JULY 15 STAR OF THE WEEK: THREE CONVERTIBLES DEFINE BEATLES ERA STYLE

JULY 15 STAR OF THE WEEK: THREE CONVERTIBLES DEFINE BEATLES ERA STYLE

The "swinging sixties" peaked in the 65-67 era when hippies, free love and psychedelic became household words. This was an era when a band called The Beatles literally defined a generation.

Detroit also defined itself during that tumultuous period and most people remember that period as the birth of the 1960s muscle car with names like GTO, SS396, GTA and GTX.

The full sized family car from Detroit was a different matter and these three convertibles nailed the vertical headlight look that permeated Ford from 1965 to 1967 and Plymouth from 1965 to 1968.

Despite the competition between the automakers they also knew how to make last year's models look extremely last year so the leap from 64 to 65 was underscored by shift in headlight position at Ford and Plymouth.

These 1965 Plymouth, 66 and 67 Ford Galaxie convertibles are a collective Star of the Week because they take us back to an era with The Beatles on the car radio and vertical headlights on the cars.

JULY 14 STAR OF THE DAY: 1959 OLDSMOBILE NINETY EIGHT CONVERTIBLE—TONY BENNETT STYLE AND CLASS

There are cars that are like Tony Bennett...timeless and classic. This 1959 Oldsmobile Ninety Eight is the automotive equivalent of the legendary Mr. Bennett because it was cool 53 years ago and it's just as cool now.

The kind of guy who drove a car like this in 1959 was probably a higher-end Madison Avenue executive who embraced the elegance of a Ninety Eight (this car was above a mere numeral) but wanted to show that he was more his own man.

Hence, he opted for the convertible version of this luxury barge over the more traditional 4-door. This bright red Ninety Eight said "I'm part of the same game, I like the class of a high-end Olds but I need to stand out a little more than the average guy on Madison Avenue".

He'd stand out in 2012.

Drive this Star of the Day (courtesy of the Reynolds Museum in Wetaskiwan Alberta Canada) up to the most exclusive country club in North America and this classy Ninety Eight would still outclass any car in the parking lot.

JULY 13 STAR OF THE DAY: 1954 FORD F-100 PANEL—THE EVOLUTION OF THE CLASSIC AND THE COOL

Ford really hit a home run in 1953 with the new look Ford truck. They refined it for the next 3 years until they had the classic 1956 Ford but the basic lines of the truck remained the same.

Gear heads liked the 56 because Ford had smoothed out the trim but the form stayed pretty much the same for 4 model years.

This 1954 F-100 panel was at a rainy car show about 6 weeks ago and the blindingly yellow truck added a ray of sunshine to a bleak day. This Star of the Day was in Year 2 of the coolest era in the history of the Ford truck...with all due respect to the early to late 30s era.

Your Star of the Day...the evolution of the classic and the cool.

JULY 12 STAR OF THE DAY: 1969 EL CAMINO SS 396 – HOW A 'FOR SALE' SIGN OPENS DOORS

One of the speed bumps in car spotting is the nasty issue of trespassing. If you have any respect for property there are many reasons why you simply don't wander up somebody's driveway and look at his classic car or truck.

One is pretty basic...it could be Mike Tyson's driveway. Beyond that, it's just common sense to not trespass on somebody's property.

A 'For Sale' sign changes the game because that is an open invitation to take a close look at some old iron. This 69 El Camino was a good example.

I saw this car yesterday and the owner was pretty good about it when I told him it was for a photo op today so this very cool Chevy is the Star of the Day.

JULY 11 STAR OF THE DAY: DUSTER VS DART—WHEN IT'S OKAY TO RUN FROM THE POLICE

This is a scene that could only happen on a race track...a Dodge Dart pulling away from a police Plymouth Duster.

On the street this scenario wouldn't have a happily ever after conclusion unless you call handcuffs and a night in jail a Walt Disney ending.

"Mopar or no car" guys love this kind of competition because it's like a scene out of Vanishing Point without the catastrophic "Hemi Challenger meets Cat" fiery ending.

This was at a track last June and the toughest part was identifying the Star of the Day so it came down to two words.

Friendly competition...

JULY 10 STAR OF THE DAY: LIFE AFTER THE FARM CAN BE A LOT FASTER FOR OLD TRUCKS

There is no debate about old trucks because they ooze cool and gearheads recognize that trait.

Some are restored back to factory specs and if recent auction results are any indication the buying public will cut a significant check for a restored truck.

Others are taken to another level that wasn't even a passing thought to the manufacturers because trucks were slow, dependable working machines.

They showed up on farms and construction sites, not 5th Avenue in New York City.

Now they're turned into custom-built street machines that will wallop a Porsche from zero to 120 miles per hour.

This Star of the Day was at a show last year and it really defined where these trucks came from because that's a hay field behind it but you can be assured that this old workhorse hauled its last bale a long time ago.

JULY 9 STAR OF THE DAY: 1950 PACKARD STATION SEDAN – RARE "WOODIE" WAGON

Packard was definitely on the back 9 as an automaker by 1950 but that didn't mean that they waved a white flag.

This 1950 Station Sedan, or "Woodie Wagon" was Packard's answer to the higher-end wagons from Ford, GM and Chrysler.

It was at an auction earlier this year.

These cars were aimed at the gentrified country folk who need the room for extra passengers or golf clubs on the way to the country estate.

Packard's Station Sedan wasn't technically a "Woodie" because it had a steel frame but the difference was they built it on a budget. Eventually all Woodies were built the same way – steel body construction with decorative wood.

They didn't sell these cars in numbers that would threaten those of the entry-level Chevy sedans but Packard did leave a very cool, legacy car behind for the ages.

An mscc Star of the Day legacy car.

For past Stars of the Day please click here- http://www.mystarcollectorcar.com/2-features/star-car-tunes/1579-star-of-the-day.html

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