The 1958 U.S. Automobiles arrived in an economic recession year for the United States and auto sales reflected this. Sales were down across the board. It was into this market that Ford brought their new make, the Edsel. 1958 was the weakest auto market since WWII. The market had been shrinking since the record year of 1955. Approximate total sales: 4,162,000; change: -33.5%.
Also of some note is the trend of moving away from the proliferation of the stunning two- and three-tone exterior colors of the past few years.
1958 Noteworthy Events
- Buick Extensive restyle, quad headlights; no ventiports this year.
- Chevrolet Extensive restyle, quad headlights (incl. Corvette); Del Ray and Biscayne are models.
- Chrysler Domed windshields on all models. Fuel Injection available.
- Dodge ‘B’ engines appear; hemi engines are gone.
- Ford Motor Co. The Edsel Marque was introduced. 4-passenger Thunderbird; 332 and 352cid V8s.
- Mercury New 383 and 430cid V8s.
- Oldsmobile Extensive restyle, quad headlights.
- Plymouth New 350cid V8 (‘B’ series); fuel injection.
- Pontiac Extensive restyle, 370cid V8; quad headlights.
- GM Quad headlights become the norm, as does rear air suspension.
It was an ugly year for the auto industry, for sure. I strongly suspect that this was not the only U.S. industry that saw a down year in ’58. Little Rambler bucked the trend, seeing huge increases.
The Edsel Saga
There’s been a lot written about the failure of Edsel, a name that has become synonymous with market failure. Edsel came and went in the period of only two years. Ford had committed the fatal flaw of overcommitting and underdelivering. Many years later, Saturn did something of the same thing, although their rise and fall was more protracted and had many more factors involved. Ford’s advertising prior to the Edsel introduction had promised an entirely new type of car, painting a picture that the Edsel models couldn’t possibly live up to. They weren’t bad cars, despite the universally disliked front-end treatment. They were less than the public had been led to expect, and this “taint” was just not surmountable, especially given the recession.
A tremendous amount of effort went into selecting a name for this new series, that consisted of the Pacer, Citation and Corsair, for a total of nine different models. After much time and effort, a name couldn’t be agreed upon and Henry Ford II (grandson) chose the name of his now deceased father. The choice of names didn’t help the situation.
Some early photos of the Edsel front had a smaller ‘collar’ and were actually fairly attractive. Cooling proved to be problematic and thus the increase in size of this part, yielding the look we all know.
To their credit, Ford didn’t try to whip a dead horse, and pulled the plug when it became apparent the odds were very much against them.
Chevrolet
Chevrolet had styling similar to the Buicks (or vice versa) for ’58; they were lower, wider and longer. The cars were new from bumper to bumper. All featured attractive gull-wing rear fender designs. The 150 was renamed the Del Ray and the 210 became the Biscayne. The Bel Air was still the top of the line. All series used the new ‘Safety Girder’ chassis. An optional air suspension replaced the coil springs on all four wheels.
Nomad was still around but was a four-door wagon now. Impala, which we’ll hear much more about in future years, consisted of two-door hardtops and convertibles, and was a part of the Bel Air Series.
New Engine!
The 235cid six was still around, as well as three versions of the great little 283cid V8. It could be had as a 2bbl with 145hp, a 4bbl with 230hp and fuel injected with 250hp at 5000 rpm. The new for ’58 348cid engine was good for 250hp at 4400 rpm in its base form. Upgraded versions, with 3 x 2bbl carburetion, made 280hp at 4800 rpm and 315hp at 5600 rpm. The 315hp job had a compression ratio of 11.0:1 and solid lifters! One interesting thing is that you could move up to the Super Turbo-Thrust 348 V8, with 3 x 2bbl and 280hp for the grand sum of $70! To say that the 348 was desperately needed to make Chevy competitive with their competition was a huge understatement.
Optional air-ride and a new foot-operated parking brake are just two of the many fascinating features Chevy offered in 1958!
Approximate Chevrolet sales: 1,142,000; change: -24%; industry rank: 1st.
The new Chevy models rode on a new chassis with a wheelbase that was stretched from 115″ to 117.5″, and bodies were about 9″ longer. Average vehicle weights were up a couple of hundred pounds.
Look at the styling cues on the side of this beauty! A trim piece runs the length of the body, with simulated air intakes in front of the rear wheel opening. There’s additional ornamentation behind the rear wheel-well. The rear view shows the tail light placement, which is separated from the trunk/back by the fins. Cool look. Don’t miss the ornamentation above the rear window, either.
New Frame and Suspension
This advertisement details some of the Chevrolet advancements for 1958. The rear leaf springs were replaced with coil springs, thanks to the new four-link rear suspension. Also new was the parking brake, which was now foot-operated.
The Safety Girder frame probably is stiffer than the preceding frame, but not having the typical side frame members. This must have been dangerous in side collisions. I suspect the ‘safety’ element is largely a fictitious reference to safety provided by the new, more stable chassis. Chalk one up for the Chevy marketing guys.
This is the ’57 style parking brake mechanism. Obviously, there’s more to it than shows here. The new foot-operated brakes were a lot easier to engage, and possibly to disengage. This design was hard for the less husky drivers to use.
Stealth Operations or Urban Legend?
I very distinctly remember reading about the design of the 1959 Chevys in what I recall was a car magazine, sometime in the late ’80’s or early ’90’s, though I can’t find a reference to it on the web. I’m going to summarize it here, now that I’ve given the background.
The gist of the story is that a group of Chevy engineers/designers perceived that the 1958 designs were going to fare poorly in the light of the new 1957 Chrysler corporation products. This group worked ‘off the record’ and designed at least part of the stunning new ’59 models, thus saving Chevy from at least one additional year of being pummeled by their competition.
I used to accept this as fact, but not so much now. The fact remains that Chevrolet, Buick, Oldsmobile and Pontiac all had one-year-only body styles for 1958, something that is exceedingly inefficient and expensive. Also, the new 1957 Chrysler corp. models were light years ahead of their competition in styling, and this must have caused a lot of uncertainty in the execs at GM and Ford.
4-door models still dominated Chevy’s sales. I wouldn’t expect this to be much different than with any other company that targeted the same general auto segment.
‘Safety Girder’ Chassis
A writer in the December 2011 issue of Hemmings wrote about the ’61 Impala: “It shared the “X-frame” design chassis introduced by Chevrolet in 1958 but also used by other manufacturers. By modern crash-test standards, the X frame is a five-star nightmare.”
‘Safety’? I think not. Even in the late ‘50’s they must have known that this design had nothing to do with safety. They must have. More marketing department bullshit?
Is it just me, or does it seem a bit silly to be advertising a car this massive as ‘thrifty’? Remember, everyone, including Chevy, is promoting their cars as ‘massive’.
The reference to Corvette in adverts for other Chevy cars is smart and will continue for years.
Uhh, I think I’d have my windows up with the copter spraying, wouldn’t you?
Japan has been using remote controlled unmanned aerial vehicles to spray crops since the 1990’s, and they’ve been in California since about 2015.
Safety Glass
Note the comment about safety plate glass. Plate glass is just flat glass, with all car windows starting out that way. Safety glass has two layers of glass with a layer of polyvinyl butyral between the two layers. This actually dates back to the very early 20th Century! It was expensive, though, and tempered glass was often used in place of the safer product. Tempered glass is glass that undergoes a heating/cooling process to toughen its interior and surface. Tempered glass when broken will result in large granules, not jagged pieces.
Here’s another advertisement like the one a couple back. As I said, the tie-in to Corvette was smart.
Not exactly sure what’s going on here. She’s looking at herself reflected by the glass, and the uniformed guy is carrying her packages. So, who’s he? Hmmm.
And get the comment about safety plate glass all around. This is likely not totally accurate; tempered glass (‘plate’) might have been used in the side and rear windows, but the windshield would have certainly been laminated safety glass. It seems that the use here of the term ‘safety plate glass’ is technically improper.
The term ‘high-mettled’ is a term you don’t hear every day. Maybe I should have paid more attention in my second pass through sixth grade! Anyway, think ‘high-spirited’.
Corvette
Corvette styling for ’58 saw the addition of a second set of headlights! Added were hood louvers and short chrome pieces at the front of the side coves. Base power of the 283cid V8 was up 10hp, to 230hp. Also to be had were a 245hp 4bbl version, a 270hp dual 4bbl, a 250hp fuel injected engine and a 290hp mechanically fuel injected engine. Aluminum heads were introduced but later deleted as an option.
Even though this was a recession year, sales continued their upward trend, with increases of almost 50%.
Approximate sales: 9,170; change: +44.6%.
Ooo… This was one good looking car!
The multi-piece rear bumper was tweaked again this year, now including pieces that ran horizontally along the rear fenders, behind the rear wheels. I’m a bit undecided about the new chrome strips on the trunk deck, but I’m leaning toward thinking I’d prefer them not be there.
Here’s the ’57 Corvette rear, showing last year’s bumper. Or maybe I should say “bumpers”!
This is a cool advertisement for Corvette, isn’t it? At this point it its evolution I think it’s fair to say that the Corvette chassis had far more in common with a passenger car than a true sport car.
I’ve always liked this style of advertisement, with the image of the dash included, especially with a car like this. That dash is oh-so-cool!
Note that in both these adverts the person pictured is a lady! (Yeah, the one here is adjusting her lipstick.)
Here’s Corvette in Nassau, Bahamas. Bahamas had been a British Crown Colony since 1718, when piracy was more aggressively addressed. They won their independence in 1973.
Note the reference to Powerglide. I wonder how many of Corvette’s competitors had an automatic option?
Buick
Buick for ’58 picked up bulk, seemed wider and lower and lost the ventiports they had had for a decade. The new grilles were made of rows and columns of chrome squares. You kind of knew that grille treatment wasn’t going to be around long. Like the Chevy, Pontiac and Olds siblings, these models had quad headlights.
The sole engine was the carryover 364cid V8, making 250hp at 4400 rpm, with a 9.5:1 C/R in the Special. The Century, Super, Roadmaster and new Limited all got the 10.0:1 C/R version with 4bbl, good for 300hp at 4600 rpm. AirePoise suspension was optional. It replaced the coil springs on all four corners, with the air bags inflated by an engine-driven compressor and storage tank. A control under the dash allowed the raising of the car for changing a tire. This year Buick dealers were able to sell the German Opel through their dealerships.
The Limited was a luxury car, with an extra-long wheelbase and body. The Special claimed almost 60% of sales, with the Limited and Roadmaster combined accounting for less than 10%.
Approximate sales: 242,000; change: -40%; industry rank: 5th.
The downward curving accent line across the front fenders and down the door(s) was reminiscent of the feature on the previous body style.
The rear of Roadmaster certainly had a certain massive feel to it, didn’t it?
This is just a little bit weird. Or ingenious, I’m not sure. ‘B’ for Buick, and ’58’ for 1958. And this, ladies and gentlemen, gives us a tie-in with the U.S. Air Force B-58 ‘Hustler’, which is seen at the bottom.
B-58?
Remember, the late ’50’s was all about jets and rockets. The B-58 was not yet in service, but it had been in design for some years and had its first flight in late 1956.
B-58 Hustler
Convair’s B-58 was introduced in 1960 as the world’s first Mach 2 bomber. It was the successor to the Boeing B-47.
The B-58 was designed to carry a single atomic bomb, utilizing a bottom mounted pod that also carried fuel. It did not carry conventional bombs.
The aircraft utilized a 60-degree swept wing, which was required for the high-speed performance. As is typical with a highly swept delta wing, some of the handling characteristics were unfriendly, especially take offs and landings.
The crew of three consisted of pilot, co-pilot and navigator. Each of the four J79-GE-5A engines generated 15,000 pounds of thrust with afterburners.
The B-58 was something of a rock star with all of the media attention it received. Its viability was compromised when the U.S.S.R. developed high altitude anti-aircraft missiles. It only operated for a decade, being replaced by the F-111 Aardvark.
This is one of the coolest aircraft of all time. It’s also quite impressive to see in person. It’s kind of the poster child for area wing rule (pinched waist). The always-present pod underneath was for fuel and bombs.
With the Buick’s rear window visibility, you are less likely to hit little Henry as he stupidly runs behind the car. I guess mothers love the car for this reason, but not fathers? Do they just back up willy-nilly without even caring? The bastards!
Uh, I guess the Buick’s body is super silent, huh? Yeah, without engine, running gear or suspension, I guess it would be!
You might be tempted to think that the importing of European cars like this might have headed off the Japanese auto invasion, but you would be wrong. Quite a lot of different European models were captive imports over various years, but this didn’t seem to have been given enough of an effort to do much to stem the flow. Opel was owned by General Motors for decades, and some models were captive imports for Buick.
If you were to say to yourself “Hey, this thing looks a helluva lot like a small ’55 Chevy!”, you would be right. This car design was indeed heavily influenced by the 1955 Chevrolet design.
The Super series now consisted of just two hardtops.
Dyna What?
Keep in mind that Buick was still using the Dynaflow, which only had two forward gears with no shifting between gears. The torque converter acted like ‘variable fluid gearing’, and Buick was focusing on improving this concept during this period. This mostly involved adding additional stators, which are the variable-vane elements between the impeller and the turbine. It’s the stator that differentiates a torque converter from a fluid coupling.
From the 1958 Buick Showroom Album & Fabrics Book:
“1958 Buick Flight Pitch Dynaflow Transmission – with a new infinite-pitch stator that tailors performance to engine power, and a new third turbine to step up efficiency-is standard equipment on all Limited and Roadmaster models. It is also installed in Super, Century and Special models at extra-cost.”
Dynaflow
Behold the Dynaflow! This thing was at one and the same time a piece of brilliant engineering and the butt of many jokes.
Buick valued ride quality above all else; this included transmission shift quality. Remember that their rear coil spring suspension required a torque tube to encase the driveshaft and solidly locate the rearend. Any shifting harshness would be transmitted to the frame (and the passengers). This resulted in the Dynaflow, which didn’t shift gears in ordinary use. Instead, it relied on a sophisticated torque converter to provide variable fluid torque multiplication in lieu of changing physical gears.
Foward thinking? Certainly! Effective? Somewhat. Its legacy is that of a brilliant and landmark engineering experiment that was an evolutionary dead-end. It’s hard to say, but perhaps some of the Dynaflow DNA found its way into later GM transmissions.
Oldsmobile
Oldsmobile rolled into ’58 with its Dynamic 88, Super 88 and 98 models. As with its GM siblings, all models were entirely restyled. All three models had available hardtops, in both two- and four-door styles. Dynamic 88 accounted for half of the year’s sales. The new optional air suspension was dubbed ‘New-Matic’ for Olds. It was interesting to note that there was a dealer option to convert the air suspension back to regular suspension. Hmm.
The Dynamic’s V8 was the 371cid V8 with 10.0:1 C/R, 2bbl, and 265hp at 4400 rpm. The upper two models had the 4bbl version, good for 305hp at 4600 rpm. Of course, for those craving power, the J-2 3x2bbl option was the ticket, with 312hp.
Approximate sales: 294,000; change: -31%. Sales Place: 4th.
The roof styling, particularly the C pillars, seemed to be much more like the Buick than the Chevrolet.
OLDSmobility
OLDSmobility! What a great piece of marketing magic that was! I wonder what kind of Christmas bonus this guy got? I’ll bet it wasn’t a subscription to Jelly of the Month Club!
The Olds grille design this year is great looking, isn’t it?
The Big Record
The Big Record is an American television music variety series which aired 1957 to 1958 on CBS. Originally it was an hour-long show (approx. 50 minutes excluding ads) but later was a half-hour show (approx. 25 minutes excluding ads, as can be seen on available episodes). It was hosted by Patti Page, who sang songs and introduced the guest performers. Most of the music was of the pop genre, although other styles of music were also featured, including jazz, rock and roll, and (very occasionally) country. Professional dancers also sometimes appeared as guests. Wikipedia.org
Dynamic 88 is looking pretty elegant here, isn’t it?
Yup… If you want ‘Safety’ power steering, you have to get an Olds. Other makes had power steering, but was it ‘safety’ power steering? Nope!
Another OLDSmobility ad, mentioning the air suspension christened ‘New-Matic Ride’ (you didn’t think they were just going to call it ‘air suspension’, did you?).
Portable Radio?
The Trans-Portable radio might seem to be a yawner today, but it was pretty forward-thinking at the time. I have a Philco portable tube radio from this era, and it uses expensive batteries that it eats like a fat kid at a Colden Corral.
Transistor radios were not only smaller, but the batteries were small and inexpensive and lasted far, far longer. At this time in the late ’50’s, portable radios were still uncommon enough that the average person didn’t own one.
This is an ‘unscientific’ comparison between the battery for a portable tube radio (AM) and one for a transistor radio. The smaller 9V battery was for years referred to as a ‘transistor battery’ in common parlance, as that was the only thing that used these batteries. Note that the older battery provides both 9V and 90V, being designated ‘A’ and ‘B’, respectively. 9V was for tube heaters and 90V was supplied to tube plates. As you might imagine, the older battery was much more costly than the newer.
Here’s the radio itself. To be clear, the statements above regarding batteries are accurate as applied to portable tube radios and to the majority of transistor radios. The Olds Trans Portable used four Eveready 1015 1.5V ‘penlight’ cells.
Fashion-Flair interiors! Why, anything else is just an interior!
Must be the geek in me, I guess, but I have always liked ads like this with the engine featured.
Dig that speedometer picture at the upper right. Cool, huh?
Pontiac
Pontiac, of course, shared in the new ’58 styling. Their lineup started with the Chieftain, then the Super Chief, Star Chief and finally the Bonneville. Bonneville became a two-model series this year, consisting of two-door sport coupe and convertible.
The new styling featured honeycomb grilles and side spears that broadened into concave rear fender panels. The latter were particularly striking when accented with a second color. Pontiac featured a Star Chief trim level they dubbed ‘Super Deluxe’, in what can only be described as the brilliant use of marketing adjectives.
Engines
The two lower models got the 370cid engine, at 255hp or 285hp, both 2bbl, depending upon the transmission. The Star Chief and Bonneville received 4bbl versions, good for 255hp or 285hp. A Tri-Power option had 10.5:1 C/R, good for 310hp at 4800 rpm. Vehicle weight was up a couple of hundred pounds over the previous models.
Approximate sales: 210,000; change: -35%; industry rank: 6th.
It’s interesting to look at Olds and Pontiac side-by-side. The Pontiac rear quarter styling piece is similar to the front fender piece on the Olds. Certainly not identical, but they reflect a similar thought. The front styling of the two cars is remarkably similar.
Pontiac, more so than Chevy, Buick and Olds, didn’t embrace fins this year.
‘A Bold New Car for a Bold New Generation’.
This advert ties in to the technology of the day, namely rockets, missiles and jets.
In the background it the Ryan X-13, an early experimental VTOL (Vertical Take Off and Landing) aircraft. Can you imagine trying to land this thing on its tail? There is some footage on the web, and all I can say is that pilot must have one heck of a sphincter muscle!
Ryan X-13
Ryan Aeronautical developed this aircraft and flight tested it from late 1955 to late 1957. There were only two aircraft built, both in museums now. Given the success of the British Harrier, its later incarnation as the US Marine AV-8B, and of course, the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, it would be easy to write the X-13 off as ill-conceived. While that might be partly true, the program contributed significantly to the knowledge base that led to production VTOL/STOVL aircraft.
A little high-tech tie-in here.
Note the reference to ‘Tempest 395’. This is the torque value of the 285 horse 370, the highest output of the standard Pontiac engines. Buick, of course, is famous for designating their engines with torque numbers.
‘Circle of Steel’?
The Circle-of-Steel safety would have technically applied to all GM divisions that used this same body template, I guess. This ‘Circle-of-Steel’ thing is a bit ironic, given the Safety-Frame chassis and it’s appalling performance in a collision.
Pontiac made a big deal of their ‘Quadra-Poise’ suspension. This used modified upper and lower front control arms to limit dive while braking and replaced the rear leaf springs with coil springs and control arms.
‘Bonanza Buy for Middlin’ Budgets’. Hmm… I don’t see this as a winning marketing theme, do you?
This ad is chock full of interesting stuff! The ‘Aero-frame design’ was a nightmare for safety. Yeah, lets get rid of the chassis side rails! Who needs them? Then, we can call it ‘aero’, because, well, just because it’s a cool name! ‘Circles-of-Steel Safety’? Um, not so much. Gotta say, though, ‘Quadra-poise’ is a cool name for a suspension. The ‘Ever-level Air Ride’ wouldn’t be around long.
Another Captive European Import
Behold the Vauxhall Victor, made in England and imported by Pontiac. This was limited to 1958 – 1961 and was nowhere as successful as Buick’s Opel imports.
Chrysler
1958 saw Chrysler offer the public four different series. They were, in order, Windsor, Saratoga and New Yorker. The 300D was a subseries of the New Yorker line. The styling of these cars was not much changed from 1957. The fronts did change noticeably, with the quad headlights being raised relative to the grille. The look was not unpleasant, and was somewhat reminiscent of a face.
Both the Windsor and Saratoga series got the 354cid engine, the first with a 2bbl and the second with a 4bbl. Horsepower was 290 and 310 at 4600 rpm, respectively, both with a 10.0:1 CR. Interestingly, Windsor used a Dodge chassis.
392!
The New Yorker and 300D came equipped with the great 392cid hemi engine. The 4bbl engine made 345hp at 4600 rpm and the dual 4bbl made 380hp at 5200 rpm. The 300D got the 380hp engine. There was also available a fuel injected 392 that made 390hp at 5200 rpm.
Approximate sales: 63,000; change: -48%; industry rank: 11th.
These were big cars, with big engine compartments and big trunks. A Laotian family of five could live in this trunk!
The large trapezoidal grille would become wider and shorter in 1958, and perhaps a bit less distinctive.
Not much change in the rear styling from ’57, seen here.
Options!
You could get this baby with Auto-Pilot speed control, Sure-Grip differential, Constant-Control power steering, pushbutton controls and TorqueFlite transmission.
Hey, it says “This year…you can easily afford a Chrysler!” Why? Are they that much less expensive? Did I get a big-assed raise? What?
Yeah. Driving just wasn’t exciting until the Mighty Chrysler! The ‘engineered to endure’ was just a bit ironic, given the quality control problems that were rampant at the Chrysler companies in the late ’50’s.
Three of the different Windsor models that could be yours. Note the name of the wagon – ‘Town and Country’. Though not new here, the name would be around for a long, long time.
Rather subdued color choices, huh? I guess the rich folk who bought these kind of cars didn’t care much for the fancy, bright colors us regular folk went for!
Windsor Dartline was the lowest priced Chrysler for 1958 and was introduced midyear.
It’s worth mentioning that the 392cid V8, when installed in the 300D, had a fuel-injection option that was electronically controlled. Sometimes referred to as ‘the first use of a computer in a Chrysler product’, I have to respectfully disagree. This was not a digital system (not in 1958). There’s a picture of the guts of one on Allpar.com, and it looks a lot like a radio chassis. This system would best be described as an analog control system, not a computer.
Chrysler Corp. Fuel Injection
It seems that everyone knows about the fuel injected Chevrolets of the late ’50’s. The story of the fuel injected Plymouth, Chryslers, Dodges and DeSotos is less well known, probably for good reasons. The Chrysler 392, Dodge 361 and DeSoto 361 all offered this option, in addition to the Plymouth 350. A Bendix fuel injection system was employed, and cars receiving this option were built at 2 x 4bbl cars and then converted.
The system proved troublesome and unreliable, and the option was quickly pulled. Owners of the previously sold F.I. cars were offered a no cost conversion to 2 x 4bbl induction. Most owners accepted this offer. The surviving F.I. cars are a rare treat to see.
Dodge
The 1958 Dodge entries were the following series: Coronet, Royal and Custom Royal. We’re totally ignoring the station wagon series, of course. These vehicles were more or less tweaked ’57’s. The engine offerings this year made for a powerful lineup. The 230cid six was a carryover. One thing that was extremely noteworthy about this year was that the hemispherical head engines (and the poly heads) were no more to be found. All of the V8 engines had more common wedge heads from now on. At least ’til ’64! These were the B-series engines. Production was delayed this year due to a labor dispute.
The Engines
The 325cid Red Ram V8 made up to 265hp at 4600 rpm with 8.0:1 C/R and a 2bbl carb. The 350cid Ram-Fire V8, new last year, made 295hp at 4600 rpm, with a 10.0:1 C/R and 4bbl Carter. The D-500 V8 had 361cid V8, and with a C/R of 10.0:1 made 305hp at 4600 rpm, again with a Carter 4bbl. The Super D-500 added a second Carter 4bbl and was good for 320hp at 4600 RPM. The top-of-the-line 361 fuel-injected engine made 333hp at 4800 rpm. Of this impressive engine lineup, all had hydraulic lifters except the six-cylinder!
Approximate sales: 137,000; change: -52%; industry rank: 8th.
Here’s Coronet looking all gussied up for 1958, with its new front design that included quad headlights.
The Coronet rear wasn’t changed much this year, still featuring the funky quad protruding tail lights.
The ’57 at first glance may have seemed to have quad headlights, but it didn’t. Those smaller ‘headlights’ inboard of the outer headlights were parking lights or turn signals.
The ’58 front styling was nice, but I’m kinda finding myself favoring the ’57, with that incredible bumper (above).
The styling for the ’58 Dodges was predictably a lot like the Chryslers, but the rear-end treatment was unique. Kinda daring, and at least a bit reminiscent of jet or rocket nozzles. ‘Swept-Wing’ was certainly an apt description.
Note the lack of ‘regular people’ in advertisements like this one. Nobody in jeans and t-shirt just running to the store. Everyone is well dressed and (apparently) at least upper-middle class. One could argue that they were appealing to class envy, at least to a degree.
Well, I recognize the word ‘Dodge”! A French-Canadian advertisement, for sure, Hey! Is the English ‘slow’ still ‘slow’ in French? What gives?
Fuel Injection
Dodge’s efforts in this arena have to be recognized. They seemed to have set the bar high, going for a sophisticated system that wasn’t merely a ‘me too’ product.
Dodge Fuel Injection – Mistake?
Dodge fuel injection was provided by Bendix Aviation Corp. of Elmira, NY. This was a multiport injection system, with a transistorized controller. Heroic efforts were made to get this system to work as intended, ultimately falling short. As I understand it, there was not one simple problem, but a multitude of issues, some more significant than others. The largest issue was the injectors themselves, which could not be turned off as quickly as necessary, as well as them having the tendency to leak fuel into the cylinders.
It was probably a good thing that so few 361’s were sold with fuel injection, given that it seems that there were zero satisfied owners. The service department was also quite unhappy with the situation. The final solution was to replace all fuel injection setups with dual four-barrel carbs.
It’s worthwhile pointing out that this was an all-analog, non-digital system, unlike those used today. There were no O2 sensors, which had yet to be invented. The system therefore did not use feedback, instead running ‘open loop’, and relying on the control curves that were designed in. Great idea, just too big a reach at that time.
This was undoubtedly a cool and attractive fuel-injection badge.
Plymouth
Plymouth models for ’58 got an attractive new front treatment, with a horizontally lined grille that extended below the bumper. All models now had four headlights, oriented horizontally. The lineup was the same as last year, with Plaza, Savoy and Belvedere. The top-of-the-line Fury was a sub-model of the Belvedere. There was a new flavor of the 318cid V8, with a lower 9.0:1 C/R and a 2bbl carb, making 225hp at 4400 rpm. The top 318 was still the 290hp at 5200 4 bbl.
New 350
New this year was a 350cid wedge head engine, part of Chrysler’s B series engines. It was the smallest member of that family. Bore and stroke were 4.062″ x 3.375″, and it made 305hp at 5000 rpm with a 4bbl carb. A fuel injected version made 315hp.
Approximate sales: 443,000; change: -39%; 3rd.
That side accent really draws your attention to the fins, doesn’t it? Quite a look!
Minimal changes in the rear styling from the ’57, shown here. Note the minor change in the side accent.
Long before the name ‘Suburban’ became specific to a Chevrolet SUV, it referred to a station wagon, often a Plymouth station wagon. The term actually goes back at least a few decades earlier than this.
This advertisement is targeting the middle-class family and does this very well. There are five kids, assuming none are neighbors. Stuffing seven people in a ‘six passenger’ car was nothing at all unusual at this time. My family made a 500-mile journey in 1968 with ten people and a cat in a 9-passenger Chevy station wagon.
Predictably, Plymouth made grandiose claims for the torsion-bar suspension. This was just smart marketing. The degree of truth or accuracy in these statements is hard to determine.
Another of the advertisements featuring the ‘years ahead’ theme. Compared to the one-year-only GM designs for Chevy and B-O-P, this statement has some validity. I really, really like this color scheme, don’t you?
Ford
Ford did a bit of lineup reshuffling for ’58, with the Custom 300 replacing the Custom as the entry model. The rest of the lineup consisted of Fairlane, Fairlane 500 and the new 4-passenger Thunderbird. All models received a new, attractive, honeycombed front grille, reminiscent of the ’57 T Birds. The bumper dropped down below the grille and had a horizontal bar that split the grille. A drop-down piece went from the center of the bar, down to the main bumper, splitting the lower honeycomb area into two smaller pieces.
The 272cid V8, first seen in ’55, was gone. The 292cid V8 was back, with the same 9.1:1 C/R, but with a 2bbl Holley in place of last year’s 4bbl. Power only dropped 7hp, from 212hp to 205hp. Go figure. New was the 332cid V8. It’s bore and stroke were 4.00” x 3.30”, which was actually a 0.25 in. bore of the 292. There were two versions, both with a 9.5:1 C/R. The first used a Holley 2bbl and made 240hp at 4600 rpm; the second used a Holley 4bbl and made 265hp at 4600 rpm. The 332cid engine was known as the Interceptor V-8.
The Interceptor Special V-8 was a new 352cid V8, with a 4.00 x 3.50 in. bore/stroke and 10.2:1 C/R. With a 4bbl Holley it was good for an even 300 hp at 4600 rpm.
‘Bird Restyled
The Thunderbird was all new this year. The new, squared bodies were well over a foot longer and a third of a ton heavier than the ’57 two-door ‘birds. Four bucket seats graced the interior. The new front bumper was a massive oval with a honeycombed treatment within the oval. Other Ford models received a Thunderbird-like front treatment.
Many of us, looking back to this era, lament the loss of the wonderful 1955–1957 two-seat Thunderbirds. What’s not well known is that the buying public was clamoring for just this car. The fact that the Thunderbird and Rambler were the only two marques to increase sales this year, which was a mild recession year.
Approximate sales: 987,000; change: -41%; industry rank: 2nd.
The front view of Fairlane bears a strong resemblance to its stablemate Thunderbird, just like it did last year before the ’58 restyling. You can see here how Fairlane borrowed from Thunderbird for the grille and hood ‘scoop’.
Fairlane bore a styling that was undoubtedly influenced by Thunderbird, especially from the front.
Both the front and rear designs of the ’57 Fairlane and Thunderbird shared common styling elements, such as front fender mounted single headlights, and visibly separate bumper and grille.
Same comment as above for the ’57 Fairlane and Thunderbird rear styling. The twin tail lights on the ’57 became quad in ’58.
Ford-O-Matic and Cruise-O-Matic Transmissions
The Ford-O-Matic (I wonder how long it took them to come up with this name…) made its appearance in 1951. This was a two-speed transmission that had no electrical of vacuum connections to or from it. It was also air-cooled.
The Cruise-O-Matic arrived for the 1958 model year and was a three-speed unit. Much as Chevy had done with their Powerglide, Ford kept the two-speed trans around as a low-cost alternative to the three-speed, mostly on the lower cost models.
Sweet New Thunderbird
Totally redesigned, for sure! Note how the bumper and grille look almost like a separate unit that’s been fastened to the lower front of the car. The hood treatment and side sculpting is interesting, too. Also, look at the ‘brow line’ of the headlights, and how it runs along the front fender and then drops down to run across the door.
The new Thunderbird sold about 38,000 copies this year (in a recession!), compared to 21,000 in 1957. The market really liked the new look, as well as the four-seat capacity. The new T’Birds were 16 inches longer than the ‘57’s and about 700 lb. heavier. They were also some $300 – $400 more.
The rear of Thunderbird has a sort of ‘brow line’ like the front that runs into the fins. I think it can be said that there is a strong unity of design with this model. All four sides, as well as the top, reflect the same styling themes. Nice!
Wow! Thunderbird really changed from ’57. The bumper became massive and wrapped around the grille on the ’58 model, as well as the dual headlights becoming quad.
The ’57 rear styling was uncluttered and attractive. The ’58 would seem busier but was nevertheless a wonderful updating. The market certainly thought so.
This was a good advert. The references to the Thunderbird engine and the Cruise-O-Matic make this an effective ad. Also, note the Thunderbird parked up at the house.
Edsel is here to stay!
Although we’re not covering Edsel, we wanted to include this advert for Edsel’s first year. I like the ‘Dramatic Edsel Styling is here to stay…’. Nothing could be farther from the truth! Edsel w-a-a-a-y oversold itself, then arrived with a dumb, meaningless name that conjured up virtually nothing in the minds of potential buyers, and then a front-end styling that was unique, but ugly. Oh, and then make the introduction in a recession year. That wasn’t their fault, but the rest of it certainly was.
Note the highlighted words. FoMoCo was really confident, weren’t they?
The October 1957 issue of Science and Mechanics had a nice preview of the new Edsel. The article was largely moderately positive, with no specific criticism or ringing endorsements. The author mentioned the unusual speedometer (that goes to an ‘optimistic 120mph’), with an optional speedminder that glows red if you exceed a speed selected via a small control below the speedometer.
Also commented on were the optional electric seat controls mounted on the left side of the dash, and the left side dash-mounted secondary key switch for opening the trunk. One of the oddest options has to be the automatic chassis lubrication, which forced grease through plastic tubing to the various locations needing such lubrication.
The steering wheel center-mounted pushbuttons for the transmission gear selection were for the electrically operated shifting.
The author notes that the Edsel warning light system “…would do ample justice to a Martian spaceship”. The article closes with a comment on the placing of Edsel price range between Ford’s Fairlane 500 and the lower to mid-priced Mercury models. He then states, “In that range, it should sell well”. Uh, no, not so much.
Fords all Over the World
It looks like people are buying new Fords all around the world. They indeed were, but Ford of Europe was the maker of these cars, and they weren’t the Ford models we drove here in the States. (Do you remember the 1980’s ‘Merkur’ cars that Ford briefly offered here? These were built by Ford of Europe).
Look! Yet another ‘gold medal’ for Ford! Too bad this was a total advertising company fabrication and was totally and completely made up! Ford, Ford, Ford…
This is an example of smart marketing–tying ‘regular’ Ford models to Thunderbird. The familial resemblance here is far stronger than it was in previous years, isn’t it?
Mercury
Like her big sister, Mercury did some model shuffling this year and upgraded their engines. The new Medalist was placed as the entry level model, with the new Park Lane placed at the top of the lineup. It was intended to compete with the Buick Roadmaster. A new grille-in-bumper at the front was reasonably attractive. The Parklane was introduced as competition to the Buick Roadmaster.
The 312cid V8 was a carryover, but the new for 1957 368 was gone, replaced by the new 383. The top engine was the new 430cid V8, making 360hp.
Approximately sales: 133,000; change: -53%; industry rank: 9th.
This year the headlights were raised above the grille area and the bumper was lifted, with its openings becoming the grille. The parking lights/turn signals were moved to a more conventional location on the outsides of the grilles.
The fin and tail light treatment of the ’58 Mercs was nice. So was the coordination in the looks of the fronts and the backs. The effect worked better in front, though. This particular car has lake pipes.
The ’57 front styling was nicely updated while keeping the same overall look. Gotta say, though, the look of the parking/signal lights on top of the headlights is not a design element that I like.
As this rear view of the ’57 shows, the Montclair rear styling didn’t change much.
A nice but unremarkable advertisement. I’m not sure how long they used the ‘Sports car spirit with limousine ride’ thing. It’s kinda weird they chose to use the rear fender ornamentation/taillight piece the way they did.
Look! You can hand stuff through the rear window! What convenience! The windshield is kinda cool, though, isn’t it?
Car on Ice
Looks to me like these people parked their 4,000 lb. car on the ice, doesn’t it? I wonder how thick the ice needs to be to do that safely. I know that every year in the ice fishing areas of the US, some small number of guys lose their trucks when they break through the ice. (Why is it always guys?) The chart I looked at seemed to indicate that 8″ to 10″ of ice should be safe for this car.
The elegance of a new Park Lane. The posing of the car is wonderful. That’s a terrific view from that angle. I wonder if the old dude ‘salutes’ everyone or is just fishing for a nice tip? I mean, can you really blame him? (Yeah, he’s tipping his hat, I know. ‘Salute’ just has such a nice ring to it.) He should be home watching 77 Sunset Strip or something like that anyway.
1958 V8 Engine Specs
A couple of the values here might bear some explanation. The average horsepower value dropped 30% relative to 1957, while the displacement increased by over 25%. This was mainly due to a proliferation of V8 engines that were intended to be daily drivers, rather than performance engines. Yes, the performance engines were still very much around, but now they had lower performance brethren.
1958 Newspaper Ads
The mule image shown here is a tie in with the Francis the talking mule movie series. Kinda creative.
Uh, “Free 1 years’ service”? Isn’t that called a ‘warranty’? I wonder if they would throw in a spare tire at no cost?
HArrison?
The ad above has the dealer’s phone number circled in red: HArrison 9-1580. What gives? The vintage phine dial below shows that ‘HA’ is actually ’42’, so the number is 429-1580. It also could have been HB, HC, GA, GB, GC, IA, IB, or IC! The first digit must be G, H or I. Okay, but HArrison? Simple! For most people a word is easier to remember than a letter combination, and the words chosen were usually ‘place-type names’.
The ‘HA’ word could have been harlot, harried, or halfwit. These, friends, aren’t as friendly as harrison. The ‘HA’ in harrison doesn’t have to be capitalized, as it’s understood that just the first two letters apply. If someone asked you the number, you’d say “harrison nine one five eight zero”. In some small areas where there was a lone prefix (like 345) you’d just say your number like “3909”, with the “345” understood.
Honestly, I have no idea what ‘American Parts Interchangeable’ means. I could make an educated (?) guess, but I could not give you an intelligent answer.
Okay, I’m confused. $48.50 for 36 months is $1,746, which is short of the $2,065 factory price for the lowest price Custom 300 six-cylinder. I doubt the $1,746 is the out-the-door price. The reference to $1,895 plus $495 is $2,390. What does this buy you? A $2,065 car? Maybe back in 1958 this made more sense. “Let’s feature a babe in a bathing suit for our February advertisement!” Give the boys a little something-something to look at!
