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...it's DeSoto! Specifically, a 1957 DeSoto. "This baby can flick its tail at anything on the road!" In this case, the Mar Monte Hotel in Santa Barbara in 1958. Detail from my brother-in-law's Anscochrome slide. Not his car, though. Full size.
I remember Chrysler experimenting with ways to control its nifty, newfangled "Torqueflite" transmissions. The stick on the steering column and the floor shift were just so 1940's. I believe this baby had a short stick coming right out of the dash to select the gear. Our 1958 had a pod of lighted buttons on the dash labeled "P-R-N-D-2-L" hence the term "Jukebox" Drive. That "Firedome" V-8 could smoke the back wheels before you could push from "L" to "2". Ask me how I know. Mmmm, I forgot how much I loved that car.
[The transmission buttons on the '57 DeSoto were the same as on the 1958 models. The lever coming out of the dashboard was on the 1955 cars. - Dave]
I thought, before reading the caption, that the hotel looked like it could be from around my home area. Sure enough... good ol' SB. Gotta love the red roof and the palm trees.
Today, from the hotel's website. Looks like they've done some remodeling and additions, but they've done a good job keeping it to the original style.
[Where are the tailfins? - Dave]
Is now delighting the far highway ...
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