US Car Makes and Models : 1950s Part II Quiz / Test | World

Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. Some cars had signature design elements that everyone recognized. Here's one: a series of parallel chrome strips running along the top of the hood and curving over the front, crowned by an Indian head ornament. Models in the line included Chieftain, Star Chief and Catalina. What car is this?

Answer: Pontiac

You're a teen-age boy in the early 1950s; you look at your buddy and put your hand on your face, fingers spread, with your nose sticking through. "What car am I?" you ask. Of course, he says "Pontiac." Another one was making a V with your index and middle fingers around your nose; answer: Cadillac.

2. This mid-price car had a signature design feature that by itself identified the make: a row of three or four holes along the side of the front fenders. Models included Roadmaster, Century, Invicta and Riviera. What car is this?

Answer: Buick

Buick's "ventiports," or port holes, as they were popularly known, started appearing on 1949 models. The holes, or ornamental suggestions of them, continued on and off into the 1970s, and were revived in 2003.

3. Though its post-war models were initially popular for their modern bullet-shaped design, this make faded away in the late 1950s after a merger that formed American Motors. Its models included: Commodore, Pacemaker, Hornet and Jet. What car is this?

Answer: Hudson

The Hudson's unique design makes it a favorite among filmmakers who want to lend a period flavor to films set in the post-war era. Jack Nicholson is behind the wheel of one in the 1990 "Chinatown" sequel "The Two Jakes" and Miss Daisy gets driven around in another in 1989, to name but two. An animated version is a featured player in 2006's "Cars."

4. This American-made car bucked the 1950s trend of bigger, longer and wider by continuing its line of pint-sized models of which its four-foot-wide station wagon was the most familiar. What car is this?

Answer: Crosley

The Crosley has a number of American firsts to its credit, including 4 wheel disc brakes in its 1949 models. Crosley also produced a sports car, the Super Sport, which won the Index of Performance at the first Sebring 12-hour race. The Crosley brand name was sold and today appears on products of the Crosley Radio Corporation, but there is no direct connection with the original firm.

The Metropolitan could be termed pint-sized, but did not come in a wagon model. The Rambler and Henry-J were both compacts, but compared to the Crosley were more like quart-sized.

5. Most would probably agree that this two-door sub-compact was the cutest car on the market in the 1950s. Basically a two-seater, it came in just two models, a hardtop and a convertible. What car is it?

Answer: Metropolitan

Though imagined, designed and engineered completely in the USA by the Nash Motor Compny, the Metropolitan was actually built for Nash in England by Austin. A black-and-white right-hand-drive police car version was marketed for traffic enforcement purposes.

The short-lived Henry-J from the Kaiser-Frazer Corporation was a compact-sized sedan. The Falcon was Ford's entry in the 1960 compact car sweepstakes, competing with the Plymouth Valiant and Chevrolet Corvair.

6. You would not have been able to purchase one of these cars in 1956 because there was no such model made. Which car did NOT exist in 1956?

Answer: Pontiac Bonneville

The first Pontiac Bonneville appeared in 1957. The trick to this question is the Hudson Rambler. Though generally associated with the Nash, Ramblers also appeared with the Hudson emblem after the two independent companies merged to form American Motors in 1954. Starting in 1957, the Rambler was marketed as a make in its own right.

7. The Ford Ranchero and Chevrolet El Camino were both unusual models in what way?

Answer: They were sedan bodies with an open truck bed instead of rear seats and a trunk.

The idea for a sedan/truck combo originated with the Australian division of Ford in 1934, giving birth to the still-used Aussie term "ute" to describe the body style. When Ford introduced the concept to the American market with the Ranchero in 1957, its success spurred General Motors to produce the Chevrolet El Camino starting in 1959. Ford continued the Ranchero in the American market through 1979.

The El Camino's two runs were between 1959 and 1960, then 1964 to 1987.

8. This luxury vehicle was the most expensive American production car during its two-year run in 1956-1957. Virtually hand made, it cost an astronomical $10,000, as much as a Rolls-Royce. What car is it?

Answer: Lincoln Continental Mark II

The $10,000 you spent on a Continental Mark II would have bought you two regular Cadillacs or six Fords. Despite the price, the Continental was a true loss-leader for the Ford Motor Company, who estimated it lost $1000 on each one sold. For two years, at least, the prestige value seemed worth it, with high-profile customers such as Frank Sinatra, the Shah of Iran and Elvis Presley.

One of Cadillac's fancier Eldorados would have set you back around $6000, a Packard Patrician about $4000, and even the 8-passenger Chrysler Crown Imperial limousine could be had for under $8000.

9. The Batmobile featured in the 1966-1968 "Batman" television series actually began life in 1954 as a prototype concept car designed for which make?

Answer: Lincoln

Designed by the Lincoln Division of the Ford Motor Company, the Futura was hand-built by Carrozzeria Ghia in Italy at a cost of $250,000 and debuted at the Chicago Auto Show in January 1955. At first, the Batmobile was to be a specially designed and constructed vehicle, but time constraints prompted auto customizer George Barris to purchase and modify the Futura.

The car had previously appeared onscreen in the 1959 film "It Started With a Kiss."

10. This car's all-new 1951 design featured the kind of sleek, long and low profile that didn't become standard among its competitors from Detroit's Big Three until several years later. Up to its last year in 1955, its models included Manhattan, Virginian, Carolina and Dragon. What car is it?

Answer: Kaiser

The ahead-of-its-time design of the 1951 Kaiser, including the characteristic widow's peak windshield, was largely the work of legendary car designer Howard A. "Dutch" Darrin. Though its 1951 sales were healthy, they plummeted in 1952 and continued to sink until the Kaiser died following a 1955 production run of only around 1000 cars.

Source: Author PauFlP

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor Bruyere before going online.
Any errors found in FunTrivia content are routinely corrected through our feedback system.

US Car Makes and Models : 1950s Part II Quiz

Like my first quiz, this one tests your knowledge of some familiar makes and models, but also explores some lesser-known cars of the fabulous era when tail fins ruled the roads!

NEXT>

NEXT>

NEXT>

NEXT>

NEXT>

NEXT>

NEXT>

NEXT>

NEXT>