Can You Name All of These Iconic Cars of the '50s?

AUTO

By: Craig

6 Min Quiz

Image: Wiki Commons via Greg Gjerdingen

About This Quiz

The '50s were an interesting time in the world of motoring, and people definitely saw a styling shift as cars moved from the rounded looks of the 1930s and 1940s into the long, sleek cars of the 1950s, particularly when it came to American models. 

Chrome became the order of the day, and together with pointy tail fins and convertibles, a number of Chevrolet and Ford models quickly became extremely popular.

On the other side of the Atlantic, European styling still maintained those sleek lines that once associated with the likes of Porsche and Ferrari. Toward the end of the decade, cars in Europe were generally smaller than their American counterparts, although still stylish!

But would you be able to name an American classic from just one image? Or would you be able to pick out the sleek lines of a 1950s model European sports car? What about a classic American truck, would you be able to identify the make and model? Make no mistake, this quiz will test your auto knowledge like no other.  And that's why only 7% of people who undertake it pass it with 100% of the answers correct.

But you can do this, your knowledge of cars will see you through! So why don't you give it a go, NOW!

What car from the 1950s is shown in this image?

A stylish roadster from the 1950s, the P1900 actually had a fiberglass body. Only 68 of these stunning machines were built between 1956 and 1957. The P1900 had a 3-speed manual gearbox and was powered by a 1,400cc straight four engine.

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What car from the 1950s is shown in this image?

One of Chevrolet's most famous marques, the Impala was first introduced in 1958 and was a typical car from that period with long, pointy tailfins and available as a 2-door hardtop or convertible. The top of the range model was powered by the 5.7-liter Turbo Thrust V8

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What car from the 1950s is shown in this image?

This two-door, two-seater came in the form of a coupe or cabriolet. It was produced by BMW between 1956 and 1959 with 413 built over that period. It was aimed in particular at the US market, but saleswise, performed poorly.

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What car from the 1950s is shown in this image?

One of the most iconic vehicles ever produced by Chevrolet was the Belair. Manufactured between 1955 and 1957, it will always be remembered for its fantastic trim and those beautiful pointy tailfins.

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What car from the 1950s is shown in this image?

Built in the late '50s, the Sweptside was marketed as the truck of the future. In reality, Dodge truck sales were insignificant and the Sweptside actually used car parts from other Dodge models. In fact, the Sweptside even featured pointed tailfins, so popular at the time. Although it was certainly different, the Sweptside never made a dent in the pickup market and was shelved in 1959.

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What car from the 1950s is shown in this image?

Launched in 1956, the Parkland was a two-door station wagon. It was powered by either a straight six or V8 engine and had a 3-speed transmission.

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What car from the 1950s is shown in this image?

With a body designed by Pinin Farina and Vignale, the 375 America had classic European lines. It was powered by a 5.0-liter engine that produced 335 brake horsepower.

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What car from the 1950s is shown in this image?

Produced by Dodge between 1955 and 1956, this 2-door hardtop was specifically aimed at the fairer sex. Only 2,500 were sold in a two-year period, although little evidence suggests that it was well-marketed.

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What car from the 1950s is shown in this image?

The Fairlane was produced by Ford between 1955 and 1961 in the full-sized car segment. The first generation offered six different body styles, including the Skyline with a perplex roof. The top of the range engine available was a V8 called the "Thunderbird."

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What car from the 1950s is shown in this image?

A true classic from the '50s, the 300 SL started life as a racing car in 1952 but soon became a production car in 1954 as a two-door coupe. The 300 SL became instantly recognizable thanks to its gullwing doors. Just over 3,200 of the coupe and roadster were built up until 1963.

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What car from the 1950s is shown in this image?

This 'carryall' can be considered an early version of an SUV. It was produced between 1954 and 1966, the Town Wagon started out as a 2-wheel drive.

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What car from the 1950s is shown in this image?

The second generation of this classic Ford pickup was built between 1953 and 1956. And by 1956, they were sporting a V8 engine, giving them around 180 brake horsepower, a lot of grunt for the time!

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What car from the 1950s is shown in this image?

Based on the two-seat Isetta microcar, the 600 microcar was bigger and could seat four occupants. It was the first four-person car produced in Germany after the war but was not much of a success in terms of sales. The 600 was powered by a 600cc engine.

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What car from the 1950s is shown in this image?

The Crusader was produced by Dodge in Canada for the Canadian market. Its production ran from 1951 to 1958. Essentially, it was a rebadged Plymouth Cambridge.

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What car from the 1950s is shown in this image?

A utility coupe produced by Ford from 1957 to 1979, the Ranchero was actually adapted from a station wagon design. With its advertising slogan of "More Than A Car! More Than A Truck!" the Ranchero became an immediate success.

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What car from the 1950s is shown in this image?

First released in 1955, the Crown is the longest running model in the Toyota fleet. The first generation, marketed as a mid-sized luxury car, included a 4-door sedan and 2 and 4-door station wagon.

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What car from the 1950s is shown in this image?

First marketed in 1958, the DB4 was available as a 2-door coupe and drophead. It was powered by a 3.6-liter straight six engine.

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What car from the 1950s is shown in this image?

Over 115,000 M37s were built between 1951 and 1968. This 3/4 ton truck was used by the US military during the Korean War.

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What car from the 1950s is shown in this image?

Built between 1958 and 1971, the Galaxie was so named to take advantage of the space race between the USSR and the United States. This vehicle was in direct competition to the Chevrolet Impala.

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What car from the 1950s is shown in this image?

A sports car first manufactured in 1948, the XK120 became very popular in the 1950s thanks to its sleek looks. It was powered by a 3.4-liter straight six engine.

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What car from the 1950s is shown in this image?

The Corvette name is loved around the world. From its inception in 1953, the Corvette brand is the jewel in the Chevrolet crown. Of course, everyone has their favorite Corvette with many citing the C1, the first-generation produced, as their favorite.

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What car from the 1950s is shown in this image?

Many muscle car aficionados call the Chrysler 300 the first muscle car. No matter if you agree or not, the 300, introduced in 1955, certainly had the cool factor.

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What car from the 1950s is shown in this image?

Built for the Canadian market between 1953 and 1959, the Mayfair was essentially a Plymouth Belvedere, another vehicle in the Chrysler stable. It was affectionately known as the Plodge as it used certain accessories from the marque such as front grilles, for example.

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What car from the 1950s is shown in this image?

Only one Lincoln Futura was ever built. This concept car was actually constructed in Italy and later became the inspiration for the Batmobile in the Batman TV series of the 1960s.

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What car from the 1950s is shown in this image?

Designed by Erwin Komenda, 356 coupe was produced between 1948 and 1963. This was the first vehicle offered by the company and started off its rear-engined, rear-wheel drive design philosophy. Over 76,000 were built and it is estimated that half still survive.

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What car from the 1950s is shown in this image?

Introduced in 1959, this full-spec vehicle was aimed to compete with both Ford and Chevrolet offerings in the full-sized vehicle segment. Through the years of production, various models were introduced including coupes, convertibles and station wagons. Production ceased in 1973.

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What car from the 1950s is shown in this image?

This medium duty truck has been produced by Toyota since 1959. In that time, there have been eight different generations.

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What car from the 1950s is shown in this image?

The Duett was released in 1953 and produced right up until 1969. It came in two main body styles, a station wagon and a panel van. Some were also released as convertibles. It was powered by a 1.8-liter straight four engine.

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What car from the 1950s is shown in this image?

The instantly recognizable Citroen DS was first launched in 1955. Designed by Flaminio Bertoni, the DS included numerous body types including the regular sedan as well as a station wagon and convertible.

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What car from the 1950s is shown in this image?

With its two-door fastback styling, the PV44 was a product of Volvo from 1944 to 1966. It was specifically designed to be a smaller, more fuel-efficient model than the larger cars around at the time. It was noted for its distinctive sloping back.

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What car from the 1950s is shown in this image?

Mini cars have a certain charm, and perhaps the most famous of them all is the Isetta. Interestingly, this was not a BMW design but built under license. BMW built the Isetta between 1955 and 1962.

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What car from the 1950s is shown in this image?

Established in 1902, Cadillac is the second oldest automotive brand in America. The Eldorado, introduced in 1959, had everything you could wish for in a ‘50s classic, including ridiculously long and pointy tailfins and chrome, lots of chrome. Sadly, finding one today is like finding a needle in a haystack.

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What car from the 1950s is shown in this image?

Produced from the 1940s, this is one of the first 4x4 off-road vehicles produced. It was based on the chassis of a US military truck. The Power Wagon was in production from 1945 to 1980.

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What car from the 1950s is shown in this image?

This early Volvo model was manufactured between 1946 and 1950 although development had started in 1939 but was stifled by World War II. It featured a 3-speed manual gearbox coupled to a 3.7-liter straight six engine.

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What car from the 1950s is shown in this image?

Almost instantly recognizable, the Willys Jeep was produced for American armed forces during the World War II. The M38 model was made in the early '50s and used during the Korean War.

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What car from the 1950s is shown in this image?

The Regent, produced between 1951 and 1960, was actually built in Canada with the first models essentially a rebadged Plymouth Cranbrook.

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What car from the 1950s is shown in this image?

Introduce in the 1950s by Dodge, four generations of the Coronet were produced by the end of the decade. Those produced toward the end of the '50s were typical of cars of that era - long, wide, filled with chrome and with pointy tailfins.

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What car from the 1950s is shown in this image?

The Chrysler Imperial was first introduced in 1926 by Chrysler. The model saw various updates right until 1954 before the Imperial name was discontinued. It resurfaced for a brief period in the 1990s, from 1990 till 1993. The 1953 Imperial offered air conditioning, the first car to do in so in over 13 years and only the third ever.

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What car from the 1950s is shown in this image?

With true British styling, the Bentley R-Type quickly became a firm favorite thanks to its looks, the fact that it was lightweight and that it was fast. It was powered by a 4.6 liter straight six engine.

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