Collectible Automobile publisher Frank Peiler has been working around automotive publications since the early Seventies, but his love of cars goes back much further than that.
Recently, Frank shared his favorite station wagons, pickup trucks, and concept cars of the Fifties, Sixties, and Seventies.
Here, Frank is getting more specific, picking his favorite grilles from what is arguably his favorite automotive-design decade. read this thoughts below each image.
If you have a favorite Fifties grille, please tell us what it is. The place to leave comments is down below.
More favorite grille fun:
10 Great Car Grilles: Readers’ Choice Edition
Readers Strike Back: 12 More Great Car Grilles
Favorite Grilles
1950 Ford
Though the front end of the ’50 Ford isn’t quite as simple as the rear, it’s still beautiful and nearly perfect on this car.
10 Coolest Dashboards of the 50s
1952 Packard
Pretty much the same as the ’51 Packard, save for the addition of a few vertical bars. It’s simple and clean.
Photo Feature: 1952 Packard Pan American
1954 Oldsmobile
Another clean and simple design. Save for the bumper, this is a telling preview of the 1955.
Rocket Madness! 10 Classic Oldsmobile Ads
1954 Pontiac
A simple design that has proven very popular with the custom-car crowd.
Poncho Madness! 10 Classic Pontiac Ads
1954 Studebaker
Compared to the ’53, it’s amazing how much a few vertical bars can improve a grille. A beautiful grille on a beautiful car.
South Bend Madness! 10 Classic Studebaker Ads
1955 Chevrolet
About as clean and simple as a grille can get. There’s a Ferrari-like elegance to this grille.
Photo Feature: 1955 Chevrolet Sedan Delivery
1955 Chrysler C-300
The twin-grille look long before Pontiac adopted it. This same treatment also looks great on the 1955 Imperial.
My 5 Favorite Taillights: Early ’50s Edition
1956 Studebaker Hawk
Beautiful. A bold return to the upright grille.
Cadillac Super Cruise? GM Had Autonomous Driving Nailed in 1956
1957 Chrysler 300-C
Even bolder than the Studebaker Hawk. Very strong and very aggressive.
1959 Cadillac
Massive, complicated, and arguably fussy, this iconic grille somehow works. Very well executed.
Model-Year Madness! 10 Classic Ads From 1959
I’m a retired billboard artist and I’ve enjoyed painting older car front-ends (amoung other things) for the last few years. The designers of them are truly artists in their own right, creating works of art.