Showroom fresh!

Above is an actual period photo from 1955 showing the shop window of an Oldsmobile dealership. The cars displayed are pristine, factory fresh models just waiting to be owned and enjoyed.
I can almost feel myself pressing my nose against the plate glass of that showroom! :-)

The ads for them were seductive, with those cute lines and two tone paint topped off by acres of chrome who wouldn't be tempted?


Once again the bright colours and 'futuristic' styling spoke of optimism, the look said of the owner 'Here's a man that's going places'. So as we look back on those far off days and wonder how what happened to that optimism, maybe a clue can be found in what happened to the cars!

I suppose it's kinda sad when you look at that way, both in terms of the lost optimism and the fate of those once glittering old beauties...but such is the passage of time I guess.
Not all those old cars have ended up like this of course, there are those few that have been carefully tended over the years, yet more that have been restored to their former glory thus giving us a taste of the sights, sounds, and feel of a bygone age.

1949 Oldsmobile Rocket 88 fastback sedanette

1949 was the year the OHV V-8 changed the face of the American auto industry. Oldsmobile's new 303 (5.0L) Rocket Eight made it the darling of racers and speed demons everywhere.

I came across this very restorable and rare Oldsmobile Rocket 88 2 door fastback sedanette while looking through an American website dealing in all types of Collectable and restorable old cars. The most amazing thing about this car, and many of the others available is not only the excellent solid condition considering many years of neglect, but also the price -

This particular fastback 88 was priced at just $875. For a restorable motoring icon! That's around £400 in the UK... Man! If it wasn't for the Atlantic ocean between us I'd have a yard full of them!

The next car featured below is an an original survivor that is still in service after 60 years! the facts and photographs that follow are courtesy of a fellow classic fan, larger pictures available here.

With the Rocket V-8, lighter 88 coupes were popular with hot rodders, and became successful stock car racers. A Rocket 88 could do 0-60 in around 12.5 seconds, with a top speed of close to 100 mph. Note the ringed planet badge; the Oldsmobile lettering that should be under it is missing.

Under the hood is Oldsmobile's new 303 cu. in. (5.0L) OHV "Rocket" V-8, initially rated at 135 hp. Hydra-Matic -- a four-speed automatic that had been a world first in 1940 -- was standard on 1949 88s. The following year it became a $185 option.

About 5,800 Town Sedans were sold in '49, split roughly equally between standard and Deluxe trim. Base price was $2,254 for the standard, $2,385 for the Deluxe. This car does not have backup lights, which were still a $15 option in 1949.

The lettering on the trunk handle, nearly worn away, says "Hydra-Matic Drive," a reference to the 88's standard Hydra-Matic automatic transmission. Deco-like Oldsmobile lettering is a classy touch.

Curvy flanks make it look smaller than it is -- this is a 202-inch car, weighing around 3,900 lb. Competitors spread rumours that the fastback was prone to lift its tail at high speeds. Small backlight did nothing for visibility.

Riding a 119.5-inch wheelbase, the four-door fastback was called a Town Sedan. It was dropped after 1950. Fastback styling was introduced across the GM line in 1941-1942, but having come out just before the war, by the end of the decade it was considered old hat.

Chrome-encrusted "Futuramic" styling was introduced in 1948 for the bigger Olds 88, this year extended to all Oldsmobile models.

Airplanes and rockets were very much in vogue in the late 40s and early 50s, and this Oldsmobile is covered with them. The sound barrier had just been broken, and new speed records were being set every few weeks.

The world of TED POLOMIS

If, like me you are a fan of old cars then that enthusiasm often extends to other period items. I am always on the lookout for old stuff, be it vintage advertising, old magazines, toys, in fact anything that is Automobile or motoring related.

Some time ago I came across one or two folks on the web that were making up small scale diorama's of old classic cars, (seen above). Usually they are depicted as slightly battered through use, I'm not sure if they are made of plaster or metal but they are a fantastic way to collect a series of old cars without needing too much space.

Then, completely by chance I came across the work of Ted Polomis. (above and below)
I don't know where Ted finds those old toys but each and every one is a fantastically nostalgic image. Now get this.... the model in the first (top) picture is by a model artist, the rest are pictures of Teds work but here's the rub - Ted's aren't models they're paintings!

When I first saw Ted's work t took me a moment to come to terms with the fact that I wasn't looking at a nostalgic photographic image!

Many people in the art world these days pour scorn on truly representational art such as this, implying that the multi coloured splashes and scrawls on canvas are the real works of genius, but I beg to differ! We have already seen on these very pages that nature itself can create colourful works of art that far surpass the human efforts using only a 'canvas' of old car metal. No 'genius' involved there, just the result of time and the elements.

The ability of Ted's work to conjure up in the spectator a warm feeling of nostalgia, the evocation of childhood memories, of quiet moments spent in times and places now long gone is the true indicator of talent. His phenomenal attention to detail and beautiful rendering of tones, shapes and colours are for me the mark of a truly outstanding artist.

As you may guess from my comments I'm no real fan of 'Modern art' insofar as much of it requires very little talent to produce, something that can never be said for the works of Ted Polomis!

Still life with suitcase!

How about this photograph of an old Opel car taken in Greece.
Who knows how long that old car has been sitting there! Those rocks on the front of it seem to have been dropped from of the top of the cliff face to indent so far, and the suitcase? I'm pleased that it still exists in that state, and that the authorities haven't yet moved it or sold it on for scrap metal as it makes a fantastic photo!

Below are some more examples of rusting metal from once beautiful old cars and trucks, none of which would look out of place in one of today's high end art galleries!
See if you can ID any of the vehicles that provided these 'artworks', only one isn't from a car.

And for chrome fans...

Not a patch of rust in sight....but wow what an amazing picture! I must paint this!

Pic' of the day!

I just had to post this picture all on its own, what a fantastic example of 'Beautiful decay'.

Speaking of car wrecks...

You may by now be used to my posting pictures of forgotten old wrecks found in the undergrowth, but have you ever wondered what, (compared to these days of airbags, ABS and safety management systems) the automobile accidents of yesteryear were like exactly?

Well here's a few pic's I found on the subject, and it seems to me the cars held up pretty well. Each one looks to have been none fatal even with the amount of damage inflicted on the bodywork. just goes to show that 'They don't make 'em like they used to!' LOL!