1957 Dodge

The car in this two-page spread from the November 1956 issue of Life Magazine is the 1957 Dodge Custom Royal Lancer 2-Door. Nice piece of mid-century modernism, swept tail fins, lots of chrome, and the obligatory waspy couple dressed for a night out doing...something waspy.

I found a better picture to convey the sheer magnitude of this car on the Mecum Auction site. This is a car from the all-metal dashboard era. My father had a Ford Galaxie from this approximate era. I distinctly remember how the dash got branding-iron hot during the Indiana summers. Now I wish I had that car, at least for nostalgia sake since all I really remember is getting burned on the dash and dad spending all evening working on the thing. Funny thing, nowadays if you drop a dime inside the engine compartment of your car, you'll never find it again. Back in the mid-60's you could have dropped a basketball inside the Galaxie's engine compartment and it would have hit the ground.

Dodge Brothers

Previously I've posted a 1954 Dodge ad, but this is a much older one. In 1922 Dodge promised lightness, hardihood, and economy. Yes, hardihood is a word. It is defined as boldness or daring and I can't really see any hardihood in what essentially amounts to Dodge's imitation of Ford's business coupe.

My grandfather was a Dodge man and when he passed away I inherited his old Dodge Challenger. At the time I didn't appreciate it, now I wish I had the lead sled back again. You never realize what you have until it's gone.

1954 Dodge

1954 ad for Dodge – any Dodge, just Dodge.

What’s the most striking thing about this ad? The color of the car. What is that color anyway? Sea foam? Pepto-Bismol-blue? Butter mint green?