Alive when car was new

[Buick35]

I just wondered how many of us wished they are alive when their car was new. Mines a 35 so they were getting out of the depression,I think and it might be nice to get a break from a computerized life.

[junkyardjeff]

I would loved to be alive when my 55 Sunliner was new and be or close to driving age,it seems.like it was much better then today.

[Skylark4367]

According to the firewall data plate assembly date (7E), 5th week of July 1962, I was seven months old when my 1962 Skylark was assembled.

[hidden_hunter]

Very small window where it would have been a great time to be alive when the car was new. 
 

Between world war 1, the depression and then world war 2 it probably wasn’t great for a lot of people. 

[John_S_in_Penna]

Remember, all though the decades, people have

been looking to some other time as the golden days.

It never seems to be at the moment you're in.

 

But, reading old magazines that give first-hand

accounts of history, we see that no period was perfect.  

The Roaring '20's had gangsterism and bootlegging;

The 1930's, even in the 1935 you mention, had lost the

gold backing of their currency and were still in Depression;

The 1940's had a very serious war;

The 1950's had Communist plottings and fear of nuclear war.

 

Yet all these times had great good as well.

I appreciate the good in every era and enjoy the fact

the good dominates eventually.

[keiser31]

Some folks think I was alive when my 1931 DBs were new.

[TerryB]

I would like to time travel to see how things looked at various times in the early history of the 20th Century.  I was born early in the beginning of the 1950s.  As I got older I heard many stories about the time leading up to the 1950s and very few people found that time as very good or as we say, the good old days for them.  From a strictly automotive perspective it would be fun to see the big classic cars in their heyday, the early hot rod and drag racing days, and the muscle car era of the 1960s.  As for the rest of the day to day living, there are a lot of things I would not want to go back to.

Edited December 7, 2021 by TerryB (see edit history)

[Scott Bonesteel]

There may have been good times but, as above, lots of things I would not want to live through again, for example the polio epidemic of the 50s, which now we have a vaccine against.  In any event, I make it a rule to never buy a car that is younger than I am (1953).  However, I will make an exception if I can find a white 68 Firebird coupe with the Sprint 250 OHV six...

[1937hd45]

Knowing what I know now I'd like to have lived from 1840 to 1912 in good health. Survive service in the Civil War, watch the development of the West, trains, electric lights, telephone, birth of the automobile and airplane, walk into a Ford dealership and buy my 1912 Touring. 

[hidden_hunter]

What I find interesting is what sort of person would have bought the car as well - the English used to describe my 1922 Cadillac and 2020 golf r in ads is very different but is trying to appeal to a similar segment

[TerryB]

11 minutes ago, hidden_hunter said:

What I find interesting is what sort of person would have bought the car as well - the English used to describe my 1922 Cadillac and 2020 golf r in ads is very different but is trying to appeal to a similar segment

Would the Cadillac have been sold in Australia?  I often wonder how worldwide US cars reached when new.

[Gunsmoke]

Shortly after I bought my 1931 Chevrolet Deluxe Coach (2 dr sedan) in 2008, I found it was manufactured in mid-April 1931 in Windsor, Ontario, Canada. In 2009 I was looking for a seasoned mechanic who was familiar with the stove bolt 6 and was recommended a guy. I arranged to deliver the car to him and assist him in rebuilding the engine.  A few weeks in, as we were having coffee I asked him how old he was. He said 78, and when asked further, he said he was born April 15th 1931, virtually the same day or week my car was manufactured. Regrettably, he passed away a couple years after we completed the engine work, but I still have his picture on my garage wall. As for me, born in 1946, like the rest of those born that year, I would have been sharing birth with leftover models/designs from circa 1941/42. Post-WWII styling changes did not come along until 1949 or so. 

[hidden_hunter]

23 minutes ago, TerryB said:

Would the Cadillac have been sold in Australia?  I often wonder how worldwide US cars reached when new.

Yes they were but they would have been very very expensive, taxes favoured cars out of the empire - I imported my car from the US because it was considerably cheaper than a decent local car 

 

Buicks were by far much more popular and the local bodies were closer to Cadillac in terms of “luxury” e.g they had furniture grade wooden dashboards 

[1937hd45]

A friend found a 1916 motorcycle that was put away in 1919, he used to think about the fact that everyone that ever worked on it before him was born in the 1800's. 

Edited December 7, 2021 by 1937hd45 (see edit history)

[GARY F]

I was 24 yr. old when my two 63 Pontiacs were built.

[Ed Luddy]

I tend to like the cars of my youth, when I was a teenager. This is the late 60's early 70's. Also the early 80's car now that I'm retirement age.

[oldcarfudd]

I'm 85.  I'm very lucky to have survived polio before the vaccines, with only a moderately atrophied left leg and buttock.  I've had bilateral cataracts replaced, a new hip and two new shoulders.  I've had five malignant melanomas.  I'm still here.

 

My toy cars all predate World War One.  Would I like to visit then?  Absolutely!  But live then?  No damn way!

[Jim Bollman]

Was a great time when my old cars were built, I would have been -1, 1, 2, 3 years old. 

[JV Puleo]

When I was in my 20s I had a 1910 REO. A good friend took a really great picture of me in it - we printed it in black & white and I had it on the e wall in my office. At a glance, it looked like a period photo. At the time I had an employee who was, perhaps, in his late teens. One day, when my dad was in the office, he asked if that was him when he was young. My father, who was born in 1916, was not amused. "Just how old do you think I am" he said.

[edinmass]

Let’s see, I’m 55 and my oldest car was manufactured 51 years before I was born.  My newest collector car is 30 years older than I am. I’m looking at some earlier stuff than what I have now............

[Rivguy]

I've heard car enthusiasts say that they would like to get a car from the year of their birth. I don't get it. I don't know about you, but I didn't really start to even notice other people's cars until I was five years old and in kindergarten. It's like asking what song was popular when you were born, I don't know, I wasn't listening to the radio on that day. I think it's more appropriate to ask what was popular when you were in high school, a memorable time of life. For what it's worth, I was born in '54, I learned that my Dad had a '49 or '50 Chevy at the time. the first car that I can actually remember was my Dad's new '59 Impala coupe.

[Pfeil]

4 hours ago, Scott Bonesteel said:

There may have been good times but, as above, lots of things I would not want to live through again, for example the polio epidemic of the 50s, which now we have a vaccine against.  In any event, I make it a rule to never buy a car that is younger than I am (1953).  However, I will make an exception if I can find a white 68 Firebird coupe with the Sprint 250 OHV six...

OHC Six

[Ed Luddy]

9 minutes ago, Pfeil said:

OHC Six

I'm looking at one now. I had a 68 Sprint convertible with a 3 speed floor shift standard, 4 bbl carb on the OHC inliner. The one up for sale now has the Power Glide column shift. Likely less rusty than my old one and for sure less dents. But, I was a kid with very little cash and mine was at a yard sale for under $500 back in '76

[Billy Kingsley]

I was born in 1984 and there are several vehicles I want from that year, starting with a Chevrolet El Camino. 

 

The oldest car I've ever been in is a 1913 Model T. My great grandfather was 13 when it was built, or possibly 12 depending on when it was actually built. Hard to fathom. 

[Larry Schramm]

1908 Buick or 1912 Model T or 1913 Buick,  see list below.

 

It would be interesting for a visit, but I would not like to live then.  I would miss the medical care we have today.

[JV Puleo]

I'm not interested in anything made during my lifetime - and I'm 70.

[Fossil]

5 hours ago, oldcarfudd said:

Would I like to visit then?  Absolutely!  But live then?  No damn way!

I couldn't have put it any better. 1930 wasn't a good time but would love to experience about a month of it. Especially to visit a different production facility every couple of days. 

 

[plymouthcranbrook]

I was two when my 52 Plymouth left Detroit(I think my Dad had an early 30's surplus US Mail truck at the time) and 30 when my 1980 Volare was sold in Cincinnati. 

Edited December 8, 2021 by plymouthcranbrook (see edit history)

[victorialynn2]

I am fascinated with the 50’s and would have loved a 57 Retractable when new. How cool would that have been? I wasn’t around until the 70’s though. 

[hook]

15 hours ago, 1937hd45 said:

Knowing what I know now I'd like to have lived from 1840 to 1912 in good health. Survive service in the Civil War, watch the development of the West, trains, electric lights, telephone, birth of the automobile and airplane, walk into a Ford dealership and buy my 1912 Touring. 

Not so great a time. My Great Grandfather 1848 - 1916. Was with the Pennsylvania regulars during the civil war and survived. The times weren't so great. It's only great looking back through today's eyes without the benefit of seeing the roughness of life. Just remember, 80 to 160 years from now people will be saying the same thing about our times now. I remember the wonderful fifties and sixties with the sputnik satellite that started the incredible space race. Watching it and the beginning of the Vietnam war during breaks from building fallout shelters. Every time is fantastic to some and misery to others and made good by historians, many of which weren't even there.     

[cxgvd]

If only you could live in a time with knowing what we know now.  Then you could mask up, wash your hands, etc., to avoid the Spanish Flu or take part in the great stock buys of the 20's but cash out before October 1929.  You could buy a new Ferrari GTO or your idea of the greatest classic.  You can still do it today, these are the good old days.

 

BTW, Vehicles manufactured now are fantastic.  Gary

[8E45E]

12 hours ago, Rivguy said:

I've heard car enthusiasts say that they would like to get a car from the year of their birth. I don't get it. I don't know about you, but I didn't really start to even notice other people's cars until I was five years old and in kindergarten. It's like asking what song was popular when you were born, I don't know, I wasn't listening to the radio on that day. I think it's more appropriate to ask what was popular when you were in high school, a memorable time of life. For what it's worth, I was born in '54, I learned that my Dad had a '49 or '50 Chevy at the time. the first car that I can actually remember was my Dad's new '59 Impala coupe.

I tend to agree.  I was about the age of 2 when I noticed cars, including parents, grandparents, and immediate neighbor's cars.  

 

Music is different with me.  I actually do remember instrumentals (Take 5, Walk, Don't Run, Theme From a Summer Place, etc.) from around the time of my birth.

 

Craig

[58L-Y8]

Just one year old when my '53 Packard Clipper drove off the assembly line at East Grand Boulevard...so I was largely unaware of its existence.   I was also unaware of the last day of Detroit Packard production on June 25, 1956, and the South Bend Packard production on July 25, 1958.  Probably too busy playing in the sandbox...

[TAKerry]

I was 12 when my car was built.

[c49er]

20 hours ago, Scott Bonesteel said:

There may have been good times but, as above, lots of things I would not want to live through again, for example the polio epidemic of the 50s, which now we have a vaccine against.  In any event, I make it a rule to never buy a car that is younger than I am (1953).  However, I will make an exception if I can find a white 68 Firebird coupe with the Sprint 250 OHV six...

Do you want the rare 4 BBL Sprint Six model?

[Pfeil]

Besides the two daily drivers I have six cars. I was alive when all of them were new. Two of them I special ordered.

1962 Pontiac 421 Catalina Post bought in 1991

1963 Pontiac 389 Catalina hardtop coupe bought in 2015

1964 VW Type 113 Deluxe beetle bought in 1973

1965 VW Type 111 "1200"A" Custom" beetle - rare European model. bought in 1968

1969 Pontiac LeMans H-O hardtop coupe - bought new, ordered november 68 delivered late Dec 1968

1976 Oldsmobile Omega brougham- bought new, ordered winter 1976 delivery spring of 1976 

Edited December 8, 2021 by Pfeil (see edit history)

[Pfeil]

19 hours ago, Ed Luddy said:

I'm looking at one now. I had a 68 Sprint convertible with a 3 speed floor shift standard, 4 bbl carb on the OHC inliner. The one up for sale now has the Power Glide column shift. Likely less rusty than my old one and for sure less dents. But, I was a kid with very little cash and mine was at a yard sale for under $500 back in '76

THM-300 Two speed. Because the OHC Pontiac six uses the same bellhousing as Pontiac/Olds/Buick. A Powerglide will not bolt up without an adaptor. 

Edited December 8, 2021 by Pfeil (see edit history)

[SC38dls]

My car is a 38 that makes it 83 so it’s older than me by 8 years. If I was alive then I would probably be dead today so no thank you. I can only hope to enjoy it for another 8 years and if I’m lucky maybe a few more!  
dave s 

[Pfeil]

21 minutes ago, SC38dls said:

My car is a 38 that makes it 83 so it’s older than me by 8 years. If I was alive then I would probably be dead today so no thank you. I can only hope to enjoy it for another 8 years and if I’m lucky maybe a few more!  
dave s 

My friend and neighbor would love your car. He's a 1938 model as well.

[joe_padavano]

1 hour ago, Pfeil said:

THM-300 Two speed. Because the OHC Pontiac six uses the same bellhousing as Pontiac/Olds/Buick. A Powerglide will not bolt up without an adaptor. 

 

Technically, it's an ST300 (Super Turbine 300).