When carriers change port it also meant the entire crew changed port and the town they lived in. So to facilitate the move of the crew carriers would ship all their cars on the flight deck to the next port as seen here.
I rarely run across these photos but this is a new one for me. The time frame could be late 70s to early 80s based on the cars was my first impression. Second impression are the white license plates from the state they are leaving. Washington State and Bremerton would be very likely. Having been around NAS North Island and then NAS Alameda, and knowing which carriers used those home ports, I scoured naval archive sites. Found it to be the USS Constellation returning to her home port of San Diego, saw her there through the 70s, after a complex overhaul in Bremerton 1984. Note the position of the cars here are aft as you can see the Optical Landing Signal Lights at the top.
The Mercury LN7 (grey car, RH side, four rows up from the bottom) says this photo is at least late 1981. Note the Citation X-car in front of it also.
The LN7 does stand out and makes in 1981 for sure.
But all the other cars could conceivably be 1979 or older. The “1980” Citation was on the streets in force by Sept 1979.
The Fairmont/Zephyr coupe, third row up from bottom, and Monte Carlo same row, could be 1978-80.
I’m kinda shocked to see a 57 Chevy (two cars up from turquoise/blue Beetle) at this point in time, in this group.
Interesting to see two 77-79 Impala/Caprice coupes.
Neat picture, I did not know Navy did this… great story, thanks for sharing.
Yeah, I noticed that 57 also.
The Pinto, Gremlin, and Beetles jumped out at me.
So far, I have counted exactly 0 SUVs.
Vanilla Dude, count again. I see a Blazer and Scout for starters.
Not today’s Suvs but I spot 2 suvs of that era; a Blazer and a Scout. Lots of pickups with caps probably served a similar purpose. Great. Story!
Those Scouts ran forever. Rusted like mad but kept running.
I see a Ford EXP – Mercury LN7 along the right hand edge. I’m guessing the photo was taken in the mid ’80s.
I note that most of the pickups have bed covers. I guess this the norm back then for those who lived on or near the base. I guess SUVs addressed this issue as a place to store things out of site or sleep in during camping.
There’s plenty of car enthusiasts in attendance. 76 Trans Am in full plumage, 64 Plymouth, with chrome reverse steelies, suggesting it’s someone’s hot rod, and a Volvo P1800. Nice.
Edit, the Volvo might be a Corolla, or Jensen Healey !! ha, not sure
In the early 80s those were just used cars.
I’ve heard that the Navy allowed this, but I never thought they would pretty much fill the boat with the cars. I imagine if we were attacked while it was at sea, cars overboard!
When the Navy is transporting personnel vehicles like this, it’s not for a deployment operation. It’s moving the ship to a new home base, or drydock for the periodic overhaul of the ship.
My brother got his F-100 Pickup, transported to the Philly shipyard on the Mighty USS Saratoga CV60 like this.
He still owns the F-100
As I said the Connie was making her way back to her home port of San Diego after spending 13 months in Bremerton undergoing a complex overhaul. That was completed and she was transiting back to San Diego now in 1984.
Note many cars have white plates even though the ship came up from San Diego just over a year earlier. Shows that much of the crew has rotated out to other billets or have been discharged while a new crew boarded in Washington State.
I’ve also heard that cars transported this way were supposedly very vulnerable to rust and that it was generally not advised to transport your car this way, at least if you planned to keep your car for very long.
Looks like a Mrs.Falbo’s Tiny Town spec ’74 Satelite at the top right next to the red Toyota truck
The thing that sticks out to me is the Jartran trailer. Jartran went out of business not too long after this picture was taken. Where I was living at the time there was a sole Jartran dealer in an old school service station. I don’t know the specifics but when Jartran went out of business the owner somehow kept possession of the trucks and trailers. A little white paint and he had J tran trailers and trucks.
I’m interested in the 73-74 Roadrunner at the top, it has what at first glance a with what appears to be a white canopy vinyl top but the shape is of the rare factory sunroof. The panel suggests perhaps it had a white canopy top to match but was peeled off, leaving just the patch of sunroof in white.
The two big Chevy,s in the same color combo and the Gremlin caught my eye.
What I noticed right away were the two mid-60s Beetles next to each other. Mind you this picture is circa 1984. There is also what seems to be a 67 Cougar. I am partial to Cougars. Last, if my eyes don’t deceive me one Mustang II in red.
I located a bow shot of the ship and as you can see the entire flight deck was filled with cars. Just for those that don’t know when a carrier heads into her home port most all of the air wing attached to the ship has left the ship for their home base on land. So no aircraft on this move. Once in San Diego, and the cars off, a new air wing would come from Miramar most likely (Lemoore today).
1984? Totally certain?
Not to argue, I only recognize one car that is 100% post-1980 (the LN7), and none the commenters point out any later cars.
GIs, at least those in the Air Force and Army, tended to buy more new cars (and also tended to have more OLD cars than average). They like cars, and since reassignments made buying a house more complicated, and/or they lived on base housing, they could spend more of their take home on a car.
I would think in all these cars, there might be one 1983/84 (a square Civic; a Rabbit GTI; maybe a Ranger or S-10 pickup or a FWD A-car).
Also, lots of early 70s and quite a few late 60s cars.
1984 or not, it is a neat picture.
Yes, totally sure, and the month of February.
https://www.navsource.org/archives/02/64a.htm
The ‘57 Chevy near the top of the photo seems to be the oldest car by far, just 25 years old. If taken today, a 25 year old Corolla, Tacoma or Chevy pickup would just blend in with the other cars.
Next to the Gremlin is a 1959ish Ford pickup. The VW Beetle’s are of 1959-66 vintage. The Ford van in front of the dark Beetle could be pretty old too. The turquoise and white pick up next to the 57 Chevy is old too.
I’m trying to make the green mini pickup with the white shell on the lower left. I think there are 5 letters on the tailgate, so maybe Mazda?
Datsun 620 I believe, the D is out of frame.
Thanks!
Interesting to not the preponderance of mid-size and full-size coupes (not surprising as I suspect there’d be a lot of single men onboard). What happened to all the two door buyers?
What happened to all the two door buyers?
Probably not a single thing that led to the near demise of the two-door, but the requirement to have children in car seats – and the widespread introduction of standard rear seat child safety door locks – probably paid a part.
2 doors boomed in a strong youth market, while today the median new car buying age is now 53 years old. Blame student loan debts, paltry starting salaries, job insecurity and urban lifestyles for largely keeping younger buyers out of the market who otherwise might still prefer that bodystyle if it hadn’t mostly gone away. By the time they can afford new and need a car they’re starting families where 4(or 5) doors are a necessity in that stage of life.
I’ll take the 1957 Chevy, the ’71-72 Charger, the ’73-74 Roadrunner, the Blazer/Jimmy and the 70-73 Camaro next to the LN7.
does anybody know what that little red car is in the lower left of the pic ? at first I thought it was an austin america but now not so sure. also there are hardly any japanese cars like celicas or 240zs on board which seems odd.
Volkswagen 1600 ‘squareback’ probably a 70s one too going by the big square bumpers.
Motorcycles? My Honda CB350 travelled from Alameda(?) California to Newport News, Virginia on USS Enterprise CVAN-65 in 1968 for a lengthy overhaul, along with several other motorcycles.
This is the first thing that came to mind after seeing the first picture. I don’t think I would have been a good fit for military service. That and having a former drill instructor for a stepfather made me incorrigible to their ways.
https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=https://m.youtube.com/watch%3Fv%3DJ48cfZxCOoQ&ved=2ahUKEwjBnsuMotT4AhVWl2oFHSfQAf4Qo7QBegQICxAF&usg=AOvVaw1s1Osp6IdvM1nMwlDrQ1Sh
Late to the party as usual, but the ’79 Ford Fairmont Futura in red and silver two-tone jumped right out at me, having had a midnight blue example in my younger wilder days. 😉