Through the Timeframe of a Decade, One Skillful Car Painter Was Responsible for Custom-Painted Fifties Favorites
An innovative way of painting cars surfaced in the 1950’s when the art of pin striping was introduced by one individual. That man, a West Coast “striper” of renown named Tom Kelly, became famous for his work on six cars, now known as custom-painted fifties favorites.
Ford, Dodge, Chevrolet, and Oldsmobile were the producers of the six favorites painted by Kelly from 1950 to 1957.
There is not enough space here to share specifics about all six, but one of the most interesting was the 1950 Oldsmobile 88. Kelly’s famous pin-striping design was only one of many cherished qualities the car had. The 1950 Oldsmobile 88 could accelerate from 0 to 60 in 12.2 seconds, won the Carrera-Pan American-Mexico road race from the Texas border to Guatemala, and was graced with a design where the hood dipped toward the front fenders. Although the terrain often was hazardous, the winning American team averaged 78.4 mph throughout the 2,178 mile race.
The prize two Portland, Oregon drivers earned for winning the Carrera-Pan Ameican-Mexico road race in 1950 was slightly more than $17,000.
The 1957 Chrysler Desoto Adventurer was a second of the six cars Tom Kelly memorialized with his fancy paint job. Run by a three-speed automatic transmission and an 8-cylinder engine, this vehicle operated on 345 units of horsepower. Relatively normal in the late 50’s, but not today were the push buttons to the left of the instrument panel that initiated transmission gears.
Unlike its predecessors, the 1957 Chrysler Desoto Adventurer sat lower to the road, included more chrome, and was designed with a long body.
The 1955 Dodge Royal Lancer, 1951 Ford Crestliner, 1957 Chevrolet Bel Air, and 1953 Ford Crestliner Victoria rounded out the six vehicles most known for the painting of Tom Kelly.
Although smaller than most Die-Cast Replicas, these custom-painted fifties favorites are available at here at Hot Wheel Games. They can be purchased individually or collectively. Each is about 3.5” long, constructed at 1:64 scale, and includes detailed interior, rubber whitewall tires, authentic paint schemes, and detailed emblems.