Let’s revisit the topic of station wagons from the 1950s, a subject that got a good deal of comments a few months ago on its first installment. Once again, we’re taking this tour courtesy of vintage photos from the period.
CC readers know the storied history of Jeep. Born in the lead-up to war by Willys-Overland, bought by Kaiser in 1953, then sold to AMC in 1969, moving to Chrysler in 1987, and the subsequent transforming to Daimler-Chrysler, Chrysler LLC, Chrysler Group LLC, FCA US LLC, and ultimately Stellantis in 2021. During each of these transitions, one thing remained consistent – Jeep’s success in the market and, in turn, profitability. But is Jeep’s reputation as the “last brand standing” coming to an end? Read the rest of this entry »
In my first entry about the 1979 Dodge Aspen Special Editon Station Wagon, I wrote about how I wanted to find one of these seemingly unloved, used, and abused F Body Wagons. Well, in 2002 I found a really good example, and have kept it around for a while. I decided to take it on a few vacations with the family. In this installment, my daughter, wife, and I will travel to Michigan and Canada for one fantastic 2500-mile vacation in a station wagon that was at the time, 36 years old!
(first posted 3/19/2011) It’s no secret I’m a big fan of big old buses. The challenge is what direction to take with them. Given today’s weather, that would be South. You see; it’s already happened, in the third sentence. This 1957 Blue Bird is really quite a find, from a historical perspective. And what comes to mind? A deserted beach in Baja. The never-ending battle between following the call of one’s business or bliss-ness: going to school (on the bus), or playing perpetual hooky (on the bus). And it would be called the All American, no less. So which will it be? Read the rest of this entry »
(Originally posted 7/03/2018) “On a lark” is a phrase that means “just for fun”, for those unfamiliar with it. I can think of few better ways to end a workweek than to drive one’s classic Buick to work and then out for a drive after leaving the office for the day. Last week was bookended by sightings of two vintage Buick Skylarks, with the newer car appearing on Monday and the classic droptop materializing on Friday afternoon. I can’t vouch for the model year of the X-Body, but from the taillamp lenses (if original), it’s either a first-year, front-wheel-drive ’80 or an ’81.
Welcome to part three – the best part, in many ways, because we’re starting with Alfa Romeo. OK, so maybe the Coda Tronca isn’t your favourite model, but it’s the perfect car for a late spring Sunday morning ride.
Chicago, 1958
I’m a fan of Ray Metzker’s photography. It has a strong graphic feel; compositionally tight and driven by contrast. He manages to capture a specific moment of light through the lens, then uses the darkroom to enhance the deep tones of the shadows. He captivates my eye.
The motor vehicle appears in some of his most striking work, serving as a complex shape of its own within his discerning frame.
I spied this Oldsmobile in a well-hidden valley in Watkins Glen, NY. From over 500 feet away and looking at the rear of the car through brush and such, I thought it was a mid to late-seventies Lincoln. Upon closer inspection, it is not a Dearborn-based product, but one from Lansing. This example looks great with current registration and tags, it also seems to be driven in the fair weather.
After turning my E39 BMW 540i back over to my aunt, I still had an itch for another modern BMW, but something smaller, with a stick shift. I turned my attention to the E46, which to my eye is the best-looking of the 3 Series line. The E36’s styling always seemed a little underdeveloped to me, as if BMW was still trying to figure out the transition from boxy to sleek. But the E46 is the perfect modern distillation of the 3-Series. Read the rest of this entry »
(first posted 9/6/2011) This car made me embarrassed to be a newly minted American in the fall of 1960. We had just arrived for the unveiling of Detroit’s spectacular new 1961 models, and I was in car hog-heaven. In my rambles to car dealers, the Rambler-purveyor was last, in part because of its location. But when I finally made it, and laid my eyes on the new 1961 American, I felt betrayed. It was all wrong: the proportions didn’t work, its wheels were too big–the rear ones weren’t even centered in their openings–and the greenhouse was way too skinny in relation to the lower half of the car. If Tonka Trucks had made cars, this is what I might have expected. And if things weren’t bad enough, then I opened the hood. I was not proud to be an American that day. Read the rest of this entry »
(first posted 7/13/2013) I spotted this Nova while rolling down Catalina Avenue in Redondo Beach, California. While you don’t need to know I was in Redondo Beach, I did want to slide in the fact that I can drive over and cruise Catalina Avenue anytime I have a spare 40 minutes. (Not bragging, just saying…)
Still, the location is significant- We all know California’s climate is friendly to sheet metal, but the UV energy here does no favors to vehicle finishes. This Nova shows the impact of our California sun in the faded blackout paint around the window frames, as well as the disintegrating red and blue body striping. Read the rest of this entry »
(first posted 7/4/2014) What says classic American more than V8 power, rear-wheel drive, and body-on-frame construction with a front bench seat, lots of chrome, and a vinyl landau roof? While this may not be everyone’s definition of “old school American”, it’s cars like this 1990 Mercury Grand Marquis that continued to offer more traditional virtues of American cars in the face of the growing number of imports from Europe and Asia.
A few months ago we posted a gallery on cars and parades of the 50s-’60s that got considerable comments and interest. With that in mind, what better day than the 4th of July to follow up on the subject?
The Eldo was not driveable when we purchased it. Electrical short and overheating issues.
(Text submitted by Erik Fretland)
My father taught me many things that prepared me for adult life, but the top lessons that have helped shape my life as a father (of 3 children) and husband (married 32 years) are:
1953.
My dad was 19, recently graduated from high school…and desperately trying to avoid being drafted into the Chinese Nationalist Army under the ultimate oversight of the dictator Generalissimo Chiang Kai-shek. Dad failed in this regard. He was drafted, only not into the Army. Rather, he was conscripted into the Air Force where he was assigned to pilot a tank. Presumably in Taiwan in 1953 tanks were much easier to come by than airplanes. Anyhow, the assignment didn’t last for long. That gig was up after his poor tank-piloting skills led to an unfortunate incident involving the destruction of a farmer’s field and maybe killing – or at least substantially scaring – a water buffalo or two. In short order my Dad was ejected from the service, sent to college, and the rest is history.
