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1948 Pontiac Silver Streak Touring Convertible, “Torpedo Six Deluxe”, Series 25

Original cost: $1,935.00  (In 1948:  average car cost $1,250; average annual household income, $2,950; average home cost $7,500; gallon of gas:  16 cents)

Number made:13,937

Engine, etc.: In-line L-head, 6-cyl.; 239.2 cid, 90 hp; hydra-matic automatic;119 in. wheelbase; 3,525 lbs.

Designed as a cross between a luxurious and standard car, the Pontiac Torpedo was one of Pontiac’s line of muscle cars. It was first introduced in 1940 and the convertible arrived in 1948. Pontiac had long been known for affordable performance oriented vehicles that featured agility and sporty appeal.  It was one of four Pontiac models offered in 1948.  A sales brochure stated that the convertible top could be lowered by “the touch of the automatic top control knob”.

The 1948 Pontiac was a dependable, value-packed car. It gained a reputation of being a “middle-of-the road” car – popular with middle-class, middle-aged buyers and in the middle price range.

The Torpedo came with either a 6 cylinder (3.9 liter) or 8 cylinder, 4.1 liter engine from 1946 – 1948. These engines featured stellar horsepower and torque the allowed the Torpedo to function extraordinarily in even poor driving conditions.

New styling features on the Torpedo convertible included triple “Silver Streaks”, round taillights, a horizontal grille with vertical shafts, and Colonial grain or imitation leather and lacquered instrument boards to match the exterior color. The interior design featured upholstery and accessories crafted with the driver’s comfort in mind. The hood had the words “Silver Streak”.

Options included rear windshield wiper, fog lights, Weather Chief heater (dash type), rear fender panels, handbrake lamp, and umbrella holder.

Calendar year production of all Pontiacs (253,469) made Pontiac the fifth ranked automaker in 1948.

The Pontiac name was first used on a car in the mid-1920’s when General Motors took over the Oakland brand. Pontiac was unique in GM history in being the only offspring ever to kill its parent. Pontiac became so popular that by 1931, production of Oaklands ceased.

Sources: Standard Catalog of American Cars, 1946 – 1974. John Gunnell. Rev. 4th ed. Krause Publications, 2002.

http://www.conceptcarz.com/vehicle/z16265/Pontiac-Torpedo.aspx
http://classiccardatabase.com/specs.php?series=4703&year=1948&model=28632
http://uniquecarsandparts.com/lost_marques_pontiac.htm  (History)
See also:  http://www.oldcarbrochures.com/static/Canada/1948%20Pontiac%20Brochure/dirindex.html  (Original 1948 brochure)
http://www.oldcarbrochures.com/new/021110/1948%20Pontiac%20Foldout/dirindex.html  (Original 1948 foldout brochure)

1925 Studebaker Sedan, Model EP, Big Six, 5 passenger, 4-door

Original cost: $2,245.00

Number made: 80,365 made in 1925 – all models

Engine,etc.: L-head inline 6 cyl.; 353.8 cu. in.; 75 hp; 120 in. wheelbase

The Studebaker brothers began as wagon builders and built a very successful business supplying wagons to the North in the Civil War and to the British during the Boer War.

Studebaker built its first car, an electric designed by Thomas Alva Edison, in 1902. Under pressure from a son-in-law, the company began building gasoline cars in 1904 despite John M. Studebaker’s opinion that “they stink to high heaven”.

The company enjoyed increased success and was a supplier to Europe and the U. S. government in World War I.

The cars were robust, difficult to break, and made Studebaker famous.

From 1918 to 1920 the Big Six was offered only as a four-door touring vehicle. This was the most popular body style for vehicles at the time. Beginning in 1921 the price of enclosed vehicles came down and buyers realized the advantages of both closed and semi-closed passenger compartments.

The EP model was produced in 1925 – 1926.

Standard equipment included glare-proof visor, automatic windshield cleaner, cowl and dome lights, speedometer, gas gauge, shock absorbers, spare tire, headlight dimmer, rear view mirror, clock, and running board kick plate.

Four wheel hydraulic brakes were an option.

In the 1920’s twelve of fourteen Arizona counties issued Studebakers to their sheriffs because of their reputation for power, reliability, and ability to withstand hard use and bad roads. In 1925 the company published a pamphlet about the Arizona sheriffs’ Studebakers and named their Big Six Sport Phaeton model the “Sheriff”.

At the 1924 New York Auto Show Studebaker featured a 1918 Big Six that had a verified odometer reading of over 500,000 miles as a testament to the longevity and durability of Studebaker vehicles.

The high-water mark in registrations came in 1925 when Studebaker put 107,732 cars into service. Its total production that year, including trucks, was 134,664 units. Other car manufacturers had grown much faster however: Studebaker dropped from third place in the industry in 1912 to 8th by order of production volume in 1926.

Source: Standard Catalog of American Cars, 1805 -1942. Beverly Rae Kimes, et al. 3rd ed. Krause Publications, 1996.

https://www.conceptcarz.com/z27247/studebaker-big-six-model-ep.aspx
https://studebakermuseum.org/  (Archives, photos, etc.)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Studebaker_Big_Six
http://ucapusa.com/lost_marques_studebaker.htm (History)

1960 Studebaker Pickup, Model TK, “Champ”

Original cost: $1,708.00+

Number made: 5,085

Engine, etc.: 1/2 ton, 8 cyl., 259 cid, 180 hp; 4 speed

Studebaker produced many trucks during its years of production from the early 1900’s until 1964. In 1966, Studebaker ended all of its automobile production.

Studebaker’s first trucks were electric. Over the years various styles were produced which ended up as delivery cars, step vans, stake trucks, fire trucks, buses, ambulances, dump trucks, tractor trucks, military trucks, and pickups.

Buoyed by extraordinary popularity of the 1959 Larks (139,024 built), Studebaker frantically tooled up a restyled line of light-duty trucks for 1960 – its first since mid-1948. The 1959 Lark front sheet metal and front half of the 4-door sedan body were grafted onto slightly modified 1/2 and 3/4 ton truck chassis and beds. This formed the basis of a new line of trucks, with the name “Champ”. It was intended to compete against the Ford Ranchero and Chevrolet El Camino. Both were based on current passenger car platforms while the Champ had truck underpinnings.

A nation-wide steel strike in late 1959 delayed initial production of the 1960 model trucks until February, 1960. Champs were given the same model numbers as previous 1/2 and 3/4 ton Transtar trucks: 1/2 tons – 5E5, 5E6, 5E7, etc.

A total of 5,602 Champs were built with 5,085 for the domestic U. S. market.

Source: http://www.studebakerdriversclub.com/StudebakerTruckHistory.asp (Scroll down to Chapter 14)
https://studebakermuseum.org/
http://uniquecarsandparts.com/lost_marques_studebaker.htm  (Studebaker history)

1958 Cadillac Coupe de Ville, 2-door, Series 62

Original cost:  $4,784.00

Number made:  23,989

Engine, etc.:  8 cyl.; 364.42 cid; 310 hp; 129 in. wheelbase; 4,630 lbs.

The name for the DeVille was derived from its body styling, with “DeVille” meaning “of the town or city” in French.  It was a luxury car produced after the Fleetwood name was dropped by Cadillac.  Production began in 1949 and ended in 2005 when it was replaced by the DTS.  DTS stands for “DeVille Touring Sedan”.

Cadillacs received a major restyling for 1958.  They had more chrome and, to some, were far less stylish than other recent models.  There was a new dual-headlamp treatment, a new grille, and unskirted rear wheel housings.  The back had large fins which did little for performance and handling but were all about the style of the vehicle, designed by Harley Earl.

Air suspension was used and provided a very soft ride but there was significant body roll when cornering.

Sales were poor which could have been attributed to a nationwide recession as well as the styling changes.  Model year production, 121,778, was the lowest since 1954.

Horsepower ratings, however, kept climbing, to 310 hp.  The car could “creep” to 60 mph in 11 seconds.  This Cadillac was built for comfort, not speed.  The car was fitted with drum brakes which often wore out quickly, given its weight.

All 1958 Cadillac models were available with cruise control, high-pressure cooling system, two-speaker signal-seeking radio, and automatic parking brake release.  Optional accessories included radio with antenna and rear speaker ($164); six-way seat adjuster ($103); power window regulators ($108); fog lamps ($41); automatic headlight beam control ($48) which was capable of switching from high to low beam when meeting oncoming traffic; and five sabre spoke wheels ($350).

Sources: Standard Catalog of American Cars, 1946 – 1974.  John Gunnell.  Krause Publications, 2002.

http://www.conceptcarz.com/vehicle/z11260/Cadillac-Series-62.aspx

http://auto.howstuffworks.com/1950-1959-cadillac3.htm

http://www.motorera.com/cadillac/cad1950/CAD58S.HTMhttp://www.conceptcarz.com/vehicle/z2003/Cadillac-DeVille.aspx

See also:  http://www.oldcarbrochures.com/static/NA/Cadillac/1958_Cadillac/1958_Cadillac_Brochure_1/dirindex.html  (Original 1958 brochure no. 1, 1958 Cadillac)

http://www.oldcarbrochures.com/static/NA/Cadillac/1958_Cadillac/1958_Cadillac_Brochure_2/58cadillac-08.html  (Original 1958 brochure no. 2,1958 Cadillac)