It’s time to have some fun in the open air. And here we have a short gallery of nifty ragtops, mostly from the ’50s and ’60s, ready to spend some time in the sun.
It’s neat to see this bunch, as makers took extra effort to make these look as dashing as they could. And on some of these, it’s obvious people were striking a pose with the car. I don’t blame them; I certainly would have too.
I suspect the Corvette lived in the snow belt. Compare the rear tires to those on the front. Also, I guess he spent his last dime to get the Vette compare to the neighborhood in question.
Trailers were new homes in the Fifties. I have a picture of my aunt sitting on the trunk of her Buick convertible in 1961 in the parking space outside her trailer. She was a social worker and my uncle was in grad school. That neighborhood is a lot rougher now than it was in 1961 and it isn’t populated by social workers and grad students.
Maybe he is the park owner and he came around to collect his rents.
Can’t figure out which is more trashy, the lead photo parking on the lawn or the Corvette at the trailer park
My nightmares involve me winding up in a trailer…..
-Nate
Not only is the car oddly parked on the lawn but the folding table and chairs (I remember those chairs) should obviously be on the patio in back, not there on the side lawn.
But the corner windows on a not-modernist but postwar tract house, the typical period stone facing, the saturated Kodachrome red, the lawn in need of watering, and the dog (also where it doesn’t belong)….
Where do you find these, Rich?
The above comment was supposed to go with the Nash photo. I don’t know how that happened.
It’s odd that sometimes comments here have an Edit feature and sometimes they don’t.
I’ve noticed the same thing re: comments.
I have almost that same corner window on my 1951 house; when I put new windows in several years back I looked into whether I could put a true wraparound window in with no post between them, like the rear window of a 1978 Toronado XS. I could, but it would have been an expensive commercial-grade unit, too expensive given the boring view from that corner, of my neighbor’s front lawn. Similar stone wall treatment too, though my house has them in front only. Parking on the grass here is strictly prohibited though.
The photo with the ’61(?) Ford.
Suspect it’s someplace in Florida considering the shades on the windows, wall mount A/C units, palm branches in the top right, and the sign (Buccaneer Restaurant/Apartments). Would suspect its next to or near the beach. Today, it would have been torn down and replaced with a 30 story condo with beach front access like central beach in Ft Lauderdale.
Those two ’58 Ford wagons in the background, both in sand, one a 2 door and the other a 4 door, are quite interesting for me…
It’s interesting that there are two same color and year Ranch Wagons (base model) in the same place. But howabout the ’59 Buick convertible and the Taunus?!
I love these .
Rag Tops are a mixed bag, I don’t really like all that wind and the tops tend to flap when up but oh buy do they look good .
-Nate
I’d love to know where the Pontiac Parisienne was photographed. It could pass for Burlington, Ontario near the shoreline. The driver looks quite happy.
You mean the Buick?
I assumed the red Bonneville (it’s definitely not a Parisienne), though there’s no shoreline visible in that one. But the driver looks happier than the Buick driver.
That “Continental Hotel” pic is great!
I agree – that picture struck me as well, not just for the Lincoln, but for the overall scene.
That was taken in Pineville, Kentucky. The Continental was one of the most notable buildings in the Kentucky mountains when it was built in 1913, but like the greater region, it fell into disrepair in the latter part of the 20th century and closed in 1970. The building was torn down a few years later.
Great shots. Love the Corvette shot; there’s a guy who has his priorities straight.
The Corvette in the manufactured home park is the standout pic. Maybe he was the manager collecting the pad rental.
The man homes themselves are quite interesting. No detachable hitch and a wind-up jack as if they were to be moved more than once. The one on the right even seems to have a raised area at the back.
These kind of trailer parks were different than the more recent ones. More like RV parks today; folks moved these more often. And they commonly contained families with kids back then.
Single wides with no skirts or anything. Much more portable.
I’m living in a trailer park because my wife threw me out of house because I bought a Corvette instead of a Ford Country Squire wagon. She said take what will fit in your car and leave. My Dad went through the same.
That top picture – I am trying to decide if the car and the lady’s outfit are trying to match the colors of the swanky new lawn furniture, or if the lawn furniture was chosen to go with the lady’s favorite car and outfit.
Actually, there is not a car here that I would not be proud to own. That red 66 Bonneville convertible is lovely, especially sporting that brilliant white interior.
I just noticed the color matching. And the umbrella combines the car and chairs/dress colors too. Awesome.
The trailer park Corvette is right out of my history.
My brother-in-law was a Marine pilot. He trained in Pensacola in the early 60s. Back then officers with families did not like to live in military service housing, and moved a lot, so the travel trailer was a good solution. He pulled it with a old F150.
True to the vision, pilots loved fast cars.
With his enlistment bonus, he bought a used 60 convert. I have a picture somewhere almost exactly like is one.
Alas, with the arrival of first child, the truck was gone, a station wagon took its place, .and the Corvette became history
That Corvette was probably the nicest car in the park. It and a trailer would be perfect for a young officer in the service. Mobile homes were different back then, they were truly mobile – like in the Lucy/Desi movie “The long long trailer”. Believe it or not the one on the far right with the raised area had an upstairs and downstairs bedroom back there. A little limited on headroom but an interesting way to gain floor space.
Of all the cars, call me crazy but I want that Nash.
Im betting you want the Nash because you’ve driven or ridden in one .
To me they were always just funny looking cars until I got to drive one WOW ~ rode nice, drove easy and handled very well .
-Nate
My favorite car of those pictured is the 1966 Bonneville. This was the peak year for the big Pontiac, IMO — big hips, “cat whiskers” grille, and rocker panel molding with a shape that mirrored the quarter panel kick-up.
The 1961 Ford reminds me of an epic trip in the summer of 1964. A relative owned a white ’61 Sunliner while attending college, and my brother and I were treated to a top-down back-seat ride from Wheeling, WV to Pittsburgh, PA (about 60 miles) to watch our first-ever major league baseball game. (The Pirates won against the Dodgers, 4-1.)
“Forbes Field” memories!!
Yes! The back wall of the left field bleachers, facing Forbes Avenue, had a large sign proclaiming: Home of the Pirates – World Champions 1960.
I noticed the Taunus across from the ’61 Sunliner but what is that parked behind the ’60 T-Bird? It seems kind of like a Simca but I can’t identify it.
That 1957 Buick has a Michigan plate – “WATER WONDERLAND”. Perhaps that is Lake Michigan in the background?
Really can’t see why people think the Corvette is out of place. Think of these trailers as bachelor apartments, not Loserville. The MSRP of a Corvette was about the same as an Olds Super 88 convertible. Whole families lived on a union job with some overtime. A guy with no family obligations would have spare bucks.
My older brother and me with our brand new 1966 Mustang. 289, 4 speed.
The last photo. Good example of vertical mounted headlights.
IIRC, Cadillac and AMC had examples of these stacked lights around this time as well.
Good topic for a future CurbsideClassic article.
Great pics all, love the snows on the vette… Love my 63