Post-War Production Cars

At The Greenbrier Concours d'Elegance we, define "Post-War Production Cars" as cars that were mass produced and low in price to consumers. They were the cars made for the masses. These are the cars that will make patrons comment, "This is the car my dad had!"
A major change in automobile design since World War II was the popularity of ponton style, in which running boards were eliminated and fenders were incorporated into the body.

Automobile design and production finally emerged from the military orientation and the shadow of war in 1949, the year that saw the introduction of high-compression V8 engines and modern bodies from General Motors, Oldsmobile and Cadillac brands in the United States. Hudson introduced the "step-down" design with the 1948 Commodore, which placed the passenger compartment down inside the perimeter of the frame. That was one of the first new-design post-war cars made and featured trend-setting slab-side styling. 
​
Throughout the 1950s, engine power and vehicle speeds rose, designs became more integrated and artful, and automobiles were marketed internationally.  Nash introduced the Nash Rambler, the first successful modern compact car made in the United States, while the standard models produced by the "Big Three" domestic automakers grew ever larger in size, featuring increasing amounts of chrome trim, and luxury as exemplified by the Cadillac Eldorado Brougham. .

The market changed in the 1960s, as the United States' "Big Three" automakers began facing competition from imported cars. The success of American Motors' compact-sized Rambler models spurred GM and Ford to introduce their own downsized cars in 1960. Performance engines became a focus of marketing by United States automakers, exemplified by the era's muscle cars. In 1964, the Ford Mustang developed a new market segment, the "pony car." New models to compete with the Mustang included the Chevrolet Camaro, AMC Javelin, and Plymouth Barracuda. Captive imports and badge engineering increased in the United States.

The term badge engineering is an ironic misnomer, in that little or no actual engineering takes place.
The term originated with the practice of replacing an automobile's emblems to create an ostensibly new model sold by a different marque. Changes may be confined to swapping badges and emblems, or may encompass minor styling differences, as with cosmetic differences to headlights, tail lights, front and rear fascias and outer body skins. More extreme examples involve differing engines and drivetrains. The term badge engineered does not apply to vehicles that share a common platform architecture but are uniquely designed so that they may look completely different from each other. This is achieved by not sharing visible parts, and maintaining a host of underlying parts specific to their respective applications.
​
The 1970s were turbulent years for automakers and buyers, with major events reshaping the industry, such as the 1973 oil crisis, stricter automobile emissions control and safety requirements, increasing exports by the Japanese and European automakers, as well as growth in inflation and the stagnant economic conditions in many nations. Smaller-sized grew in popularity. The United States saw the establishment of the subcompact segment with the introduction of the AMC Gremlin, followed by the Chevrolet Vega and Ford Pinto. The station wagons  body design was popular, as well as increasing sales of non-commercial all-wheel drive off-road vehicles.
If you would like to submit your car for consideration please click the button below.