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So, What’s the Deal with Louvers?
So, What’s the Deal with Louvers?
Photo Courtesy of www.onlymustangfords.com
In the 1970s and 1980s, louvers were all the rage. Cars like the Datsun 260Z, Ford Mustang, and Honda Civic SI were popular choices to have louvers added to the rear windows. While matte black louvers added a tough look, they also served a functional purpose. They did not add to the aerodynamics of the car, but they did help keep the hatchbacks cooler in the sun.
Hot Sports Cars with Louvers
Chevy 150
Chevy 150
One of the banner years for automobiles, especially Chevys, was 1957. This year brought about some of the most iconic automobiles, as well as, congressional hearings that would change stock car racing forever.
Early NASCAR races were held on the beach at Daytona Beach, Florida and the last beach race was held in 1958. In the year before this final race, the United States Congress got involved in racing because of the fact that so many men and women were involved in reckless racing on public roads. Since so many manufacturers began selling cars like the Chevy 150 and the Ford Fairlane that could easily be modified into lightning-fast hot rods, street racing quickly became a problem in city neighborhoods and rural areas.
Chevy Bel Air Crash Test
Chevy Bel Air Crash Test
Photo Courtesy of www.59classicchevy.com
What do you get when you crash a 1959 Chevy Bel Air into a 2009 Chevy Malibu? You get an important history lesson.
In a publicity stunt in 2009, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) decided to show how far car safety has come in 50 years. They put a 2009 Malibu and a 1959 Chevy Bel Air in a head to head 40-MPH offset crash. After watching the 100-second video, viewers can easily see the progress that carmakers have made in the half of a century since the 1959 Bel Air hit the roads.
The Landau Roof
The Landau Roof
In the 1970s and the 1980s, the landau top was a popular, yet confusing design style. But, the original use of the word landau is quite different. It was originally a reference to a carriage and the term is still used in the United Kingdom when referencing the royal carriages. In the 1950s, the Nash Rambler actually came with a removeable landau top that slid back from the windshield and stowed away in the trunk. If you drove past the Rambler with the landau removed, you might not even notice because of the unusual look. Later, the landau was a style design that took the place of the C-pillars in the rear of the car. In the 1970s and 1980s, the landau top became synonymous with a fake convertible. These were some of the cars that wore the landau top with some sort of pride:
Unfortunately Named Cars
Unfortunately Named Cars
As a car fan, I enjoy learning about the significance of the names that cars are given. Many names have interesting etymologies. From the Corvette being named after swiftly moving Navy ships to the Shelby Cobra being named after a dangerous snake, many car makers get the names just right. Then there are cars like the Plymouth Duster, Ford Probe, and the Chevy Nova. These cars have names that are easy to spell, easy to say, but they have no sense of coolness at all.
Transformers and the Iconic Cars
Transformers and the Iconic Cars
You might think that the Transformers vehicles are limited to the hot yellow Chevy Camaro, the big semi truck cab, the Hummer, and the Pontiac Solstice. Those who are new to the world of Transformers are often surprised to find out that there are several different versions of the characters that change from recognizable vehicles to powerful robots. These are a few of the most iconic vehicles in the Transformer universe:
Chevy Vega and the Vert-A-Pac Rail System
Chevy Vega and the Vert-A-Pac Rail System
Regardless of what you might think about the Chevy Vega, the engineering that went into moving the cars across the country was nothing less than brilliant.
Brief History of Horizontal Car Shipping
Before the Vega was created, cars were shipped in boxcars. The first boxcars could hold four cars, as large as full-size sedans. The 50-foot boxcars had two cars on the bottom and two cars on a steel rack. This might seem like an efficient way to move cars, because trains are more energy efficient than car-carrier trucks and trains can lug many boxcars all over the country. But, sadly, carrying four cars in a boxcar was extremely inefficient, because the maximum weight load was not reached. Boxcars can carry much more than four sedans.
55 Chevrolet
55 Chevrolet
For ’55, Chevrolet restyled its popular economy 150, mid-range 210, and upscale Bel Air models to great commercial success. Along with the introduction of the brand’s long-running small block V8 as an optional engine this year, Chevy was doing very well in the marketplace. The look of the ’55 Chevrolet is classic mid-century. They were low and wide, included a curved, wraparound windshield, a refreshing reduction in chrome fittings, and modest tailfins.
Pontiac T-1000: I Miss the Chevette
Pontiac T-1000: I Miss the Chevette
As a kid in high school during the 1980s, everyone I knew drove a Chevy Chevette or a Pontiac T-1000. This compact hatchback was the perfect car for nearly every driver, but it became the go-to car for high school kids who needed something cheap and reliable.
High Tech Lo Tech: Concept Cars from 1969
High Tech Lo Tech: Concept Cars from 1969
Buick Century Cruiser – Photo Courtesy of oldconceptcars.com
General Motors was on a roll in the 1960s, with muscle cars and cars inspired by the space race. The biggest automaker in the world ended the decade with concept cars that took imagination and innovation to an entirely new level. These cars looked more like space ships than speed demons and they were created with idea of where technology could take us when we were on the roads.
