Is It a Rocket?

 General Motors wanted to give us a glimpse of the future with the 1959 Cadillac Cyclone. It is 197'' long and stands 44'' tall on a 104'' chassis. It's all steel car powered by a 325HP (horse power) engine fitted with a low-profile carburetor, a cross-flow aluminum radiator and two fans. This Cyclone was first shown on February 21,1959, at Daytona Beach Race Track in Florida. This Cadillac had various malfunctions because it was never finished, due to the retirement of Harley Earl, but it did have many futuristic qualities.
An aircraft-inspired design explored futuristic technology. An early version of a crash avoidance system was it's sensing technology, which provided the driver with information on the object ahead. It included the distance to the object and stopping distance, both measured in feet. The console also had a sensor that could detect rain,which automatically put up the one-piece bubble top. The Cyclone came equipped with automatic climate control and featured a front-mounted engine with rear mounted transmission and transaxle. There was a two-speed rear axle to allow a choice of six speeds through the standard three-speed Hydra-Matic. The brakes were power-assisted through the reserve tank of the air-suspension unit, and  the muffler and exhaust outlets were placed ahead of the front wheel openings.In addition, the car system was available to the outside world through speakers located behind grilles in the front fenders, for use when canopy raised. Although there were so many things, it was necessary for the car to be remodeled because it was never finished.
This automobile was remodeled a couple of times. The first was in February, after its initial public showing. Then, the second was in 1960. They changed the color from its original pearlescent white to a silver. The fins were lowered so that they would coincide with the front fenders. They also added dished wheels. They must of made it work. This vehicle looked like an air-craft on wheels, which wasn't finished until they remodeled it. The Cyclone was not very popular ,but this car is still owned by GM and is shown regularly at grand auto shows.

Honey, Can You Fix the Antenna?

            When you think of television, you might think of all those ‘reality’ shows with pregnant teenagers or guys trying to get laid. But many, in the 1950s, looked forward to the news, westerns, and comedy shows. Television had become the dominant mass media as more people brought into their homes the future; by 1949, one million sets were sold. It received shows via antenna, and broadcasting was black and white. In 1954, the black and white became color broadcasts, but color was too expensive. Some of the earlier TV shows were radio and vaudeville moving to a new medium. They were what we now call sitcoms, variety shows, soap operas, and the good old westerns. The population had started relying on TV news sources for information, which caused a great effect on printed news media and entertainment media.

           People began to believe what was heard and seen on television because they were closer to events than never before. News broadcasting had improved even more with videotaped pictures of events occurring anywhere in the world; soon after, to more live broadcasts of events happening at the moment it was occurring, which was made possible in 1951 with the development of coaxial cable and microwave relays coast to coast. The early days of TV were actually only during evenings and afternoons.

           Variety shows were like “Disneyland” and the “Ed Sullivan Show” on Sunday evenings. Daytime programs were the soap operas like “Guiding Light”, which helped advertisers sell their products to homemakers. Amongst the first television shows included about 120 westerns. The cowboys set the standards of right and wrong and taught about heroes. Many of you may think about the show “Gunsmoke”. It was one of the best of the westerns. It started off in the radio and then moved to TV in 1955. The show ran all the way through to 1975 with 630 episodes, 400 of them an hour in length. Another successful show, a comedy sitcom, was “I love Lucy”. “I Love Lucy” is what some call a timeless TV classic. It premiered on October 15, 1951 until June 24, 1957 with a total of 180 episodes. Today, television still serves the same purpose, just more advanced and related to our recent lifestyles.   

It's Time For A Makeover

                            

        Although it isn't the fastest or greatest car ever made, the 1958 Chevrolet Impala is my dream car. Work on this automobile began in mid 1955,at a time when the potential sales of the 1955 automobiles was not so apparent. Clare Mackichan's design team and designers from Pontiac started to establish the basic packaging and dimensions for shared General Motors A body in June; in October, Harley Earl (GM styling vice president) had caught his eye on the first styling sketch that directly influenced the finished Chevrolet product. This car could not have come at a more opportune time.

        Chevy had scheduled a complete makeover of its cars in 1958.  Usually, the 50s designs were all about being lower, longer, and wider; the 1958 Chevrolet Impala was a rounded and congenial design with plenty of visual excitement. It contained the triple taillight clusters, dual headlamps, etc. It was, of course, offered as a  hardtop or convertible like the Bel Air. It was a complete transformation.

        Underneath new body was new chassis, suspension, and the engine. the standard perimeter-type frame was replaced by a unit with rails laid out in the form of an elongated "X." Chevrolet claimed the new frame would afford increased torsional rigidity and allowed fro a lower, yet still roomy passenger compartment. The rear suspension was redesigned with coil springs instead of leaf springs. Engineers wanted an engine a little larger for the bigger 1958s. It was also a V-8 but displaced 348 cubic inches. Labeled the "W" engine, the compact 348 had wedge type combustion chambers and was initially offered in two states of tune: the basic unit with a single four-barrel carburetor developed 250 bhp (brake horsepower), while the variant with three two-barrel carbs was rated at 280 bhp. All in all, this car was just made to keep up with competition, even though the name is still very popular.