[page2171]

My first ride would have been in a 1971 Pontiac LeMans. That was a car that I miss. It was a two door hardtop, Tropical Lime exterior, dark green interior. I loved that car so much that for my first car I found a 1971 LeMans two door hardtop. Mine, however, was Canyon Copper with a vinyl top and brown interior.

[Jim65Riv]

My first ride was home from the hospital in October, 1944 was in a 1941 Hudson sedan. Dad traded it in on a 1948 Packard, and traded that car on a 1951 Packard. He traded the 51 on a 1954 Buick Super 4-door (hence my love for Buicks).

[Harold]

I came home from the hospital in my father's black 1952 Plymouth Cambridge 4-door sedan. The car made such an impression on me (we had it until 1965) that I have a twin to it sitting in my garage today.

[jazzer3]

In 1954 I came home in a 50 or 51 Dodge. In 1980 we brought our daughter home in a 40 Plymouth 4 dr. with no seatbelts or babyseat !

[John_Maine]

My parents had a dark blue '47 Ford 2 door fastback when I was born in 1950. I very definitely remember riding in it. In 1953 or 1954, they traded it for a '51 Ford Crestline 2 door hardtop, light blue with a white roof. I remember seeing the '47 and '51 in the driveway with my parents talking to the salesman from the local Ford garage. They had a lot of trouble with the '51 and my mother didn't like the way it shifted as I recall. So, in 1955, they traded for a dark green/white roof '54 Ford Crestline hardtop, their first car with an automatic. They kept that car until 1962 - when I was 12 - when they purchased a '59 Impala sport sedan, cameo coral and satin beige. In late '66, they traded the '59 for a '66 mist blue Impala sport sedan, the only brand new car my father ever had. Unfortunately, he passed away in 1973. My mother traded the '66 for a new '74 Dodge Dart and later had a '76 Maverick when she gave the Dart to my brother, then had a '78 Cutlass, '84 Cutlass, '93 Mercury Sable and '00 Toyota Camry which she owned until this spring when she gave up driving at age 91.

The earliest car I remember riding in was my uncle's '37 Plymouth coupe. He bought it new and it stayed in the family through WW2. When he won a '48 Pontiac through some American Legion contest, he passed the Plymouth on to his brother - my other uncle - who kept it until 1954. As much as I like cars, I hated riding in that old Plymouth.

From the time I was born, my fraternal grandparents had a black '49 Pontiac coupe, a '54 Pontiac Star Chief sedan, a '56 Chevy 210 4 door hardtop, '63 Impala 4 door hardtop which had 66K on it in 1976 when my grandfather passed away. My maternal grandparents had a pea green '47 Pontiac sedan, a '49 Pontiac coupe, '53 Pontiac sedan and a '58 Pontiac Star Chief which my grandfather still owned when he stopped driving in 1970.

I haven't counted, but ironically, I have probably had more cars in my lifetime (so far) than the combined total of the cars my parents and grandparents had in their lifetimes.

[TG57Roadmaster]

Mine was this '56 Mercury Custom in Berkshire Green & Classic White, late-August, 1957. It was my folks' first new car (a cousin is standing next to it), and I want one real bad!



Don't want a Montclair (too much chrome), but one of these Customs. Okay, a Monterey would be suffice, too...

TG

[70 Electra]

I'll probably get booed off the stage, but...

A new, red 1958 Borgward Isabella TS coupe. Apparently, the "TS" was the sporty model with a (wow!) 75hp engine, and a 4speed (on column). Not a bad looking car, its coupe styling is reminiscent of the Karmann Ghia and other Italian styling projects of the mid-to-late fifties. In any case, Borgward soon (~1961?) became an orphan when the company folded-up.

By way of explanation, let me point out that my Dad was an Air Force pilot stationed in Germany when I was born. It was pretty typical for Servicemen to buy European cars while stationed overseas.

Promptly after returning home from Germany, he bought a new 1960 LeSabre coupe (white w/ red int) which was no doubt responsible for my obsessive fascination with 1960 Buicks! A picture of his new Buick can be found on my website, www.The1960Buick.com

[572dsw]

Had to respond to this one... First ride was a one year old 57 Chevy BelAir 2d sedan V8 stick. Well that dates me. Mom kept it until 68 when she traded it for a new 4d Nova. I loved that 57 so much that when I turned 14, I convinced Mom I needed one just like it to "keep me off the streets". Two summer jobs later I got a 210 2d sedan that got me through high school. I still have the steering wheel from that one. Fast forword to my kids, I have a great picture from the 80s of our 3 year old son in the back seat of our 63 Nova ss convertible in his shades and in the wind. I recently purchased another 57, a 2d 150 wagon and hope to make more great memories with it. Thanks to all for these looks into their pasts!

[Mr Bill]

I was brought home from the hospital in a 1961 Ford Fairlane 500 four door sedan. It belonged to my godmother and she brought mom and I home as dad was at work. This was in September 1961. The car was white with blue interior. It was a dealer demonstrator and was equipped with factory air conditioning, I remember the system hanging from under the dashboard. My godparents kept it until about 1971 and one day they showed up driving a 69 Chrysler Newport. I really think they liked the Ford better than the Chrysler.

Bill Sapp

[pfloro]

This is a fun & memory jogging post...!

My first memory is riding in my parent's 1955 Plymouth Savoy. It was a 4 dr. sedan & I believe turquoise. This was in the late '50s when I was about 4 years old. I remember the dash mounted shift lever & tube radio. I'm sure this car had the venerable flathead 6 and Powerflite automatic. The Savoy was purchased used. My Dad's first new car was a beige 1962 Ford Falcon, also a 4 dr. sedan with 144 cu in. (?) six & 2 speed automatic. My mom commented it felt lighter & didn't ride as well as the Savoy. My Dad traded the Falcon for a 1966 Ford Fairlane with 289 V8, Cruise-o-Matic & A/C! We were now really living... After his first heart attack in 1970, he traded the Fairlane for a 1970 Pontiac Lemans since Dad needed a car with power steering. This is the car on which both my mom & I learned to drive. My mom kept the Pontiac after he died in 1979 until 1982.

I only have pictures of the Pontiac (taken in 1971)...

Thanks for the flood of memories...

Paul