This picture graced my family Christmas Card this year, the fourth in a series of at least five. Next year, the Dirty Dart’s scheduled to be up, but for now, let’s take a stroll down memory lane at four years of cards and wonder why everybody doesn’t do an old car themed holiday.
Last year was the Mustang’s turn, as is only fitting after 45 years in my family. Capturing it while it was not torn apart in some way was difficult, but we managed.
The Corvair earned its keep by posing in our 2012 picture, even if the theme reeked of fall leaves more than dashing sleighs.
And last but not least, our ’53 Buick kicked off this theme in 2011, and it was my lovely bride’s idea in the first place. We had actually used our cats for several years and needed something new to try. Who knows where will go when we run out of cars to photograph? Maybe I’ll have to buy more cars, or maybe move on to my antique bicycle collection.
Until then, I’ll leave you with some holiday cheer compliments of the Dirty Dart, which is a little dirtier thanks to some pine needles. Happy Holidays!
A wonderful idea! Enjoyed it! Merry Christmas & Happy New Year! 🙂
Very nice! Excellent idea.
Beautiful idea, and inspirational. I want that Corvair.
Hopefully, next year, my car will be a restored 1983 Yamaha Venture Royale. Went out to see is yesterday, and it’s as promised: Filthy (well, it’s been sitting in a dry, weather tight, concrete floor, garage since 1995), but its complete, the bodywork is in excellent condition, the chrome has only started to show a bit of intermittent rust (I’ve saved way worse on antique bicycles), and my mechanic can’t wait to tear into the carburetors and fuel tank.
So I’ll be back collecting antique motorcycles again – on this time, Japanese, not British.
Your bride sure is lovely. The cars are too. Merry Christmas to all!
What a lovely collection of cars.
These are all beautiful cars, but that Skylark! That is one of the most beautiful buick’s ever made!!
+1 and then some… very classy looking car.
Everyone have a great week.
It may not be as classy right at this second. About an hour and a half ago I started tearing into it, and this is what I have…
It’s almost certainly the original lower end. It runs great, but it’s been taking five or six seconds to build oil pressure on a cold start, so I’m going to check out the clearances on the oil pump, add a booster, replace the (loose) original timing set, and clean out the sump and pickup. Buicks have weird oiling systems; the oil pump is in the timing cover.
Storage!
Oil pump and timing cover…
A most excellent series of cards! In any event, you have nearly two years to deal with the question of what to photograph in 2016. Personally, I think it’s time to add an independent to your collection. Although I am partial towards Studebakers, perhaps an AMC would be a decent alternative. 🙂
Well, an Avanti’s out of my price range, so that’s a no go. Maybe a ’65 American hardtop? Jeepster Commando? Jeep pickup?
These are all possibilities…………. 🙂
’65 American would be a great choice. They retain most of the ’64 styling (see my avatar) but have the modern 232 available.
That is one good looking Skylark.
I think it’s a great idea, but I doubt my wife would be equally enthusiastic about incorporating my cars in the Christmas card pictures. I’m sure she’d rather have us tobogganing or building a snowman or something.
Merry Christmas!
That baby Byooie is such a pretty car.
Maybe ask the lovely bride what SHE wants on the card next year? 😉
The car idea was hers…the final decision for the card is always hers. She picks the car and the setting; I just make sure the car is operational and reasonably clean. I also set up the camera and timer. 🙂
That’s the right answer, young Skywalker. 🙂
You, Aaron, are a CC Rock Star if ever there was one.
Gotta be a hardcore gar guy to drive ’em everyday like you do. I was once there, driving my ’57 150 2-door sedan thru all the elements of Northeast weather for six years while re-doing it.
Can’t wait for the chance to do it again. Merry Christmas!
As much as I love being called a rock star, most of the cars are fair weather drivers. 🙂 I do drive them a lot when it’s nice, but as soon as salt or snow hit the ground, they’re in the garage. It’s been unseasonably dry so far, so I’ve been driving the Dart pretty much every weekend (which has been great).
Being a bit of a beater, the Dart is the perfect colder weather old car. I have been having a blast with it.
This is an awesome idea! Perhaps some of us could use this as a reason to get a few more cars….
It’s also just a good idea to get a periodic picture of yourself with the Mrs. The only picture the Mrs. and I have had together in years was at Halloween. My wearing a tie with an Hawaiian shirt and bib overalls while having a cigar in my mouth isn’t the most flattering. Your pictures are really good.
Now you have an excuse! Get out the Galaxie! 🙂
Jason, I understood you normally dressed like that…..;-)
Roger, notice how I did not admit to also being barefooted.
Everybody needs a Dirty Dart, the car that does the real work while the others pose for pictures.
+1
Agreed! Here’s my dirty Dart (78 Squire) on tree hauling duty. Need to let some air out of the rear shocks. 🙂
Nice Christmas Card ! .
I like the (?) ’53 Buick the best .
Glad to hear you hide them away when the salt comes out .
I made a nice Christmas photo a couple times with my Work Trucks , illuminated wreaths on the grille and my fat self in a Santa Hat standing next t them but I don’t know how to make cards out of electronic photos .
-Nate
Great pictures! Merry Christmas everyone!
I covet your ’53 Buick. What a face.
Thanks for sharing, and Merry Christmas.
+1
Thanks for all the contributions you have shared with us, I’ve enjoyed every one of them.
When I saw that photo of your bikes last week, I wanted to encourage you to share those as well. “Kickstand Classics”? Kool Lemon or Radiant Coppertone are faves. Cats are cool, too. I have one here admiring your cars right now.
Merry Christmas!
Fantastic idea, and well played, Sir. My red Cinquecento will look great next year if I can find a big Santa Hat for it like the one on the Heinkel in that other post. Maybe elf ears would be even better? Here’s my Holiday card, as sent to my airplane fan buddies, made from my visit on Sunday to see the Constellation at Greenwood Lake Airport in West Milford, NJ. Merry Christmans and Happy Holidays, everybody!
Awesome cars! My favourite cars are the 1964-65 Buick Skylark. I like the Corvair. I also like the “Dirty Dart” wagon. Happy Holidays. 🙂
Very nicely done – makes me think I need to get back to sending out cards…I did until a couple years ago (almost alone amongst friends who were still childless) but life intervened. Maybe the car theme is a good one, though I don’t know if the lady would go for it!
Happy Holidays to all indeed!
You must have a great understanding wife to come up with the CC Christmas car theme. A great collection of rides, I would be jealous except that’s not in the Holiday Spirit. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
Brilliant!
CCs that earn their keep for the benefit of a wider audience. And so well done, too. In the same spirit, I propose future cards showing the cars at beautiful tourist spots and resorts (that are identifiable contemporaries of the cars if possible – I love spending other people’s hard earned dollars).
Best wishes for the season, looking forward to further reports of mechanical progress and unalloyed joy in 2015.
Thank you for sharing, and have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
Great idea, and I’ve missed 3 years of the same red MX-5 on a card!
Aaron, you have outstanding taste in cars and women – I’d kill for any one of these, but I’m especially feeling the Corvair and Skylark photos. The Corvair one looks like it was actually taken in 1963 and the Skylark is just so damn pretty! The two of them together work almost like a before-and-after; a college couple putting up the tree in their first apartment together, and then a few years later they’re married with a house in the suburbs and a Buick.
*1965 (I know someone is gonna correct me – obviously it’s not a ’63 Corvair)
Nicely done Aaron! What a great way to trace your cars (and your own!) gracefully aging through the years. Love the Dirty Dart, looking forward to next year’s card!
I don’t do Christmas cards but I do usually post this photo up around Christmas time.
It’s from 2012 with my parent’s, my grandmother’s and my aunt’s Christmas trees on the top of my 1963 Standard Microbus. The people at the tree farm came out and took pictures of it for themselves and the guys loading the trees up said it was by far the coolest vehicle they’d loaded trees onto.
Thanks for sharing your Christmas photos, they’re great! My favorite is the Corvair. It’s a great shot without taking away from the great-looking couple! You are blessed.
Very nice. 🙂
In December of 2003, my Aerostar’s transmission had a nervous breakdown, so I ended up driving the Chrysler for about a month. Definitely the easiest tree transporting I’ve done.
Dan, do you still have that Chrysler?
Last week, I was seriously ogling a ’65 Newport HT in that color on Ebay. It was in Fowlerville, and it looked like it was legit…went for $5600.
In case Dan doesn’t see this, I’m sure that he still has his ’65 Chrysler.
I do still have it. 10 years later the quarters don’t look any better, and it needs another new top, but it’s still a blast to drive. 🙂
That Newport does look nice, but the rust through on the inner front fender makes me wonder what else is hiding.
Oh, I forgot. I DO have a Christmas tree shot. Here’s a Polaroid my Dad sent me in December of 1971. I was studying in Rome, and didn’t see this car in the metal until June of the next year. He had just bought it, and it was his first collector car, a 1927 Hudson Super Six Brougham (see the fake landau irons?). We had a ball with that car for years. I painted it maroon with rose wheels and accents. The body was aluminum. Very strong runner. Great at 55 mph on the Interstate. And the photo shows, good for hauling a Christmas tree.
Love the Buick GS & Corvair 2nd. No broughams? Keep driving & writing. Merry Christmas to all at CC.