Hearing the name Flat Top as a boy of 8 years old, I have flashbacks of those Saturday mornings at the Barber Shop when my Dad would take me to in and tell 'em, "Give 'em a flat top". And when my haircut was done, yup, I had a flat top.
The two barbers in the shop were named Lars Larson and Andy Anderson. I was always in Lars' chair and he would tell me, "Sit still young man, I don't want to accidently take off an ear". LOL, thing is, I took that warning seriously, as hanging on Lars' mirror was a big rubber Ear. At just 8 years old, I guess I found that Ear to be believable.
In 1959 GENERAL MOTORS was in their second year of a project called "Planned Obsolescence". Though I didn't understand the term then, I learned later it was the company's effort to produce completely restyled cars each new model year.
With my Dad in the Fall of '59 visiting all the car dealerships, there they were, cars called "Flat Tops". Taking them in alphabetical order, the BUICK bowed with three new names, the LaSabre, the Invicta, and the Electra. The latter even added an elite car, it Electra 225. But it was the "Flat Top" design that was most different in appearance. A thin "Flat" top, covering nothing but windows.
For CADILLAC, the Series 62 and Sedan DeVille gave buyers the Flat Top design, while over at CHEVROLET, that same Flat Top sat on its Impala Sport Sedan. And of course OLDSMOBILE presented their version with the Dynamic 88, Super 88 Holiday Sport Sedan, and top dog Ninety-Eight. And lastly, PONTIAC got in to the act too, with their beautiful BONNEVILLE.
As I reflect back on the Flat Top all these decades later, they still look odd to me, but I've come to admire the creative look they had.
How about you? Do you yay or nay them?
Oh and as I was sipping my coffee this morning remembering these cars, I put on in the background, Johnny Cash's, "Tennessee Flat Top Box". The song's not related to cars in any way, but hey, the Flat Top part fit and put me in the mood.
As a young fellow I never like the flat-tops of 1959-60 much as I thought they looked kind of square; both figuratively and literally. In the last twenty years or so I have come to appreciate them much more in spite of being a 2drht. guy. They are great to see at car shows because the window of automotive history they represent was very short, so relatively speaking there aren't that many around.
Flat tops were very popular back then and covered the GM hierarchy. Cool dudes would frown on 4-doors and considered them "daddy's cars" or worse yet "mommy's cars." You had to drive a coupe or convertible if you wanted to score with the chicks.
As for the barber shop, I went to Al the Barber with a questionable collection of magazines and got a “wiffle” hair cut which I hated. (Hated it more when I got one in USCG boot camp). I do fondly remember the signs and smell.
Here is a 1/43 scale Madison model of the 1959 Pontiac flat-top.
I like it. Wish it was 1:24 scale. I have to tell you, those Flat Tops grew on me, because when they were new, I thought they were just plain odd looking.
Here is a 1/43 scale Madison model of the 1959 Pontiac flat-top.
I like it. Wish it was 1:24 scale. I have to tell you, those Flat Tops grew on me, because when they were new, I thought they were just plain odd looking.
I know one thing for sure....I wouldn't ever want to roll one.
I was a big fan of the flat tops. My parents carted us kids around in a 1959 Chevrolet Parkwood wagon, which had that "flat top" look, as well as the El Camino.
I was a big fan of the flat tops. My parents carted us kids around in a 1959 Chevrolet Parkwood wagon, which had that "flat top" look, as well as the El Camino.
@pete-rovero, my Dad owned a '59 Chevrolet Parkwood Station Wagon in 1963. In 1968 the motor and transmission from that wagon was put in to my very first car...a '59 Chevy Impala 2-door hardtop. The Impala was just the body and interior sitting behind a farmers barn. I bought it from him for $100 and a mechanic friend did the installing of the wagon's engine and tranny. When completed, the Impala started in any gear and would dart forward upon starting. I had a blast with that car in high school.
Sounds like your mechanic didn't install the neutral starter safety switch! Remember the LOCK-OFF-ON-START ignition switch? If you removed the key in the OFF position anyone could start the car without the key. I wonder if this was a valet feature?!
Sounds like your mechanic didn't install the neutral starter safety switch! Remember the LOCK-OFF-ON-START ignition switch? If you removed the key in the OFF position anyone could start the car without the key. I wonder if this was a valet feature?!
Pete, you are probably correct about the mechanic not installing the "starter safety switch". And yes, I remember the LOCK-OFF-ON START ignition switch. The story behind that for this car was that I NEVER had keys for the ignition or the doors of the car. So the ignition switch was in "ON" position all the time, and couldn't be Locked. Because of that "starter safety switch not being installed, I could leave the car in "Drive" or in "Reverse", shut-off the engine and then when starting it, the car would bolt forward or backwards. Certainly not a safe thing...but the kids in school sure got a kick out of it when I'd pull that trick.
