This looks to be from 1967 or 1968. What do you think?
Vintage Snapshot: Lake of the Ozarks, 1960s
– Posted on December 4, 2024
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Curbside Classics Archives
This looks to be from 1967 or 1968. What do you think?
I’m going to say 1968. I see a 1968 or 69 Mercury Montego. Also there is a 1967 or 68 Plymouth that looks more 1968 to me. As well the two Chrysler Town & Countries look more 1968 than 1967.
I also think it’s 1968. It looks like the Oldsmobile has a 1968 Missouri license plate (a distinctive plate because it’s green with thick white dies for the letters & numbers).
Whoa, Nelly! That’s an overdose of pure CC goodness right there! 😉
Yeah, that is quite a sight from a CC viewpoint, but I sure wouldn’t want to spend any of my vacation time in such a place. What a tangled up mess!
Sadly, here on Vancouver Island we have a couple of well known tourist destinations that trade on thier reputation as natural wonderlands that don’t look much different in the summer, just much less interesting vehicles!
That’s quite a shot! I’ve heard Lake of the Ozarks described as a man-made lake surrounded by naturally-occurring honky tonk. This picture seems to agree.
Here’s a lower-key vintage shot from Lake of the Ozarks, to balance out the scene above:
Around the same timeframe, Eric… the Chevy is a ‘68, similar to our family car back in the day.
And the Grand Prix is also a ’68, the last year of the full size GP.
At 9:00 there’s a green truck with a wooden roof rack. At first I thought it was a Chevrolet Suburban, but it might just be a fairly rare Chevrolet Panel Delivery from ’67 or ’68.
Nope. On second thought, the Panel Delivery only came with swing-out rear doors, never a tailgate. Must be a Suburban.
The two oldest cars I see are the ’57 Ford Fairlane and the ’57 Chrysler New Yorker, under the Skelly sign that is identical to our family car in the late ’50’s to ’65. I’m going to agree this picture was taken probably in 1968 or ’69. And, it does look like a “tangled up mess!”
Above the green Bug near the center of the picture (and behind the woman in a pink dress) is a blue car with a white roof — it appears to be a mid-50s model; maybe a ’55 Mercury or a ’53-54 Chrysler?
All this scene needs, are Peter Fonda and Dennis Hopper riding through town, on their choppers.
Great find Jason.
The modern scene from this vantage point looks a lot less hectic than the vintage shot.
Google StreetView link:
https://maps.app.goo.gl/3ZDhpsPsT38xoB4s8
Shoreland Motel still there. Barefoot Traders appears to have a new name but the same sign and seems to be a similar business.
That there is a nightmare summer scenario. CC’s aside the Skelly sign drew my attention, reminding of a childhood cross-country trip where I became interested in the gas stations we didn’t have in the northeast (part and parcel of my map reading assignment). Skelly, DX, Enco, Union 76, Conoco and others. We made the trip in a ’72 LeSabre and I would dutifully clean the bugs off the front fascia at each fill-up. Ugh.
Look at all the color on the cars. Today almost everything is some shade between white and black on the gray scale. how cool that sight must have been!
Jason thank you for posting this. My family has had a cabin at the lake since the mid 70’s. Here’s me in our 18 ft Delta being towed by our 72 Chevy C10. 2 wheel drive. A unique spot where the state route ends in the lake and neighbors in the 60’s poured concrete to make a public ramp
Back in those days a boat this size could actually go out on the lake without getting run over.
Lots of stories there- trips all over the US with my sister and I riding in the back on modified lawn chairs. Sure wish the old man had kept that truck!
This photo is circa 1978. That’s me in the boat in a prior life when I had hair. .
Another great photo of a place I have never been. It must have been a holiday weekend, other than the traffic it looks like a beautiful area. I will agree that this is a ’68 photo.
I will start with the off street parking on the left side of the road, center left edge of the photo. A two tone green ’57 Ford, ’64 Rambler, ’57 Chrysler New Yorker sedan, in front of the building are two ’67 or ’68 Firebirds, a white over red and a blue one. Beyond there are too blurry.
In the driving lane heading towards the camera, center left edge of the photo. A white ’68 Chrysler Town & Country, ’65 or ’66 Mustang, ’67 AMC Ambassador, ’64 Ford Galaxie 500 4 door sedan, ’67 Pontiac full size wagon, down a ways looks like a ’65 Rambler Classic, and above it is a white ’62 Falcon.
In the driving lane heading away from the camera, left of center on the lower edge of the photo. A black over beige ’67 Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme 4 door, ’64 Chevrolet full size wagon, through the Cutlass I see a ’63 Oldsmobile 88 tail lamp, further up is a black over green ’68 Mercury Montego, up two is a black ’67 Camaro RS top down convertible, up two a black ’66 Buick Skylark, red ’65 Plymouth Belvedere, white ’66 or ’67 Pontiac Tempest wagon, black ’61 Impala.
Parked along the right side of the road, right lower corner of the photo is a red ’64 Impala Sport Coupe, white ’63 Impala Sport Sedan, further up a green ’67 or ’68 Chevrolet or GMC Suburban, black over white ’66 Impala, white ’66 Buick LeSabre or Wildcat, black over blue ’67 Buick Electra 225, further up a white over blue ’55 or ’56 Mercury, blue ’67 or ’68 Rambler Rebel, white over blue ’65 Dodge Coronet, tow truck.
Others parked off street on the right side starting from the lower edge a black over red coupe that resembles a ’66 or ’67 GM A body but I am not sure which one, white ’64-’66 Chevrolet or GMC truck with a ‘roach coach’ utility bed, green VW Type 2 panel, white over blue ’64 Ford Galaxie 500 convertible, white ’68 Plymouth Fury III 4 door hardtop, baby blue ’61 Impala Sport Coupe, white ’68 Chrysler Town & Country, white ’66 Oldsmobile F-85 Deluxe Holiday Sedan, blue ’65 or ’66 Mustang hardtop, two VW Type 1’s, grey and red, greenish ’60-’62 Rambler wagon. Lots of American iron.
Thanks for the photo.
I always enjoy your analyses of these vintage pictures. Here’s some more from this shot – I found the rest of the picture that had been cropped out.
The cream-colored car entering the photo in the foreground is a ’59 Ford (I wouldn’t have guessed that just by looking at the front fender). There’s other goodies in the picture as well:
Thanks, Eric. I enjoy the challenge. A ’59 Ford actually was one of my thoughts on that first car but I was not comfortably enough to pull the trigger.
Further down the hill is a sweet looking black ’62 Impala Super Sport Coupe, tan ’58-’60 Rambler Ambassador sedan, I see a backup lamp on this black Chevrolet or GMC Fleetside long bed so I am going to call it a ’66, white ’66 Pontiac Tempest Sports Coupe, dark blue ’51-’53 Chevrolet or GMC Advanced Design pickup, the turquoise car looks like a ’65 or ’66 full size Pontiac, and a white ’64 or ’65 Rambler American. Beyond there is too blurry.
Thanks for the missing piece of the pie.
I was there for my first time about roughly the same time. Looks like the old Branson as you entered, heavily congested as it is now from season open to season end. I swore I’d never go back, I was in JR High. There’s the Osage Beach are of The Lake of the Ozarks, every bit as bad, you might as well spend your vacation in any big city, it becomes a zoo, great people watching and sometimes you get a good laugh though. I now live at the opposite end right between Lake of the Ozarks and Truman Lake, somewhat ideal.
Long as your having fun all years are great
This photo reminds me of branson, Missouri right in the heart of the ozarks. It’s nothing but a huge tourist trap.
At least it’s good car spotting .
-Nate
So colorful – not one black car to be seen!
the picture is 1967 ,same year they closed edege water beach hotel