It’s been about a year since we paid a visit to the Hawaii of the past, and it’s due time to check out the islands again. While today’s gallery is of reduced size, I feel it covers a good amount of the islands’ ecosystems and car life. On the car front, with images featuring parking lots, average roads, and tourist enclaves. Of course, Hawaii has quite a few interesting sights beyond cars, so I added a few photos that capture a little of its feel.
I’m opening with the Chrysler limos at a hotel of some sort in the lead photo, because… how could I not?
St. Joseph’s Church, Molokai Island.
Iao Needle, Maui – with a Ford Anglia and a Datsun 510 on the parking.
Road in Lahaina, Maui.
Pineapple fields along the road.
Parking in Honolulu, Oahu.
View of Honolulu, from Punchbowl Crater overlook.
The average residential road.
Kalakaua Ave., Honolulu, Oahu.
Hotel Tour Buggies, in 1968.
Ala Moana Mall, Honolulu, Christmas 1960.
Pan Am Airlines on the tarmac.
Whole lot of imports! Fiat 1100, Fiat 500, Hillman Husky, Vauxhall, Anglia, maybe even an NSU Prinz.
Is that a Fiat 1100 in the lead photo, or a Datsun 310 (Bluebird)?
I love big limo six doors. It the first chystler of that style I seen
Eight doors even! Assuming that the other side has as many doors 🙂
I think that 1962 Newport station wagon is also a custom-bodied airport limo. The production model had a very different greenhouse.
Paulson, that’s a `61 New Yorker-based limo. Same model as the `60 next to it.
You must have a good eye. I did not see the Husky.
There’s a red Triumph Herald convertible, a Metropolitan and a baby blue Triumph TR3a.
I liked seeing the two Valiants (not sure of the correct model), the one with the typical lines. Did not know they were that popular.
Doesn’t look all that much different from when I was there in 1983. The only time I won something was when I won a one week vacation for two to Hawaii in a raffle. My girlfriend and I ended up in Waikiki and spent the week driving around Oahu in a rented car. Not much in the way of crowds at all no matter where we went from North Shore, Nu’uanu Pali lookout, Hanauma Bay, Honolulu, Arizona Memorial. So spoiled by that that I can’t bring myself to go back to what has gotten crowded and changed so much.
One drive we took was along H1 to the west side. We were told not to drive out to the west side as it was undeveloped and where native Hawaiians lived who didn’t take kindly to haoles. Well my girlfriend was Chinese so we went anyway. Along the way we got to see the proverbial Hawaiian wall which was an endless row of derelict cars dumped alongside the highway. North side if I remember correctly. Just like in states with snow and road salt the ocean air does a number on cars pretty fast back then.Don’t recall any makes but am sure it is all gone now as I can see from Google it is way different from 1983.
My wife was lucky to spend 8 years of her childhood on the island of Oahu in Hawaii. Here she is with the family car at the time, a 1955 Plymouth Belvedere V8.
What’s the small white car visible above (beyond) the trunk of the red Opel on Kalakaua Ave in Honolulu? The 510 and the Anglia are such a contrast, in so many ways – and not just the design and technical specs.
On my last/only trip to Hawaii, around 2010 (Big Island) I reserved a “mid-sized” car for the four of us, including our 6’ + tall son. When we got to the counter we were told it was either a Pontiac G6 coupe or we’d have to pay for an upgrade. I didn’t want to make a fuss so I went for a Ford Escape which I really enjoyed. But in hindsight this was probably been my last chance to drive a Pontiac. Instead, the last time was a really miserable GrandAm in Vancouver BC about ten years earlier.
I think the red Opel is a Vauxhall Victor/Epic Envoy. But like you I’m stumped on the small white car facing us. Possibly a Fiat 600?
Austin-Nash Metropolitan too
Looking at comforting photos while uneasily contemplating a day of history. This is what history is like. 🙂
The 50’s and 60’s might be thought of as “the good old days” but certainly nobody in my family was going to Hawaii at that time.
If I could go back in time and space I would pick the Datsun 510 as my touring car.
I’ll take the 707.
+1!
Picture #4 shows buildings along Front St. in Lahaina. Interestingly, the older white building (dated 1916) was one of the few structures in that area to survive the 2023 fires. It’s burned, but salvageable. The aerial image below shows that building, and how the rest of the block has been completely destroyed.
My dad never wanted to vacation there because he said Hawaii was just “Chicago with palm trees. And to a certain extent he’s right–but that applies mainly to the big island.
The added length of the Chrysler limo up top *really* messes with the shape of the long tailfin!
Hillman Californian, triumph TR2 and (I think an Edsel) in the mall Christmas parking.
And a Triumph Herald convertible 3 cars in by the Beetle in the Honolulu parking