1968 Dodge Monaco 500 Hardtop Coupe

The Dodge Monaco was introduced as a hardtop coupe only in 1965 as a top-of-the-line version of the full-size Custom 880 and Polara. The following year, the Monaco name replaced the Custom 880 line, with the Monaco 500 Hardtop Coupe at the top. The standard engine was a 315-horsepower 383-cubic-inch V8 with 2-barrel carburetors. A 330-horsepower 4-barrel version of the 383-cubic-inch V8 engine and a 375-horsepower 4-barrel 440-cubic-inch Magnum V8 engine were also available. The base Monaco came standard with a 3-speed manual transmission with a 3-speed TorqueFlite automatic transmission standard on the Monaco 500. A 4-speed fully-synchronized manual transmission was available with either 4-barrel V8. The Monaco 500 also featured front bucket seats, electric clock on instrument panel, cornering lights, body-side double paint stripe, and sill and wheel-lip mouldings. 1968 would be the last year for the first generation of Dodge Monaco and the final year for the Monaco 500 in the United States. This example was photographed at the 2004 Clatskanie Heritage Days Car Show.

1958 Edsel Ranger Hardtop Coupe

Photo by Cliff West

 

Ford's Edsel is probably the most famous failure in the history of the American auto industry. That reputation was likely cemented by the unmistakably bizarre styling of the debut 1958 models. It wasn't simply the styling that made the Edsel infamous. Though promoted as revolutionary, beyond its unique look, the Edsel wasn't that different from the Ford and Mercury products it was based on.

The story of the Edsel began in 1954, when Ford planned to compete with General Motors by emulating GM's five-brand structure. The key to this plan was the addition of a new medium-priced marque between Mercury and Lincoln. With the addition of Continental above Lincoln, Ford hoped to match GM at every price point. After considering 6000 possible names, the new division was named after Edsel Ford, son of Henry Ford and father Ford's the-president Henry Ford II. In contrast to the original plans, by the time the Edsel actually debuted in 1958, it actually found itself placed between Ford and Mercury.

Edsel wasn't simply a single car, it was an entire lineup with four models called Ranger, Pacer, Corsair, and Citation. Ranger and Pacer were the lower-end models, using Ford's 118-inch wheelbase chassis and a 303-horsepower 361 cubic-inch V8. The higher-priced Corsair and top-of-the-line Citation used Mercury's 124-inch wheelbase chassis and were powered by a 345-horsepower 410 cubic-inch V8.

Pictured here is a 1958 Edsel Ranger hardtop coupe at the Northwest Car Collectors Association Car Show & Swap Meet in Portland, Oregon, on October 18-19, 2003. 

Edsel arrived during a recession that hit mid-priced brands particularly hard. Ford had hoped to sell 100,000 Edsels in 1958 but only sold about 63,000. Of those, 24,049 were Rangers. Ford tried to recalibrate, toning down the styling, offering smaller, more fuel-efficient engines, and cutting back the number of models, but the damage was already done. Coupled with the losses from Continental which was folded back into Lincoln in 1959, Ford's five-brand plan was dead, and Edsel was canceled in 1960.

1958 Dodge Coronet Lancer Hardtop Coupe

Photo by Cliff West

 

Dodge had debuted Virgil Exner’s all-new “Forward Look” in 1957, so the 1958 models carried over with a mild facelift featuring a Sweep-View picture window windshield and true quad Twin-Set headlights. Dodge hardtops were called Lancers from 1955 to 1959. The Coronet was the base model, typically powered by either a 138-horsepower 230-cubic-inch Get-Away inline 6-cylinder L-head engine or a 252-horsepower 325-cubic-inch Red Ram V8 engine, with several more powerful V8 options available. Transmissions were a 3-speed manual, 2-speed PowerFlite push-button automatic (only available with the Six), or 3-speed Torqueflite push-button automatic. New available options for 1958 included Electronic Fuel Injection, Constant-Control Power Steering, and Sure-Grip Differential with Automatic Traction Pilot. This 1958 Dodge Coronet Lancer Hardtop Coupe was photographed at the Northwest Car Collectors Association Car Show & Swap Meet at the Portland Metropolitan Exposition Center in Portland, Oregon, on October 18-19, 2003.

1957 Oldsmobile Super 88 Holiday Coupe

Photo by Cliff West

 

Oldsmobile was redesigned for 1957, which was also the brand’s 50th anniversary, and the 1957 Oldsmobile 88 model was given the prefix “Golden Rocket.” The standard Rocket T-400 high-compression V-8 engine was increased to 371.1 cubic inches to produce 277 horsepower and 400 ft-lbs of torque. The optional J-2 package increased the horsepower to an even 300. Though the Wheelbases were the same as in 1956, the bodies and chassis were all-new, making the 1957 Oldsmobiles longer, lower and wider. Compared to the previous year, the wide-mouth grille was reshaped, the windshield pillars were more sharply angled, and the sweepspear came down from the middle of the belt and back to the finless rear fenders and peaked taillights to define a two-tone area. Holiday hardtops and sedans now featured wrapped rear windows with body-color twin vertical dividers. 

Photo by Cliff West

This Super 88 Holiday Coupe was photographed at the Northwest Car Collectors Association Car Show & Swap Meet at the Portland Metropolitan Exposition Center in Portland, Oregon, on October 18-19, 2003.

1954 Nash Statesman Custom Country Club Hardtop Coupe

Nash introduced the Country Club hardtop coupe in 1951 for the compact Rambler model, and when the larger Statesman and Ambassador were redesigned for 1952, they also gained their own versions of the stylish body style. 1954 would be the last year for this design before a facelift in 1955. The 1954 Nash pictured here at the Heritage Days Parade in Clatskanie, Oregon, on July 4, 1999, appears to be a Statesman Custom Country Club. The Statesman was Nash's midrange model, on a 114.25-inch wheelbase with a 195.6 cubic inch inline 6-cylinder engine that produced 100 horsepower, or 110 horsepower with the Dual Powerflyte dual carburetor option. The top-of-the-line Ambassador looked almost identical, but rode on a 121.25-inch wheelbase and were powered by the 252.6 cubic inch Super Jetfire inline 6-cylinder engine that produced 130 horsepower, or 140 horsepower with the optional LeMans dual carburators and high-compression aluminum head.

1970 Ford Thunderbird Laudau Coupe

Parked in Rainier, Oregon, during the 1999 Eagles Car Show, this 1970 Ford Thunderbird Landau Coupe represents a Thunderbird era that is often overlooked in favor of the better-known earlier models. The Ford Thunderbird was introduced in 1955 as a sporty 2-seat convertible, essentially creating the personal luxury car market segment. Over the years, the Thunderbird grew, gaining a rear seat and a fixed hardtop coupe to go with the convertible, but still maintaining its sporty image. Then the Ford Mustang was introduced in 1964, and its incredible success as a more affordable sports car forced the Thunderbird to find a new place in the market. In 1967, Ford redesigned the Thunderbird from a sporty 2+2 coupe or convertible to a large luxury hardtop coupe or a landau with either two or four doors. These were the largest and heaviest Thunderbirds yet, but with Ford's 360-horsepower 429-cubic-inch wedge-head 385 V8 engine, they were also among the fastest, allowing the Thunderbird to retain a bit of sports-car performance. Initially, this generation of Thunderbird featured a blunt nose with the headlights hidden behind a large recessed grille, but in 1970 it was redesigned as shown here, with a beak-like pointed nose and uncovered headlights. This look would only last through 1971, as the Thunderbird was redesigned for 1972, becoming even bigger and heavier, with engines more encumbered by restrictive emissions equipment. Any trace of sportiness vanished, and it would take until 1983 for the Thunderbird to begin to reclaim any semblance of a performance image again.

1974-1976 Mercedes-Benz 280C

Mercedes-Benz introduced its "New Generation" series of sedans and coupes in 1968, and continued to produce them under a variety of model numbers until 1976. Though the exterior changed very little from year to year, this hardtop coupe at the 1999 Eagles Car Show in Rainier, Oregon, can be narrowed down by the protruding 5-mile-per-hour bumpers that were mandated in the United States beginning in 1974. With that in mind, this coupe would be a 280C from between 1974 and 1976, powered by a 145-horsepower 2,746-cubic-centimeter (almost 2.8 liter) M110 inline 6-cylinder engine.

1956 Buick Special Riviera Hardtop Coupe

Buick's entry-level model from 1936 to 1958 was called simply the Special. Starting in 1953, the Special was Buick's best-selling model, and one of the most popular Buick Specials was the Buick Special Riviera hardtop coupe. Buick had first introduced the Riviera hardtop coupe in mid-1949 as part of the top Roadmaster line, and expanded it to include the mid-range Super in 1950 and the Special in 1951. In 1955, the Special Riviera hardtop coupe was Buick's top seller, with 155,000 sold.

Pictured here is a 1956 Buick Special Riviera hardtop coupe in Rainier, Oregon, in July 1996. 1956 was the last year for the Buick bodies that had been introduced in 1954, but the 1956 Buicks were the most powerful yet; the 1956 Buick Special's 264-cubic-inch V8 produced 220 horsepower.

1958 Edsel Citation Hardtop Coupe

Photo by Cliff West

Ford's Edsel is probably the most famous failure in the history of the American auto industry. That reputation was likely cemented by the unmistakably bizarre styling of the debut 1958 models. It wasn't simply the styling that made the Edsel infamous. Though promoted as revolutionary, beyond its unique look, the Edsel wasn't that different from the Ford and Mercury products it was based on.

The story of the Edsel began in 1954, when Ford planned to compete with General Motors by emulating GM's five-brand structure. The key to this plan was the addition of a new medium-priced marque between Mercury and Lincoln. With the addition of Continental above Lincoln, Ford hoped to match GM at every price point. After considering 6000 possible names, the new division was named after Edsel Ford, son of Henry Ford and father Ford's the-president Henry Ford II. In contrast to the original plans, by the time the Edsel actually debuted in 1958, it actually found itself placed between Ford and Mercury.

Edsel wasn't simply a single car, it was an entire lineup with four models called Ranger, Pacer, Corsair, and Citation. Ranger and Pacer were the lower-end models, using Ford's 118-inch wheelbase chassis and a 303-horsepower 361 cubic-inch V8. The higher-priced Corsair and top-of-the-line Citation used Mercury's 124-inch wheelbase chassis and were powered by a 345-horsepower 410 cubic-inch V8.

Pictured here is a 1958 Edsel Citation hardtop coupe at the Towe Ford Museum (now the California Automobile Museum) in Sacramento, California, in March 1992. As the top of the Edsel line, the Citation was available only as a hardtop coupe or sedan or as a convertible. The 345-horsepower 410 cubic-inch V8 produced 475 foot-pounds of torque at 2,900 rpm, and even with a standard 3-speed automatic transmission, it could accelerate the 4,000-pound Citation to 60 miles per hour in 9.7 seconds and reach a top speed of 105 miles per hour.

Edsel arrived during a recession that hit mid-priced brands particularly hard. Ford had hoped to sell 100,000 Edsels in 1958 but only sold about 63,000. Of those, only 8,577 were Citations. Ford tried to recalibrate, toning down the styling, offering smaller, more fuel-efficient engines, and cutting back the number of models, but the damage was already done. Coupled with the losses from Continental which was folded back into Lincoln in 1959, Ford's five-brand plan was dead, and Edsel was cancelled in 1960.