Is That a Big Block Under the Hood?

James Kraus

Plymouth 361 cubic inch (5.9 litre) SonoRamic Commando Big Block V8.

Pity the modern man. Increasingly put upon from seemingly every side, many seek solace in the days of yore when two adjectives in particular were highly prized; Muscular and Big. 

Advertisements

Image from the Past

1961 Chevrolet Impalas await new owners under a dusting of fresh snow.

Fifties Dream Car Incarnate: The Mercury Turnpike Cruiser

James Kraus

1957 Mercury Turnpike Cruiser.

When the average Joe thinks about American cars most characteristic of the 1950s, three suspects usually come to mind; the ’59 Cadillac, the ’57 Chevrolet and the Edsel. With the exception of its jukebox-like front and rear grills and preposterous tailfins, the Cadillac was actually a fairly conservative design, and rather lacking in extraneous gadgets. The ’57 Chevrolet with its tall and short profile was woefully behind the times in the style department; so much so that it lost the first-place sales crown to Ford for the first time since before World War II. 

Image from the Past

Santa and his reindeer make their rounds in a ’61 Ford Econoline Station Bus; Christmas, 1960.

Coral: 2019 Color Of The Year.

James Kraus

1964 Mercury Montclair Marauder in Bittersweet with White vinyl top at Duffield Lincoln-Mercury, Long Beach, CA.

The Pantone Color Institute has just announced that Living Coral is the 2019 Color Of The Year. In honor of this vibrant hue, I though it appropriate to look back to the era when coral roamed the streets.

Art and the Automobile

Gahan Wilson, 1967.

Art and the Automobile

Ed Ruscha, Standard Station, Amarillo, Texas. Oil on canvas, 1963.

The Automobile in 1960s Lifestyle Magazine Illustration

James Kraus

Alfa Romeo Giulietta Spider, Morgan Kane, 1960. Image © IPD. Note latch detail on open door.

Illustration as an art form somewhat fell from favour after the 1960s, increasingly being replaced by photography. This was apparent even in automotive print advertising, with Pontiac abandoning their decade-plus relationship with illustration masters Art Fitzpatrick and Van Kaufman. 

Image from the Past

1960 Ford Galaxie Town Victoria in front of an equally alluring mosaic tile edged porte-cochère.

1960s: Birth of the Hofmeister Kink

James Kraus

BMW 3200 CS.

Two new BMWs debuted at the Frankfurt Motor show in September of 1961, the 3200 CS by Bertone and the Neue Klasse 1500 sedan, styled in-house by a team led by Wilhelm Hofmeister with the assistance of Giovanni Michelotti. 

Art and the Automobile: Peter Stämpfli

James Kraus

Ma Voiture, 1963. Oil on canvas. Simca 1300.

Since Auto Universum focuses on the 1960s, it is little wonder that we harbour a fondness for Pop Art, the leading movement of the decade. One Pop proponent was Swiss artist Peter Stämpfli who early in his career found inspiration in the automobile. 

Image from the Past

Photo shoot with Mercedes-Benz W111 220 SE Heckflosse (Fintail)