Glamour Cars
by: Graeme Notega
Long and sleek! With Elvis as the hero of the day during the 1950s, whatever he drove become the car of the day. And Elvis loved the glamour that shiny new tail-fins exhibited. His fans loved them, too, which led to over thirty heart-stopping models being designed during the 1950s. No one cared back then whether cars were gas-guzzlers or whether the paint job would last, or whether the shiny chrome that protruded out the back begged to have dents inserted within the first few weeks.
The appeal of cars during the 1950s was more than just Elvis. It was prestige and glamour for even the average working person. The feeling of luxury seeped into one?s feelings and emotions, and romance bloomed with respect while riding in these elegant vehicles.
The Chrysler Town & Country Newport coupe which came out in 1950 didn?t have fins (they started creeping into the design around 1952). Yet it wasn?t the typical car of the 1940s. Almost a dinosaur compared to today?s styles, the Newport featured distinctive, external wood framing (referred to as being a ?Woodie?) and strongly appealed to the hunter and sportsmen.
Pontiac had a mascot ? an Indian Chief? whose unsmiling face formed the base of the front hood. His headdress consisted of streaks of chrome sliding back over the hood and being picked up again on the trunk. Sleek looking! Everyone wanted a car with a personality, and the Indian Chief gave the Pontiac one.
Because the cars of the early 1950s had a somewhat dowdy appearance but reflected the potential of sparkling glamour, car designers became aggressive in their creativity. By 1957 and 1958 the designers produced disastrously overblown responses. Sharp clean fins reached in all directions. They were streaked with chrome, and somewhere in the middle a body was grafted into them. Bright yellows! Passionate reds! Baby blues! And regardless of the weather where one lived, convertibles were in, even if you never lowered the top.
The intense competition among the car manufacturers meant that each model became extinct quickly. Planned obsolescence meant the customers had to choose between buying a new car each year or being a social leper. Because of the expense of redesigning all models every year, the manufacturers took to keeping the inner workings of the cars basically the same and only changing the outward look.
By 1958 some models,such as the 1958 Oldsmobile, were beginning to be called ?ugly.? Some even said it looked like a brick with a hardtop sitting on it. However, the indented chrome on the doors still caught one?s eye of respect.
All systems self-destruct from within. The era of the glamour cars had outdone itself and common sense dictated that what would follow in the 1960s would be based on performance, a concern for the environment, and conservative packaging. During the 1960s people weren?t impressed with external appearances to the exclusion of what existed underneath. This attitude was reflected towards both people and cars. Yet, who will ever forget Elvis? Or the glamour cars of the 1950s?
About The Author
Graeme Notega is the owner of CarsUlike which tackles all motoring issues. For more information, go to http://www.acarsz.com.
|
Buying Versus Leasing A Car
Buying Versus Leasing A Car
by: Jeff Neilan
If you are considering whether to buy or perhaps lease your next car and which would afford you the best deal, most consumer experts agree that from a purely financial aspect you will be better off in buying your next car.
Of course paying cash in full is the best possible scenario since with this option you would avoid any type of finance charge. But for the vast majority of us and for the scope of this article we?ll take a look those purchases or leases that involve financing.
In the short term leasing may look attractive to you because monthly lease payments will more than likely be less than the monthly payments of a purchase agreement. Why? Because with a lease you are essentially only paying for the part of the car you are going to use. It?s kind of like splitting the cost of a pizza with someone. You are only paying for the pieces that you are going to eat. In car terminology the part...
Buying Versus Leasing A Car
Car rental > Buying Versus Leasing A Car
Smart And Easy Steps To Debt Free Life
Smart And Easy Steps To Debt Free Life
by: Ryan Smith
Being in debts is not a crime. This is what all consumers should keep in mind before they start taking loans and credits. But the fact remains that most debtors take loans often going beyond their affordability and fail to make the payments. What is required is a little awareness on debt related issues along with a planned budget that will help you to resolve your debt problems. Here are some useful tips to guide you when you are in debts.
Try out various options to repay debts:
Accept the fact that you are in debt and you have to pay off your loans. Do not file for bankruptcy without trying out the other options to get rid off your debts. It is always better to pay off the debt rather than declare a bankruptcy, which will have a negative impact on your credit profile.
So coordinate with your creditors, discuss your situation with them and initiate the negotiation. Some of...
Smart And Easy Steps To Debt Free Life
Car rental > Smart And Easy Steps To Debt Free Life
Buying a Car? Check Your Credit Score First
Buying a Car? Check Your Credit Score First
by: Charles Essmeier
Do you check your credit score and credit report before you go shopping for a car? You might find out that it is well worth your while to do so, as some auto dealers are taking advantage of the fact that many consumers do not know their credit scores.
No one likes buying a car; the entire process is awkward and cumbersome. Most items we buy are plainly marked with the price, but with cars, the price is often a mystery. Then you have to haggle with a salesman and hope that you have worked out the best price possible. Having done that, you have to arrange financing. You can often get an acceptable interest rate when financing through the dealer, but some dealers are padding their bottom line by offering loans at higher rates than they otherwise might.
The scam works like this ? You negotiate your best price with the dealer and you agree to finance through them. You fill out the...
Buying a Car? Check Your Credit Score First
Car rental > Buying a Car? Check Your Credit Score First
A Rookies Guide to Car Rentals
A Rookies Guide to Car Rentals
by: John Mancini
Renting a car can be a lot of fun, just plain fun. Car rentals offer the renter the opportunity to drive a car, truck or SUV that they normally would not or could not buy. Renting a car is for a weekend get away, to impress someone or just to have something different to drive for a couple of days are some of the most popular reasons to visit a rental company. However, as fun as it is to rent cars, there are some not so fun things that must happen before you drive it off the lot.
1- Keep in mind that most rental companies will not rent to any driver under the age of 25. If you fall under that magic number, you more than likely will need to get an older relative or friend to sign the actual contract for you.
2- You will of course, need a valid drivers license to rent the car. If you do not have a license, they will not rent to you under any circumstances. Most companies will also require you...
A Rookies Guide to Car Rentals
Car rental > A Rookies Guide to Car Rentals
What Your Car Audio Can Teach You About Marketing
What Your Car Audio Can Teach You About Marketing
by: Mike Street
Stand next to any road, and every so often a young person will go by with the latest rap CD blaring. If it happens to be a cold day, he (it is always a he) may have the windows up. Then, all you will hear is the thud of the overworked bass speaker in the back. After he turns 30, the young driver probably won?t even be able to hear that, if he continues this unwarranted assault on his ears.
That big bass bin can?t handle the vocal sounds, and the front speakers would melt if they had all those thumps going through them. So the car audio separates out the various frequencies using filters, sending only the bass to the big bins in the back, and only the higher and more delicate sounds to the little speakers at the front. Both, and especially the bass, are then amplified so they are audible in the next county.
Marketers have borrowed the same terminology as a way of looking...
What Your Car Audio Can Teach You About Marketing
Car rental > What Your Car Audio Can Teach You About Marketing