Guest Paul Christ Posted October 23, 2011 Share Posted October 23, 2011 This interesting car is currently being offered on Ebay. It really has that funky fifties look, check out the cowhide and leather interior! Should be interesting to see how high the bids go...Click here: Chrysler | eBay Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Jim_Edwards Posted October 23, 2011 Share Posted October 23, 2011 (edited) Good thing they didn't produce that one! That thing is so ugly it should be considered an eyesore. Looks like the rear portion of the roof turret was intended to be 180ed and used on a 4 door hardtop, specifically the '57-'58 Mercury Turnpike Cruiser. The side view looks much like a '55-'56 Lincoln and the front bumper is almost like the one that showed up on their turbine car experiment in the 1960s and the split grille treatment was swiped by Pontiac. Gotta wonder just what were they thinking. I think I would have fired the head of the design studio for wasting money! Edited October 23, 2011 by Jim_Edwards (see edit history) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keiser31 Posted October 23, 2011 Share Posted October 23, 2011 Kinda "puffy" looking. I am an avid Chrysler Corporation car fan, but I'm afraid you guys are right about this one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Jim_Edwards Posted October 23, 2011 Share Posted October 23, 2011 Kinda "puffy" looking. I am an avid Chrysler Corporation car fan, but I'm afraid you guys are right about this one.Some of my favorite cars were the tri-color mid '50s Dodges and DeSotos. And who would like the pure luxury of the early '60s Imperials. Those Imperial interiors put the Caddy and Lincoln interiors of the era to shame. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
28 Chrysler Posted October 23, 2011 Share Posted October 23, 2011 Yes it is kind of pugly with the reversed top, but it has good history. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alsancle Posted October 23, 2011 Share Posted October 23, 2011 It's been for sale on and off for the last few years. I believe it was in Australia and was converted to right hand drive at one point?Not all concepts are beautiful but it is a one off factory car that is unique so in that sense I like it. Not sure of it's real market these days. I would think near the bottom of the factory concept car range. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PONTIAC1953 Posted October 23, 2011 Share Posted October 23, 2011 (edited) It's been for sale on and off for the last few years. I believe it was in Australia and was converted to right hand drive at one point?Not all concepts are beautiful but it is a one off factory car that is unique so in that sense I like it. Not sure of it's real market these days. I would think near the bottom of the factory concept car range.the car was in australia for awhile, but the car is still lefthand drive. i can't believe that the list of related owners let this rare show car get into such sad condition, what a shame. charles coker, 1953 pontiac tech advisor. Edited October 23, 2011 by pontiac1953 (see edit history) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rusty_OToole Posted October 26, 2011 Share Posted October 26, 2011 That's why they make experimental cars. They all seem like a good idea until you get a good look at them. Then they hide the dogs and only produce the good ones.Saw an article on that car a few years back, apparently the custom made body work was very, very heavy. The finished car needed heavy springs and reinforced suspension. It was sold to someone and saw limited street use but really was never meant to be used, it was built purely for show. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trimacar Posted October 26, 2011 Share Posted October 26, 2011 Interesting, but a poor concept car for sure, and I would think the 120K bid would buy it in any market..........even concept cars have to have some redeeming feature, and this one is the red headed step child for sure.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ed burke Posted October 26, 2011 Share Posted October 26, 2011 :confused:Hi all, Looks like the factory photo car has quad head lights. ???????????? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keiser31 Posted October 27, 2011 Share Posted October 27, 2011 :confused:Hi all, Looks like the factory photo car has quad head lights. ????????????That's the reflection from the chrome underneath the eyebrows. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest AlK Posted October 27, 2011 Share Posted October 27, 2011 To each his own, I like it. At least you won't have to see another one coming at you or at show, like T's, A's 55-57 chebbies, and suchALK Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dick380185 Posted October 27, 2011 Share Posted October 27, 2011 Normally, I'm one that likes odd cars, but this one is an exception. The nasty unfortunate paint color certainly doesn't help. I realize it may have "matched" the interior at one time, but I think a better color choice could have been made. Then again, I'm not sure a different color would help that 'design' much. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Restorer32 Posted October 27, 2011 Share Posted October 27, 2011 I can't believe they never realized that they put the rear bumper on the front. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bhigdog Posted October 27, 2011 Share Posted October 27, 2011 What was the concept? Go ugly early, avoid the rush?....................Bob Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikesWoodieWorld Posted October 28, 2011 Share Posted October 28, 2011 What a lot of negativity!!Hey guys, lighten up...this is a one off!At least give it THAT status!Ugly, maybe, but still a one off! I am sure a lot of period employees worked their a$$e$ off to get this thing to period shows. And remember, you are looking at it today, just how did it look back in the mid-fifties?? Probably a lot different than now!! Cheers, Mike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
R W Burgess Posted October 28, 2011 Share Posted October 28, 2011 What a lot of negativity!!...........Cheers, MikeAnd, considering what we have on the highway today that's considered new trendy, I'd say the Plainsman was pretty darn stylish.I was talking to an ex-GM engineer just yesterday, showing him some AACA Meet pictures from this year, and eventually asked him what happened to all the pretty colored cars of yesterday.His answer, "It's what the public demands!":confused::confused::confused:You're kidding me, right? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikesWoodieWorld Posted October 28, 2011 Share Posted October 28, 2011 Well, this "public" doesn't have any interest with the current stuff offered! I would love to have any "ugly duckling" from the '40's or '50's than any of the current garbage offered! Even if it doesn't run!! Mike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alsancle Posted October 28, 2011 Share Posted October 28, 2011 I like it. It's different for sure. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest BJM Posted October 28, 2011 Share Posted October 28, 2011 (edited) What a lot of negativity!!Cheers, Mike MikeI have kind of avoided the post because I too beleive those folks are missing the idea. America had a romantic revisit with the "west" starting in the mid 50's. There are a LOT of sociology reasons for this. Expanding suburbs, loss of some neighborhood community feel and most importantly - the growth of the superhighway and modern high compression engined automobiles allowed families to "go west" on vacations. So this romantic nostalgia was helped along by the manufacturers and TV with many "western themed" TV programs and show cars like this one. Pete Phillips, BCA Bugle Editor, featured a similar production Buick Wagon (1959) called the "Texan" in the last Bugle magazine.The Texan featured the same underwhelming color tones of tan and brown leather with longhorn emblems in the doors and other "western touches."Also, Buick did a "Wells Fargo" show car with Dale Robertson, based on a 58 Buick convertible, tying into the TV show and romantic culture of the western lifestyle. Advertising of the day featured cars set in many luxurious locales including seaside settings but western themed ads were huge as well. It was escapism 101...I think, although it looks odd, the rear white section on this Plainsman was intended to mimic a stagecoach. This is a show car and was pure fantasy, so I think the group that is bashing this car is looking for concepts that might be used in production cars -- and Virgil Exner was known for zigging when others zagged. It is what it is and the forum, in my opinion, is fine in allowing their negative comments. I don't want to be censored, and so when those posts overwhelm a topic I am OK with it. But having a different viewpoint like yours and mine is sometimes relevant as well. Yes I would own this car if I could run with the big dogs that collect these sort of cars, but it's beyond my means.<!-- google_ad_section_end --> Edited October 28, 2011 by BJM (see edit history) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PONTIAC1953 Posted October 28, 2011 Share Posted October 28, 2011 well after 62 bids, the bid of $128,299.00 didn't meet the reserve. charles coker, 1953 pontiac tech advisor. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LINC400 Posted October 29, 2011 Share Posted October 29, 2011 Looking at it now, it looks like someone sawed the roof off of a 4 door 1958-60 Mercury or Lincoln including windows and slapped it on backwards, and the fact that it is a different color than the rest of the car does not help lessen that image. However, this car was built in 1956, before Linc and Merc had those roofs. Wonder if it would have been better without that image in your head? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikesWoodieWorld Posted October 29, 2011 Share Posted October 29, 2011 It makes me recall how there were cars that in their day were said to be ahead of their time. The 1936-37 Cords were that way, as a good example. They had so many innovations and were lower than any other cars back when introduced. Hey, they actually had a sub-frame!! In the mid 30's, no less!! But, today, it seems to evaporate away, since we have seen so very many low cars, many lower than the Cords were, and with many of those same refined innovations in them. It kind of waters them down. It is difficult to put ourselves in the era that these ideas were introduced, so many years later. We really have to try to imagine them in the situation in which they were when proudly shown. Isn't it similar to us, today, proudly showing our treasures?? At the shows...I mean. Mike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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