1952 U.S. Automobiles arrived and this year saw the US involved in the war in Korea, which resulted in some material shortages for the US auto industry. It was a really down year for the auto industry, with Ford and Chevy both down by about a third. Virtually all the key players saw decreases, too.
One-piece windshields were seen, as were wide, wrap-around rear windows. Approximate total sales: 3,900,000; change: -33.3%.
1952 Noteworthy Events
- Buick –Power steering; sedanette gone.
- Dodge – Late year introduction of 241 hemi-headed V8.
- Ford – 1-piece curved windshields, wider rear windows; 215 OHV six.
- Oldsmobile – Power steering, 4bbl carb.
Everybody saw lowered sales this year! (well, except Willys and Crosley, who together had almost zero market share)
Chevrolet
The Chevrolet models for 1952 again saw minimal change. The fastback Fleetline models were no longer available in the Deluxe series. The front grilles now had five small vertical “teeth” that adorned the horizontal bar. Bodies continued to have vestigial flared rear fenders, with slab sided front fenders. Series remained Special and Deluxe, with Styleline and Fleetline sub-series in the Deluxe and Styleline in the Special. Power steering became available this year.
The 216cid and 236cid OHV inline six-cylinder engines were unchanged from ‘51, as were the transmission options of 3sp manual and Powerglide.
Approximate sales: 818,000; change: -33%; industry rank: 1st.
The front grille of Chevrolet was changed a bit, now having five ‘teeth’.
This year there were two sweep spears on the sides, one running the length of the front fenders and across the doors, and the other positioned slightly lower than this, running down the rear fenders.
They were right about the ‘trend-setting valve-in-head engine’. This wouldn’t be the engine to set any trends, though. We have to wait three years for that!
This, of course, is the Bel Air two-door hardtop. And there would be so many more hardtops in the future!
I like the last box at the bottom: Jumbo-Drum Brakes. With ‘Dubl-Life’! Seems funny that this was significant enough to be mentioned. However, at this time in the industry, there just weren’t a ton of things to differentiate one car from another. The list of possible car optional equipment was short compared to today!
One option that really was significant, though, was the Powerglide automatic transmission.
Buick
The ’52 Buick models again were Special, Super and Roadmaster. They were again largely unchanged this year. The side sweep spear was again slightly modified. It still started above the front wheels, arcing back to just in front of the rear wheels, and blending into the rocker panel molding. Buick began offering power steering as an option this year. Some models had wide, curving rear windows that were actually three-piece!
A 3-speed manual transmission was standard on the two lower series, with the Dynaflow again optional, but being standard on the Roadmaster. Engines remained the same, with the 320 picking up an additional 18hp, due in part to a bump in compression ratio. Power steering was available this year.
Approximate sales: 303,000; change: -25%; industry rank: 4th.
If you liked the ’51 Buick styling, you were going to be pleased with the ’52. The sculpting along the side was rather interesting, I think. I like the way the front fender accent line flows back to meet the rear fender.
Three-piece rear windows! Soon new glass forming methods would allow the use of similar shaped one-piece rear windows.
Windshields
Remember how windshields evolved during the early part of this century. With many early cars, they were either not offered at all or were optional. They then became standard, more or less, but were a single flat plane. This single plane windshield became tilted back, and then became two panes, which allowed the windshield to be swept back as well. It’s this two-piece window that evolved into the first one-piece semi-curved windshields. And, no, they weren’t very ‘wrap-around’!
Well, whatever the heck Buick did, apparently they did it again for ’52! Compared to some of the other ’52 models, the Buicks seem kind of ponderous to me.
Here the new ’52 Buicks are treated as though it were a movie premiere. Kinda cool advertising.
Oldsmobile
For ‘52 the Oldsmobile lineup was Deluxe Eighty-Eight, Super Eighty-Eight, and Ninety-Eight. The Standard Eighty-Eight was dropped. The grille was slightly modified, now having a short vertical center piece. Bodies remained mildly updated. As with her GM sisters, Olds introduced power steering in ’52.
Trans offerings were a 3sp manual as standard equipment, with the Hydra-Matic optional in all models.
Approximate sales: 214,000; change: -25%; industry rank: 6th.
The 98 shared the 160hp Rocket V8 with the Super 88. Want carpeting in your new ’52 Olds? It was standard only on the 98! This car has the optional ‘Cadet Visor’. This was a $32 ($311 – 2019$).
The ’52 Olds had a nice look from the rear.
Oldsmobile was on this ‘rocket’ thing like white on rice. Too bad our two people are riding on a V2 rocket, the ‘vengeance weapon’ that killed hundreds of citizens during WWII.
The Oldsmobile Rockets
Olds really liked the ‘rocket’ theme, using it in advertising and in engine naming. It worked well for them. The rocket drawing above reflects the state of rocketry at the time, being largely based on WWII German engineering related to the ‘Vengeance’ projects, specifically the V2 rocket, which was the forerunner of all intercontinental ballistic missiles. The odd painting scheme of the rocket pictured reflects the experimental nature of this field. It’s painted to be more observable with telescopic instruments and to be able to discern its rate of rotation and overall attitude.
1952 Oldsmobile Rocket Brochure
I love the rocket height comparison to illustrate the horsepower increase.
The air cleaner was undeniably cool looking. Note that the Quadri-Jet carburetor was not the mid-Sixties carb with spread bores, despite a similar name.
Pontiac
Pontiac models were based on a single series for 1952; this was the Chieftain. The subseries were Six, Deluxe Six, Super Deluxe Six, Eight, Deluxe Eight and Super Eight (proceeded by “Chieftain”, of course). The marketing guys must have been working overtime this year. There was a mild tweaking of things, like the side sweep-spears and the grilles. The Silver Streak theme remained. Pontiac buyers had to wait until next year to have power steering available. There were no more Streamliner models. But you could get a tissue dispenser!
The 3-speed manual with column shift was the standard transmission, with the Hydra-Matic four speed automatic transmission available optionally. Engines remained the same, with the 239cid L-head six and the 268cid L-head eight. Both engines again picked up a handful of extra power, with compression ratios mildly bumped.
Approximate sales: 271,000; change: -27%; industry rank: 5th.
The top chrome bar above the center round insignia was changed a bit, now having four black rectangular indentions. Above it was a new Pontiac script. Also, the side sweep spears were modified slightly.
The dated Streamliner fastback styles were no longer available this year. The look might have been dated, but it also could be striking.
Pontiac is selling performance and value here, just like most everyone else. Do you want something other than a Chieftain? Well, for both ’52 and ’53 you are out of luck! Chieftain was the only series Pontiac offered.
Chrysler
Chrysler made minimal changes for 1952. Parking a ‘51 next to a ‘52 of the same model would show almost identical vehicles.
The hemi 331 remained the same, but the 250cid six was stroked 0.25” to 264cid and picked up a whole 3hp for the trouble. Weirdly, it was still a hugely under-square design.
Approximate sales: 87,000; change: -47%; industry rank: 13th.
I’m not sure if it was a lack of restyling for 1952 or whatever else, but Chrysler was way down in sales this year, seeing drops larger than their competitors. I’d think their small market share, like Mercury, played a part in this.
Chrysler had an advertising campaign that was based on print ads that all had a similar ‘floral theme’ to this ad. I have to think that they were rather well done, targeting the luxury car driver.
Dodge
Dodge followed suit with Chrysler for 1952 in making minimal changes.
All models had a standard 3-speed manual transmission with Fluid-Drive, with the Gyro-matic semiautomatic as an option. The L-head straight six 230cid engine was a carryover. A midyear introduction would be the 241cid “Red Ram” hemi-headed V8. This engine featured a much more contemporary bore/stroke ratio than the 230cid six-cylinder did, with its huge 4.625” stroke.
Approximate sales: 206,000; change: -29%.
There were few changes for Dodge this year, in part due to their substantial involvement in creating material for the Korean war effort.
If you were thinking about buying a new ’52 Dodge, you’d hopefully not be too self-conscious. If you believe this ad, everyone would be looking at you!
What you didn’t know, though, is that they would be thinking (said in a Monte Python-like ‘man-playing-woman’ voice) “Ohhh…. look at them, with their new Dodge! They think they’re sooo special, they do! Well, la-ti-dah! We’re feckin’ special, we are!”
Plymouth
Plymouth was heavily invested in the Korean War effort, so it had few resources to spend in vehicle updating. The series were renamed Concord, Cambridge, and Cranbrook. One new thing that did appear this year was an overdrive for the manual 3-speed transmission.
Engine and trans offerings were again “meh”. But, hey, they were showing those commies what for!
Approximate sales: 396,000; change: -35%.
This Cambridge has the optional external sun shade. Overdrive appeared as an option this year, which hadn’t been available since before WWII.
It seems that the Korean war effort, aside from preventing any significant changes between the ’51’s and ’52’s, also resulted in the sales figures for the two years being combined.
Yeah, I can picture back-seat occupants talking about that ‘powerful 97hp engine’! Oh, yeah. I can only imagine what the driver is thinking with all this blabbering going on.
The text confirms this is a 1952 model, as does the fact that it still has separate rear fenders. But it clearly shows a 3-piece rear window in the interior drawing as well as the exterior (if you enlarge the image). I can’t find supporting information for a 3-piece rear window. My best guess is that they were planning on updating the small rear window with a three-piece wraparound style, and produced this ad accordingly, but the plans changed and they still used the ad.
I couldn’t see much difference between the ’51 and ’52 rear windows, though it’s possible the ’52 was a bit more curved. The 1953 window was, with some upper series having the 3-piece wraparound style. Thoughts?
Ford
For 1952 Ford updated all of its models. A one-piece windshield was introduced and rear windows were now full-width. On the grille the two spinners were replaced by a single one that was larger and placed in the center, much like the ‘50 models. The rear quarter panels had simulated air scoops. Series names were changed, becoming Mainline, Customline and Crestline. As with some of the other makes, the new rear windows were three-piece.
The 226cid L-head six was replaced with a 215cid OHV six, with six additional horsepower. This was close to a square design, unlike the very under-square 226. The 239cid V8 picked up an additional 10hp. Trans options were unchanged.
Approximate sales: 671,000; change: -34%.
This was the first all-new Ford look since 1949.
The protruding tail lights were new, as was the gas filler hidden behind the rear license plate.
This advertisement details all the sweet stuff you get with your ’52 Ford, ‘The ablest car on the American Road’. (When was the last time you used ‘ablest’ in your daily conversation?)
Mercury
Mercury had two series this year, Custom and Monterey, which were differentiated by trim level. Like the Ford models, styling was completely new this year, complete with one-piece windshields, wraparound rear windows and Ford-like stylized rear quarter scoops. The roofs and trunks were substantially flatter, with the hood now level with the fenders. The hood also featured a fake scoop, which added an aggressive look. The grille was slightly changed as well. Mercury also debuted the wider front and rear glass as Ford.
The trans was still a 3-speed manual, with Touch-O-Matic overdrive optional. However, a new Merc-O-Matic two speed automatic was now available optionally. The 255cid V8 was a carryover, but with thirteen more horsepower than last year.
Approximate sales: 152,000; change: -44%.
No, the lake pipes weren’t factory original. The Monterey shown here has a more pleasing side design than the Ford shown in the ad, but compare it to the Crown Victoria above. Pretty similar, no?
The Mercs were perhaps better looking than their Ford stablemates, but ‘The most Challenging New Car of Any Year!‘? I dunno. Sounds like a big claim.
1952 Engine Specs
1952 Newspaper Ads
“Written Warranty”! Yeah, until you cross the curb!
“For the buy of your life”. Oh, I’m sure it would be!
“Like Swiss on Rye”. Yeah, swiss and rye do go together, don’t they? But just what does that have to do with Hawke Motor Sales? I dunno…
