Automotive Type, Part Nine

For the ninth edition of my series on automotive type, I’m continuing the crest theme. This time, I’m focusing on crests from post World War II cars. Here, there’s a stronger emphasis on “coat of arms” styles. By this time, they were used for promoting the “heritage” and “tradition” of the brands. In many cases, they're entirely manufactured by the marketing team. Note the Ford crest in the lower left. It was introduced in 1950 and actually moved away from the traditional Ford Script mark. If you want to learn more, Jalopnik posted a fun article about six months ago that revealed the history behind Ford's change.

If you’re interested in digging deeper into badge type design, check out writer and type expert Steven Coles’ excellent Tumblr page, Chromeography.

Interested in a print of one of my badge photos? Visit my store and place an order.

Top row, left to right: 1946 Chrysler, 1947 Plymouth, 1948 Nash. Middle row, left to right: circa late 1940’s Crosley, 1950 Hudson, 1955 Chrysler. Bottom row, left to right: 1957 Ford, 1957 Studebaker, 1960 Imperial.

Elements: 1955 Chrysler Imperial phantom

Another “car of note” from this year’s Goodguys PPG Nationals is this award winning “one of none” 1955 Chrysler Imperial convertible. It looks like a factory stock restoration, but Chrysler didn’t build an Imperial convertible in 1955. Because of that, this is actually a custom. Well, that and the hidden bits. Underneath the stunning stock sheetmetal is a bespoke frame, and a fuel injected 6.4 liter Hemi that’s disguised to look like an original 354 Hemi. 

I’m not just a huge MoPar fan, I’m a big fan of the Virgil Exner penned cars from 1955 to 1964. This is where it all started, when Chrysler Corporation broke out of the dowdy, upright look of the early ’50s, to the “Forward Look” of the late ’50s. The fins had yet to appear, but the long, low look began, and with the full wheel openings and egg-crate grille, it almost had a European look. This is no accident. Virgil Exner was a big fan of Italian coach builders, and the Chrysler concept cars of the early fifties were built by Carrozzeria Ghia of Turin, Italy.

Elements: 1960 Plymouth Fury

My second “car of note” from this year’s Goodguys 19th PPG Nationals is item one in my argument that the most outrageously designed car of the 1950s was actually a 1960 model.

Allow me to present a 1960 Plymouth Fury 2-door hardtop. When everyone else in Detroit was reeling in on chrome and fins, Virgil Exner and the folks at the Chrysler Corporation design studio weren’t done with their excess yet. The fins on the 1960 Plymouth were every bit as tall as on the 1959 model, and maybe even a bit taller. The wide side trim of 1959 was gone, but the rear skirt extension trim and front wheel well sculpting more than made up for what was deleted. It was even outrageous under the hood, with a dual-quad, cross-ram 383 V8 under the hood. This example also has owner upgrades that include Chrysler 300 style front seats that swivel out when the door is opened.

In 1960, this car was considered dated when compared to offerings from Ford and GM. But after 56 years, this is the car that will turn more heads than it’s competitors.

Elements: 1965 Pontiac 2+2

One of my favorite automotive trends of the ’60s was the full-size fastback. Examples include the Chevy Impala, Ford Galaxie 500 XL, Dodge Charger (technically not full-size, but big enough to include), Olds Delmont, and Buick Wildcat. In my opinion, the best looking of the bunch was the ’65 and ’66 Pontiac 2+2. It did the "Coke bottle" profile better than any of the others, and I admit, I'm a sucker for the stacked headlights. With a 421 Tri-power V8, 4 on the floor, and those 8 lug wheels, ’60s Detroit steel doesn’t get much cooler.

Elements: 1958 – 1960 Thunderbird custom

I've seen this car show up at a few local car shows, but I haven't had a chance to meet the owner. I love the 60’s custom look of it, but what really makes this car is the orange metal flake paint. I honestly don't think I’ve ever seen flakes this big in a car finish. It has a depth unlike any pearl or candy finish. I'm fascinated by it. I’d love to talk to the owner, or better yet the painter, and get the back story what it took to get this look. When it happens, I'll be sure to post a follow up.

1958 Chevrolet Biscayne DIY custom

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Some custom cars are crafted, others are built. This ’58 Chevy 2-door sedan is without question the latter. It’s a build-what-you-have, cut-off, bolt-on, and weld-up, street beast. I just love the presence of this car. Not only does it have the attitude with it’s looks, it sounds loud and amazing. I think of it as the automotive equivalent of a Social Distortion gig.

Elements: 1963 Chrysler New Yorker

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After all of his outrageous finned and jet-inspired designs of the late ’50s and early ’60s, one of Virgil Exner’s last designs for Chrysler was almost conventional. The 1963 Chryslers were very conservative compared to just a year before, but they still had some really amazing details. The “New Yorker” script is one of my favorite type badges. It would make such a great starting point for script typeface.

1941 Willys Americar gasser tribute

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This particular Willys is one of my all-time favorite hot rods. The concept, unexpected color, and amazing attention to detail make it a truly unique build. When I saw this car in 2013 at the Goodguys PPG Nationals, I had the opportunity to meet the owner/builder, Mark Renko. He showed me around the car and pointed out some of the car’s hidden features, like the routing of the HVAC and stereo. The beautifully adapted microphone gear knob and bass drum accelerator pedal were references to his other love of music and drumming. A year later, I learned that Mark had passed away the previous November. While I only talked to Mark for a few minutes, I found him to be extremely nice, infectiously enthusiastic about the car, and ridiculously talented. I was crushed to learn of his passing. I hope this car lives on to carry his legacy for as long as possible.

1967 Fiat Dino Coupe

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Every year in July, The Arthritis Foundation sponsors a car show in Dublin, OH. It features the best automotive variety of any show in the area. I’ve seen everything there from 1914 Detroit Electrics to late model Lamborghinis. 

My “car of note” from last year’s show is a 1967 Fiat Dino Coupe. This was the first Dino Coupe I’d seen “in the steel”. While it may not look exotic, it’s powered by the same V6 as the mid-engined Ferrari Dino of the same era. Ferrari had to build enough engines to qualify for F2 race competition, so they partnered with Fiat and contracted them to build enough to meet the requirement. To complete the package, the coachwork was done by Bertone. With it’s taut lines and great proportions, I think it’s one of the best looking small 2+2’s ever built.

Industrial Hot Rod

It’s hard to beat the story behind a good hot rod build. How the car started, the pains behind the build, and the origins of the components are always interesting. Some are more interesting than others, like the origin of a certain first generation Hemi.

This 1947 Dodge truck includes several cool features including a sectioned body and made-from-scratch frame. What’s interesting about the engine is that it’s not a “FirePower” Hemi, or a “Fire Dome”, but a “Chrysler Industrial”. What were Industrial Hemis used for? Why for powering air raid sirens, of course! As the cold war was ramping up in the 1950s, Chrysler fulfilled their military contract obligation in part by supplying power plants for giant nuclear air raid sirens in about 100 locations throughout the country. Read more about these sirens here.

Prints for sale

If you're in the Columbus area, please check out my framed prints for sale at Strut The Salon. 13 select photos at 11" x 14" or 12" x 12" are on display. Stop by and say "hi" to Josh and M'Lou. They can give you a great new 'do to go with your new print!

Showroom stock Camaro

Go to any vintage car show or cruise-in of any size, and you’re guaranteed to see multiple early Camaros tweaked to various degrees. But think about how often you see a first-gen Camaro that’s absolutely showroom stock. They’re damn near as rare as Barracudas and Javelins of the same vintage. This 1968 example is striking not just for it’s black and white on red color scheme, but for it’s time-capsule appearance. It’s a one-family car that was purchased new in the fall of 1967. Driven in high school by it’s current owner, then stored for 30 years. When the owner “dropped the bombshell” on her then fiancee that the car existed and would he help her restore it, his answer was an enthusiastic “I will”. The one stipulation was that when finished, it had to be as close as possible to how it was when her father purchased it. The only variance is the set of redline tires, which I think are a nice fit to the color scheme.

I'm not gonna lie. I’m not a big Camaro fan, but when I see an early example as it was when new, I can really appreciate how folks fall for these cars. They really are beautiful designs.

1932 Auburn Boattail Speedster

What qualifies a car to be called “classic”? These days, it’s used to describe ’57 Chevys, ’65 Mustangs, and I’ve even heard the word used to describe El Caminos of the early ‘80s. The Classic Car Club of America is more specific in it’s definition, restricting it’s use to describe “fine” or “distinctive” autos, built from 1925 to 1948. They have more qualifications, but you get the idea.

The Heritage Museum and Gardens, in Sandwich Massachusetts, has an automotive collection with some of the best examples of CCCA’s definition. My personal favorite is their 1932 Auburn model 8-100A, or “Boattail Speedster.” It’s jaw-dropping—stunningly, breathtakingly, achingly, beautiful. I’m not overstating this. I’ve had the privilege to see some of the most exotic cars of the past 50 years in person, and they all look like appliances next to this. My photos cannot possibly do it justice. If you have the means, I highly recommend seeing one in person.

Welcome

The G-Man is me, Gust Smith. I'm a graphic designer by training, a print design production expert by trade, and a photographer by passion. The focus of this blog, and this site, will be my passion for photography and the things that I shoot. Some of my favorite photography subjects are vintage cars, vintage signs, and urban details. Objects and places that show a human creative imprint and that have a history, are the most photogenic to me.

My posts will vary, but they will all have some sort of visual, photographic, or design angle dealing with my subjects of interest. I'll also include any shooting tips that I think might be helpful to other photographers, and even the occasional photographic tool review. The posts will be heavy on visuals, and quick reads. I'm no man of letters. I'll just include short blurbs to support my images. 

My plan is to post as often as possible, and by including my 365/366 project images, there should be something to check out every day.

Unless noted, all images will be mine. If you see something you'd love to hang on your wall, or give as a gift, give me a shout. Any of my images are available as prints for purchase. I'll even mount and frame them if you'd like. If I find that there's enough interest, I'll add a store to the site and make the purchases even easier.

Thanks for visiting,
–Gust