Parking Lot Photo Shoot: 1932 Ford V8 Roadster and 1937 Ford V8 Coupe

Parking Lot Photo Shoot: 1961 Lincoln Continental

Dealership Photo Shoot: 1970 Dodge Challenger R/T Convertible

Photographed at the former Kassabian Motors in Dublin, California.

College Cars: 1959 Cadillac Eldorado Biarritz

This is College Cars, a recurring feature on the vehicles of the Academy of Art University car collection. Today we look at this Cortez Silver 1959 Cadillac Eldorado Biarritz.

The Eldorado was Cadillac's halo car in 1959. This was about as opulent and ostentatious as you were going to find in the late 1950s - and the Caddy's iconic tailfins were as high as anyone ever got. Power to move the 5000-lb car came from a 390 cubic inch V8 making 345 horsepower. Only 1,320 of these striking '59 Eldorado convertibles were built.

Classic Ads: 1962 Buick LeSabre

In today's world, a flat interior floor is a rare and desirable thing. It makes it easier to move around in the cabin and gives the middle passenger(s) more legroom. Usually it's a sign that the vehicle has front-wheel-drive or is high enough that the drivetrain could be packaged below the floor without the need of a tall transmission and driveline hump. The 1962 Buick full-size line trumpeted this feature, apparently achieved by moving the engine further forward. The other feature advertised that year was the so-called 'Advance Thrust' of the Wildcat V8 engine. Advance Thrust sounds like a condom brand or something, but it was supposed to convey the immense power of the engine that could flatten hills - or at least climb them quickly.

This ad appeared in the October 27, 1961 issue of Life magazine.

Dealership Photo Shoot: 1979 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am

Photographed at the former Kassabian Motors in Dublin, CA.

Classic Ads: 1966 Lincoln Continental Coupe

I get a very East Coast vibe in this 1966 ad for the Lincoln Continental coupe. The lighthouse, people shooting clay pigeons, it all shouts Martha's Vineyard to me. And that's fine, because rich people live there and those are the sort of buyers who would drive a big Continental luxury coupe in 1966. When was the last time you saw a man with a gun in a luxury car ad?
The '66 Continental's biggest update was of course the handsome new coupe body, but it received a refresh front and rear and a new engine displacing 462 cubic inches. An 'automatic temperature control system' (air conditioning?) and stereo tape (8-track?) AM/FM radio were now available.
Now that I look at it, the Continental coupe has a passing resemblance in profile to a Ford Galaxie. This would be remedied in 1968 when the car got a more formal roof with smaller quarter windows. In my opinion, this early coupe style is far more attractive.

This ad appeared in the March 4, 1966 issue of Life magazine.

Classic Ads: 1961 Oldsmobile F-85

I must confess I have a bit of a soft spot for the 1961 Olds F-85. It was the baby Oldsmobile, but it was named like a jet fighter plane and bore a close family resemblance to the larger Dynamic 88. Perhaps my favorite part about it though, is that where the 88 has the 394 cubic-inch "Rocket" V8, the F-85 could be had with a little 215 cubic-inch aluminum V8 dubbed the "Rockette". That's just cute. And the little car puts on such a serious face as it goes about its business, riding on its perimeter frame with "Twin-Triangle Stability" on the rear axle.
When's the last time you saw a '61 F-85 wagon? Probably not that many of them around these days. The F-85 would later become the Cutlass, which went on to be America's best selling car a number of times in the following decade.

This ad appeared in the February 3, 1961 issue of Life magazine.

Dealership Shoot: 1965 Pontiac "GTO" Convertible

I understand that due to missing fender badges and the low price, this may not be a real GTO but rather a Tempest or Le Mans that was restored as a GTO replica.

Photos taken at Beach Auto Sales, Santa Cruz, CA.