Class 27C: Production Vehicles, 1958 - 1959.

1958 DeSoto Firedome convertible.

1958 DeSoto Firedome convertible.

I liked the presentation with the floor mat ! I also liked the way the photo of it turned out with the reflection of the other cars in the background.

The recession of 1958 did a number on the auto industry dropping sales by more than 30%. DeSoto was hit especially hard. Sales fell by more than 50% over the 1957 model year and signaled the beginning of the end for DeSoto, which is a shame. I love the car's lines !

This is a very rare car, 1 of 519 produced in 1958.

After producing more than 117,000 cars in 1957, less than half of that number, (around 49,000 cars) would roll off the line in 1958. DeSoto would be gone after 1961.

1959 Chevrolet Impala convertible.

1959 Chevrolet Impala convertible.

Even though previously mentioned DeSoto was clobbered by recession of 1958 and never recovered, Chevrolet did very well in 1959, selling more than 1.4 million vehicles that year. The V8-powered Impala convertible, (style code 1867), accounted for 65,800 of them.

Power comes from Chevrolet's 283 CID V8.

1959 Ford Galaxie Skyliner retractable.

1959 Ford Galaxie Skyliner retractable.

This was the final year for Ford's "Skyliner" retractable hardtop convertible. For 1957 and 1958, the Skyliner was part of the Fairlane 500 Series. When the Galaxie series was introduced for 1959, the Skyliner was absorbed into it. The car seen in the photos above is one of 12,915 produced for the model's final year.

Class 27D: Production Vehicles, 1960 - 1961.

1960 Ford Galaxie Sunliner convertible.

1960 Ford Galaxie Sunliner convertible.

After the Skyliner hardtop convertible was dropped after 1959, Ford continued to use the Sunliner name for its convertible body style. This was a popular model for 1960 with 44,762 produced that year.

Two V8 engines were available for 1960. The 292 CID "Y-Block" V8 made 185 hp. The larger 352 CID 'FE' V8 was available in several different stages of tune that ranged from 235 - 360 hp. The easiest way to differentiate between the two is the distributor. The 292 "Y-Block" V8 had the distributor in the back of the engine behind the air cleaner. The distributor in the photo above being in the front of the engine identifies it as the 352 "FE" V8.

1960 Buick Electra 225.

1960 Buick Electra 225.

This was another top-notch restoration where attention was paid to the small details.

The Electra 225 was Buick's top-of-the-line series in 1960. This car is a hardtop sedan and is quite rare, 1 of 5,841 made that year.

The Electra 225 hardtop sedan featured a roofline that has two windows on each side and a wrap-around rear window as seen in the photo above.

If this car were a Riviera, (which was a separate model within the Electra 225 series), the wrap-around rear window would be replaced with a smooth piece anchored at each end by two additional side windows, (known as a 6-window sedan body that was shared with Cadillac).

Power comes from Buick's 401 CID 'Nailhead' V8 that makes 325 hp.

Class 27E: Production Vehicles, 1962 - 1963.

1963 Studebaker Gran Turismo Hawk.

1963 Studebaker Gran Turismo Hawk.

The Gran Turismo Hawk is a rare car to begin with, (only 4,634 were produced in 1963). This car is powered by the 289 CID 'Jet Thrust' V8 in R1 trim from the Avanti that made 240 hp. R1 Studebakers are extremely rare, and this car is one of 396 Gran Turismo Hawks so equipped.

Studebaker was in financial trouble in the early-1950s. It's 1954 merger with Packard, (who was also in financial trouble, but not nearly as much), looked promising on paper. Studebaker would benefit from Packard's financial position, and Packard would have access to Studebaker's large dealer network.

The long-range plans saw the Studebaker-Packard Corporation merging with newly created American Motors, (the result of the 1954 merger of Nash and Hudson). This would have created a 4-brand American Motors Corporation that would have immediately surpassed Chrysler to become the third of the "Big Three" US Automakers. Unfortunately, the sudden death of Nash president George Mason in 1954 put an end to those plans.

Mason's death combined with other nagging issues effectively sealed the fates of all four companies involved. The Nash and Hudson names were gone by 1957. Packard followed in 1958. Studebaker would have died as well had it not been for the hugely successful Lark introduced in 1959. The compact Lark bought the company a few more years, but didn't develop into any kind of recovery. Studebaker left the US in 1964, and it's doors were completely closed by 1966.

1962 Buick Electra 225 Riviera 6-window.

Power comes from Buick's 401 CID 'Nailhead' V8 that makes 325 hp.

The GM windshield washer refill bottle was a nice detail.

With the sky clearing, I began hearing noises overhead.

I believe this was a helicopter sightseeing ride.

It had taken off from somewhere across the street near the campground. I heard it for the rest of the day and managed to snap a few pics.

Class 27F: Production Vehicles, 1964 - 1965.

1964 Chevrolet Impala coupe. Not sure why it's blurry.

1964 Chevrolet Impala coupe.

1964 Chrysler New Yorker sedan.

1964 Chrysler New Yorker sedan.

I'm a big fan of late-1950s and 1960s Chrysler products. Stylists and engineers did a great job with the interiors designs.

1965 Chevrolet Corvair Corsa convertible.

1965 Chevrolet Corvair Corsa convertible.

The engine in the Corvair is rear-mounted.

Power comes from the turbocharged version of Chevrolet's air-cooled 164 CID flat-6 that makes 180 hp.

With the engine mounted in the trunk, that left the underhood area available for luggage space.