The sports car has been the most consistent performance car in the US car culture. It was neither a hot rod nor muscle car but a different class of ride. These were cars built for racing. They weren't daily drivers with excess horsepower or family cars converted into performance cars. The sports car has excelled at doing one thing well and the formula has gone unchanged for decades. Typically priced out of range for casual drivers the sports car says something about the dedicated men and women that demand excellence from their rides, what is says about them and their appreciation of solid engineering. However these cars rarely cross over into the hot rod world because they are already finely tuned machines. Some of the early hot rod pioneers didn't have the money for sports cars yet also couldn't bring themselves to chop up a classic coupe.
After restoring the family ride and perhaps building a better engine who would have the heart to knock off the fenders and hood? A large number of rodders were unwilling to do just that and created what many lovingly called the "Lead Sled" movement. Large coupes were lowered just a little, sometimes getting a trim to the roof but nothing as drastic as removing entire body parts. Curves were exaggerated, seams covered up and lines simplified. The cars were rolling works of art. The engines were still tuned and some changes were made to the suspension and interior details. Making these cars as much DIY as the hot rods. The coupes and sedans would find favor with several generations of builders as they were production rides that anyone could afford. They weren't muscle cars but daily drivers. The coupe would evolve over the years, not quite going full circle as the hot rod had, but still making steady progress over the years.
Southern California had not only been the birthplace of the hot rod movement but also the Low Rider movement. When the lead sled found favor in East LA many too wanted to be part of the movement. Those builders that couldn't find or restore classic coupes simply worked with the cars of the day. Impalas, El Camino's and anything else that could double as a family car. These cars had nice engines but the purpose was about looking good rather than going fast. Cars were tricked out with hydraulics, allowing them to bounce and almost dance down the road. Cruising low and slow became a mantra which hasn't changed in 40-odd years.
While the coupe has evolved over the years, making major steps in performance and styling, the only thing it has lacked was a period of retro-inspired styling. As the muscle car relaunches from the past decade captured some of the classic themes none of the coupes had gotten the same treatment. But that is not to say that it almost didn't happen. While the hot rod and muscle cars were finding new life as the Plymouth Prowler and Dodge Viper there were a few holdouts pushing the Big 3 to revisit the lead sleds. Holden, a subsidiary of General Motors in Australia created a concept car called the Efijy.
Shaped very much like a 1950 Mercury Coupe the Efijy represented a third option for the pricey car market, neither muscle nor rod. It was tricked out with all the modern conveniences and packaged it amazingly well. Unfortunately the car never got further than a few auto show presentations. The market for these pricey cars wasn't as willing to invest as the Big 3 had hoped. The Prowler was discontinued years ago. Only the Viper has managed to stay away from the chopping blog.
These cars, their shapes, cultures and growing popularity seemed too much for authority. At least in the early days. Tomorrow I'll spend some time talking about how the hot rod influenced the cartoon world.
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