Laurence Jones 1960's, Buick, General Motors

(Found In) Visitacion Valley (San Francisco): 1965 Buick Riviera

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The Buick Riviera was already sort of a legend as it rolled off assembly lines for the 3rd season of production. The crisp, clean lines that married Bill Mitchell’s vision of Ferrari meets Rolls Royce had seduced a diverse cross section of discriminating buyers. Where direct rival, the Ford Thunderbird, promoted a more inviting, welcoming and decadent private world; the Riviera promoted hushed exclusivity that doubled up on the Buick brand cachet.

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Laurence Jones 1960's, Chrysler

(Found In) Golden Gate (Oakland, California): 1962 Chrysler 300 Sport 2 Door Hardtop Coupe

12087436_10153074251357201_328820744_nChrysler, in actuality, was quite early to the “Super Coupe” game that really took off at the turn of the 1960’s. As a harbinger of obsession that would become the Personal Coupe market as the 1960’s became the 1970’s, Chrysler launched a very, very special “300” series in 1955 in anticipation of hyper personalized transportation for discriminating buyers.

By 1962, however, Chrysler was ready to cash in on the most exclusive in-house name they possessed by bringing it closer to popular price points for shoppers. Here lies the tale of the 300 Sport, inspired internally and externally to follow market trends by making something special out of extra trim. While this had a potency wilting influence over the true letter series cars, it proved an easily exploitative avenue to bring extra revenue to the premium brand.

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Laurence Jones 1950s, Chevrolet, General Motors

(Found In) Fernside (Alameda, California): 1953 Chevrolet Bel – Air 4 Door Sedan

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The Summer roadtrip season is over. You shouldn’t feel the need to pack it in completely, however. By the blessing of Dinah Shore, this cherubic sweetheart still promises to show you from sea to shining sea nearly 63 years after it was built. When most start thinking retirement plans, the sweetest Chevy for ’53 still stands as an unassuming companion to get the job done, near or far.

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Laurence Jones 1960s, Station Wagon, Studebaker

(Found In) Alberta Arts District (Portland): 1963 Studebaker Wagonaire Station Wagon

10406728_10152113960137201_2508588378875276034_nSome of the best ideas come out of the most desperate and dark hours. In the early 60’s with a non-existent budget, Studebaker threw everything they possibly could in every niche direction. Had those innovate ideas on wheels went anywhere there was a host of concepts of where to go if they got enough money in the bank.

Alongside the Personal Lux Pioneer Phoenix Grand Turismo Hawk and the Thunderbird/Corvette love child that was the Avanti, Studebaker decided to innovate the way wagons earned their keep on the trusty old Lark platform. All it took was a hole in the roof.

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Laurence Jones 1960s, Chevrolet, General Motors

(Found In) Outer Sunset (San Francisco): 1964 Chevrolet Corvair Monza Club Coupe

11868665_10152985819052201_954650463_nThe Corvair didn’t know soon it would be dethroned from the top of the Sporty Compact pile as the last of the original series went on sale in the fall of 1963. And why should it have know? There were still improvements and refinements that made the 1964 the finest of the original series.

Given the studly update that was just around the corner, the original hot geek that could hold his own Corvair had nothing to worry about. Soon enough, it would once and for all ditch Clark Kent pretenses and go full Superman.
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Laurence Jones 1960s, Outside in Oakland, Plymouth

(Found In) Bushrod (Oakland, California): 1960 Plymouth Fury Four Door Hardtop Sedan

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Sometimes you get so far ahead of the curve that you’re blind to your own turns. This is precisely the predicament that Highland Park found themselves in with their Forward Look cars at the turn of the decade.

Plymouth in particular had screamed from every stage that Suddenly, It’s 1960! in the fall of 1956. So what were they to do when it actually made it to 1960? Apparently the solution was to offer a brand new Uni-Body shell and soon to be legendary 6 cylinder powerplant in an updated wrapper of what warped the automotive Space-Time continuum 3 seasons earlier.

Bedazzled and befinned, we have the 1960 Plymouth looking to the recent past as it plugged from the Space Age to the Camelot years.

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Laurence Jones 1960s, Ford Motor Division, Station Wagon

(Found In) Bayview (San Francisco): 1967 Ford Country Sedan Station Wagon

11846368_10152984186537201_439502704_nFord Motor Company was not the leader in complete volume sales that General Motors was during the 1960s. They were the “Wagon Masters” however. When people wanted to haul more than just their kids; perhaps gear, perhaps a boat or trailer, they sought Dearborn designed delights more often than not.

In the afterglow of the heyday of Ford Station Wagon dominance some 50 years later, folks forget that not all that came down the line were Di-Noc wood paneled Country Squires for upper middle class WASP families in tree lined suburbs.

Indeed, there were slightly more thrifty modes of moving the family around in the Ford Showroom throughout the Sixties, and this beautiful Country Sedan is a Radio Flyer Red perfect example that you didn’t have to blow the budget to get the family to Yellowstone.

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Laurence Jones 1960s, Ford, Ford Motor Division, Thunderbird

(Found In) Alberta Arts District (Portland): 1962 Ford Thunderbird Landau Two Door Hardtop

11830178_10152970839432201_804884135_nThe truth of the matter is, even if the Ford Thunderbird wasn’t the absolute best choice in its field, it definitely found itself being a trend setter. Although I don’t consider it the first and foremost Personal Luxury Coupe it did carry the sales torch in that genre for more than a decade.

Glittering gadgets, glamour and unique styling were one way that the Thunderbird stayed ahead of the rest of the personal nests from the best of the manufacturing world. In 1962, Ford tested two distinct oceans of taste. One of those was an homage to the baby bird stages of the Thunderbird’s life, and another that would see it through many years of middle aged bloat before it became a fit senior citizen.

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Laurence Jones 1960s, Ford Motor Division, Lincoln

(Found In) Bayview (San Francisco): 1966 Lincoln Continental Convertible

11853886_10152968638602201_1167306201_nDuring these dog days of Summer before life files into the rigor of Fall activities and education, one might daydream about one final cruise under the warm Summer sun.

The more elegant the beast we bask in the better, right? Nothing says luxuriant sunbathing like a Camelot Continental. Ironically we meet up with the penultimate version of this breed of fun machine under foggy San Francisco Summer skies.

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Laurence Jones 1960s, General Motors, Pontiac

(Found In) Portola District (San Francisco) – 1962 Pontiac Grand Prix 2 Door Hardtop Coupe

11301581_10152876411207201_154592208_nThe personal coupe/personal luxury market took many a year to mature into the market definition it would become in the early 1970’s. As strides were made by individual brands in the early 1960s, there was a question of which tactics would be the most successful.

The key elements to this style of automobile were the perfect ratio of luxury, performance, style and accessible price. The 1953 Studebaker Coupes pointed in the initial direction, as did the 1958 Thunderbird. The initial response from all other brands ran a full gamut of responses. Pontiac had a special way of dealing with the dilemma as well.
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