Interesting proposition Hugh, but Elwood Engel did not design the '58 Lincoln.
That was done by John Nadjar.
I guess that silliness is in the eye of the beholder. I think it is fine to
enjoy them in a silly way if that turns you on. For me it is serious. The money
that I spend on them is hard to come by and the work that it takes to keep them
running is certainly nothing to laugh about. When I am on the road a lot of
people smile. When I have to opportunity to talk with them, they usually don't
say that the car is funny looking. Although there are some very odd styling
cues such as the Flight sweep deck lid, gun sight tail lights, free standing
headlights (not sure what they called those), and the New Horizon Super Scenic
Windshield.
I guess by today's standards one could say that our cars are "silly", but in
their day they stood for luxury and prestige.
Paul
In a message dated 1/24/2004 2:28:44 PM Eastern Standard Time,
hugtrees@xxxxxxxx writes:
>
>
> What is so cool about Imperials is that they are so illogical. Maybe when
> they were on sale as new vehicles they were something else but now, well,
> they are just silly. But in a glorious way. Silly like golf, or stamp
> collecting. Pointless activities except for the pleasure and amusement they
> provide. I think I latched onto my 1958 because of its almost surreal
> absurdity. I was on e-bay today and someone is selling some very nice
> factory photographs from 1958. I was struck by how bizarre the car really
> is. Old fashioned versions of modern. I like that.
>
> Imperials are a reflection of the times they were made. Thank goodness we
> don't have to suffer the indignity of Imperial pick ups, the type of vehicle
> that is "saving" Cadillac. Imperials were designed to be aspirational,
> prestige, cars. Not everyone was supposed to have one, only a special few.
> And, to this day, that is how things are. Getting a Dodge Charger is no
> doubt a thrill for those who delight in them, and they certainly feel
> superior to owners of Mustangs. I think having an Imperial is better than
> having a Lincoln or Cadillac, from the same era, but that's easy for me to
> say as the 1958 Cadillac and Lincoln are brutally unappealing, made more
> humorous in the case of Lincoln in that it was designed by none other than
> Elwood Engel.
>
> There is something to be said for the fact that only a tiny minority will
> ever know what it's like to drive such a vehicle. Driving the 58 was what
> really hooked me into "investing" so much time, energy and money into the
> car, though the outlandish style was what drew me in the first place. I
> have grown to like the fact that almost no one knows what it is, even so
> called Mopar people. As Imperialists, we are a very exclusive group.
>
> I gave up being defensive about the cars a long time ago. Tens of millions
> of people will watch a football game tomorrow. Millions of dollars will be
> earned by a few players and coaches. Nothing will change in the world
> because of who wins. There may be joy in big numbers, about being a part of
> a national crowd. But there is also joy to be had in being part of a much
> smaller group, who take their pastime just as seriously, even if,
> ultimately, it's just as silly.
>
> Hugh
>
>
>
>
>
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