(first posted 10/13/2011) Vintage parking lots are always a worthwhile place to hang out, so I spent breakfast looking for some vintage shots to share with you. This one is my favorite, because it just instantly takes me back to Towson, circa 1971, although it’s actually Austin, Texas. There’s a couple of interesting imports in here too (other than about a half-dozen VWs, that is). Notice anything missing? Trucks! Not one anywhere! (Update: Ok, there is a red one back there, but it doesn’t tower over the rest of them like today’s.)
High school lots are always good. Don’t know where this is, but it looks like someone’s got a scooter, maybe a Lambretta?
This high school lot is from Chicago. Old Chevvies are popular here!
Here’s one from Toronto. The proof is in the “narrow-track” 1960 Pontiacs, which rode on Chevy underpinings up north.
Sunday morning in 1965. Somewhere.
Miami, probably 1959 or 1960.
I didn’t note the location. Anyone recognize it?
Mill Valley High School. I bet there were some fine cars there. And looks like some old ones too.
The parking lot at Old Faithful. RVs everywhere. I think I recognize some of them being used by the homeless here now.
A military base in Taiwan.
Somewhere, in a galaxy far away…
Or just an alternative reality, like Disneyland.
Here’s another from the Magic Kingdom. Nice Dodge taxi.
An airport, somewhere.
Shopping, pre-WalMart, in Murray, Utah. Well, my breakfast is over, so now it’s your turn to waste some time. Just don’t let the boss catch you!
My theory on why two door full size cars were so popular back then and completely went away is because of child safety seats. Try and deal with a child seat from only the front doors. My father would not buy a four door car because we were not restrained in back and his fear of us opening the door and falling out. The ’63 Rambler Classic was his first four door, and he had seat belts installed all around.
Granted, style and cheapness came into play, as a two door coupe was the cheapest body style, biggest seller and the stylists tended to do the two door roof first, then the four doors and wagons, with sometimes awkward results.
Nikita, you are right on the money about the coupes. Plus success and prestige of vehicles like the Coupe deVille, Mark IV and Eldorado solidified that it was not only the better looking car but you were successful if you had one.
My observation, and it may be inaccurate, is just that there’s a greater variety of color in the color photos. There doesn’t appear to be an endless sea of blacks, whites, silvers and greys.
I think you’re right. There was a piece here not long ago based on NY State car registrations, which demnostrated quite a shrinkage in the number of different exterior colors over time.
Seconded. Donut Media did a YouTube spot on this recently. Mostly all about not shrinking your resale pool. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ab2u-iGN3uk&vl=en
Also, more authoritatively, Consumer Reports: https://www.consumerreports.org/consumerist/a-brief-history-of-car-colors-and-why-are-we-so-boring-now/
The lead pic really shows the US auto market oligopoly of the time: the majority of the cars are GM products, pretty closely followed by Ford, there’s a sprinkling of Chrysler products and VWs, and a scant dusting of anything else.
Here’s my contribution.
The grocery store on the left in the Toronto photo is a Loblaws store. Their window signage is about Food Stamps. I remember my Mom getting a little booklet into which I would help her paste in the weekly haul of stamps.
The license plates are still six numeric digits at that time. Owners were issued a brand new plate every year in alternating colours, dark on white or vice versa. I would help my Dad affix them on the appointed day the plates arrived or were picked up. A screwdriver is quite possibly the only tool he owned.
My mom talks about how she always felt like she stuck out like sore thumb when she was a teenager and would have to drive her father’s pickup (he was one who actually NEEDED a truck for his home renovation business) She’d say while she certainly appreciated him lending her his truck so she could get to work, she felt so out of place driving a big lumbering truck in town to go to work. When she got herself a car, she bought a ’77 Toyota Celica.
It’s a sentiment she has today, aside from a brief stint with a 1st gen Explorer, she drives small or mid size cars (currently a Focus ST) and isn’t a fan of driving my dad’s crew cab F150.
SemiOT: Vintag.es has some pics from the upscale parts of West Berlin in 1957. VWs and MBs are present but NOT dominant. Most of the traffic is Opels and Taunuses. I see one unfamiliar microcar. The big stoplight on the trunk suggests a Gutbrod, but that’s not definite.
https://www.vintag.es/2021/03/berlin-summer-1957.html
Spotted several Rambler cars as well. It is interesting that the first photo notes only one truck. I wonder if any of the full size station wagons could fit a 4×8′ panel. Then again, maybe 4×8′ sheetrock wasn’t the standard back then. I believe the later 1970s Chevy Caprice and Buick Roadmaster wagons could fit them.