San Francisco Street Sighting - 1953 Ford Customline Tudor Sedan

We've looked at a number of mid-1950s Fords already on California Streets, but none were ever quite as quintessentially "Fifties" as this one. This very pink '53 Customline spotted near San Francisco's Chinatown is a great example of one of my favorite model years of the decade.

Berkeley Street Sighting - 1953 MG TD Roadster

When I was a kid, I kept a scrapbook of pictures I thought were interesting, both for drawing references and just stuff I liked. One thing that intrigued me was a brochure for a company that offered fiberglass kit cars. They did Porsche 356 Speedsters, Mercedes "Gazelles", Shelby Cobras, the whole gamut of tube frames and/or VW chassis. It was there that I learned of MG roadster replicas. Like the Gazelle, I believe the MG TD kit cars could be built as front- or rear-engined depending on the donor chassis. There is one in my area and it just looks slightly off. When I was younger the old MGs always seemed common enough that if you really wanted one, why not just get a real one?

Livermore Street Sighting - 1953 Hudson Hornet

On the topic of 1950s Hudsons that have been customized, we look at this 1953 sedan. On my 1950 Commodore and 1952 Wasp features I touched on the various details that identify the various models that shared the same body. It's hard to tell sometimes on a customized car because things get removed or changed, and the 1951-1953 Hudsons did not evolve very much. The 1953 model is identifiable by its hood ornament shaped like an air intake, and a new grille with no triangle. The 1953 also had optional reverse lights above the taillamps. The Commodore was still being offered in 1953 with the long-wheelbase Hornet body, but it was merely a leftover '52 with a new grille. This car has had most of its trim removed and the mounting holes filled with chrome spiky things, but the mounts for the Hornet-specific pieces are visible. The 1953 Commodore did not have the faux-air intake, and the Wasp was a short-wheelbase model. The wheelbase difference on these cars is most evident in the distance between the front wheel and the door.

San Francisco Street Sighting - 1953 Studebaker Commander Starliner

It's become a tradition here at California Streets to celebrate July 4th with a car not built by the Big Three, but by an independent American automaker. This year, we celebrate Independents' Day with a 1953 Studebaker Commander.

Castro Valley Street Sighting - 1953 Dodge Coronet

"That thing got a Hemi?"

Those are some of the most famous words in the vocabulary of any Chrysler fan. The Hemi engine remains something of a mythical beast, a highly desirable option in any model in which it was offered. It can mean the difference between an affordable muscle car and a multi-hundred-thousand-dollar Barrett-Jackson auction special.