Vintage Snapshots: The Cars In Our Neighborhoods In The ’50s, 60s & ’70s

By
– Posted on April 5, 2025

Text by Patrick Bell.

Today we are heading back out into several neighborhoods and see what we can find to view.  Although there is a good variety of brands in the dozen images we have, there is only one that does not have a GM product, and a few of them are overwhelmingly GM.  I think it is a fair representation of the days when GM was at the top of their game.  Please join us as we have a look.

There are eight cars in the first image, 75% of them are GM, and 62.5% are Chevrolet.  It looks like they are lined up for a push contest.  A sharp looking red ’63 Pontiac Tempest Coupe begins the line up followed by a clean ’55 Chevrolet Bel Air convertible that appears to be a six cylinder model, and a ’51 Chevrolet Styleline De Luxe 2 door sedan.  Facing this way is a ’62 Chevrolet Impala 4 door sedan, ’63 Chevrolet Biscayne 4 door sedan, and a ’62 Plymouth Fury 2 door hardtop.

All GM’s on a warm, early summer day.  A ’52 Buick Special Riviera or Super Riviera with a ’47 or ’48 Chevrolet Fleetline Aerosedan further back.

Let’s keep with the same theme, starting with a ’54 or ’55 Cadillac Series 62 sedan in the street and a ’58 Buick in the garage.  The greenery looks thirsty so likely a late summer photo on a paved street with no curbing in suburbia.

Here is more variety on a gray summer day in Portland, Oregon.  On the left a ’57-’60 Ford F-series Styleside long bed, ’56 Chevrolet Two-Ten Townsman or Beauville wagon, and to the right a ’55 Studebaker President V-8 Deluxe Ultra Vision 4 door Sedan.

A stately looking home on a fall day where there was a Volkswagen Type 1 sticking its nose in on the right edge, with a ’57 DeSoto Fireflite 4 door sedan further up.  In the street is a ’57 Chevrolet Two-Ten or Bel Air wagon with a ’59 Ford Fairlane 500 or Fairlane 500 Galaxie at the curb.  In front of them is a ’60 Pontiac.

This was a fine looking young man ready to play some baseball and standing in front of a ’61 Plymouth Fury convertible with matching colors.  In front of it is a ’62 Chevrolet Impala, and across the street a ’58 Oldsmobile Dynamic 88 4 door sedan.

Now we have a lady perhaps waiting for someone on a clear but cool day.  A ’61 Chrysler New Yorker 4 door sedan with perhaps a Delaware license plate is at the curb with maybe a person in the back seat.

We are back to a GM majority this time with a twenty year spread in ages.  On the left edge a ’59 Buick Electra, at the curb a ’69 Pontiac full size Safari wagon with a ’64-’66 Chevrolet or GMC van behind it.  Across the street a red ’66 Chevrolet Bel Air wagon with a three tone ’55 Buick Special or Century 2 door Riviera in front of it and a ’60 Oldsmobile Holiday Sedan in the driveway to the right.  In the street a ’49 Ford, not sure on the white car, and a ’60 Ford Starliner.

A new subdivision likely in California, where the homes look complete and now it’s on to the landscaping.  In the right lower corner a black over green ’67 AMC Rebel SST hardtop, further down the street a light blue ’70-’74 Volkswagen Type III Fastback, white over red ’64 or ’65 Rambler American wagon, and in the driveway a white ’62 Oldsmobile F-85 Cutlass Sports Coupe.  In the first driveway on the right a black ’66 or ’67 Buick Riviera, the second one a blue ’69 Chevrolet Camaro Hardtop, and in the street a white ’65 Ford F-series Styleside pickup.

It is a gray spring day in an older established neighborhood.  In the driveway a ’75-’77 Ford Granada or Mercury Monarch with a ’69 Pontiac Tempest Custom S or LeMans Hardtop Coupe in the street.  Across the way looks like a gold ’74-’77 Mercury Comet 4 door sedan and a ’71-’73 Ford Mustang SportsRoof.

Dad may have been pickup up or dropping off his daughter in a ’76 Oldsmobile Omega Brougham Coupe that needs a bath with a ’72 Ford Torino or Gran Torino Hardtop across the street in the driveway.  A recent snowfall is just about gone.

Our last image today is a row of apartment buildings, probably during the holiday season as I see at least one hanging wreath.  Beginning in the right lower corner a ’70 Buick full size with a ’76 AMC Gremlin X in the driveway.  Back in the street is a ’74 AMC Hornet Sportabout, ’75-’79 Datsun 200SX, ’68 or ’69 Volkswagen Type I, and a ’68 or ’69 Chevrolet Chevy II Nova Coupe.

Thanks for joining us and to all good day!

 

More Vintage Photos Here