Coventry Cathedral
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California coast
In 1964, a group of architecture faculty at the University of California, Berkeley, some only in their 20s, were entrusted by developer Al Boeke with ten miles of magnificent California coastline three hours north of San Francisco.
For an exhilarating historical moment the energies of postwar suburban development, an emerging ecology movement and Modernist architecture found a common purpose: transforming a 5,200 acre sheep ranch here into a progressive residential community, built in a way that was not only in tune with nature, but driven by nature.
The Sea Ranch came to be “the California architectural monument of the 1960s,”
Typical postwar architecture you can find in the city of Nijmegen. The city was bombed by mistake by the allies of World War II
1951 Talbot-Lago Saoutchik designed T-26 Coupe'. A very sensuous art deco design to begin the second half of the 20th century. The engine and drive train are the same as the Talbot-Lago that won outright the 1950 Le Mans 24 hour race, so a quick and reliable......and gorgeous ride.
Founded by cabinet maker Jacques Saoutchik (born Iakov Savtchuk in Russian Empire in 1880), Saoutchik was a French coachbuilding company founded in 1906. In the 1930s, the company became well known for their often extravagant automobile designs for high end luxury car manufacturers. After Jacques died in 1955, the company passed into the hands of his son Pierre. With most of the well known French luxury car manufacturers going out of business and independent automotive coachbuilding as an industry in decline, the market for Saoutchik designs evaporated and the company ceased trading in 1955.[1]
The company was known for designing flamboyant and expensive automobile bodies for brands such as Bugatti, Delahaye, Pegaso, Hispano-Suiza Talbot-Lago and others. (WP)
AS ALWAYS....COMMENTS & INVITATIONS with AWARD BANNERS will be respectfully DELETED!
Post war, Modernist structure.
A target for graffiti and associated defacement.
LR4255 © Joe O'Malley 2022
The Spacelander is a marvel of postwar biomorphic design. Its curving lines and amoeba-like voids represent the mutation of the prewar streamlined style into a new expression based on organic, rather than machine-made, forms. Although the prototype—made for a 1946 exhibition of British industrial design—was a critical success, Benjamin Bowden failed in his attempts to have it manufactured. By the time it finally went into production in the United States in 1960, tastes had changed and the price of the bicycle—$89.50—was too high. It is believed that only about five hundred examples were ever sold, making it one of the rarest and most sought-after industrial designs of the mid-twentieth century. When new, this bicycle was bright red; the color has faded over time
I photographed the Torre Velasca from the roof of the Duomo di Milano on a grey morning, with soft light filtering through the overcast sky. The image isolates the tower in color against a black-and-white cityscape, emphasizing its cantilevered top and angled supports. From this elevated vantage point, the contrast between postwar modernism and Milan’s historic architecture becomes even more pronounced.
The Overland Story
In 1902, Charles Minshall, president of Standard Wheel of Terre Haute, Indiana, decided he'd want to add a car to his company's offering. Knowing he would need an engineer to develop this new project he hired Claude Cox, fresh out of engineering school in 1902, to create a marketable automobile for Standard Wheel to sell. Over coffee they had decided that “Overland” would be its name, and by 1903 Minshall had started the company and Cox had a car to show for it. Over the next few years, and unbeknownst to me as to why, Minshall lost interest in the car business and sold the business rights to one of his clients, David Parry in 1906. Cox stayed with Parry and would continue to develop, and improve the car. Unfortunately for David Parry, the Panic of 1907 swooped in and trashed his dream of owning an automobile company. He would be totally bankrupted, even losing his home.
Enter John North Willys
Meanwhile, Overland was in full stoppage when its chief car dealer, John North Willys, decided to visit the factory in late 1907 to see why his orders weren’t being fulfilled and why no one was answering the phone at the Overland factory. Arriving there, and seeing nothing but an empty factory and scattered parts, Willys, a take-charge kind of personality, decided to do just that. He wired for money to rehire the help, calmed disgruntled creditors to keep them at bay, set up a circus tent to operate an assembly line, and got to work making Overlands to fulfill his customers’ orders. 1907 production turned out five Overlands, but in 1908, 465 were produced. By 1909, Willys had turned the company around, and it produced 4,907! Willys then reorganized Overland, which he now owned, into the Willys-Overland Company in October of 1909. 1910 to 1915 was a time for runabouts and roadsters as a core component of any successful car company, as this model was used extensively for business professionals, doctors, and singles who wanted a gadabout to get in and go. Overland provided!
In late 1913, the 79 series would issue a Model 79-R roadster with almost identical dimensions when compared to the Model 71-R. However, not listed in the general sales brochures, but nevertheless in the model lineup, was a special model known as the 79-S, or “Speedster.” Its appearance was similar to the 79-R, except it had no enclosed passenger compartment. Given other Overland practices, we can assume that it had the same specs as its 79-series kin. How come the 79-S was not promoted? Who knows….Overland experts speculate that only 50 or fewer Model 79-S’s were made. Two or three are presently known to exist, and the one pictured above is one of those examples.
Willys-Overland had expanded to two factory locations, and both were sorely needed to fulfill the demand for Overlands. By 1914, and a little known fact, Overland was the second largest producers of cars in the US automobile industry following Ford. By 1915, the two factories had increased sales to 93,724, a very meaningful number!
The story of the Overland speedster ends with the Model 79-S, but Overland as a company flourished and crashed, flourished again, and crashed again. This routine played out through two world wars, several recessions, and the Great Depression.
John North Willys gave his full measure to Overland, and in turn, Overland took its last piece of Willys’ heart on August 26, 1935, when J.N. died of a heart attack while serving his last term as Overland’s president.
Overland itself (the car) would peter out over the next several years, but the Willys-Overland Company did not. Rather, it was tasked to produce American Bantam’s design for an Army personnel transport, affectionately known as the Jeep, for the duration of WWII. Then from 1948 - 1950 the very successful, and today, very collectible Jeepster was developed, and sold. And, arguably around that time, the first 4 wheel drive sport utility (UTE/SUV) was created and sold.
Postwar, the history connecting Overland, Willys, and the U.S. Army’s Jeep would motor on through mergers and acquisitions. In 1953 the company changed hands one more time and it was purchased by the Kaiser Car Company. And today, the Jeep continues to live on, but only after several more changes in ownership. First when American Motors bought Jeep from Kaiser, and that would be followed by Chrysler Corp's purchase of AMC, and now most recently by the acquisition of Chrysler by Stellantis in 2021.
Ronald Sieber, Classicspeedster.com
edited, and modified some by me
Laundry day on a post war estate.
Note the telltale chimney dating to a time before the clean air act.
LR4246 Joe O'Malley 2022
1948 Alvis TA14. And, like all Alvis cars, Alvis only supplied the chassis, drive train, and underpinnings with all being custom bodied by coachbuilders.
The Story of This Particular Car:
The TA-series Alvis was a new model offered after the close of World War II, from 1946 onward. Power for the TA was derived from a 1.9-liter four-cylinder engine and four-speed manual transmission which were both slightly improved from their prewar configurations. Three body styles were offered: a Sports Saloon by Mulliner, as well as Drophead Coupes by either Carbodies or Tickford.
Despite the TA 14’s origin as a premiere postwar model designed to reinvigorate Alvis’ production facilities towards civilian vehicles, it did better than anyone had hoped. More TA 14s were produced than any other model in the company’s history. It is further believed by the Alvis Owner’s Club that more examples have also survived than any other model, with much of this owed to the robust design and construction. By the end of 1950, the TA 14 had been phased out of production and replaced by the more powerful TA 21.
This particular TA 14 is clothed in the striking Drophead Coupe body supplied by Carbodies, one of just 400 examples believed produced. According to records from the Alvis Owner’s Club, the car was dispatched on 30 August 1948 to the British Embassy in Washington, D.C. where its first owner was employed as the Civil Air attaché. Nearly 40 years later, it appears for sale in a 1986 Alvis Club publication.
More recently, this TA 14 passed through collections in Fort Lauderdale, Florida and Sun City West, Arizona prior to acquisition by the consignor in March 2005. It should be noted that several of the car’s previous owners were active members of the Alvis Owner’s Club who were enthusiastic and fastidious stewards of this particular chassis. As such, this nicely preserved TA 14 presently indicates fewer than 48,800 actual miles at time of cataloguing.
While within the consignor’s collection, this stately 1948 Alvis TA 14 Drophead Coupe by Carbodies has been carefully preserved and thoughtfully maintained. With fewer than 400 examples of its kind produced, this chassis is presented showing actual mileage and having benefitted from many years of enthusiast ownership. One would be hard pressed to find a more attractive postwar Alvis.
In 1948, Jaguar launched its first postwar sports car, the XK120. With a sophisticated dual-overhead cam 3.4-liter straight-six engine and curvy, aerodynamic bodywork, the car was a sales hit—and was also discovered to be a significant race car in the hands of privateer drivers. Noting this performance, Jaguar decided to build a variant of the XK designed specifically with an eye toward competition. First referred to internally as the XK120C, the car was ultimately different enough from the XK120 that its name changed to C-Type ('C' standing for Competition).
Jaguar C-Type And XK120 Differences
While the XK120 was a capable car (the '120' designating top speed in miles per hour), the C-Type's aim was light weight and slippery aerodynamics to achieve the highest top speed possible for longer racetracks like Le Mans. Whereas the XK120 was based on a heavy steel chassis derived from the Mark V sedan, and used ash wood framework to hold its aluminum body panels, the C-Type had a new lightweight tube frame chassis, one of the first of its type, and Malcolm Sayer-designed alloy bodywork with a more aero-efficient design. The 3.4-liter twin-cam straight-six engine remained, but was given an improved cylinder head, more aggressive camshaft profiles, a dual-exhaust system and unique pistons to bump output from 160 hp to just over 200 hp. With a significantly lighter curb weight than the XK120 road car, the C-Type was an instant performer.
C-Type At Le Mans
The first three cars produced in 1951 were almost immediately sent to the 24 Hours of Le Mans to be tested against the competition. Two of the C-Types failed to finish, but the third car driven by Peter Walker and Peter Whitehead won the endurance race outright, making the C-Type the first British car to win the event in some two decades, setting several speed and distance records in the process. In 1952, C-Type customer car deliveries began, and the twin SU carburetors were upsized slightly, while the car's bodywork and cooling system were also revised. Jaguar's factory motorsports team again ran three cars at the 1952 Le Mans, but all retired with mechanical issues.
In 1953, Jaguar again built three new factory racers with further weight reduction thanks to thinner aluminum bodywork, lending them an unofficial "lightweight" designation. Triple Weber carburetors and higher-lift cams helped bump power to 220 hp, while the rear suspension was slightly revised and Dunlop disc brakes (a rarity in '53) replaced the previous drum units. The factory "lightweight" C-Types finished first, second, and fourth at the 1953 24 Hours of Le Mans. In the end, some 53 C-Types were built before the model was replaced by the even more specialized Jaguar D-Type for the 1954 racing season. Despite the arrival of the D-Type, a C-Type fielded by privateer team Ecurie Francorchamps finished fourth overall in the 1954 24 Hours of Le Mans.
The Jaguar C-Type was really the brand's first all-new postwar race car and as such, it was driven by many of the luminaries of the period including the late Sir Stirling Moss and American Formula 1 champion Phil Hill. Hill said of the C-Type, "I was just in awe of the C-Type when I first stepped into it. When I look back on it now, it makes me smile. The steering was light-almost scary light. It was the first car I ever drove that had a really precise feel about it-it really felt like a racing car." Just three of the special 1953 "lightweight" cars were ever built, though some cars were later modified to lightweight specification.
With just 53 Jaguar C-Types ever having been built between 1951 and 1953, and their competition legacy being what it is, you might guess that you'd have not only a hard time finding a C-Type for sale, but also affording the asking price. You'd be right on both counts. Jaguar C-Types are rare and expensive, most have been raced hard, and some have been involved in significant accidents along the way. The most expensive and desirable C-Types must be the three "lightweight" 1953 factory racers and the 1951 Le Mans winner, while privateer cars with particularly successful or interesting racing histories will also be toward the top of the pecking order.
Motor Trend
A successful, postwar, French multipurpose type. More than 300 were built, and a number remain active today, although this is apparently the first time one has ever displayed at a UK airshow. This was after 8pm in the low evening sun, and it looked absolutely gorgeous.
"A Cartful Of Clowns" by artist: Ioan Bolborea (2010).
Background: Postwar modernist Grand Hotel Bucharest.
Design (1967): Dinu Hariton; Gheorghe Nădrag; Ion Moscu; Romeo Belea.
In 1948, Jaguar launched its first postwar sports car, the XK120. With a sophisticated dual-overhead cam 3.4-liter straight-six engine and curvy, aerodynamic bodywork, the car was a sales hit—and was also discovered to be a significant race car in the hands of privateer drivers. Noting this performance, Jaguar decided to build a variant of the XK designed specifically with an eye toward competition. First referred to internally as the XK120C, the car was ultimately different enough from the XK120 that its name changed to C-Type ('C' standing for Competition).
Jaguar C-Type And XK120 Differences
While the XK120 was a capable car (the '120' designating top speed in miles per hour), the C-Type's aim was light weight and slippery aerodynamics to achieve the highest top speed possible for longer racetracks like Le Mans. Whereas the XK120 was based on a heavy steel chassis derived from the Mark V sedan, and used ash wood framework to hold its aluminum body panels, the C-Type had a new lightweight tube frame chassis, one of the first of its type, and Malcolm Sayer-designed alloy bodywork with a more aero-efficient design. The 3.4-liter twin-cam straight-six engine remained, but was given an improved cylinder head, more aggressive camshaft profiles, a dual-exhaust system and unique pistons to bump output from 160 hp to just over 200 hp. With a significantly lighter curb weight than the XK120 road car, the C-Type was an instant performer.
C-Type At Le Mans
The first three cars produced in 1951 were almost immediately sent to the 24 Hours of Le Mans to be tested against the competition. Two of the C-Types failed to finish, but the third car driven by Peter Walker and Peter Whitehead won the endurance race outright, making the C-Type the first British car to win the event in some two decades, setting several speed and distance records in the process. In 1952, C-Type customer car deliveries began, and the twin SU carburetors were upsized slightly, while the car's bodywork and cooling system were also revised. Jaguar's factory motorsports team again ran three cars at the 1952 Le Mans, but all retired with mechanical issues.
In 1953, Jaguar again built three new factory racers with further weight reduction thanks to thinner aluminum bodywork, lending them an unofficial "lightweight" designation. Triple Weber carburetors and higher-lift cams helped bump power to 220 hp, while the rear suspension was slightly revised and Dunlop disc brakes (a rarity in '53) replaced the previous drum units. The factory "lightweight" C-Types finished first, second, and fourth at the 1953 24 Hours of Le Mans. In the end, some 53 C-Types were built before the model was replaced by the even more specialized Jaguar D-Type for the 1954 racing season. Despite the arrival of the D-Type, a C-Type fielded by privateer team Ecurie Francorchamps finished fourth overall in the 1954 24 Hours of Le Mans.
The Jaguar C-Type was really the brand's first all-new postwar race car and as such, it was driven by many of the luminaries of the period including the late Sir Stirling Moss and American Formula 1 champion Phil Hill. Hill said of the C-Type, "I was just in awe of the C-Type when I first stepped into it. When I look back on it now, it makes me smile. The steering was light-almost scary light. It was the first car I ever drove that had a really precise feel about it-it really felt like a racing car." Just three of the special 1953 "lightweight" cars were ever built, though some cars were later modified to lightweight specification.
With just 53 Jaguar C-Types ever having been built between 1951 and 1953, and their competition legacy being what it is, you might guess that you'd have not only a hard time finding a C-Type for sale, but also affording the asking price. You'd be right on both counts. Jaguar C-Types are rare and expensive, most have been raced hard, and some have been involved in significant accidents along the way. The most expensive and desirable C-Types must be the three "lightweight" 1953 factory racers and the 1951 Le Mans winner, while privateer cars with particularly successful or interesting racing histories will also be toward the top of the pecking order.
Motor Trend
Half a postwar Ford atop the pile, on a cold and windy winter night at Big M Auto Salvage, February 2020. Those big trees were really moving. A couple of minutes of full moon and a little warm white flashlight.
Secret Cinema Presents: The Third Man
Photo by Graeme Wilmot
Facebook: Graeme Wilmot Photography
Flickr: bluerockpile
Twitter: @bluerockpile
The de Havilland Chipmunk was the first postwar aviation project of de Havilland Canada.
Today, over 500 DHC-1 Chipmunk airframes remain airworthy with more being rebuilt every year.
In many respects similar to the pre-war Moth Minor in configuration, the Chipmunk used metal (mainly stress-skinned) airframe construction, allowing thinner wings and better performance, as well as giving greater durability. The Chipmunk was usable for aerobatic and instrument flying as well as basic training. Some 214 Chipmunks were built in Canada, a further 1,014 in Britain, and 60 in Portugal.
Düren. In WW2 the church was completely destroyed. There are a few things of the old church incorporated in the one build in the early sixties. An old gate and some stones like here in the tower.
In 1948, Jaguar launched its first postwar sports car, the XK120. With a sophisticated dual-overhead cam 3.4-liter straight-six engine and curvy, aerodynamic bodywork, the car was a sales hit—and was also discovered to be a significant race car in the hands of privateer drivers. Noting this performance, Jaguar decided to build a variant of the XK designed specifically with an eye toward competition. First referred to internally as the XK120C, the car was ultimately different enough from the XK120 that its name changed to C-Type ('C' standing for Competition).
Jaguar C-Type And XK120 Differences
While the XK120 was a capable car (the '120' designating top speed in miles per hour), the C-Type's aim was light weight and slippery aerodynamics to achieve the highest top speed possible for longer racetracks like Le Mans. Whereas the XK120 was based on a heavy steel chassis derived from the Mark V sedan, and used ash wood framework to hold its aluminum body panels, the C-Type had a new lightweight tube frame chassis, one of the first of its type, and Malcolm Sayer-designed alloy bodywork with a more aero-efficient design. The 3.4-liter twin-cam straight-six engine remained, but was given an improved cylinder head, more aggressive camshaft profiles, a dual-exhaust system and unique pistons to bump output from 160 hp to just over 200 hp. With a significantly lighter curb weight than the XK120 road car, the C-Type was an instant performer.
C-Type At Le Mans
The first three cars produced in 1951 were almost immediately sent to the 24 Hours of Le Mans to be tested against the competition. Two of the C-Types failed to finish, but the third car driven by Peter Walker and Peter Whitehead won the endurance race outright, making the C-Type the first British car to win the event in some two decades, setting several speed and distance records in the process. In 1952, C-Type customer car deliveries began, and the twin SU carburetors were upsized slightly, while the car's bodywork and cooling system were also revised. Jaguar's factory motorsports team again ran three cars at the 1952 Le Mans, but all retired with mechanical issues.
In 1953, Jaguar again built three new factory racers with further weight reduction thanks to thinner aluminum bodywork, lending them an unofficial "lightweight" designation. Triple Weber carburetors and higher-lift cams helped bump power to 220 hp, while the rear suspension was slightly revised and Dunlop disc brakes (a rarity in '53) replaced the previous drum units. The factory "lightweight" C-Types finished first, second, and fourth at the 1953 24 Hours of Le Mans. In the end, some 53 C-Types were built before the model was replaced by the even more specialized Jaguar D-Type for the 1954 racing season. Despite the arrival of the D-Type, a C-Type fielded by privateer team Ecurie Francorchamps finished fourth overall in the 1954 24 Hours of Le Mans.
The Jaguar C-Type was really the brand's first all-new postwar race car and as such, it was driven by many of the luminaries of the period including the late Sir Stirling Moss and American Formula 1 champion Phil Hill. Hill said of the C-Type, "I was just in awe of the C-Type when I first stepped into it. When I look back on it now, it makes me smile. The steering was light-almost scary light. It was the first car I ever drove that had a really precise feel about it-it really felt like a racing car." Just three of the special 1953 "lightweight" cars were ever built, though some cars were later modified to lightweight specification.
With just 53 Jaguar C-Types ever having been built between 1951 and 1953, and their competition legacy being what it is, you might guess that you'd have not only a hard time finding a C-Type for sale, but also affording the asking price. You'd be right on both counts. Jaguar C-Types are rare and expensive, most have been raced hard, and some have been involved in significant accidents along the way. The most expensive and desirable C-Types must be the three "lightweight" 1953 factory racers and the 1951 Le Mans winner, while privateer cars with particularly successful or interesting racing histories will also be toward the top of the pecking order.
Motor Trend
Facade of The Broad (rhymes with Road) museum of postwar and contemporary art on Grand Ave, Los Angeles. [2 of 12]
Postwar Chevrolet pickup, late'40's to early '50's. Age and the weather have given this old beauty real character.
Postwar International truck cab, down some long dirt road in Nevada, overlooking a normally dry lakebed, flooded this cold and wet November. Red, white and yellow flashlight, with full moon, for 81-seconds.
1949 Ford Custom Coupe.
For 1949, Ford returned to first place among American manufacturers, selling 1,118,740 Ford cars.
Released in June 1948, the 1949 Ford was the first major "postwar" American car line, beating Chevrolet to market by six months and Plymouth by nine.
Alongside the redesign of the car, Ford updated its model nomenclature for 1949. The previous Custom, De Luxe, and Super De Luxe names were replaced by new Standard and Custom trims, with Tudor and Fordor sedans (two-door and four-door, respectively), fastback Club Coupe and Business Coupe (the latter, rear seat delete), Convertible Club Coupe, and two-door Station Wagon styles. In the center of the "Bullet-nose" grille emblem, Ford embossed either a "6" or an "8" on top of a red circle, denoting the fitment of an inline-6 or the Flathead V8 engine.
This pawn and the pieces behind it were all hand carved by my very gifted and clever maternal Grandfather in 1933. Over the years the wood in the white set has mellowed to a warm honey colour from the many games of chess that he played with the pieces. The black stain used has also withstood the many years of their use. My favourite pieces in the set are the wonderfully carved Rooks and Knights. Although blurred you can just see them tantilisingly behind my last man standing. I couldn’t not include my beloved favourite pieces in this photograph. The chessboard the pieces are on was also made by my Grandfather in 1952. Two chess sets, a draughts set and three chess boards made by my Grandfather were bequeathed to me as part of his estate when he died a few years ago.
The theme for Smile on Saturday on the 25th of April is “Pawn”. How could I fail to not use these fabulous pieces of my family history, so lovingly made?
Once the single most popular postwar comic genre, romance comics began losing their audience to Marvel and DC superheroes in the 1960s. The writers began to switch the focus of their stories from stupid and very conservative, marriage-obsessed couples falling in love to stupid, beautiful, hip, and angst-driven sex-obsessed swingers agonizing over everything you can possibly imagine: race, politics, drugs, money, and loneliness.
Naturally the "hippie" in this story is an artist the girlfriend's parents despise for being poor. The girl's forced to choose between this poor--but talented--artist and her parents. True love wins, as usual; and as it turns out, the guy's not only successful as an artist, but filthy rich all along. Just like in real life.
This cover's begging to be photoshopped.
Ford had a number of leftover 1942 body parts that went into 1946 Ford models. Henry Ford II got the first postwar car into production, and the very first one -- a white Super DeLuxe Tudor sedan assembled on July 3, 1945 -- went to President Harry Truman. Alas, only 34,439 more were assembled during the 1945 calendar year, but it was the quick return to production that put Ford ahead of Chevrolet.
However, there was no end of problems with the War Production Board, which controlled output and materials supplies, and the Office of Price Administration, which put many controls on the price of parts and cars. Henry Ford II claimed that he was losing $300 per car because he couldn't achieve volume production, and indeed the company was hemorrhaging about $10 million per month at one point.
The pent-up market created an unprecedented demand for new cars. Ford's advertising agency, J. Walter Thompson, created a brilliant teaser campaign: "There's a Ford in your future." Until July, it showed only parts of the "new" Ford in a crystal ball; then there a publicity blitz culminating in "V-8 Day" on October 26, 1945. More than a million Americans flocked into showrooms for the public introduction, and nearly half a million promptly placed their orders.
This forward-looking “everyman” car from the postwar UK was designed with a uniquely British flair. Featuring chrome fenders and character elements, a distinctive grille shaped like an upside-down “T,” and a raked rear windscreen, it helped workers keep their daily commutes punctual and stylish.
More photos available in the build album. Thank you to The Lego Car Blog and The Brothers Brick for their humorous posts about this build and the peculiarities of 1950s British cars!
©2022 Chris Elliott, All Rights Reserved.
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Two children, Little Riley Street, Surry Hills, Sydney, 1949, by Ted Hood, State Library of New South Wales, PXA 584/10 collection.sl.nsw.gov.au/record/n88DRMvn
1950 Ford Deluxe Business Coupe, Flathead V8 Power
When Ford introduced its new model for 1949, the car represented the Blue Oval's first clean-sheet design since World War II. In fact, it was the first postwar sheet metal shown by any of the Big Three. Everything about the 1949 Ford was new, except for the wheelbase and the powertrain.
For the new car, Ford utilized a ladder-type frame and front independent suspension via coil springs and A-arms, and a Hotchkiss rear end with live axle and leaf springs. Power came from two tried and true engines: the 226-c.i. L-head straight-six or the 239-c.i. Flathead V-8, which produced 100 hp. All cars carried three-speed manual transmissions with optional overdrive, as Ford lacked an automatic of its own.
Two trim levels were offered: Standard and Custom. Both were offered with the L-head or optionally with the V-8. Six-cylinder Standards included Tudor and Fordor sedans, along with business and club coupes, while Customs eliminated the business coupe but added a two-door convertible, as well as a two-door wood-bodied wagon.
From a styling standpoint, the new Ford’s adopted slab sides, wrap-around bumpers, minimal trim, and bullet-adorned grille set it apart from most other cars on the road.
Despite a relatively hastened period of design and development, along with teething issues associated with such an abbreviated process, the new Fords were a hit, with 1.1 million units sold.
For 1950, Ford worked out many of the noise and handling issues found in the first-year cars. Trims were renamed Deluxe and Custom Deluxe. The club coupe was dropped from the Deluxe series, and the convertible was now offered only in V-8 Custom Deluxe spec. New to the lineup was the Crestliner, a Custom Deluxe Tudor that added special elements above and beyond the regular model, including two-tone paint and a unique canvas-covered roof.
The cars received a slight restyle in 1951, including a new grille, as well as revised dashboards. The two-door wagon was renamed the Country Squire, and a hardtop coupe joined the lineup as the Custom Deluxe Victoria. Perhaps most importantly, Ford offered its first automatic transmission—the three-speed Ford-O-Matic.
By 1952, Ford gave its cars a more squared off look, along with an ever-increasing list of refinements. But the first new batch of postwar cars, known as “shoebox Fords,” did an excellent job to keep the company at the top of the sales charts alongside Chevrolet, and today remain iconic classics.
French actor Jean-Paul Belmondo, one of postwar French cinema's biggest stars, whose charismatic smile illuminated the screen for half a century, has died aged 88 in his Paris home.
When I was 11 Mum bought a house in the town and we moved to Ventspils. New friends, new life style, new interests..
Not far away was a cinema theatre and twice a week we were allowed to go to the cinema. That was a Soviet period in our country but apart from Russian and Latvian movies we could see something else. Especially popular were French, Indian and Italian movies. Jean Paul Belmondo was among my favourites...RIP now
www.facebook.com/groups/bolderai/permalink/4596898213655856/
1946 Ford Super Deluxe, at Big M Auto Dismantlers in Williams, California. Visit the set page for more information. Shot during me and Joe's top secret Night Photography and Light Painting workshop, last weekend.
Night, 120 second exposure. Full moon, natural LED flashlight.
Reprocessed and replaced, August, 2024.
I'm currently overhauling my website and doing a few fresh edits along the way. This was a portrait I took of the wonderful George Winston back in 2017. George has done great work over the years supporting refugees.
Working through some of the architectural shots to get them on the website.
Highgate Newtown by Peter Tabori
Nikon D750, Nikkor 35/2.0
1954 Chevrolet Bel Air.
Chevrolet began using the Bel Air name in 1950, creating a 'convertible look' in a hardtop format. Initially, it was a trim option on the deluxe series and in 1953 became its own model, taking the spot as the top-of-the-line offering from Chevrolet. By 1954, the engineers and stylists on this model were primarily laying the groundwork for the upcoming 1955 redesign. As this was the era of dazzling chrome and electrifying colors, the Bel Air was well appointed. This was also the era when American cars were getting longer and lower. The 1954 Chevrolets were the culmination of an all-new postwar styling that made its debut in 1949 and evolved steadily and with refinement until 1954 when the model went out with a bang.
The Chevy Bel Air was Chevrolet's workhorse family car. Beginning with the '55 Chevy, the start of the epic tri-five Chevy era, culminating in distinctly American icon- the '57 Chevy,
The postwar Studebaker was in its third model year in 1949. The 5-seat coupes were renamed as the Starlight series with a 3-seat business utility variation also available. The Champion had the 169.6 cubic inch six with 80 HP.
15,746 Champion Starlight Coupes (5-seat) coupes were built in the 1949 model year, with 5,917 in Deluxe trim and 9,823 as Regal Deluxe trim at $1,683 and $1,757 respectively (FOB South Bend, Hamilton or Los Angeles).