

Amazing from any angle, and design-wise it seems 10 years ahead of its time. I almost went with the C-4RK (coupe) but the front is a bit funkier than the open car. I wouldn't kick either one out of my garage!

And I also have to chime in and agree that i too was surprised not to see the '59 Cad on the list. I'm not a huge fan of Detroit's late fifties designs, but that one is an icon.

 

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The first Imperial's to wear Virgil Exner's designs are nice examples. Here is my 1955 Imperial Sedan and 1956 Imperial Newport...




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My number 1 would be a 1955 ford crown victoria, followed closely by a 1955 mercury 2 dr hdtp, both loaded with all the options!!

 

Then, or now for that matter, I've never been one to run with the herd...

Was primarily [but not exclusively] a Chevy guy back then, and by the later part of the decade the tri-fives already had a grip on the majority, and of those three I'd suspect the '57 was the Numero Uno?! Those three years were probably my least favorite, and of those least of all the '57. I'd also bet the '56 was the least popular of the three, yet it woulda been my pick if I'd had to choose a tri-five. My real choices woulda been '51 & '52 Fleets/coupes, '53 & '54 Bel Airs, & the first Impala in '58. Guess I've always been a bit obstinate by nature. I'd also agree with Comet I guess, in that "I'm not a big fan of the finned cars".

Nearly all the manufacturers made a few that appealed to me: Fords '50-'56, Mercs '53-'54, Lincolns '54-'56, Olds '52-'57, Buicks '55 -'56, & Caddys in '53, just as a rough list.

Over the years, like most folks I suppose, I've expanded my perspective and the list has grown. I'd never deny that there've been numerous times I've seen some car I didn't particularly like made into a thing of beauty by some talented artisan with a good eye! Even the '59 Ford [probably my least favorite '50s body] has been transformed by the likes of Watson & as well as some everyday owner/drivers with a knack.

So, ShortBus, ...a '60 Ford Starliner is a '50s car, huh? ...nah, I don't think so! Regular math may work that way, but decades don't, the '50s were 1950-1959, the '60s were 1960-1969, ...like that there. Ask any car dealer where the decade breaks, or if he was selling a 50s model vehicle in 1960, or a 60s model in 1970?

 

Hey, I chose a '59 Cad back on post 47... And I still stick by the Nash Healey as an American car... Although the Cunningham is pretty awesome.

 

Howza Bruthas-
I'll play-
1953 Studebaker Starliner coupe
1956 Chevrolet 4-dr Hardtop Bel Air(yeah, I said 4-dr!)
1956 Packard Caribbean 2 dr hardtop
1957 Chrysler 300
1957 Ford Fairlane 2-dr hardtop
1953 Oldsmobile Fiesta 2-dr hardtop
1956 Mercury 4-dr(!) Phaeton hardtop
1955 Chevrolet Nomad
1958 Edsel Bermuda wagon
1955 Ford Crown Victoria
1956 Lincoln Continental Mark II

 

1957 Olds and 1959 Corvette.....

 

Any Mopar product from 1957 floats my boat .

 

I don't think theres any possible way i could make a list of may favorite 50's rides because I love 'em all. When I was a kid (way back in the late 90's and early 2000's) I was all about the early to mid 50's cars like shoeboxes, 53 Chevs, mercs, etc and hated finned cars. Now that I'm older the early 50's cars don't do nearly as much for me as the late 50's finned barges. I just can't get enough of 'em, especially as mild kustoms.

What about the 50's Ponchos? They had some awesome designs and don't get anywhere near the credit as Fords, Chevs and Mopars. The '58 Poncho was the shit, especially this one. But then again, Larry could shoot some paint on a turd sandwich covered in flies and make it look delicious.

 

Sylvian man, your cars are un real! I need a "good" occupation like that! Damn!

 

Hey thanks DDD...!

 

Sylvian has one of the nicest collection of cars around as far as I can tell from the pics I've seen... Stunning.

 

good for you stand up for what you like and i agree the 57 chevy is a pretty nice car

 

I'm kinda biased but I say the 58 Cadillac extended deck is the hotty.

 

I think you could put in any 50's car and come up with a winner. My 1st choice would be a 56 Meteor Crown Vic w/o the glass top.

 

I'd just like to propose the whole of 1953 and 1954 as being nice designs. They're just the right balance of practical and exuberant; a nice contrast to the dowdy 1949 designs and the flamboyance of the second half of the decade.

That's not to say there aren't plenty of nice cars from the whole decade, but I can't think of another period when every domestic make fielded such pleasing styling.

-Dave

 

Ill throw this in....

 

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Gotta go with the 58 Vette over the 57.

 

I may have wrongly assumed this list was for American Cars, but we do have lots of folks from outside of the States so I made two lists

American rides:

’53-’55 Studebaker C-K’s (coupes and hardtops)
’52 Chevy hardtop
’57 Ford
’53 Hudson (especially 2 doors)
’57 Cadillac
’50 Packard
’52 Lincoln Capri
’56 Lincoln Continental Mk II
’55 – ’57 Pontiac Safari
’55 Mercury

Non-American rides:
1955-56 Mercedes SL (Gullwing and roadster)
1956 Austin Healey 100-4
[FONT=&quot]1950 Ferrari 166MM[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]1958 Aston Martin DB4[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]1957-59 Jaguar XK150[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]1955 Porsche RS Spyder[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]1955 MG TF[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]1959 Morgan Plus 4 Super Sports[/FONT]
1954 Maserati A6GCS/53 Berlinetta
1956 Ferrari 500 Testa Rossa

 

Too many nice cars, but the ford guy in me loves the 1956 sunliner and the Merc

 

I'm constantly amazed at the variety of cars that are listed as someone's favorite "one" that trips their trigger. This is an awesome hobby and never boring. Imagine how dull it would be if we were all drawn to the same thing.

 

No, you assumed correctly. It's for American cars.

 

Correct! The people from other countries are on here to view American cars, not the other way around...

 

Anything 55 & 56

 

Mighty tasty there Jeff.....I have to agree, the 57 Fords are among my favorites!

 

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