Instagram Jump Start: We’re in the black with a ’49 Cadillac, ’56 T-Bird

24 October 2016

Style. Class. Luxury. Some things just never get old. Even when they’re old. Take, for instance, the 1949 Cadillac Series 62 that we featured on Instagram last week. It was the most-liked post on HagertyClassicCars over the last seven days.

But the classic Caddy wasn’t alone. Stylish good looks filled our top five, from an Olds Super 88 to a Mercedes-Benz 300SL to a black Ford Thunderbird. There was also a little something for the custom truck crowd. So take a few minutes and jump start your work week with these classy classics:

1949 Cadillac Series 62 (1,472 likes) – Reportedly inspired by the Lockheed P-38 Lightning twin-boom fighter plane, introduced in 1948 – and small compared to those seen on later models – tailfins returned to 1949 Cadillac Series 62 luxury automobiles. The left taillight concealed the gas filler.
1947 Ford Cabover (1,293) – After spending most of its life working on a northern Michigan farm, this custom 1947 Ford cabover truck has been transformed into a head-turning drag car. The grille lifts by remote control to reveal a 513-cid Cadillac power plant, which replaced its original flathead V-8.
1959 Oldsmobile Super 88 (1,225) – While the 1959 Oldsmobile 88 employed a 371-cid “Rocket” V-8 engine that offered 270 or 300 hp, the upscale Super 88 carried a 315-hp, 394-cube V-8.
1955 Mercedes-Benz 300SL (1,142) – In addition to its famous gullwing doors and a fuel-injected, 240-hp straight-six engine, the 1955 Mercedes-Benz 300SL featured fully independent suspension and a four-speed manual gearbox. With a top speed of 150 mph and a 0-60 mph time of 8.8 seconds, it was the fastest production car of its time. The 300SL had an equally eye-popping price tag of $6,820, the equivalent of $60,416 today – not bad considering the car regularly sells for seven figures at auction. The 300SL was discontinued after the 1957 model year.
1956 Ford Thunderbird (1,135) – The 1956 Ford Thunderbird offered more power than the previous year as the standard 292-cid V-8 was up-rated to 202 hp, and an optional 312-cid Y-block appeared with either 215 or 225 horses. Optional dual carburetors were introduced later in the year to help the 312 reach 260 hp.

One We Love But You Only Liked – Every week there’s a photo that we think deserved a lot more “likes” than it received. This one – of a 1959 Ford Edsel Ranger in Nevada – is definitely one of those.

Best of the Rest – We love classics, of course, but we love all cars – old and new. That includes 2015 Dodge Challenger Hellcats, especially when they’re painted Sublime Green. With Halloween just around the corner, this one by @sublime_hell not only caught our eye, it held our attention. It’s our favorite of the week.