You've found the place
for car buffs, car lovers, car aficionados, for guys and girls.... from 8
to 88 and even beyond. If your among the nearly 200 million Americans who
still have an ongoing love affair with the automobile... WELCOME... and
should you happen to be from a country other than the U.S........ your
equally welcome!
Little did Daimler
realize just how much his tiny one cylinder motorized bike was going to
change the world when invented in the mid 1890's. This motorized bicycle
was refined and eventually became the 1st automobile. (one cylinder) and
his company became known as Daimler/Benz. (Mercedes Benz) (DaimlerChrysler
today)
James Dean
Step back with us for a return to the middle of the twentieth
century... The late, great fabulous 1950's...It was a wonderful
time, offering so many new beginnings, as the terrible memories of
World War II began to gradually fade and the dreams of our returning
heroes and soldiers, as well as their families, could now be fully
realized.
With the promise of a lasting world peace, came the hope of
prosperity and tranquility...all of which was soon to become a
reality.
Elvis
"An Age of Innocence"
The Fabulous
Fifties was an "age of innocence" and as a young man growing up
during this period, a guy would consider himself to be "lucky" if he
was able to hold a girl's hand on their first date. If he got a peck
on the cheek by their third date, well.... he knew they were made
for each other!
It was an age of
integrity and trust. One could actually leave your front and rear
door unlocked and your car keys in your ignition... and when you
returned, nothing would be missing.
"The Rock n'
Roll Era and the The Drive-In Craze"
Book by Michael Karl
Witzel
Book by Don and Susan Sanders
In the 1950's
life was less complex and perhaps a little slower. People actually
took time to wave from their convertibles to friends and to even
smile to a stranger and even give a friendly "Hello" to a
passerby. Remember those great nights at the local drive-in
restaurant or those "make-out" sessions at the local drive-in
movie theater. And the term "Parking" took on a whole new
meaning.
By the mid
1950's Rock n' Roll had burst onto the scene. Both new cars and
souped-up hot rods had become part of the youth culture. The
entertainment industry, not to be left out, brought out countless
low-budget movies that brought teens to the drive-in movies by the
thousands. By the early 1960's songs such as the Beach Boy's "409"
and "Little Duece Coupe", The Ripchords "Hey Little Cobra" Jan
& Dean's "Drag City" and Ronny and the Daytona's " GTO" were
riding high on the
charts.
Our
love affair with the Automobile was in "full bloom." A few days
prior to the new model cars being shown to the public, most new car
dealerships would cover their showroom windows with brown paper.
Many times I recall try to catch a peek or a glimpse of the new
models.... The American Public could hardly wait to see what new and
exciting creations were about to be offered by Detroit.
It is these very
cars... the Cars from Yesterday, that we will feature and reminisce
about... and every month we will offer stories and memories of these
great "Cars from Yesterday."... as well as offering the very best
examples for sale.
The cars of the
50's and 60's for the most part had "personality!" The great Chevys,
Pontiacs, Cadillacs, Buicks and Oldsmobiles helped make GM a world
leader and giant of the auto world.
Ford produced
fabulous cars including Ford Thunderbirds, Lincolns and Mercurys.
Chrysler offered all those incredible Mopars... Plymouths, Desoto,
Dodges, and Chrysler.
1959 Cadillac Brochure
Cover
Competition
was fierce, but other marquees like Studebaker, AMC, Nash, Kaiser,
Hudson, Muntz, Tucker, Avanti, etc. tried to capture a piece of
this huge exploding marketplace. Unfortunately, they didn't have
the dollar and staying power to compete with the "Big Three."
As the 1960's drew to
a close, cars began to change. New EPA requirements and increasing prices
for gasoline hasten the demise of the "Muscle" car. The horsepower race
came to an end by the early 1970's.... at least for a while.
In
1976 Cadillac crushed the molds to build their last Convertible...
the Cadillac Eldorado. They theorized that the American buying
public didn't really want convertibles anymore and that production
numbers were too small to bother with manufacturing "open air" cars.
Boy were they wrong! Heinz Prechter seized the opportunity to custom
make convertibles for most manufacturers and ASC (American Sunroof
Corporation) exploded with orders and sales.
So what exactly is it
that makes us lust after those "Cars From Yesterday?" Simple.... it's the
memories, the happy times..... those great times from our youth and the
freedom to go where we wanted...when we wanted... with whom we
wanted...and in a car that was a ball to drive. It's where Johnny took
Mary on their 1st date!
It's so easy to spot a
"Car From Yesterday" on our highways today... just look for someone
motoring down the street with a huge grin on their face. Today our hobby
is pursued by guys and girls alike...it's just not a "guy" thing anymore
and I think that's great. There are enough great memories to go around for
everyone.
How big is the
car-collecting hobby? No one really knows for sure. However, there are
several million cars that have been preserved or restored and our hobby is
expanding... not shrinking.... and with sixty million "Baby Boomers" with
disposal income and spendable dollars out there... the prices will
continue to escalate.
The nice thing about
our hobby today, as opposed to the wild speculation on vintage cars that
occurred throughout the 1980's is that these cars are being driven and
enjoyed... not just been stored away in warehouses and garages.
So celebrate with us
as we embark on the next fifty years and if you feel compelled to exclaim
"Hubba Hubba" or a loud "Hooray" as we reminisce with these "Cars of
Yesterday"... it's perfectly acceptable!
