There is no shortage of photos of the famous Hollywood and Vine intersection. Color photos are less plentiful, but you can still find them. But how many of them feature a gleaming white Jaguar XK-120 parked out front of the Broadway-Hollywood department store? My friend at the Petersen Automotive museum said the car falls somewhere between 1948 and 1954. The Capitol Records building opened in 1956, so I’m guesstimating this photo at circa mid-to-late 1950s. Whatever the actual year, I’m just jealous of the Jaguar owner because he found a parking spot so close to Hollywood and Vine.
Keith J. says: “Earliest possible date for this shot is 1960, because… second car from the right is a white ’60 T-Bird. In front of that, just peeking out with a tail fin, is a 1959 DeSoto. Parked behind your Jag is a 1958 Buick.”
This is how that view looked in June 2024. The store is now a building of condos, but otherwise, it’s not all that different. However, I don’t know what brand that white car is, but it isn’t anywhere near as stylish as the Jaguar!
Isn’t that a 1958 T-Bird on the right and the car behind the Jag should be identifiable. But it’s quad headlight also. When did they become legal?
The car parked behind the Jag is a ’58 Buick (quad headlights) and the Thunderbird headed away from the camera is a ’59 or ’60.
Tell our friend LK that Peter says hello
The car behind the Jag is a ’59 Ford. The bumper is wrong for a ’58 Buick but correct for a ’59 Ford and the windshield is also ’59 Ford.
The T-Bird is a ’60 (3 taillights per side — the ’59 only had 2 per side). You could buy a ’60 model starting in fall ’59.
Not sure but the little white sports car made an appearance in Martin’s June 18th posting of Van De Kamps. They are very similar.
That motorist must have been a man-about-town.
The first thing I noticed after that beautiful blue sky was the Jaguar. Thanks for identifying it. I’m not that knowledgeable about older models. It’s gorgeous.
It was the fastest car made at the time. Truly beautiful to look at too.
Jay Leno’s take on it:
https://m.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=1&v=YzNNisfd2C4&embeds_referring_euri=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.designindex.org%2F&source_ve_path=Mjg2NjY