CC reader Brad A. asked if I’d ask you all this question. He really wanted his folks to buy a Camaro Z28 in the early ’80s, as a replacement for the family ’78 Impala sedan.
Me? Depends which Niedermeyer car we’re replacing with the Not-Niedermeyer car.
In 1965, instead of the dull Coronet wagon, it would have been this Bonneville Safari wagon, with the optional Tri-Power 376 hp 421, of course. And the 4-speed stick shift…on second thought, the 4-speed Hydramatic, so my mom could drive it too, as she was a significantly more confident driver than my dad. But since we’re dreaming, how about that couple up there in the rendering become my parents to go along with the Bonnie? And the boat? A kid can dream, no?
I have many times wondered how my parents put up with little car nut me in terms of choosing the family car. Anyway I made the occasional useful contribution but was like with almost everything else not in the loop, and besides as in the stories above would have recommended a Citroen DS or a Ford Consul or some other eccentric kid obsession choice, depending on what age.
But we’re talking 1950’s Cheapskate Dad. Studebaker Champion, Plymouth Plaza, Chevrolet Yeoman, Ford Falcon. It had to be a bargain somehow, even if it really wasn’t. Every single one a six, way before BMW made them cool.
Then when I was first away at college I heard from my younger sister about a (used) new red 1967 Ford two door. I pictured one of those notchback Custom two door sedans with the dog dish hub caps. Probably metallic beige. At Christmas I found a red Galaxie semi-fastback two door hardtop with factory AC, etc. in the driveway. Black vinyl interior.
The Galaxie had rather heavy yet numb power steering and probably not that exact handling. But the body/frame design from 1965 really worked. Quiet, low road noise and no harshness. Plus 390 V8 sound and torque. Everyone’s favorite car ever, including my mother’s, a Country Squire aspirant who had suffered all those years with the dog dish hubcap, rubber floor mat, six cylinder penalty box mobiles.
But check it out. This is a seriously good looking car, although not know as any kind of design icon. All the lines and shapes are extremely well done.
If I were to make a list of cars as design icons the 1965 Ford Galaxie would be in there somewhere. A clean sheet design, very new and pure and rectilinear. The 1967 face lift version only shares internal structure and windshield, and while continuing the same identity is really a different animal in terms of overall design.
Detail design on cheaper cars has improved a lot since then. Cheap but dimensional plastichrome grilles etc.have replaced cheap stamped bits on lower end cars, etc. But if you ignore those limitations, again this is a very good looking car.
Too much to mention. Just a few of them: Ford Capri 2.8i (in black), Ford Granada Mk2 2.8i, any second gen Opel KAD-series, Citroën CX GTi (in dark blue metallic), Peugeot 604.
What we really had, in chronological order: Simca 1100, Ford Fiesta 1100S, Ford Fiesta 1300S.
Growing up in England in the early 1970s, as a 10 year old I wished my dad would get a Rover 2000. One day he did and I was completely overjoyed. Unfortunately it was rusty and hardly a runner – I only remember one journey in it before it was disposed of.
He then had a Morris 1800 company car and spent my time telling him to get a Wolseley 6 instead. As an 11 year old everything was so simple.
I really like that Bonneville wagon at the top. I liked wagons as a kid, and it’s something I would have liked my dad to bring home. My personal favourites were the big Fords from 1965-1970. They wouldn’t need the fake wood, but the room and styling would have worked for me. A big Galaxie from the same period (4-door or 2-door hardtop) would have been great as well. The 2-door ‘67 Beaumont (6, Powerglide, non-functional AM radio) we had just wasn’t the same. My dad made pretty good money, but he didn’t really like to spend a lot of money on cars.
Back in the 80’s we were a Family of 5 persons (my parents, my 2 sisters and me), and we needed a family car, capable also to pull our caravan for holidays.
We had a Chrysler-Simca 1308GT thall fell apart because of the rust.
I wanted my dad to buy a 5-door Chevrolet Citation, because I always liked Chevrolets, but his budget was not big enough.
I found him a used Renault 20TS in very good near new condition, and this time he agreed and bought the Renault.
I turned 18 when we had it, and after having got my driving license, I also could drive this car which was a great pleasure!
We were tent camping with the ’65 Impala wagon. The local Ford dealer was also an El Dorado camper dealer. Got dad to look at something like this, but could not convince him to buy. My younger brother wanted a boat.