Imperial - 1956 |
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Hard times during the Great Depression
of the 1930s ended many well established makes. Not
just the great classics like Duesenberg, Pierce Arrow
and Auburn but less expensive cars became redundant
in the face of more popular makes -- Whippet, LaSalle
and Hubmobile. The oil crisis of the 1970s, unions and
government regulations eliminated most of the British
makes. Most recently we have seen Plymouth, Oldsmobile
and Pontiac disappear. And now Mercury!
Right after World War II, several makes struggled to
say alive. Packard joined Studebaker only for both to
perish. Hudson joined Nash and then became AMC. Kaiser-Fraser
was created only to disappear. The same with Edsel.
Even Chrysler Corporation dropped Desoto and Imperial.
These cars are all recent enough that many of the older
literature collectors and car collectors have not forgotten
them, but they do not show up at auctions as often as
they used to, and the younger collectors marvel at them
as unknown treasures. Let's not forget them.
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