We pulled this Dodge “Pilot-House” B-series truck dash out of an old shop the other day:
These trucks were made from 1948-1953, and the term “Pilot-House” was used to describe the improved visibility provided by higher and wider windshield and windows:
You can tell that this particular dash came from a 1953 because of the Dodge emblem. Other years featured a chrome trim piece in the center position, but only ’53 had this Dodge script. Surprisingly, these emblems were made of plastic, not metal, and they do become brittle with age.
I really like this eye-catching, sporty 1953 Chevy, maybe because the color is reminiscent of Nebraska’s state flower:
This particular Chevy is a Bel Air, a name that General Motors first introduced in 1950 as a luxury hardtop coupe and which would become virtually synonymous with the Chevrolet name. 1953 was significant for the Bel Air because that was the year it was launched as its own premium series with four body styles including 2-door sedans, 4-door sedans, convertibles and sport coupes like this one:
Buyers had a choice of two high-compression (7.5 to 1) Valve-in-Head engines in ’53, the 108-hp Thrift-King engine with syncro-mesh standard transmission and the 115-hp Blue Flame which could be teamed with the optional Powerglide automatic transmission.
The color of this striking Chevy is very close to one of the original paint colors called Sungold . . . .
1953 Chevrolet Paint Colors
480 Onyx Black
490 Driftwood Gray
496 Dusk Gray
498 Surf Green
499 Woodland Green
501 Regatta Blue
503 Horizon Blue
504 Sahara Beige
505 Madeira Maroon
506 Target Red
507 Campus Cream
508 Sungold
509 Saddle Brown
India Ivory
. . . but maybe they should have named it Goldenrod.
This 1953 Chrysler New Yorker was on the auction block at an estate sale we stopped by the other day, and ’53 was really an interesting year for Chrysler. It was the first year the car’s electrical system went to 12-volt, and it was the first year to feature a new one-piece wrap-around curved windshield. This Chrysler also had one of the earlier hemi engines (they first appeared in 1951) with a 3 13/16″bore x 3 5/8″ stroke and a piston displacement of 331.1 with a compression ratio of 7.5 to 1. It was called the “Firepower” engine and had 180hp.
1953 was notable for Chrysler, but it was downright historic for American automobiles because it marked the first time in history that eight-cylinder engines outsold six-cylinders. Ten makes were offering V-8s: Ford, Desoto, Dodge, Chrysler, Studebaker, Lincoln, Mercury, Oldsmobile, Cadillac and Buick. Straight-eights were being offered by Packard and Pontiac (and a special line of Buicks). The biggest selling six was Chevrolet, of course. The four-cylinders that once dominated now accounted for only one percent of the market, primarily sold by Willys-Overland and Kaiser-Fraser.
Other “firsts” for this Chrysler:
Let’s hope this straight, solid beauty went to a good home!
Sources:
Advertisement. Chrysler. The San Bernardino County Sun, 20 March 1953, p. 9.
“Chrysler Gains Wide Acceptance.” The San Bernardino County Sun, 20 March 1953, p. 9.
“Chryslers for 1953 Feature Beautiful Body Stylings.” Lancaster Eagle Gazette, 1 November 1952, p. B-8.
“Eight-Cylinder To Top All Models This Year.” The El Paso Times, 18 February 1953, p. 25.
“New Era Seen for Automobile Engines, With Eights Expected to Outsell Sixes.” Valley Evening Monitor (McAllen], 16 February 1953, p. 6.
