Period images to relieve some of the stress

[Walt G]

Thanks Dave. Yes I do art work but not as much as I should - to many other activities take up time. I haven't looked at that art work I did for my friend Bev Kimes in many years! I recall her asking me to do it , and you reminded me I did!  I am so thankful for all of you who have responded to this thread - means a lot to me, and makes me feel good to know so many of you enjoy the images of 75+ years ago as much as I do. It is the heritage of the cars we own but also acknowledges the history of all the people who were involved in their design and creation.

I am in total shock that this thread has so many pages ( thank you AACA for putting up with all of this). Once again, my sincere appreciation to all of you, hope that these pages have put a few smiles on some faces in this stressful period we all have to cope with and endure. Keep well all.

Walt Gosden

[58L-Y8]

Although a postwar image, NYC circa 1951-'52, but with a 1932 Studebaker still in daily use.   Pre-war cars faded away quickly in those postwar years being seen as completely out-of-date and useless, except for this Studebaker owner.   The other interesting car across the street is a 1949-'50 Kaiser Deluxe Virginian four door hardtop, one of the estimated 935 built.

[Walt G]

Great NY photo!  check out the graphics on the signs and the neon and bulb type signs and the style of lettering . This gives a very very good perspective and window into what life was like at that time well beyond the cars. None of the cars have white wall tires. In the late 1960s early 1970s I recall taking the train into NY City to go to "back date magazine " shops, to look for magazines from the 1920s and 1930s to buy for very little $ so I could come home with them and cut the auto advertisements out of them. Saturday Evening Posts were available everywhere. Occasionally some issues of the Literary Digest.

[58L-Y8]

Walt:

By the late '60's/early '70's, did you still see 15-20 year old cars on the NYC streets?    This images demonstrates, as do many other period photos, that white wall tires were the exception back then, not the rule.   Love the signage and the dramatic billboards.

By the way, does any still advertise serving 'Frankfurters'? 

[Walt G]

I did see a few 15 year old cars in the late 1960s - early 1970s when I was in there but very few, those that were , were "beaters" work cars, on occasion there was a high end luxury car to be seen in pristine shape being driven by a chauffeur. These were owned usually by residents of the upper west side and kept in Garages ( multi level) up there as well. Rarely used , but there were occasions that the owners wanted to go someplace and not by public ( subway, buses, taxi) transportation . There were several cars in those multi level garages that had sat for decades, rent paid and unused by residents. Austin Clark and I had several trips in to look at a few cars, I recall a gold Chrysler Airflow sedan being the earliest and several sedans /limousines from the 1940s. Whitewalls were rare because of the scuffing against raised edges of man hole covers, dips in the road surface from broken macadam and most of all encounters with curbs.

Edited February 8, 2021 by Walt G
added a word to clarify a point (see edit history)

[SC38dls]

I remember going to the Saturday movies and seizing “The day the earth stood still” very scary at the time. 
 

[LCK81403]

30DodgePanel -- What is the story about the interesting photo?  A sign in the middle of the photo has an arrow pointing toward Sumner Tunnel, which was a two-way road tunnel that opened on June 30, 1934 in Boston, Mass.  The photo appears to be no less than 1936 because of the '36 Ford "humpback" sedan.  Hence this photo can not be opening day of the Sumner Tunnel.  It reminds one of September 3, 1967, Stockholm, Sweden when the traffic pattern changed to driving on the other side of the road.

[Franklin Olympic]

That hump-backed Ford in the traffic circle is a 1935. You can see the outside horn. 36 did not have them.

[nzcarnerd]

2 minutes ago, Franklin Olympic said:

That hump-backed Ford in the traffic circle is a 1935. You can see the outside horn. 36 did not have them.

And the wire wheels.

[AL1630]

[DLynskey]

15 hours ago, Walt G said:

... I recall taking the train into NY City to go to "back date magazine " shops, to look for magazines from the 1920s and 1930s to buy for very little $ so I could come home with them and cut the auto advertisements out of them. Saturday Evening Posts were available everywhere. Occasionally some issues of the Literary Digest.

Walt, I'm enjoying this thread immensely. A bookstore in my home town also had an accumulation of Literary Digest magazines with beautiful color ads for classic cars. I still have the ads I cut out and use a dozen or so on my office walls. including the famous "He Drives a Duesenberg" ad.

 

 

 

 

 

Don

[cobalt1959]

I'm sure someone here can identify this car.  This is my mother, in Clinton, MO. some time in the 40's.  I feel like it's a GM product, but I can't place it . . .

[nzcarnerd]

1 hour ago, cobalt1959 said:

I'm sure someone here can identify this car.  This is my mother, in Clinton, MO. some time in the 40's.  I feel like it's a GM product, but I can't place it . . .

 

1941 Cadillac?

[cobalt1959]

3 hours ago, nzcarnerd said:

 

1941 Cadillac?

Could be but the vents on the side of the hood have me scratching my head.  Perhaps it's because there are very few shots of a 1941 Cadillac from this angle . . .  

[DLynskey]

1941 Cadillac it is.

 

 

Don

[30DodgePanel]

19 hours ago, LCK81403 said:

30DodgePanel -- What is the story about the interesting photo?  A sign in the middle of the photo has an arrow pointing toward Sumner Tunnel, which was a two-way road tunnel that opened on June 30, 1934 in Boston, Mass.  The photo appears to be no less than 1936 because of the '36 Ford "humpback" sedan.  Hence this photo can not be opening day of the Sumner Tunnel.  It reminds one of September 3, 1967, Stockholm, Sweden when the traffic pattern changed to driving on the other side of the road.

 

 

 

No story, just a photo I found on the web showing the 1930s gridlock at Dock Square in Boston. 

 

A little more info on oldmotor if you're interested

Gridlock in Dock Square Boston, Massachusetts | The Old Motor

[30DodgePanel]

Anything to sell a product

[LCK81403]

Hmmm.  A Dodge rat rod?  Makes my old Victory Six look real good.

[George Cole]

[George Cole]

[George Cole]

[George Cole]

[George Cole]

 

 

[cobalt1959]

7 hours ago, DLynskey said:

1941 Cadillac it is.

 

 

Don

 

Thanks guys!!!

[LCK81403]

Anybody know the skinny on this '32 Cord E-1 prototype?  It's turning radius probably would not be compatible with Boston's streets.

[Marty Roth]

15 hours ago, nzcarnerd said:

 

1941 Cadillac?

 

Yes,

1941 Cadillac.

The chromespears on the fender, and the chrome vent on the side of the hood are indicative of the 1941 Cadillac.

 

Thanks for posting the pic.

Edited February 9, 2021 by Marty Roth (see edit history)

[Larry Schramm]

18 hours ago, George Cole said:

 

So what's the story on this car?

[George Cole]

According to the by-line, a contractor found a bunch of old cars in a ravine and dug them out. No idea where or when. It said there were something like 40 cars there. Probably the back lot of an old junkyard. The owner pushed them over the bank and walked away. Most of them probably junk, but these 2 definitely look like they can be saved...with a big checkbook.

[alsancle]

26 minutes ago, Larry Schramm said:

 

So what's the story on this car?

 

If Bob is still paying attention he might be able to point you to where the story and that car are covered on the HAMB.

[twin6]

More on the cars here.

[twin6]

[twin6]

[Walt G]

With the oval door handles on that touring car ( one with the family and the cool puppy next to it) is that a 7 passenger touring? I know Packard liked to fit oval door handles to the 7 passenger open cars for a while at least through 1930.

[twin6]

Yes, Packard seven passenger touring.  With the two piece windshield, I think we can narrow this down to first series (1924), a model 1-43.  Unsure of the dog.

[cobalt1959]

My Mom and my Dad's Mercury somewhere in the Valle Del Sol.  I'm guessing somewhere around the Hedgepeth Hills, but I really have no clue . . .

[LCK81403]

Is this a European version of the Reeves Octauto?  The car's style suggests it may be French.  A question comes to mind, "Why?"  The eight wheel Octauto didn't work out well, even after Reeves put a muffler on the stretched Overland, and a paper mache horse's head on the gas tank.

 

[Walt G]

Polishing body, hood and fender panels is a task some reading this enjoy and some only do until half way through the task , depending upon how large the car you are working on is! Using equipment to do so beyond a rag in your hand to accomplish the job in less time has been around for over a century . By the late 1920s flexible shaft equipment was being reviewed and evaluated by the industry and written up in trade periodicals like the Motor Vehicle Monthly magazine. These images are from late in 1929 and show the Hoskins units for production work that had recently been installed in car factories. The hoods being polished are from the Reo Motor Car Company. Note the lack of face masks and the use of wood forms to lay the hood on to work on. Information at the time noted that 850 RPM was best for the rubbing operation and 1,750 RPM for the polishing with a sheepswool buff. The rubbing machine had a 1/2 HP motor . There is just so much information "of the era" that has never really been researched or focused on that gives a great insight into how the vehicles we admire were made.  In depth articles that give enough information but also are a "good read" for the current enthusiast could and should be written and published , but there is only so much space in club publications to do so. 

[dictator27]

26 minutes ago, LCK81403 said:

Is this a European version of the Reeves Octauto?  The car's style suggests it may be French.  A question comes to mind, "Why?"  The eight wheel Octauto didn't work out well, even after Reeves put a muffler on the stretched Overland, and a paper mache horse's head on the gas tank.

 

I think it is German.  Grille shell suggests it is based on an Adler Trumf (minus Adler insignia) of about 1934.  

[Casper Friederich]

9 hours ago, dictator27 said:

I think it is German.  Grille shell suggests it is based on an Adler Trumf (minus Adler insignia) of about 1934.  

I agree as it has a Berlin licence plate, too.

[John_Mereness]

On 2/9/2021 at 4:28 PM, LCK81403 said:

Anybody know the skinny on this '32 Cord E-1 prototype?  It's turning radius probably would not be compatible with Boston's streets.

I thought there were were two of these bodies that survived - one Blue and one in Maroon.  The fenders were found from a Cord customized over time, and the grills (1 or 2 found) too.  The engine supposedly came from the powerplant (and Auburn V-12).  Otherwise, largely new construction to turn parts into a complete car.  My only question is with all the surviving photos that there appear to be none of this car new in the wild and it would be a blast to see even a glimpse ?