Because The 50's, 60's and 70's Were Cool!

Before any email's come flying back at me, I think I'll clarify that title line. I'm not saying other decades weren't cool - it's my opinion that every year and decade throughout history has it's memorable moments and not all of them are bummers. Looking further, the past five years in the decade we're in, automotive performance wise, are some of the best in over 40 years. What I basically hitting on here is the fifteen years between 1957 to 1972, again automotive wise, was an easier time. It was easier to work on the vehicles, the rules in racing were much less complicated, as well as the outside influences of sponsorship & money weren't a necessity in order to compete. Bottom line - horsepower was available to everyone and the admission for participation was cheap. Check out the two pictures on each side of this paragraph - while they're both 6 cylinder engines and both from a Ford Mustang, the one on the left is from 1965, the pic on the right is  from 2012. Which one would you want to change the spark plugs on given a Saturday afternoon?

What I also find incredibly interesting is that despite the massive differences and changes in the automotive field during this period, the common thread of influences were always there. Things just got faster, wilder, and more innovative as the years spun along. For example, in 1957 the American
Manufacturers Association (AMA) decided on a racing ban  - where manufacturers would no longer be so actively involved in motor sports - mostly in drag racing. Within seven short years, not only was the ban history, but manufacturers went as far as producing wild-looking altered wheelbase vehicles as well as sticking dragster engines into basically stock-bodied vehicles. Then, as it does now, performance sells cars - even if it's completely over the top and total overkill. Case in point, Jack Christman's B/FD 1964 Mercury Comet. Fans loved this wild ride with it's quarter mile long burnouts. As a result of this insanity, 100,000 mile durability runs, as well as other racing adventures, Comet sales rose 55% for the model year.

Finally, if we ponder the performance game and shift into a "what it was like then verses what it's like now", I will admit that the common threads of going faster and influences are still there, even though technology has a big hand in today's quest for more speed. We have street cars (and quantifying that concept in itself is a whole other topic) that can easily dip into the 7 or even 6 second quarter mile time brackets, where back in the 60's, that was strictly dragster and funny car territory.

Another aspect of the late 50's to the early 70's that was totally cool (and will never be repeated) was performance car advertising. While Madison Avenue was rather conservative during the 50's, it started to let it's hair down by the mid 60's, and was totally hitting the acid by 1969. This week I've included two advertisements for the Plymouth Barracuda - one from 1964, the second from 1969. Same car, same platform (A-body), same manufacturer, but the differences are staggering. Everything from the images, to the wording, to the target audience changed in five short years. And you & I both know, that we will never see ads like the one above for the 'Cuda 340 again.

I can honestly say, I believe many of us in the northern half of the US have finally made it over a huge hump. March is here, daylight savings time starts this weekend, this stubborn Arctic weather pattern that we were in for 6 weeks is finally breaking, and the snow is melting! We had a taste of 50 degree weather here in Maine a few days ago for the first time since December. It will, however, be at least a few more weeks before we can actually start to think about driving our vintage iron - be it a street rod, truck, or motorcycle. I'm gathering more information about upcoming shows that are happening from late spring through mid-fall. Pics and stories, along with more details of where we'll be, are forthcoming. I'll leave you with a vintage photo of a Ford dealership in New England that was taken during the winter of 1969. Check out the Mustang and other classic vehicles in the picture. Just goes to prove that these cars were "common transportation" back then...

Until next time - peace out.
Dave