Ford Fairlane GT-X Concept, 1966. A prototype high performance version of the 5th generation Fairlane Hardtop that was prepared by Gene Winfield. It was powered by a 427ci side-oiler medium-riser V8, finished in pearl white with metallic blue pearl stripes and fitted with metallic blue Naugahyde bucket seats. It debuted in January 1966 at the Detroit Autorama and toured until early 1967. Like many Ford concepts of the 1960s the car was thought to have destroyed at the end of its show life. However it resurfaced in 2000 and has been restored back to its original condition.

1957 Buick Century Caballero Estate Wagon

Taken at the Gilmore Car Museum - August 2023

GENERAL MOTORS CORPORATION – DETROIT, MICHIGAN TV Westerns—Gunsmoke, Tales of Wells Fargo, Wagon Train and Station Wagons such as this 1957 Buick Estate Wagon were staples of typical 1950s family life. Buick actually offered three levels of their Estate Wagon that year: the Special Series, the Riviera and the top of the line, Century Caballero (Spanish for “Horseman”) Estate Wagons. General Motors’ most expensive station wagon for 1957, the Caballero, is especially noteworthy for its full 4-door hardtop pillarless construction.

SPECIFICATIONS Manufacturer: General Motors-Buick Division Model: Century Caballero Wagon Wheelbase: 122 inches Engine: V-8 364 cu. In. Horsepower: 300 hp Weight: 4,423 lbs. Price When New: $3,706 Production: 10,186

“The standard of luxury”

1949 Cadillac Coupe DeVille 🇺🇸

One of the first pillarless hardtop coupés ever produced along with the Buick Roadmaster Riviera and the Oldsmobile 98 Holiday, the Coupe DeVille was first shown during the 1949 Motorama.

Available since September 2’nd for “No Limits” and “All Inclusive” tiers exclusively.

Model with HQ interior, open/close doors and functional light.

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1950 Lincoln Cosmopolitan Capri. The Capri was Ford’s answer to GM’s hardtops, especially Cadillac’s Coupe de Ville. Since Ford lacked a true pillarless body at the time, it went for a hardtop look by cladding the Capri’s B-pillar with stainless trim. A vinyl roof gave the Capri a sporty convertible flair, but with the safety and security of a hardtop. Priced at $3,406, the Capri was second to the convertible in price. Only 509 were built.

1955 ford engine serial number location

1955 FORD ENGINE SERIAL NUMBER LOCATION DRIVER

1955 FORD ENGINE SERIAL NUMBER LOCATION SERIES

There were new convenience options, such as a new air-conditioner system, a new heater, and a nine-tube signal-seeking radio. The Parklane, a Fairlane trimmed Tudor station wagon, was added to compete with the Chevrolet Nomad. A new addition at midyear was the "Town Victoria" 4-door hardtop model which, along with the new Customline Victoria 2-door hardtop, were meant to compete with the Chevrolet Bel Air and Plymouth Belvedere. The Crown Victoria Skyliner's sales were plummeting with just 603 made, and it would be replaced by a convertible the next year.

1955 FORD ENGINE SERIAL NUMBER LOCATION SERIES

The eggcrate grille featured on the 1955 cars was widened into a series of rectangles for 1956, but this subtle exterior change was nothing compared to Ford's adoption of a 12-volt electrical system, with a six volt system optional. : pp 394–395 A sedan delivery variant was marketed as the Ford Courier. : p 395 The Ranch Wagon and Custom Ranch Wagon were 2 door wagons while the Country Sedan and Country Squire models were 4 door wagons, the latter featuring wooden appliqué side mouldings. Station wagons were offered as a separate series for the first time for 1955. The 1955 Fords were marketed under separate names for each of the three trim levels: Ford Mainline, Ford Customline and Ford Fairlane. The condenser was mounted in front of the radiator as in later cars. The "Select Aire" design was carried over to the 1956 models with slightly different cold air vents in the same location as on the 1955 models. This “Select Aire” option featured an integrated heater core and evaporator coil unit within the dash and cold air discharge vents located on top of the dash on either side of the radio speaker. Also new for 1955 was Ford's first factory installed air conditioner.

1955 FORD ENGINE SERIAL NUMBER LOCATION DRIVER

This gives the driver more panoramic visibility.įor the first time, Ford offered seat belts as a dealer option (not factory installed, with instructions provided by a Service Bulletin). With this panoramic windshield the A-pillars have a vertical angle. The Fords introduced for 1955 also featured the panoramic windshields found on Oldsmobiles, Buicks and Cadillacs the previous year. Also, Fords had a new frame, but still with five cross members. New brakes were used 11-inch (280 mm) drums. The Fairlane Crown Victoria was also offered with a transparent "skylighted" top. The company now marketed three different rooflines on its two-door models the tall two-pillar Mainline, Customline, and Fairlane sedans, pillarless hardtop Fairlane Victoria and the chrome-pillar Fairlane Crown Victoria. This use of a styling feature to visually separate the front of the passenger compartment from the rear reappeared on the 1977-1979 Ford Thunderbird, the Ford LTD Crown Victoria, the Ford Fairmont Futura and Mercury Zephyr Z-7 coupes. The Mileage Maker I6 was bumped up to 223 CID (3.7 L) for 120 hp (89 kW) and the new-for-1954 Y-block V8 was now offered in two sizes: Standard Fords used a 272 CID (4.5 L) version with 162 hp (121 kW) with 2-barrel carburetor and single exhaust or 182 hp with 4-barrel carburetor and dual exhaust, but the large 292 CID (4.8 L) unit from the Thunderbird was also offered, boasting 193 hp (144 kW).Īpart from the engine changes, customers were sure to notice the new Fairlane, which replaced the Crestline as the top trim level, while a new Crown Victoria-style featured a chrome "basket handle" across the familiar (and continued) " Victoria" hardtop roof, which originally appeared on the Mercury XM-800 concept car. The American Ford line of cars gained a new body for 1955 to keep up with surging Chevrolet and Plymouth (automobile), although it remained similar to the 1952 Ford underneath. The 1955 Ford is an automobile which was produced by Ford in the United States for the 1955 model year and, in revised form, for the 1956 model year. Campbellfield, Victoria, Australia ( Oceania only)Ģ-door hardtop with chrome pillar ( Crown Victoria)Ģ-door hardtop with chrome pillar & glass roof ( Crown Victoria Skyliner)įord-O-Matic 3-speed automatic transmission

Mercedes-Benz 300CE

Cadillac’s hand-built luxury halo offering; staggering $13,074 when new

This stunning example is No. 38 of only 400 built for 1957

Dual-four-barrel-carbureted 365 cu. in. V-8; four-speed Hydra-Matic automatic transmission

Dark blue over a medium blue interior; brushed stainless steel roof

Formerly part of the Duane Sell Collection for over 40 years

Solid, driver-quality example; air suspension recently serviced

By the 1950s Cadillac had firmly established its reputation as the “Standard of the World;” its stylish, advanced vehicles conveyed heads of state and leading entertainers alike, and they were eagerly sought by members of the social and economic elite. What, then, did the marque have to prove?

Apparently, Cadillac brass felt some sort of challenge to its luxury supremacy was brewing, because it introduced the extravagant, cutting-edge Cadillac Eldorado Brougham for 1957. Priced at $13,074, each Eldorado Brougham reportedly cost more than any Rolls-Royce on the market at the time, and certainly well in excess of any contemporary Lincoln; one suspects that this almost unthinkable price was, on its own, a sort of selling point.

For that, buyers got a suicide door-equipped pillarless hardtop sedan with cutting-edge styling (lower than other Cadillacs then on the market, it was also the first to sport quad headlamps) and a slate of luxury and technology features including a transistorized radio, power memory seats, automatic locking doors, the Autronic Eye automatic headlamp dimmer, and a remarkable self-leveling air suspension system—all equipped standard. Power was supplied by a dual-quad-carbureted 365 cubic-inch V-8 mated to a four-speed Hydra-Matic automatic transmission.

Despite the princely price tag, General Motors reportedly lost a considerable amount of money on each example it sold, owing to the model’s hand-built nature and incredible technological complexity. But as with any proper halo car, the Eldorado Brougham did not necessarily exist to make money: It existed to make a point about its creator’s capabilities. In that regard, it was an incredible success.

This example’s trim tag indicates that it is body number 38 of only 400 produced in 1957; only 304 cars were built the following year, bringing production of this desirable Eldorado Brougham body style to a mere 704. Originally painted Chamonix White, it was refinished in dark blue at a later date; the color nicely compliments its signature brushed stainless steel roof, as well as its medium blue Parisienne cloth and medium blue leather interior. Overall this Cadillac Eldorado Brougham is a solid, driver-quality example that has benefitted from having its air suspension recently serviced.

Designed to dazzle the world, the Cadillac Eldorado Brougham is as compelling today it was in 1957; thanks to the attrition suffered by cars even as cherished as these, the uniquely American luxury experience it offers is now even more exclusive than when the model was introduced. To view this car and others currently consigned to this auction, please visit the RM website at rmsothebys.com/en/auctions/az21.

It does not have a Hemi, because 1951 was just one year before DeSoto added the 276-cube “Fire Dome,” but this ‘51 DeSoto does show off the make’s first foray into the most popular body type of the fifties: Hardtops. There had been hardtops as far back as the wood-framed body days of the WW1 era, but the modern concept of the hardtop was still the province of exotic, custom-bodied luxury cars before WW2. Think Delages or V16 Cadillacs. After 1950-51, however, they were democratized for the first time, and people love them. In 1949, when Buick and Kaiser-Frazer started selling the very first affordable hardtops, the idea was so popular that most major manufacturers added them by 1952. Chrysler might have gotten in earlier. In 1946, the company experimented with a few prototype production hardtops, welding club coupe tops onto a handful of Town & Country convertibles. This seemed impractical and the cars were drafty, as most hardtops would be compared to cars with fixed pillars later on, so the idea was postponed. Buick showed off the first Roadmaster Riviera in January of 1949, and Kaiser it’s four-door Virginian a month later. The Kaiser never quite resonated, but the Riviera was a hit, and quickly followed by glamorous, closely-related hardtop coupes from Cadillac and Olds. The response was so enthusiastic that Chevy and Pontiac got hardtops for 1950. Not wanting to be left out, Chrysler also developed hardtops for 1950, the first being, well, a wood-framed Town & Country convertible with a hardtop welded on, now called the Town & Country Newport for the toney Rhode Island city. Then it created steel-bodied versions, including one for DeSoto appearing mid-1950. DeSoto was also in its way a pioneer of hardtops, having built a prototype pillarless sedan in 1933, only to have it nixed in favor of the 1934 Airflow, a disastrous decision for DeSoto, which often struggled to find an identity within Chrysler after the company acquired Dodge very soon after DeSoto was first launched. The ‘51 was not that exciting, powered as it was by a 250-cid flathead six, but it was reliable and stately, and DeSotos were never more popular than in the first half of the fifties. (at Ballard, Seattle) https://www.instagram.com/p/CM7r00XFilX/?igshid=iah55eozuit8

eBay: 1963 CADILLAC Original 4dr Hardtop Pillarless, Cruising, Weddings, Proms http://rssdata.net/QShf4B #classiccars #cars

The 1937 Chevy of David and Donna Cripps features modern touches like big hoops, contemporary mirrors and a conversion to pillarless hardtop.  Goodguys West Coast Nationals, Pleasanton, CA.

Ford La Galaxie, 1958. Designed by Elwood Engel using  jet plane styling and futuristic detailing, the La Galaxie was the centrepiece of Ford's stand at the Chicago Auto Show. The reverse-angle rear window featured on Lincolns and Mercurys in the lat 50s and early 60s. Engle moved to Chrysler where he recycled some of the La Galaxie's styling for the 1963 Chrysler Turbine car. Like many "dream cars"of the 50s and 60s the La Galaxie was destroyed after its brief show career

Serendipity Cadillac LaSalle II Roadster, 1955 XP34

LaSalle II roadster (special order #2220), shown at 1955 Motorama, car also currently in Joe Bortz collection, Chicago Cadillac La Salle II Roadster, 1955 This was the companion car to the Cadillac La Salle II 4-door pillarless hardtop. The front of both cars is atypical of other Cadillac show cars of the fifties although the small fender grilles above the front bumper ends reappeared on production Cadillacs in 1957. The rear of the Cadillac La Salle II show-cars emulates that of early Chevrolet Corvette models. These two show cars were attempts by Cadillac to revive the La Salle name, which had gone out of circulation in 1941 Other similar attempts were made again in the mid-sixties, and a third time in the early seventies, when the name was proposed for what later became the compact Seville.

What if the S13 was a 4-door pillarless hardtop? A quick concept I put together - extended the wheelbase and concealed the rear door handle in the c-pillar. #nissan #s13 #silvia #s13silvia

For 1956, Cadillac celebrated its fiftieth year, introducing a model whose name became synonymous with the brand, the Sedan de Ville. The design⸺a pillarless four-door hardtop sedan⸺was previewed at the 1953 Motorama by the Cadillac Orleans show car (see b&w photo above). The production version lacked the Orleans show car's rear-hinged back doors (which Lincoln would offer in 1961). The Sedan de Ville was based on the Series 62 platform and, along with its two-door Coupe de Ville stablemate, represented a step up in price and luxury from the entry-level Series 62 models. With all four windows lowered, the sedan's silhouette matched that of the coupe, but offered improved ingress/egress to the rear seat⸺the basis of marketing the model to women. The style was popular. Every G.M. division had a hardtop sedan from 1956 until 1975, when safety concerns rendered them obsolete.

1976 280C, the last production year of the /8 coupe.

Introduced as a 1969 model, the W114 series was facelifted for 1974 with 5mph bumpers, rain gutters for the A-pillars, fluted tail lights, a shorter/wider grill, and integrated rear view mirrors.

The ‘vent’ windows in the front doors are interesting:  DB decided to eliminate the opening vent windows in the W114, going to a 1 piece window, which necessitated a new window regulator.  But they opted NOT to apply this change to the coupes (cost? packaging?).  But they still wanted to apply the new corporate rear view mirror to the door, so the vent had to become fixed, and the mirror ended up with its weird placement. 

AirFlashMLS.com https://bit.ly/2HvOAAJ 2018 ROLLS ROYCE WRAITH FOR SALE! LUXURY AUTO COLLECTION (480)568-3802 Available Now from Luxury Auto Collection! What do you think of this Custom Wraith? The Rolls-Royce Wraith is a British handmade four seat luxury grand tourer manufactured by Rolls-Royce Motor Carsand based on the chassis of the Rolls-Royce Ghost. The name Wraith comes from an old Scottish word meaning image of a ghost or spirit, a name it shares with the 1938 model by the original Rolls Royce company. The body style is a two-door pillarless coupe, where all side windows can roll down as in a convertible. This body style was popular in American cars during the 1950s and 60s and was known as the hardtop body style, not used by Rolls Royce since 1955. Luxury Auto Collection 9160 EAST DEL CAMINO DR SUITE B4 SCOTTSDALE, AZ 85258 (480) 568-3802 • • • • • #rollsroyceq8 #rollsroycemerlin #rollsroycemarine #rollsroycegang #rollsroyceweddingcars #rollsroyceengine #RollsRoyceMusic #rollsroycephantom #RollsRoyceBahrain #rollsroyceaustin #rollsroyceghost #rollsroycehire #rollsroycephantomseries2 #rollsroyceghostcoupe #Rollsroycelhantomewb #rollsroycelc05 #rollsroycechauffeurs #rollsroyceapac #rollsroycecenturion #rollsroyceusa #rollsroyceInspired #rollsroycephantomdrophead #rollsroycetour #rollsroyceofindianrestaurants #rollsroycecarhire #RollsRoyceMotorCars #rollsroyceenginesrollsroycephantomwhiterollsroycerentalmiami #rollsroycewedding #rollsroycephantomdropheadcoupe #rollsroycejetengines (at Luxury Auto Collection) https://www.instagram.com/p/B1ukDwXAbT3/?igshid=1kkdofwb44j7n