What is your earliest memory of someone, (it could be a family member or it could be a neighbor, etc), bringing a brand new car home for the first time? I was born in 1954, (I know, I know, I'm old!!) and mine is from 1959, making me just 5 yrs old. It is a vague memory, but a definite one, none the less. I recall going to Mayfair Ford, in Linden NJ, leaving our 1953 4dr grey Dodge there, and getting our brand new 2 tone tan, Ford Ranch Wagon. I remember where Dad parked the Dodge alongside the dealership and that the wagon was on the street directly in front. The next one, which is a whole lot clearer, was 3 years later in 1962 when my grandparents took me with them to pick up their brand new Invicta convertible from Lally Buick in Westfield, NJ. My wise a$% uncle was with us and he pointed to a beat up old Buick in the rear and insisted that was Grandma and Grandpa's new car. I got very upset because it was so ugly but then Grandma saw what was going on, assured me that was not theirs and promptly told Uncle Don to shut his mouth! About 15 minutes later, the sales rep brought their gorgeous new rag top up to the showroom; it was maroon with white interior. I'd never seen such a hot looking car. As soon as we started back to Cranford, I begged Grandpa to put the top down, which he did, and I was in absolute Heaven, hoping all my friends would see me. How about you guys and gals? What's your first or second memory of a new car?
Hi Snooter. I remember being about 4 years old, sitting all alone in my father's 1955 Buick (black & white) and trying to climb out the passenger side window. I fell face first onto the pavement. Oh....And I was born in 1957, so I'm not too far behind ya buddy.
I'm a little younger, but I remember my Dad buying his '71 Coronet wagon. We walked around in a warehouse in Duluth Minnesota looking at cars. We looked at a gold car (solid color), but he wanted the highback seats which you could olny get with the woodgrain. A few weeks later, we went back and picked up the wagon - green with woodtrim and a 383. I was 8 years old at the time... I ended up driving the car during high school, and later owned it myself for a bit, before the New England salt had eaten it too much to repair...
Excellent memories. Wish I was there along side you while grandma and grampa were getting that Invicta! First new car for my dad was a '63 Chevy Nova 2-door hardtop. 194 cu in 6, powerglide, AM radio, whitewall tires, power steering (? --probably) Don't remember all the details on that one, because I was too young to drive at that point, but I sure remember the day dad brought it home. Dad had plum wore out his '58 Biscayne delivering papers (his 2nd job) in about 2 years. I think he gve up the paper job about the time he got the Nova. We were jumping all over it when dad brought it home. White, with an aqua interior. Certainly nothing fancy, but it was a HARDTOP! Would have expected my conservative dad to get a CEE-DAN (he wasn't into cars, either). He put those clear waffle Fingerhut seat covers on it (which felt GREAT in the summer on bare legs...LOL) Dad probably took much better care of this car than any he had before. He got careless later though - didn't 'lock' the ignition, and someone stole it from off the street where he worked. Replacement was a new '65 Nova wagon with a 283.....
1st new car I remember was my grandfather's 60 Super 88 convertible, but since I was born in 58 (LATE 58) I guess I do not remember it coming home. That would have to be a neighbor's 61 Impala (actually went with them to get it - still remember that night) then Mom's 62 Impala
Well it was 71 I was 5. My parents bought a brand new 1970 Chevrolet Estate wagon off the show room floor. It must have had the 454 in it,( don't know) but it would pass everything but the gas station and needed premium gas when towing our trailer. It was a lemon though. We went on vacation in it to North Carolina to visit my grand parents then to Myrtle Beach. We drove there in end of a hurricane. The wagons windshield leaked like a sieve. It rained so hard it beat the paint off the trailer, but the 50's something trailer was dry as a bone. Shortly after the trip we traded it on a 69 Buick 225. Tim
I was 7 and dad bought a brand new 1955 Ford 4-door sedan, and traded up for a new 1958 Ranchwagon in late 1957.
I was 3 and my parents were trading in my Mom's 53 Pontiac 4 door sedan on a new yellow 64 Ford Falcon 4 door sedan at Hill and Sanders Ford in Hyattsville, Maryland. I remember liking the styling of the leftover red 63 Falcon 2 door wagon still sitting on the lot. Even before that I remember being amazed at a family friend's brand new white 63 Mercury Monterey with the back window that retracted into the trunk. I also remember the day I walked home from school in June of 66 and my Dad's special order yellow 66 Ford Econoline camper was parked out front where his green 60 Country Sedan had usually been parked. The extended body Econoline had the pop up top, ice box, stove and room to sleep 4. That first summer we took it from Virginia for a very long camping trip with stops at Mount Rushmore and Yellowstone Park, the Grand Canyon and the Great Salt Lake. At Mesa Verde, we toured the Indian's ancient cliff dwellings and the park ranger held up his hat, explaining that if you were bigger around than the hat you had better not take the tour. We took the tour and my dad got stuck in one of the passageways. I was six years old. I also remember the day my parents traded in the Falcon sedan for a 69 LTD 4 door hardtop. The all new Maverick had just come out and I really liked the styling of the Maverick, but my parents took home the LTD. The LTD ended up being a family favorite well into the 80's. And I remember visiting several Ford Chevy and Plymouth dealers when the Econoline got traded in on a blue 71 Country Squire with the 429 and and the trailer towing package. I remember liking the 71 Plymouth Sport Suburban wagons better with the hidden headlight grille. But it was the end of the model year and only the green ones were left on the lots and no one in the family liked Plymouth's 1971 shades of green. My parents knew my only interest was in cars when I was growing up, so, starting with the introduction of the 1970 models, my parents would take me to all the dealers during new car introduction week each fall.
My dad's 70 Cougar, new on the show room floor, Dad putting me in the drivers seat and saying "Stay Here!". I remeber dad leaving with the salesman, guys in blue cover alls opening the glass doors, they then moved another car out, and then a guy with blue coverals drove dad's car out, I remember standing on the console with my hands on the dash.
In 1973, my parents bought our family car (a 1-yr old 72 Mercury Marquis Brougham) about the time I turned 2...so I don't remember getting it. When I was 6, we totaled it. Dad had it put back together and we kept on driving it. When I was 9, the engine blew...the car was a 5,000lb paperweight...thought we were gonna get a new car, but no dice...Dad found a donor engine and we kept on driving it. We never got another new car until I was 21. By that point, I begged my Dad to sell the old car to me. I couldn't bear to see it go. Dad wouldn't let me have it. The engine was bad, nothing worked, including the power windows/doorlocks/seat, the cruise control, the horn...but I wanted that car. Dad just said no (probably was a good idea, though). He just called from the Ford dealer and told me to bring my mother and the checkbook to go pick up our new 1991 Crown Vic LX. I remember when I was about 10, my best friend's mother got a brand new Chevette. New car smell and all. I was soooo jealous. Now I realize I needn't have worried myself .
