May 20, 2009 THE VILLADOM TIMES I • Page 15 Franklin Lakes Car Show & Flea Market The ’59 Chevy: Celebrating 50 years of a favorite car This year marks the 50th anniversary of the dramatically changed styling of the Chevrolet passenger cars. In honor of this new model, The Bow-Tie Bulletin ran the following story which appeared in Stovebolt Vibrations, the newsletter of the Southwest Gulf Region in Florida in 2007. The story of the ’59 Chevy starts in 1957. Harley Earl, who was in charge of styling for General Motors, got pretty shaken up after viewing the new crop of Chrysler products that were being released. They were fresh, long, and striking. And they had fins -- fantastic fins of monumental proportions. Upon seeing these cars, it is said that Harley Earl had all the existing ’59 GM designs scrapped in preparation ibility improved, but with a price, the cars tended to get quite hot inside, because of the glass that went far into the roofline. Spearhead trim was used on the vehicle’s sides in varying width, depending on the model. Impalas, naturally, got the widest, shiniest stainless steel trim, while the Biscayne got the skinny anodized spears. Impalas also received a dummy exhaust port above the rear window, one of the few styling queues carried over from 1958. An addition to the vehicle lineup in 1959 was the El Camino, a stylized light-duty pickup based on the station wagon. Introduced to compete with the Ford Ranchero, over 25,000 El Caminos were built during the model year. Production numbers for the 1959 were impressive and around 1.4 million cars. This was about 200,000 more cars than 1958. �������� ��������� ����������� ������������ ����������������������� ���������� ���������������������������������� ����������������������������� ��������������� ����� ���������������� ������������� ������������������������ � �������������� � ��������������������� � ������������ � ������� � ������ � �������������������� Photos show some of the distinctive features of the 1959 Chevrolet. for all new cars. GM wanted some “Chrysler Killers,” and they were also reeling from the fact that Fords were selling near or above their own production figures. The ’57 GM line, with the exception of the Chevy, had not been well received by consumers. It was too late to change the ’58 line, but, the time was right to go in and shake things up for the next year. With a few improvements to the ’58 systems, designers used the same drive trains and frames, but changed the sheet metal completely. The ’50 Chevy was the last car that Harley Earl designed from GM before retiring, and his flamboyant style was very evident. The rear fins, rather than sticking straight up, were placed nearly parallel with the road and dropped into a “V” in the center. The taillights were redesigned as a sideways teardrop to flow with the drop of the fins. A complete departure from the individual lights of the year prior, the design would return to individual lights for 1960 and continue on for many years. The headlights were moved to the grill rather than above it, a style queue that was common for the model year that slimmed the look of the front end. The window area of the car was increased greatly. Vis- �������� ����������� ������������� ������������ ��������� ����������������������������� ������������������������������������ ������� ������������������������������� ���������� ����������� ����������� ���������� ����������� SPEND YOUR TRAINING $$$ WISELY! ������������� ��������������������������������� ������������������� ������������������������������������� �������������������������� ������������ • EDUCATED - MA in exercise science • CERTIFIED - ACSM, NASM, Post Rehab Specialist, MAT Specialist �������������������������� ����������������������������������� Sheila Keane Keeping��������������������������� Families Warm ������������� �������������������� Since 1929. • EXPERIENCED - 15 years one-to-one personal training • QUALIFIED - to work with geriatric, bariatric, Parkinson’s as well as weight loss, fitness and wellness In your home or comfortable, private training facility Serving All Your Home Heating Needs Prompt, Reliable Service You Can Depend On, Plus The Personal Attention You Deserve. • Oil Heat Systems Serviced & Installed • Automatic Fuel Oil Deliveries • Tank Insurance Available Offering Muscle Activation Techniques ������������������������������������� Keane Fit & Wellness Ridgewood Cash ts Discoun il O On Heating s Deliverie 201-488-4314 or 201-341-0183 24 Hour Emergency 201-891-1000 Service �����������������������