I was born in 42. Okla City In the 40s, the war was over. We STILL had street cars and I remember riding on them with my mother downtown to go shopping on Saturdays (Most of you probably do not even know what a street car was). They should have NEVER done away with them------------------environmentally friendly, clean, quiet, economical, electric (which would make Joe B. and friends happy). Every single car was so distinguishable that it could be identified as to what year and model it was.
A FEW cool cars were introduced in the first half of the 50s, but in 55, the automotive world of design changed, and in the second half of the 50s, MOST car manufacturers understood the desire for performance. The Corvette got fuel injection, 4sp and positraction. KEEP IN MIND when that was----------------------an FI 57 Corvette with a 4sp was the baddest animal on the planet!!! And GM, Ford, Chrysler got big cube engines with multiple carbs.
And the 60s-------------------by 1964, the war was on--------------IT WAS WONDERFUL TO GO THE THE DEALER SHOWROOM AND SEE AN OPEN HOOD WITH 3X2 OR 2X4 CARBS. The 63 fuel injected Corvette was from outer space. Anyone remember the Z11, 427 SOHC motor, Swiss Cheese 421 Poncho, HEMI cars, Olds W30, GT500 Mustangs??????????? No, they were not a common car on every showroom, but those of us who were into performance cars, were fully aware of what they were.
I came home from Nam in 64 and started Pre-med that fall-------------------------driving my 51 Chevy (first car, still driving it) and throughout the remainder of the 60s was a poor boy struggling to get my degree. ALL OVER THE CAMPUS, guys were driving SS396, GTO, 442, Super Bee, 390 Fords, etc, etc, etc, which mommy and daddy had bought for them to drive to school. All I could do was drool, start classes at 730am, be at work by noon, come home and study, take care of a wife and daughter, go to bed midnight-2am, get up at 6am and do it all over again. Work on weekends when I could find it.
And talk about 60s music on a cobbled up 8-track player in the 51 while commuting to and from college. Doors, Credence, Janice and on and on. The 60s were great!
The 70s (except for 1970
ONLY) were an embarrassment (and for the most part, still is! Yes, a 70s car CAN BE BUILT-----------------------------at home in the garage by the owner, but nothing worth while came out of Detroit by 1973.
Yes, I have a mid-70s GM A-body (76 Cutlass S). As built, it was nothing to brag about. It is a FACTORY 5sp, I special ordered it new. BUT THE 5sp WAS ONLY AVAILABLE WITH A SMALL ENGINE!!!!!!!!!!!! Fortunately, today, it has a built, W30 spec 455(468) Olds and a Richmond Street 5sp.
Yep, I remember all those days!