Vintage Car Appeal

The older I get, the more I love looking at old automobiles. I don't think I ever care to own one - just another maintenance problem, right? (at least, that's what I keep telling myself ;-) Oh, but they tempt me. Go ahead and try sending a 40+ year old, easy-on-the-eyes fellow my way and I'll rarely look twice. However, drive by in a 40+ year old polished, playful and pampered car - and you've got me.

I blame it all on my dad.

Imagine my great joy when recently, we "inherited" decades worth of National Geographic Magazines from my eldest daughter and her husband, who discovered them in the basement of an old house they purchased. Sure, they contain a wealth of information and history within their pages - but I'm simply drawn to the advertisements. Especially the auto ads.






















These ads from the early 1930's rather make me yawn. A bit TOO old, perhaps? Ah, but I do like those prices - wouldn't it be awesome to purchase a brand new car for prices like that?

Where I stop and browse for hours on end is in the 1950's editions. What fantastic ads - for everything from porcelain toilets to fountain pens. But of course, my favorite of all are the car ads. Aren't these beautiful?

I've never liked station wagons or their successor,
the minivan...but THESE are fantastic!

I don't know about handling - but yes, it
is a beautiful thing!

Cadillac evolved a bit from the early 1930's!

The 1960's were good too, of course, as that's when the beloved Mustang came on the scene. Unfortunately, National Geographic didn't  seem to attract Ford's advertising dollar and I found no vintage Mustang ads. I did, however, find another ad of the ever evolving Cadillac.

Then came the 1970's, and it's kind of all downhill from there. Another Cadillac ad from the late 1970's, when gas mileage was now a much bigger issue and classy looking "boats" were losing their appeal.

Last, and most certainly least - the 1970's saw the birth of the economy car, with American auto companies bragging that their cars are imported...from Germany. I believe I just heard those early 1930's, post WWI and preWWII counterparts roll over in their graves.

Oh well. With today's gas prices, none of us would want to be driving one of those 1950's gas-guzzlers on a daily basis, so who am I to complain? I did, however, try to pass on my love of those gas-guzzlers to one of my daughters, by giving her a unique gift for her retro kitchen.

I do believe my dad would have approved.