It was 1992 and I was spending the weekend with a friend. While chatting with the friend’s grandfather, he suggested we visit a man named Otto if we were really wanted to talk cars.
So we went to Otto’s house.
Soon after we started talking, Otto stood up and announced he wanted to take his 1929 Ford Model A Tudor for a spin. The Model A fired immediately and we climbed in. About five minutes into it, Otto looked at me and said he was about to make my day. When I asked how, he pulled over and said he was tired of driving. Swapping places with Otto, I took the very long way back to his house, piloting the Model A on city streets and on a state highway.
Twenty-two years later, the memory is as vivid as if it had happened yesterday.
This Model A is the oldest vehicle I have ever driven. What is the oldest vehicle you have driven?
1956 S&S Cadillac Hearse. It was a local car listed on EBay several years ago- so I took it for a test drive. The owner was selling it to finance the “restoration” of a Rolls Royce for use as a daily driver. Sadly, the Rolls was never really put back on the road. I was in the Auction until it went over $12K – and I have no idea where the ’56 ended up or what shape it is in now. More pics are in my Flickr album.
1956 S&S Cadillac Hearse album by Matthew Taylor on Flickr.
Just follow this link to see this album:
https://flickr.com/photos/14668750@N07/sets/72157608139131882
Hi Matt,
That was our car. I bought it in 1982. It had spent the first 26 years of its life at a funeral home in Fayette, MO. We owned it for the next 25 years, but decided to sell it a few years after we bought the Rolls. We actually use the Rolls as a daily driver and have for almost 12 years now. The ’56 S&S sold on eBay for almost $14K and went to collector in Ohio. The buyer ended up having to liquidate his collection and told me the car sold to someone in Australia! Just thought you’d like to know!
1966 Chevy Malibu convertible, 283/PG. The lack of a third gear took some getting used to.
I grew up riding around in my mothers 68 Olds Cutlass S with a 350 rocket and 2 speed powerglide, I became quite accustomed to it when I first started driving and inherited my grandmothers 67 cutlass 4dr with a 330 and 2 spd powerglide, fond memories!
1964 Volvo 1800S, my dad had one. I never forget the way a car feels after I drive it. The Volvo was slow for a modern car but the ride and handling were completely contemporary except for the heavy non-assisted steering. The overdrive made freeway travel comfortable.
The next oldest was a 1967 Mercury Cougar Dan Gurney Special with the 289-2V. I drove it in the 80s and WOW what a huge disappointment. Slow, horrible drum brakes and that perpetual-motion power steering with a million turns lock-to-lock made it feel like a Mr. Magoo car.
I had a similar experience with my oldest, a 65 Mustang with the 289 owned by my wife before we married. It steered, braked, and handled far worse than anything I’d ever driven, including a 71 Plymouth Valiant. The Valiant was much better.
Oldest ride was a Model T at Greenfield Village – loved it.
1941 Chevrolet Master Deluxe 2-door sedan, way back in 1970 and 1971. I drove it every day during my senior year in high school. Unfortunately, in an absent-minded moment on my way to my high school graduation, I ran a red light and hit another car (no injuries, fortunately!) and that was that for the by-then 30-year-old Chevy…. I got familiar with all of its quirks: the starter pedal, the manual choke, the hand throttle, the vent right in front of the windshield, the vacuum wipers that always quit just when I needed them the most. But it was fairly comfortable for a 1941 car, and had lots of room inside. And one could actually work on the thing, unlike so many of today’s cars!
1956 Chevy 1/2 ton pickup. 235 with a 4 speed (granny low 1st gear). Manual brakes and steering. Had that “old school” truck feel!
Oh yeah, and the foot operated starter motor.
1928 Ford Roadster Pickup. The centre mounted accelerator and hand operated advance retard take some getting used to but it shows that driving took more knowledge and skill backintheday.
1948 Vauxhall Wyvern.
I owned a L series Vauxhall though it was a 6 cylinder Velox a 1950 with the 7 inch headlights, other than the strange behaviour of the kneeaction front axle under braking they are the same as a moderner car with 3 speed tree shift
My brother’s 62 Fairlane 6 cylinder 4 door sedan.Good looks,reliable,comfortable and easy to work on and not to bad on the hard stuff
My father had an identical Fairlane in baby blue for a short while. He bought it used and it was still going for a long time after he sold it.
I drove my Grandmother’s 1950 Buick Special (straight 8, dynaflow, 6 volt electrics) to high school and then college for a number of years.
A 1958 Goliath 1100, I car I owned for 6 years, and was manufactured by Carl Borgwards Goliath Car company in Bremen Germany.
Car: 1930 Duesenberg Model J (once), 1937 Buick Special (regularly). Motorcycle: 1930 Indian 101 Scout (regularly).
I remember that Duesenberg story, and remain jealous over it to this day. 🙂
A chance I will never have again, thank God I remember it so well.
Classy!I like your taste in cars and bikes
1952 Chevy pickup.
1963 Buick Special. My grandparents’ car, which they kept in top mechanical shape even as the rear quarters were starting to give in to the tinworm. Since my grandmother had suffered a stroke and my city-bound grandfather never learned to drive, it was offered to the younger folk as possible school transportation.
Aluminum 215 V8 and automatic tranny. Not a tire-burner but not bad. Still had the silly PNDLR shift quadrant though. Brakes solid enough but the steering was the numbest I’ve ever encountered, felt like a rotary potentiometer. And I was comparing it to a 1970 Buick wagon. Outside of that, though, overall feel was tight and nimble, not wallowy at all.
We ended up selling it to a guy with a Skylark coupe of the same vintage who was interested in the engine. Me, I wanted to drop it into a Jensen-Healey.
“…the steering was the numbest I’ve ever encountered, felt like a rotary potentiometer.”
I hope I never encounter steering as bad as that!
“…the steering was the numbest I’ve ever encountered, felt like a rotary potentiometer.”
Try a late 60s/early 70s Ford. In comparison the Saginaw unit in a 70 AMC was a delight.
1976 Ford Torino police package steering felt like the steering wheel was spinning a propeller in a bucket of water. I don’t want to know how the standard power steering felt.
Oldest car I’ve driven? 1962 Chrysler 300, at the time about sixteen years old and clapped out…though the legendary Chrysler motor and TorqueFlite transmission were still faultless. I offered it up to a demolition derby team but it was so rusted out in the rear end, they declined it and I took it to a wrecking yard where it was bought for parts.
I’m guessing this Torino you drove didn’t feel or sound like the Starsky & Hutch car at all!
I am in a tie with Mr. Shafer – the 1929 Ford Model A that I bought from a relative in 1989 and owned until the family outgrew it in 1993. Mine was a coupe with a rumble seat. It was always a blast to drive, so simple and elemental, a straightforward machine.
Second place would be the restored 1936 Plymouth sedan that I test drove when a fellow was selling it in the mid-late 70s. I was probably about 18 and sort of hoped to talk someone I knew into buying it, but that never happened. The old fellow who had owned it for years was very pleasant. It was small inside but smoother and quieter than the A. I recall that the structure was fairly willowy, which surprised me at the time.
Third place would be the 1951 Dodge – flathead 6 and 3 speed manual mated to Fluid Drive.
Oldest non-car would be the John Deere Model B from 1937. Great QOTD, Jason.
A couple of years ago, my mechanic let me drive his ’36 Plymouth. It really wasn’t much bigger in the front seat than a VW. And it did feel a bit willowy too, but then it’s original and more than a bit tired:
https://www.curbsideclassic.com/curbside-classics-american/curbside-classic-1936-plymouth-i-can-take-it-for-a-spin/
’67 Corvair. I was about 10 in 1975 when my parents bought the car as a backup to dad’s ’72 Volvo 244. I was fascinated by the automatic lever on the dash, as well as the way the car would seem to hunker down when placed into “D” (the lever was R-N-D-L; no P). The car had a sorta weird “cane” parking brake.
I was fascinated by that car – compared to my dad’s 4 door Volvo it was like a spaceship. So naturally one day when mom was away I stole the keys and took it for a ride. The controls looked much easier than dad’s Volvo – only two pedals instead of three, no complicated stick shift thingie. Just get in and go, right?
Well, no. OK, put small key into (dash mounted) ignition – check. Twist key and the car comes alive, with that Corvair whirly, spaceship sound. Thankfully mom left it in “N”. Release old lady cane. Foot on brake – move shift lever up to “R” – release foot slowly – the car backs up. No problem.
Good. Now to go forward. Pull the lever down past “N” into “D”, allowing the power of the (I dunno maybe 90 hp) mighty Corvair to be unleashed. Unfortunately, the power was unleashed into a fence before I learned that hitting both pedals did not equal zero.
Would love to have the car today.
My answer to this is rather laughable for someone born in 1953. It was a 1961 Ford F-100 pickup, and this was in late 1971 at work. Someone my age might be expected to list a car or truck made in the 1950s or earlier, but back then vehicles didn’t last as long as they do now, and a 10 yr. old truck was quite elderly, which this one was. It was replaced the following spring. Also, by the early ’70s, most cars were no more than 8-10 years old, and it seems like they were much more affordable then, too. So, among my friends and relatives, I don’t remember anyone owning a car or truck older than about a 1965 once I was old enough to drive. One friend had a 1950 Olds, but it wasn’t his daily driver. Great QOTD!
Good point – I’m about three years older than you and my memories are the same because I grew up in the midwest where cars had a pretty short life span (very different here in SoCal). When my dad and I were looking for my first car in 66, 1960 was pretty much the cutoff year and I bought a 1960 VW Beetle. I can’t recall driving a car much older than that (I believe I drove a friend’s 56 Beetle convertible once or twice but it was not much different than my 60 sedan) though I have ridden in cars from the 50’s (and even a few from the 40’s) that belonged to family and friends when I was kid. Great question, interesting responses.
Same for me…guess I led a sheltered life, but the oldest car I remember driving (as opposed to being a passenger) was my Aunt’s 1969 Olds 98 which my Grandfather was keeping for her…and I’m only about 2 years younger than you.
My Dad changed cars pretty frequently back around the time I started driving, and even the first car I owned (a rusty ’72 Fiat) wasn’t that old, but I lived in the north country back then, and as you say, cars didn’t last very long, that’s part of the reason I think my Father had pretty new cars.
That being said, we did have some long-lived cars in the family; only 5 years ago my mother’s 1988 Ford Tempo was retired (21 year old), eclipsing my Grandfather’s 1951 Chrysler, which my Uncle drove till 1969 (18 year old). But most of the cars I got to drive were relatively recent (at the time I was driving them).
1960 Impala 4 door hardtop with the 283 and powerglide, almost bought it as my first car when I was 16 but my parents were not receptive to the idea understandably. I did get to drive it around town before having my heart broken though, and while battered and in desperate need of a tune up it was a pretty fun experience.
Oh well, I can’t compete here…
In absolute terms, the oldest car I drove was a 1984 Renault 4 which was my dad’s /our family car from 1984 thru 1994 and when I got my license in early 90s, I had many opportunities to drive it.
In relative terms (as in the age of the car at the time I drove it), it was a 1986 Cadillac Eldorado I test-drove in 2013 (it was for sale and I was quite seriously contemplating buying it, but the seller and I could not agree on the price so it never came to be).
I noticed that an Eldorado (even if it was the least loved Caddy from the mid 80s) after 27 years was not only a better design (ok, you would expect as much) but also in a considerably better shape than a merely 10-year old European car (which also had only about half as many kilometers on the clock).
1930 Model A that belonged to a friend. We had an annual Biplane Fall Classic event at the airport I flew out of, and I drove folks out to the flight line for their Stearman or Waco rides. There were a number of older folks who asked if they could ride along, and I heard some tales! Lot of those folks “went a-courtin'” in a Model A…
The oldest motorized vehicle I’ve ridden in was a 1911 Baker Electric at Old Rhinebeck Airdrome. We had gone to see the weekend airshow, which got rained out. Beth was expecting our second, and Son Number One was in a stroller. Cole Palen himself walked over and asked if we’d like a ride back to the parking lot – who could turn that down!
The oldest I’ve actually owned was the 1950 International L-170 I bought to refurbish for hauling hay, but subsequently let go after the tornado took out the machine shed last year. I drove it a total of about 100 yards during my ownership. (c:
1931 Ford Model A Coupe and then a 1932 Chrysler Sedan.
1938 Chevrolet Master Deluxe. Also the first car I owned; I paid $100 for it and drove it home. That was in 1968.
I also, a Ford Model A, unsure of exact year.
Ford Model T Roadster (well I guess that one doesn’t count because it was a street rod with fiberglass body & modern drive train components). So it would be a 1940 Chevrolet Coupe.
In 1972, there was a hippie kid I knew who would putter around downtown Iowa City on warm summer evenings with an original early-20s open Model T tourer that he got out of some old farmer’s garage for next to nothing. We used to pile in and ride around, maybe cruise down to the DQ or out into the country if he felt ambitous. I eventually talked him into letting me drive it, out on a country road; pretty weird, with no foot throttle (hand throttle), and the left foot pedal pushed down to engage low, and released to engage high.
t was more like driving an old tractor, in terms of the odd controls. Chugged like one too. The steering was lighter though. Brakes…I’m trying to remember whether I used the foot pedal (driveline brake) or the hand lever (rear brakes). In any case, they weren’t exactly very strong (also like a tractor). It’s not like one needed to brake much on a hot August night…no other cars out. It was great bopping down that gravel road in the wide open car on a summer’s night.
I’d like to drive one again…if just to refresh the memories.
Always wanted to drive a Model T, to experience this automotive icon just once.
Nice
Figured the bar would be set pretty high for this question.
Oldest I ever drove was the 66 Plymouth mentioned in the Belvedere thread here a few days ago.
Oldest I ever rode in, that I am sure of make/vintage was my Dad’s 51 Studebaker Champion.
Never realized that headlight bezel was just for ornamentation, I thought that was the only thing keeping the headlight from falling out.
I thought that was the only thing keeping the headlight from falling out.
On our 56, the bezel *was* the only thing keeping the headlight from falling out. The mounts for the bulbs were rusted away.
This 56, if you didn’t see the Studebaker thread
1911 White gas powered Roadster I own, Then 1923 Duesenberg Touring I restored.
1954 Buick Century hardtop coupe.
1923 Ford Model T touring car. It was (and still is) owned by a friend from my church. He lived in the country and I got to take it for a spin through his back 40. Pretty neat experience!
Another Model A here, in my case a ’28. A high school friend and his Dad owned it, and I got to drive it around the neighbourhood a couple of times. The deal was you had to be able to start it before you were allowed to drive it. I remember thinking back then that for trips of less than a mile it was probably easier and less tiring to walk!
’30 Ford A.
A 1955 Chrysler 300, transporting a collector friend’s pristine show car from the show grounds to his warehouse in Sacramento about twenty years ago. Sort of a one shot deal, but it probably qualifies as the oldest car I’ve ever personally driven. Scared to death, it drove like a heavy duty tank, albeit a fast one. Next to that, a ’57 Thunderbird E-model, which belonged to a friend in Laguna Beach. Totally restored and completely equipped down to the Dial-a-matic power seat, it, too, drove very heavily, and wallowed all over the road. You felt like the brakes would never kick in when you applied them. Incredible classics, but they couldn’t hold a performance candle next to modern day stuff.
Which reminds me of the comparison one of the car mags did between a Jaguar XK-E, Porsche 356 and a Honda Odyssey minivan.
http://grassrootsmotorsports.com/articles/soccer-moms-revenge/
Don – lucky you, great memories of two iconic automobiles. Reminds me of when my dad and I were shopping for my first car in 66. My wish list was huge and among others, I wanted a used Thunderbird but my budget was really too small for a decent one. We test drove a 60 and a 61. I well recall how different they were from each other. The 60 wallowed all over the road, had very poor brakes, and had not aged well in the midwestern climate with salted roads – significant rocker panel rust. The 61 seemed like a different car, much quieter, smoother, and more refined than the 60. In contrast to the popular trope “they don’t build them liked they used to” that I constantly heard growing up, cars were rapidly improving in the 60s. But none of them compare in terms of performance, economy, safety, features, etc. to the cars we drive today.
I drove a September 1986 built 1987 Chevy Caprice Estate on and off from late 2007 to mid/late 2009.
The two oldest cars I have driven were my family’s 1974 Volvo 164 and my room mate’s 73 or 74 Beetle with Automatic Stickshift. So far the oldest car I’ve owned was my 1978 Scirocco
My first car, a 1950 Mercury. Flathead V-8, three on the tree (actually two; first gear would deselect itself violently, so I started in second), suicide doors, lots of rust. My SIL’s dad gave it to me on condition that i had to get it running and drive it out of his backyard. Um, free car? I got it running.
I drove it through senior year of high school. About a month after graduation it threw a rod and I junked it.
1961 Chevrolet Biscayne. 235 stovebolt, 3 on the tree.
1956 VW bus. Was my older brothers, it needed paint. He took it to Earl Schieb to get the actual $39.95 paint job. This was around 1970. They only had bright orange at that price, so bright orange it was. The crankshaft broke going up the grapevine, so we found a motor for $75.00 at a junkyard. Turned out it was a 25 hp engine! Had the old non-syncro 1st gearbox. It actually ran pretty darn good, and got great gas mileage. I blame him for my VW obsession. We went all over the place in that old bus, good times. It had the JC Whitney side scoops, cut out rear wheel openings with fiberglass flairs and chevy wheel adaptor’s and chrome wheels with larger rear tires. In 1972 I made wood bumpers for it in high school wood shop after he got a ticket for no bumpers.
My 1926 Star. In case you’re wondering, cars have gotten a bit better since Coolidge was president.
Wasn’t that one of the cars built by Durant in one of his periods of exile from GM?
Yeah. That was his competitor to the Chevrolet.
Oldest I’ve driven: 1956 Cadillac Fleetwood Sixty Special on original sabre spoke alloys! Car had been converted to RHD. The owner had disabled the secondary chokes since he didn’t use them. That was all OK, it went fine. Stopping the thing smoothly with overboosted drums was an art. My unrestrained son was thrown from the rear seat at one point. All good fun in hindsight.
Oldest I’ve ridden in: 1924 Buick Master 6 Tourer. Turning circle of a large rigid chassis truck and freezing to ride in on even a 40 deg C day. The owner who instructs drivers for the emergency services made it roll along smoothly and without apparent effort but I know better than to try.
I always get a kick out of seeing old cars moving along with contemporary traffic and being used as originally intended.
Followed a 1930 Oldsmobile through Napier this morning it easily kept pace with traffic, its a local rental car so I see it lots.
I’m with Paul–early Ford T…with lovely brass radiator and headlights. I love the way all 20 horsepower are available from about 1500 rpm.
I feel very inexperienced in comparison with most comments above! Oldest car I’ve ridden in was either a 1963 EJ Holden wagon or a 1965/66 HD or HR Holden. Oldest car I ever drove was in 1992/3, and was an acquaintance’s 1970 Mazda RX2. That was only around the block though, so the oldest car I regularly drove was in 1992, my first car, a 1971 Ford Escort 1300XL. Like some of the commentators above, the cars I’ve driven all made strong and lasting impressions on me. I remember the feel of the Escorts door handle, having to slam the door just so to close it, the wind whistles from the A-pillar, etc etc. #reminiscing! Edit: although I owned a 1936 Dodge for 5 years, I never actually drove it (motor turned but it needed full restoration). I did sit behind the steering wheel numerous times and imagined driving it though! When I sold it, I sat behind the wheels and steered it for 10 metres as we towed it out of the storage shed, so maybe that kind of counts!
1931 Model A Victoria. Black roof and fenders, gray body, cream wheels. Aside from the timing advance on the steering hub, the car was quite modern and had no problem navigating San Juan traffic in 1965. I was dressed in my preppie best-Madras shirt, white Levi Caifornians, and Bass Weejuns.
Lookin’ good! Thanks for sharing.
Guess that would have to be the 1957 Chevy I learned to drive on. TWO DOOR WAGON stripper which was dad’s commuter car and ‘second car’.
1929 Chevy pickup, a barn find that I helped my uncle get running. I learned about babbit con rod bearings, torque tube driveshaft, and how to use an easy out when I broke off a bolt. It was used as a parade vehicle for my high school at football games, etc. Mechanical brakes were a little scary.
1964 Impala
’54 Chevy BelAir 2-door sedan. Daily driver in 1975-76. Fun times…
Four ‘A’ Model Fords , all daily drivers up into the 1990’s , they were good little cars then and now if a bit crude .
When I lived in Guatemala City in 1976 I found , purchased , rebuilt then rode everywhere a 1937 EL Harey Davidson KnuckleHead Motocycle , that one was a hoot .
1935 & 1937 John Deere “A’ & “B” model tractors on the Dairy Farm in New Hampshire in the 1960’s , lots and lots of 1940’s & 1050’s cars & light duty trucks back when they were just $35 ” old cars ” .
And a 1948 VW Beetle I wish I’da kept .
-Nate
Oldest drive remains my 1977 Buick Electra 225 sedan. Have really come to appreciate its overall simplicity. It’s not a fast or notably powerful car but somehow feels more responsive and exciting knowing that when you ask it to operate, that action is purely mechanical or electrical and was not directed by some sensor.
Oldest ride was in a 1951 Chevrolet truck. Not a pickup, a bigger one with wood fencing on the sides. Parents’ friend owned it and we used it to move some items. My mother allowed me to ride in it with great trepidation since it had no seatbelts. Had to tell me about the child of friends of friends who was killed in seatbetless old car. Went on the ride anyway. Just remember the primitive shift, and all the metal, and the great view over the hood.
On private property: 1958 Chevy Bel Air 4-door sedan with 283 V8 and Powerglide.
On public roads: 1959 Chevrolet Bel Air 4-door sedan with Stovebolt Six (235 cu. in.) and 3-on-the-tree.
Both were 2-tone brown and white!
I’d like to drive a car older than me (I’m a ’52 model).
Oldest I’ve properly driven was a 1980 Toyota Corolla in the early ’90s (it was so rusty I should probably say “most of an ’80 Corolla”), but I’ve steered a ’67 VW Beetle while it was being pushed with another car a few years before that and I sat on my dad’s lap while he moved a ’55 Chevy pickup around the yard as a little kid in the late ’70s.