Troublesome 50s
I’m still frustrated by the choice of body styles, but I’ve re-written this post, to not only show off my 1950s Olympus models, but also, I dropped some names in the original, which I guess is a big no-no.
1951
Anyway, as we know, 1950s United States, was a booming era of post-war excess. The Rathbone boys, and their investors had to be smart with their money if they wanted to maintain a viable company. Unlike most independents who lacked the resources to turn-over their models quickly, Olympus saw the need to keep their styles fresh. In order to justify the costs, designers included some opulent flourishes, sure to make the 1951 Virgo an instant classic.
1951 also saw the release of the Sagittarius Roadster; a luxury roadster, similar in design, although much tamer than the Pantheon Challenger XS that had debuted a year before. The extra year was due to designers not being able to decide on a suitable grille for the vehicle. Some early 1951s got one, while all the others got the grille that won out.
1952
Having spent so much time wrestling with the final design of the Sagittarius, Olympus decided to put off the new Libra coupe, until 1952. This staggering of styles would continue until the 1970s.
