‘Editor’s Photos’

Last week, I featured some neat photos from reader Coy Thomas, which appeared in the “Reader Photos” section of Old Cars Weekly. This week, I feature a few photos from…

Last week, I featured some neat photos from reader Coy Thomas, which appeared in the "Reader Photos" section of Old Cars Weekly. This week, I feature a few photos from my own collection, so I'll call this "Editor's Photos."
The images below were taken on Jan 31, 1957, during the Chinese New Year parade in San Francisco's Chinatown. There are a few celebrities, including former Duesenberg owner Ben Blue, as well as the parade's royalty, but the real stars are the cars, of course.
Enjoy the pics!

Check out this slick lineup: a modified 1955 Cadillac Eldorado convertible (check out the hideously hogged-out wheel openings, exaggerated tailfins and round parking lamps), the MG-TF, the 1955 Cadillac Series 62 convert (more on this car below) and a 1956 Lincoln convert at the back. Parade big wigs certainly rode in class!

Wow! Check out this sharp 1955 Caddy drop top! It's like brand-new, even though it's a two-year-old car. Oh, yeah, the Chinese New Year parade princess and comedian Ben Blue are pictured in the Cadillac, too.

More sweet convertibles worth drooling over. Pictured here is a 1955 Chrysler convertible, a 1953 Packard Caribbean and a 1957 Chevrolet Bel Air convertible behind it. The sedan behind the Chebby is harder to identify. Any thoughts?

That's a brand-new Ford being hauled on a flatbed behind a trolley. No explanation is given for the Ford's royal behavior. Perhaps it's a prize during the festivities? Or maybe officials are being making an example out of the Ford, whose owner parked in a tow-away zone during the parade's set up.

Angelo Van Bogart is the editor of Old Cars magazine and wrote the column "Hot Wheels Hunting" for Toy Cars & Models magazine for several years. He has authored several books including "Hot Wheels 40 Years," "Hot Wheels Classics: The Redline Era" and "Cadillac: 100 Years of Innovation." His 2023 book "Inside the Duesenberg SSJ" is his latest. He can be reached at avanbogart@aimmedia.com