Holidays with Rockwell
Plymouth, Douglas, and Norman paint a quaint image of America
12/11/2018
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Magazine
For five years, from 1947-'51, regular readers of popular general interest magazines were treated to a series of illustrations created by the prolific and indefatigable Norman Rockwell, produced for the Plymouth division of Chrysler Corporation. These typically appeared in issues immediately prior to Christmas. We have no doubt that countless copies of these ads were squirrelled away by collectors of Americana and fans of Rockwell.
1947
1947: "Here they come, Mom! And Jim won't need the wish-bone—they've got their PLYMOUTH!"
Jim's smiling broadly and waving hello to his folks as he pulls up to his parent's house in a flashy new red Plymouth, loaded with the family. Meanwhile, his parents have lived a humble existence, making do with a farmhouse built circa 1880 and a kitchen that was outfitted circa 1920. They're probably still driving the same Ford Model T they bought new, but their boy rocks a factory fresh Mopar. That feed-store calendar, as an aside, is correct for 1947.
1948
1948: "I knew he'd forget…all he can think of is our new PLYMOUTH"
While Mr. Pageant Director offers a helpful stage whisper cue to a boy who's at a loss for words, most everyone in the audience appears to empathize with the lad—except for his parents, who comment on their child's performance anxiety and short-term memory problems, and pin it on their shiny new car in the parking lot.
1949
1949: "My Daddy's been a good boy, too— and he wants a new PLYMOUTH!"
Daddy is a believer, and appears eager to leap right into St. Nick's lap himself, but Junior senses that this could start a minor riot with the long-suffering parents and children already waiting patiently in line. He intercedes on behalf of good ol' Dad—who's probably carrying a dog-eared new car brochure in his coat pocket.
1950
1950: "Merry Christmas, Grandma… we came in our new PLYMOUTH!"
Leave it to the youngest member of the family to spill the beans of the "big news" immediately upon entry. It appears that the dog is either theirs, already anxious to leave—or is Grandma's, greeting the visitors and perhaps suggesting that the present-laden crew stop to shuck their snowy boots before making a wet mess of Grandma's shocking red flooring.
1951
1951: "Oh, Boy! It's Pop with a new PLYMOUTH!"
Nothing says "Happy Holidays" like trading in your embarrassing old clunker for a gleaming new automobile—though the neighbors will wince at the gesture, as your new wheels now make their rides look a bit dowdy: Thanks, pal. Like the first one on the block to mow your lawn in the spring, all others must eventually follow suit or suffer by poor comparison with the Joneses.
1957: "Grandma, we're here! We took a DC-7"
Wait, what's this? Is this an example of imitation as the sincerest form of flattery, a festive holiday dance on the edge of the copyright infringement cliff, a parody (but toward what end?), or a cheeky dig taken by one form of transportation against another? Granted, if the route to Grandma's house was significantly longer than "over the river and through the woods," then, yep, flying would be a faster, though generally more expensive, mode of transportation.
The DC-7 was Douglas Aircraft's last major piston-engine, propeller-driven commercial aircraft, originally released in 1953. Did Douglas Aircraft have a bone to pick with Chrysler Corporation or its Plymouth division?
While it would be a stretch to believe this ad isn't a blatant photographic recreation (we're being polite here) of Mr. Rockwell's artistic efforts seven years previous, we're uncertain just what the noted illustrator's reaction might have been. At the time he was living and working in Stockbridge, Massachusetts, married to his second wife, Mary Barstow. He was regularly creating magazine covers and product illustrations, so he would certainly have been aware of the advertisement. With his decades-long-established business sense for commercial art rights, we can only guess what he thought about the question-inducing DC-7 ad. As for why they chose to crop off the heads of the parents, that's another question for which we have no answer.
Recent
Toyota
From the sounds of it, the S-FR will share a platform with the Daihatsu Vision Copen that was revealed at the 2023 Tokyo Mobility Show. It will supposedly feature the same two-plus-two seating as displayed in the concept, but will be even smaller and lighter than the Toyota 86 model.
The Toyota S-FR will reportedly get its power from a turbocharged three-cylinder engine that will send around 150 horsepower to the rear wheels. If these figures sound familiar, you may have also heard the rumors about Toyota reviving the Starlet with a GR performance version that has similar specs; a 1.3-liter engine producing 150 horsepower.
Toyota
Toyota S-FR Racing concept
Like most concept cars, the S-FR’s design will see some changes before production, in this case reports point specifically to a smaller grille and altered headlights. Whether or not the production model will incorporate the concept’s aero elements is unknown.
Toyota’s target MSRP of $22,700 for the S-FR could potentially beat out the Mazda Miata by around $6,000. Whether or not the S-FR will be sold in the States to potentially compete with Toyota’s existing GR86 model’s sales is also, sadly, unknown, but we have our fingers crossed.
Rather than a lightweight sports car, the Aston Martin V8 is better considered a GT car, which seems to have a lot in common with American muscle cars. Even with aluminum body panels, the rather substantial Aston had a curb weight just a hair over 4,000 pounds, making it several hundred pounds heavier than a 1969 Dodge Charger R/T. It’s worth noting that despite being measurably smaller than the Charger, both cars share very similar proportions, with their long hoods, fastback rooflines, and short rear decks. An even closer comparison comes in the form of a ‘67 Ford Mustang, again with similar proportions but also the Aston having a wheelbase and overall length, width, and height very close to the American pony car.
The 1978 Aston Martin V8 is frequently referred to as a Series 3 since it was derived from the DBS, a model that launched in 1967 with an inline-six engine that was followed by the DBS V8, with a fuel-injected V8 engine. Both versions of the DBS were sold alongside each other into 1972, when, during the model year, the simply named V8 model supplanted both. With an updated front end that included a grille shape more reminiscent of Aston Martins past and a pair of headlamps rather than four, these interims V8s were considered Series 2 cars.
In 1973, Aston Martin dumped what had turned out to be a problematic mechanical fuel-injection system, instead opting for four Weber carburetors for its 5.3-liter V8. Multiple carburetion gives it good company with the likes of a Mopar 440 Six-Pack or Pontiac Tri-Power. That carburetor setup required additional hood clearance that resulted in the large scoop worn by such cars, though it was non-functional in terms of letting in any additional air to the intake.
The rest of the engine department takes a big departure from the standard American iron-block, overhead-valve setup. Aston Martin’s V8 featured all-aluminum construction and dual overhead camshafts on each cylinder head, driven by dual chains. Yes, it had hemispherical combustion chambers, even with just two valves per cylinder. Engineers specced a forged crankshaft and forged chrome-moly connecting rods.
Output for 1978 was estimated at 310 horsepower and 320 lb-ft of torque—pretty substantial numbers for a car built during the oil crisis era and before engineers had leveraged electronic fuel injection to win the battle against emissions regulations. In accordance with its muscle car vibe, most AM V8s of the period were equipped with a TorqueFlite three-speed automatic, complete with Mopar factory ratios of 2.45:1, 1:45:1 and 1:1, along with a limited-slip rear differential. A 3.31 final-drive ratio was standard, with 3.54:1 optional. A five-speed manual was available.
Distinctions from Detroit grow once you step inside an Aston Martin V8, which was essentially a handmade car, with very low production numbers. Each of the four seats was covered in leather, a material that extended to the door trim, steering wheel, shift knob and even the center console surround. Carpets were wool. Given its high price and object of luxury aspirations, each car was also packed with plenty of sound insulation to isolate occupants from road noise. Power assistance for the brakes and steering was standard, as were air conditioning, power windows and power locks.
With a 0-60 mph time of “about six seconds,” according to Aston Martin literature of the time, along with a top speed over 150 mph, the AM V8 was in nearly a class by itself. Torque wasn't quite like that of an unrestrained big block American V8 from the peak muscle car era, but the Aston Martin’s V8 engine still delivered power with a swift rush towards a redline over 5,000 rpm, though no such actual red line is indicated on the tach. Suspension included unequal-length control arms up front with an anti-roll bar and De Dion rear axle with parallel trailing arms and watt linkage in the rear. Coil spring were at all four wheels, as were disc brakes, with the rear disc inboard. Not designed to tackle a tight road course, the AM V8 was still noted as a competent high-speed handler.
This 1978 Aston Martin V8 Series 3 features a silver metallic body with a red leather interior. The selling dealer indicates that it was purchased from the second owner who it is believed purchased it from the original owner as he aged out of driving in his 90s. The car appears to have been very well maintained, with the seller sharing that the engine, transmission, paint, body and interior are all “highly original.”
Other information to note on this AMV8 are a slew of services performed last fall, including a “full tune-up,” rebuilt carburetors, new spark plugs and filters, new battery and an alternator rebuild. Everything is asserted to be functioning properly with the car seemingly ready to drive anywhere.
As one of less than 1,000 Series 3 examples made, this 1978 Aston Martin V8 coupe offers a uniquely British take on big V8 performance in a midsize car—a muscle car, but with a different accent.
Head on over to Hemmings Auctions and take a closer look for yourself.
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