Seeing as it is an Oldsmobile-themed day here at CC, it got me thinking of the various Oldsmobiles I had personal experience with over the years. Oldsmobile will always be a very special brand close to my heart, as it was the preferred car choice of my grandfather, the late Joseph Saur. Because of that, I had experience with Oldsmobile since my earliest days of life — in fact, his 1992 Nintey-Eight Regency was the very first car I ever rode in, as a newborn on my way home from the hospital.
Naturally, I don’t remember that ride specifically, but I do remember many in that Oldsmobile with my grandparents, as Papa kept that Olds until 1997, when it was traded in for a 1997 Eighty-Eight LS.
That specific Eighty-Eight became somewhat of a fixture of my childhood, as I was fortunate enough to see my grandparents nearly every single day. This car was kept longer than usual, for some reason, and in fact until my grandfather’s untimely passing in June 2003.
Oldsmobile will forever be a meaningful brand to me, despite its demise. Like Camel cigarettes and Chivas Regal scotch, Oldsmobile will always be instantly associated with my grandfather. I will also forever hold Olds dear to my heart, as it was the first vehicle I ever rode in. I’m sure most of us have strong personal feelings towards a brand for various reasons. What automobile brand is most special to you and why?
My grandma had an Eighty-Eight just like that, the last car she ever bought before she died. They weren’t loyal to any particular brand, but seemed to lean towards large GM cars. They had a Le Sabre briefly prior to the Olds, and before that a Pontiac Parisienne.
Packard. Dad had a ’47 Clipper sedan when I was a little kid in the early 1960s. He also owned a couple others in that time period as well. I’m still partial to the marque to this day.
+1. My Dad loved Packards, and I fell hard for the last big Packards as a child. In 1970, he acquired a ‘31 840 and I bought my first car, a ’55 Patrician.
+1. My Dad loved Packards, and I fell hard for the last big Packards as a child. In 1970, he acquired a ‘31 840 and I bought my first car, a ’55 Patrician.
After that, Valiants. Mom’s first new car and we iwned many.
A most awesome and intriguing question. I’m having to think on this….
Mercury. This is not based upon any connection or nostalgia but more upon opportunity squandered. There was a lot of potential that had the giant swirl going on before it went away.
I’ve never owned one and only driven two that I can remember, a 1969 Monterey and a 1995 Cougar.
Thanks for asking, Brandon!
Chevrolet, of course!
Dad brought home this ‘63 Impala when I was 5 years old. Compared to the ‘48 DeSoto it replaced, it was a rocket ship! Sleek lines, 327 Turbo Fire, the cool speaker grille in the back seat with the Impala logo. What kid wouldn’t like it?
This car was a CC Kids feature:
https://www.curbsideclassic.com/blog/cc-kids-yes-officer-he-does-look-a-bit-young-for-his-age/
It’s Brendan 😉
I guess I didn’t really answer the question in my first post, so I’ll leave a second reply that attempts to. It’s kind of hard to answer because no one in my family was really loyal to any particular car brand, but I do kind of get warm fuzzies from late 1970s Toyotas. My dad had a ’79 Corolla wagon that he bought just before I was born and held onto until right around the time I started high school. So in other words I spent the majority of my childhood riding in that car.
I’m torn, so I’m going with two.
First, Plymouth, for some of the same reasons Brendan described. From my infancy through some of my elementary school years, the Dennises were a Plymouth household – owning a ’71 Duster, a ’72 Fury, and then a ’77 Volaré the Fury was traded for. Sch positive associations with taking family road trips in the Volaré, and of riding in the Duster with Dad.
I ask cherish Chevrolet, having grown up in Flint where car production was a big part of our culture.
Saab. I was fascinated by Saabs due to their uniqueness — and unlike most things that have fascinated me, I actually owned one (a 1988 900 Turbo). I remember the immense pride I had in that car, even though it was well used at the time.
Now, my actual ownership experience was horrible. I couldn’t afford to keep it running and eventually sold it (to a Saab dealership salesman who could get it fixed cheaply) and bought something that was actually reliable — a Mazda. A chalked it up as a lesson learned, but even after getting burned by the finicky, expensive ordeal of owning one, I still admired the brand and its streak of independence, and still feel quite an affinity for (real) Saabs.
Unrelatedly, it’s amusing that you mention Chivas Regal scotch. I have indelible memories of that too, though for a much different reason. My father, who didn’t drink at all, worked as a construction manager, and in the 1980s folks in the construction industry would often give booze as holiday gifts. Chivas Regal was the gift of choice, and eventually Dad amassed an enormous quantity of the stuff, which was never opened. Receiving the annual quota of booze got to be quite a joke in our household.
I dunno if Saab is my “most special” brand, but the stillborn 9-5 Sportcombi is one of the “most special” wagons the world never got.
The world did get some, you likely know that at least several of the prototypes were able to be actually get registered in various European countries after a LOT of paperwork by their owners. It’s an impressive story that’s been told in a couple of places.
That should just say “the U.S.,” then.
American Motors.
This is kind of a hard one for me, my parents and grandparents had a pretty inconsistent mix of brands in my lifetime, and while a few models individually carry some positive memories with them, I never formed any real attachment to the brands themselves. I utterly despise my late Grandpa’s last car (Prius), but I loved my grandpa and miss him dearly.
I have my preferences as an enthusiast, but they change all the time depending on my mood – I can switch from “Ford guy” to “Mopar guy” to “VW guy” etc. on a whim, so here’s no guaranteeing an answer like “Mercury” would still be my choice by the time I even click ‘post comment’.
AMC however speaks to my roots. The company was effectively absorbed into Chrysler by the year I was born, but my parents, grandparents, and great grandparents all hailed from southeast Wisconsin between Racine and Kenosha, my Mom’s side were even shareholders. On top of that American Motors seemed like the most human company. Not the “only race we care about is the human race” quote, but that their products could be fallible or brilliant, sometimes both, and there was character in every last model because of those traits. I tend to dislike brands that are infallible and ooze perfection like Toyota or even GM in their heyday. Also-rans very often provided more interesting and quirky product to get attention away from the big dogs, and while in AMCs living era Ford and Chrysler brands have numerous models with these traits, AMC literally had it with every single car they had, because they had to – from the Ramblers to the Marlin to 2 seater AMX to the Gremlin to the Matador to the Pacer to the 4WD Eagles – even though they were often dorky they had a stand out identity. I won’t call myself an “AMC guy”, because I’m not, but most special to me? Absolutely.
The first car I can remember my parents owning was a nice ‘79 Olds 98, silver with silver vinyl top and red leather interior. But otherwise it’s all Buick pretty much;
1981 Century
1985 Riviera
1989 LeSabre
1998 LeSabre
2004 LeSabre
And now I have a 2018 Encore.
Lots of memories in a Buick. I was in the Century when we heard Mayor Washington passed away on the radio. I learned to drive on the 89, took my first girlfriend out in the Riv, drive my mother in my dads funeral procession in the 98.
Buick
My grandparents on my dad’s side had Buicks. my folks had a Buick (96 Century). I had several Buicks (89 Century wagon, 1997 Buick Lesabre and a 2005 Buick Lesabre)
Pontiac
I have had several Pontiac’s over the years (98 Firebird, 09 Vibe and 97 Trans Sport)
I have had a lot of Fords over the years but they really did not elicit any real emotion from me
Volkswagen. I came home from the hospital in one, and my ’71 van was purchased the same day I proposed to my wife. Owned it eight years (five as a DD), then it was succeeded by my ’64 Type I (DD for six years). Followed that with my ’00 New Beetle TDI (a bit over 12 years as a DD). Wife drives a ’12 Routan currently.
Unfortunately, they lost me after my poor ’13 Beetle Convertible TDi experience, and then lost me forever with the last service experience we had with the Routan (charged for parts they did not install, nor were they even for a Routan – smarmy Service Manager, too).
Probably Audi by dint of my Dad having been a fan and multiple owner when we lived over there and then myself having owned almost half a dozen and a big fan of the Group B Rally Program. Curiously, their current offerings leave me fairly cold, it seems when they achieved real mainstream success they lost a lot of their appeal to me.
Well I grew up in Holdens but it’s kind of hard to have a blanket appreciation for the brand purely because of how, for many decades, it has been a patchwork brand of Aussie, Japanese, German and Korean models, including imports from Suzuki, Isuzu, Daewoo/GM Korea, Opel, etc. The first car I was ever driven in was an Aussie Commodore, which was then replaced by a German Astra (or maybe ours was built in the UK?)
As I mentioned recently, too, there were some years where Ford simply had the better products or at least the better Aussie sedan. So unlike many dyed-in-the-wool Aussie car enthusiasts, I’ve switched allegiances between Holden and Ford. I still have more of a connection with General Motors overall, though.
To answer your question, Brendan, the brand that is most special to me is Cadillac. There’s just something about it. Maybe it’s the fact it’s the most aspirational American brand and the American brand with the loftiest goals. Maybe it’s the fact it’s an underdog in a brutally competitive luxury car market. Maybe it’s because their cars largely offer the right blend of comfortable ride and sharp handling. Then there’s the styling and that classic name. The fact that I actually have spent some time behind the wheel of one of their recent products and didn’t come away disappointed in any way is just icing on the cake.
So while Ford often makes better or at least more interesting cars than Chevrolet, I’m still largely a GM man because of my love for Cadillac. But really, I love all three American automakers, flaws and all.
Good shout! I just love saying “Cadillac”, or hearing it said, and I feel a strange satisfaction when I pass the dealership and see the signs.
I grew up with Holdens as family cars and have owned more of them than I can readily count, but I also owned a few Fords British and Australian and Valiants which turned out to be my preference for Aussie cars but now I have a Hillman a Nissan and daily drive Citroens its very hard to choose a brand though I guess with the Hillman and Citroen probably PSA.
Had to give this thought. Not much brand loyalty in my family, except my grandfather who owned a run of 6-cylinder Fords, Falcon/Maverick/Granada/Fairmont. I have no particular favorite, but I do prefer a domestic brand; not so much for “buy American”, but rather the sedate image as compared to European brands. The Asian brands, while supremely competent automobiles, just never hit a high note with me. But the question was “what is special?” For me it would have to be Alfa Romeo. I know the question asked for a brand, but I’ve always been enamored with the late 70s Sprint Velonce. Not the later GTV6, but the more pedestrian looking earlier model with a 4 cylinder and styled steel wheels. There used to be one parked off Woodlawn Avenue in the Wawaset Park neighborhood of Wilmington, Delaware in 1981. I lusted after that car. Ever since then I’ve had a soft spot for Alfa’s of most stripes; unfortunately they’ve produced some duds (think: Milano) since then. But they are Italian, and as Franco (played by Raul Julia) said in the “Gumball Rally”, “The first rule of Italian driving…is what’s behind you, doesn’t matter.” A good rule to live by….
Pontiac.
If I have to pick just one, it’s Mercedes-Benz, because their 70s-80s products made such an impression (“bank vault”) on me as a kid/teenager even though they were decades old at that point, and they’ve just always been the image of what a luxury car should be. They’re still my favorite luxury brand.
I would say it’s Nissan for me, just because of an 88 sentra 2 door that my father bought brand new in 87. I was a year old and that is the only new car he ever bought, and he kept it for 16 years, until he decided to get a camry. Now he’s back in a nissan in the guise of a 2011 rouge, My mother owed a 95 altima, and that was the first car I ever drove on my own, for 3 years, until I got my own car. Then I finally got a nissan of my own, an 2006 murano, and that was my first automatic car, and the car that I brought my kids home in, and we had that for 5 and a half years.
So even though I’ve been around many different cars like the rest of you, nissan always meant a lot to me.
Triumph. Happy childhood memories, valuable learning experiences, heartbreak, and hopefully a 2nd chance someday.
My favorite brand? Oldsmobile. So, as you can imagine, I’m very happy today!
Even though I have owned other makes, Ford has always been my favorite brand. That is probably because my Dad and Grandpa both owned them.
However, Oldsmobiles have a very special place in my heart. My favorite uncle always owned Oldsmobiles. He and my aunt would come down from their home in Peoria, Illinois to visit a couple of times a year and my brother and I used to spend a couple of weeks each summer at their house. I always liked riding in their cars as they were much nicer than anything Dad drove. Then, in 1962 Dad bought a new Olds station wagon . It was the nicest car we had ever had . I took my drivers test in that car and we took lots of vacations in it. Dad drove me to catch the bus for Army basic training in it. It had lots of memories for all of us and it was my Mom’s favorite car of all time. My folks actually owned it twice, but that is another story. Maybe I should write a COAL post about that wagon and it’s story. Dad owned two more Oldsmobiles and then switched back to Ford because he got tired of changing heater motors in his ’78 98, Ironically, Grandpa, who probably influenced Dad to drive Fords in the first place, ended up having an Oldsmobile as his last car.
I’m partial to Buick today, though the brand doesn’t deserve it, but the brand of my childhood is Plymouth.
Richard Petty and Ronnie Sox still are my heroes.
Good question. My father was a Ford man. I think it was because he saw one of the first Ford Model T’s in Croatia as young boy. I think it stuck with him. Other than a stray Cadillac and Dodge Dart, we had all Fords or later, Mercurys. My first new car (along with my siblings) was a Ford product, but I went for a Mercury whenever possible. I’ll mention my three Mercury Capris at this time…
But, I had Oldsmobiles, Dodges, Pontiacs and Chevys, too. On my own, I fell in love with Pontiacs and still have one today as daily. I think I currently feel my most affiliation with Mercury, Dodge and Pontiac, but they no longer exist. I’m mostly a GM guy, but can’t get too excited about Chevy even though the Chevys I owned were the most-trouble free cars I had…
If I had to choose one that is most special to me, it would be Mercury.
I dunno. It’s tough, because there’s a lot of brands that are special to me, for various reasons, so picking just one is a tall order.
I guess if there’s one brand that is the most personal to me. I guess it would be Lincoln, whenever I think of all the cars I want to own or have ever owned, a majority of them tend to be Lincolns. My mom’s dad had a Navigator as his final vehicle, and even though I never met him a lot or got much of a chance to be around him, I remember him with nothing but fondness and admiration, he was the guy that nobody said a bad word about. The 62 Continental was arguably the starting point of my love of luxury cars along with the W140 Mercedes, one vehicle I would kill to own is the Lincoln Mark V, something I’ve gone on and on about on this website. Two of the cars I wanted before I got my Eldorado were a Mark VII LSC or a boxy late 80s Town Car. And one of the vehicles I’ve thought of getting next would be, you guessed it, a Lincoln, either a mid 90s Town Car or a 2nd generation Navigator or third generation Navigator L.
Are there probably better luxury car brands? Sure. Are there other cars I like better? Absolutely. Are there brands and vehicles that hold stronger personal connections? Of course. But as far as the one brand that I like more than any other, the one that holds a wider range of products that I hold positive feelings towards, the one brand that continues to be on my mind. Surprisingly enough, it is Lincoln. Mercedes Benz, Cadillac, Rolls Royce, even Chevrolet and Pontiac all are close considerations, but Lincoln for some reason, just beats them all as far as what means the most to me. I wish I could explain it better, but it just does.
Mercury. My dad had 7 Marquis/Grand Marquis, a 68, 69, 76, 78, 85, 88, and a 93. It was pretty much all he had for my first 25 years. Besides those, my first (roadworthy) car was a 76 Marquis and the first car I ever drove at 13 years old was my sister’s 77 Marquis.
There is no rational reason for this choice. It was a car of my grandparents time. That being said, I grew up hearing the name held in high esteem, and always admired their style. The car was the Pierce Arrow. Very much in the shadow of Packard, they were very much their equal. Packard lowered their standards greatly to weather the Great Depression. Pierce Arrow refused to and died on their own terms.
I saw a “resto-modded” Pierce Arrow on the road a few days ago in Prescott Arizona. Maybe the 2nd or 3rd I’ve seen running in my life. Here’s a picture I found on the web, courtesy of ronshotrods.blogspot.com.
Wow! I’ve never seen one rodded before. I prefer them stock but at least it is appreciated.
I followed it through pretty heavy traffic …. it’s definitely being used but the V8 rumble and smooth up shifts that I heard definitely point to an update powertrain.
Mopars in general but Ive always been partial to Plymouths since my Dad had a Valiant followed by a Satellite from when I was born up until I was 10. Plus all the cops in my county drove Plymouths, Richard Petty and Sox and Martin drove Plymouths, Christine was a Plymouth, and the General Lee and the Bluesmobile were Dodges so Mopars FTW.
Close behind Mopars are Buicks, Oldsmobiles and Pontiacs. Grandma got a new LeSabre every 3-5 years and I desperately wanted a Grand National from the day I first saw one. My Mom got a new 1982 Delta 88 which was a big deal in our family as we could finally afford a new car, plus I grew up in the great Cutlass epoch so they were everywhere and I knew lots of folks that had one. My first car was one of the last great Pontiacs, a ’77 Grand Prix that I still have, and every red blooded American boy that grew up in the 70s and 80s wanted a Trans Am.
I have no connection to Fords or any of the imports.
I would have to say Chrysler/Plymouth since the first car my father ever had was a 1968 Plymouth Barracuda that I wish we still had & I still have a fondness for the 1989 LeBaron GTC coupe I owned despite the fact that it was a money pit.
Probably Chevrolet. I was brought home from the hospital in June of 1960 in a ‘56 Model Two-Ten sedan, and although Dad immediately traded it in on a ‘60 Dodge (2 doors were considered safer back then to parental units), the cars I remember from my childhood were my parents’ two Impalas, a ‘66 Fastback and a ‘68 Custom Coupe. And although he traded the ‘68 in on a ‘73 LTD (hardtop coupe, of course), afterwards he got a ‘77 Nova Concours which we all dubbed “The Little Caprice”. And yes, it was also a 2-Door, in the same red as his ‘66 Impala.
My great uncle always had to one-up my Dad… Dad would buy a Chevy, then my uncle would get an Olds; another Chevy, my uncle’d buy a Buick. When Dad bought the LTD (his first Ford) my uncle did the same… a Mercury Marquis in the same color! This went on right up until my uncle passed away.
Having had the LTD passed down to me, it made me a Ford man mostly. And although my current Ford is a Mustang, if Ford still made the T-Bird… THAT is what would be in my driveway. I like coupes, damn it! Even my DD Civic is a Coupe, NOT a sedan.
A Chevy like my Dad had when I was 6 (even though I liked the ‘68 better) ? …
Opel for me please, the Kadett B just has that something. Especially the wagons. I also like the Mopar stuff, AMC Rambler era cars and Studebaker too. I’ve always wanted to try a Nash though. Or a Powell Sportwagon. Gilbern intrigues me also.
Dodge, my grandfather had ’77/’81/’83 1500 (Argentinian Plymouth cricket). Peugeot, a 504 was my first car. Citroen, it is a brand that I’ve ever admired and the DS was ever my “dream car”. Now, Mercedes Benz ‘couse I am enjoying a w123.
I can’t say brand means much too me.
It’s more the model that holds the memories and affection.
My grandfather wasn’t a Ford man but he bought a bunch of them over his lifetime.
But since it seems to be Oldsmobile appreciation day. My aunt had a 77 olds cutlass supreme when I was a kid. She took us to the lake. Sleep overs and so many places in it.
It was I think buckskin colored with a creame color half top and matching interior.
I remember the turn signal stalk and gearshift stalk coming off on a regular basis.
She kept a large flat head screwdriver to use them in those instances in the glove box.
So that particular model gives me a warm fuzzy.
Especially if it has full wheel covers instead of rally wheels
Pontiac for me too. My Dad’s first new car, when I was 4 yrs old, was a 1965 Catalina in that light metallic green color that was so popular that year. He traded it in on a 1971 Catalina Brougham with a 400 c.i. 2 barrel (I seem to remember him telling me he was taking advantage of President Nixon’s excise tax policy). That ended up being my first car when he bought himself a 1977 Bonneville Brougham, black with the tan Valencia interior. He loved that car, but it met its demise in 1984 when it got hit by a train….a story for another time.
35 years later my brother & I bought him another one, same interior but in metallic buckskin. After my dad passed away, I decided to keep it. About a year ago I was driving it to get some estimates for paint & body work when I stopped at a gas station and one of your readers (Nate) came over to ask about it and took some pics. Next thing I know it’s on CC!
My semi-restoration is almost complete, and I will be posting my very first article on CC in the next month or two. Thanks to all the contributors for all the great articles, I hope my writing skills at least match some of your most prolific wordsmiths.
Neat story. Looking forward to your future post!
This is easy. For me, it was, and always will be, Volvo. Ever since my father brought home our family’s first Volvo in the fall of 1997 (a CPO 1993 850 GLT), I have been obsessed with everything about the small, quirky Swedish auto manufacturer.
I became a true believer after I crashed that very first Volvo in a bad wreck in the mid-2000s. At that point, I vowed to never drive anything other than a Volvo, and have had well over 10 of them in the last 13 years. I now have three – two 1989 740 GLs, and a 2000 V70. One of the 740s has well over 300k miles on it and is a quasi-daily driver.
And I also love the rectangular, boxy styling of the old-school Volvos, and will continue to own them because 1) They are extremely safe and durable, and 2) No thief in their right mind would steal any of my frumpy old cars.
Porsche
Fun to drive and a pleasure to work on. But more importantly it’s what puts food on the table and the kids through school. Old, new, bent, straight, fast or slow I like them all. Porsche people? Don’t get me started. SOME are nice. Most Porsches are driven/not driven by owners with all the verve contained in an elite high in a tree sloth
It’s a good question. I should say Mercedes, since my dad had a slew of them. Or T-Bird, since mom and I had quite a few of those over the years. Or Oldsmobile, since I count a half dozen or so of those between the folks and I.
But the real answer is Jeep- between myself and the kids, we keep coming back to Wranglers. I’ve got the itch again. And our VW Camper- no amount of money could buy the memories back from that one.
Cadillac. My Dad was Scottish and a mechanic so you would think he would be partial to something British but when he immigrated to Canada his goal was to buy a Cadillac. He had several, never new and was proud of them all. If someone had given him a Rolls or Bentley I do believe he would have traded it for a Caddy in a heartbeat.
It left me with a lifelong appreciation and the proud owner of two of my own over the years.
I’m gonna blend em; Lincoln & Mercury. The Mercury because of the upscale Ford effort of the 60’s and 70’s (including McGarret’s Mercury and the oh-so bourgeois Marquis’s of the mid 70’s). And the deliciously leisure-suity Marks of the early and mid 70’s; they typified an era, I think….
Two brands are special to me. Dodge is special because I grew up riding around in the back seat of a 1964 Dart wagon, later a 1966 Dart wagon, followed by a 1971 Coronet wagon. Beautiful, reliable, well-designed cars all. After the Coronet, my parents went through a series of truly awful malaise-era cars during my middle-school and high school years which were not fully exorcised until I was out of college.
Volkswagen is the other brand that is special. I’ve owned seven so far and my daughters no doubt associate that brand with their years growing up.
I’d have to go with Honda/Acura, considering that the cars that I have had so far (Accord/TSX) are from those brands and cars made by them been a consistent presence in my dad’s side of the family ever since the early 2000s (Odyssey, Accord, Pilot in addition to what I’ve had) starting from his parents and influencing his decisions and later myself, being more dependable than the Taurus I spent my early childhood in. My mother has driven a Corolla most of my life and her parents large American cars/2 4th gen Chrysler T&Cs made from 1995-2005 in my lifetime, none of which appeal to me as an enthusiast as much as Honda products do from a driving and performance standpoint.
The car brand that I most associate with is Ford. Ever since the seventies, my grandpa’s whole side of the family drove exclusively Fords. Luxury car for grandpa? 1990 LTD Crown Victoria. Beater car for college for my dad in the early 90’s? A 1977 Granada. The car of my childhood, a 1997 Expedition. In the year 1998, I was brought forth into the world and subsequently brought home in that very expedition, which my mom owned until 2008. In fact, I relate most with Expeditions, due to the fact that there has always been an Expedition in my family. My mom had her ’97, my dad had an ’04 navigator, then an ’07 Navigator, then a ’13 Expedition (Which is now my first car), and now has a ’18 Navigator on order. I know just about everything there is to know about Fords and Expeditions due to my family’s fierce loyalty to them. My mom’s side in the 70’s-90’s? Whatever was the cheapest car they could find at used police car auctions. My mom’s first car was a 1976 Plymouth Fury. Quite fitting for a 5’5 woman.
Good question, Brendan!
Easy answer is Mercedes-Benz because of my grandfather. After the second world war, he would continue to trade up from smaller and cheaper Mercedes-Benz for bigger and more plush one every few years. His last one was a W123 250 (2.5-litre straight six with carburettor) before he passed away in 1987.
I also have a soft spot for Chevrolet and Oldsmobile as well. Chevrolet because of company cars that my father got during his stint in the US, especially the 1974 Impala estate with 454 V8 motor. Oldsmobile because of the 98 Regency (1980-1984) that shouted out the subtle opulence without ostentatiousness of Cadillac and others.
Chrysler products,
I loved Holdens as a kid , the ones after 1968 anyway. Then as a teenager I saw pictures of Dodge Chargers, Barracudas and such. I decided to pick Chrysler as the one, much like other kids would pick a football team too follow.
When I started driving, naturally it was Valiants, not much choice in Oz.
I loved the power these cars had for the low price.
Have driven Fords for a while now, but the love of Mopars has never dissapated.
I have tried to stop liking them over the years but its no use.
Hope to have an old Mopar in the garage before I die.
I am working on it.
BMW completely changed my view of station wagons. Citroen always fascinated me too. Any company can put up a billboard. Andre Citroen lit up the Eiffel tower.
None of them, actually.
On the Ford-versus-Holden scale, I came firmly down on the side of Ford, because we had a few. But I came to realize Ford Australia’s product quality didn’t match my enthusiasm for them, so transferred my ‘allegiance’ to Mitsubishi in the eighties, when they had the mighty Magna, the best of the affordably-priced family fours. ‘Affordably priced’ means not European, nor Mazda (25% over a Corona to get a base 626?) nor a Honda (never bothered price-shopping one, I suspect they were even dearer) back around ’84. Around now several Aussies will be getting ready to slate the Magna’s auto tranny woes, but ours was a manual. 🙂 And our Verada (Diamante) lasted 340,000km before I killed it ‘trying to move a fence’. 🙁
But Mitsubishi seems to be brain-dead these days, so I’m not barracking for anyone.
We had a string of tatty VW Beetles when I was growing up, and my father taught me to drive on deserted public roads in one of them at age 11. After that we had a 60’s Kombi dropside bakkie which did sterling duty on dirt roads when we moved to a smallholding, so I have a very fond memory of the brand, not sure if I would buy one new though!
Volkswagen. I was brought home from hospital on a Beetle. Dad’s next car was a Type 3 wagon.
50 years later, I’ve just bought a Golf R 🙂
Honda. Over the course of 25 years I owned a 1984 CRX 1.5 and a 1990 Civic LX sedan – both were 5-speeds. The cars were always well-built, super-reliable, and quite entertaining to drive. Terrific vehicles that represented Peak Honda.
Great question, Brendan, and one I had to think on quite a bit.
Your Oldsmobile experience is kind of opposite of mine. They were becoming a bit scarce in the northeast of your youth while the midwest of my own youth was lousy with them. Your Grandfather made Olds special to you while half the people in my life drove them. I spent the first half of my life rebelling against the conformity they represented to me and am only now becoming fond of them.
To answer your question, I would say Lincoln. Lincolns were special during my childhood and from the 70s on I associate them with my father. And somehow I have never owned one.
A selection – any Rootes brand (Hillman, Sunbeam, Singer, Humber, Sunbeam-Talbot) because my Dad drove them for many years, Morris because the first car I went in was Morris Minor tourer and I admire what Morris did outside the industry, Alfa for its heritage and “left field” character.
For an American brand, i’d struggle, but for a model the Thunderbird seems to fit well.
Trucks – Leyland. Simples.
Lord Nuffield truly did great good in the world. His cars were pretty sweet too.
This is all about nostalgia, rather than an objective assessment of the best cars.
So, Rover. For my grandfathers P5 Coupe, my father’s P6 3500S and SD1 3500, and sometime later and more tenuously and impecuniously, my R8, which my daughter came home from hospital in.
They weren’t necessarily the best screwed-together cars ever, but the Buick engine and the internal ambiance was a dream. I still miss “proper” Rovers, and that brief, pre-British Leyland moment in 1967 when Leyland Cars could have developed the British Mercedes (Rover) and the British BMW (Triumph).
Chevrolet, period.
Wow!!! totally cool question!!! if we talk Olds, i have to give it to my mom, she had a 1968 Toronado and i loved that car. The spinning speedometer, the flat floor, hidden headlights curved back seatback. I have great memories of road trips in that car. keeping with childhood theme she ahd a score of Impalas her first car a 1966 yellow Impala 4 door, a 64 ss coupe,a 66 coupe, a 68 bel air, a 69 impala and a 72 bel air. the bel airs were cabs she owned. She also sported a 1967 Cadillac sedan deville great car!!!! she got plenty of looks and compliments on the Caddy(she was also a looker in her youth)she also had a 68 Lemans that she really liked and a 76 Cadillac Seville that we both loved. so to answer the question…………Cadillac is the most special brand to me. Chevrolet quickly follows with that Olds Toronado in tow. As for me her gratefull son……….Cadillac tradition kept going when i came of age…..72 Eldorado,73 coupe deville, 92 seville and my current Caddy an 88 deville one owner car. special mentions,BMW, Datsun/Nissan, Lincoln, VW, Chrysler, Mazda, Mercedes, Audi and Ford.
Most of my family ( 5 uncle’s and grate uncle and my dad) worked in Lansing Michigan. You didn’t work for general motors, you worked for Oldsmobile. So Oldsmobile s have a special place in my heart.
I really had to think about this one, as there are so many different brands that have had an influence on my love of all cars. My family was not that affluent when I was young, and with my Dad being a mechanic, we often had one newer car (usually a big wagon) for carrying the family and then a well-used second car for use by the other parent. Those second cars were often quirky ones. My favorite was the Fiat 1100 that my Mom drove. I know that influence my purchase of a new 500 a few years back, and makes me a defender of the brand against the haters. However, we never had a Peugeot/Renault/Citroen, but for some reason I love 50s and 60s French cars. My grandpa seemed to gravitate to AMC cars, and we got some fun hand-me-downs from him as teenagers. I must be like an animal lover who gravitates towards rescue animals, as I seem to be drawn to orphans and underdogs. Basically, if it is odd, or from an independent, I seem to love that car, and I really don’t know why.
Look at my avatar 🙂
For me, it would be Oldsmobile and Honda.
My family owned a string of Oldsmobile 88s when I was growing up in the 1970s, and I later owned a 1972 Cutlass Supreme hardtop coupe for several years in the 1990s. It was a great car.
My daily driver cars have been Hondas. I like their overall “feel,” as well as their reliability.
Mercedes, Ford, Buick. In that order.
Meaningful history.
I’d have to say Oldsmobile and Cadillac. Like Brendan, my Grandfather was an Oldsmobile man. What a great man he was as well. His last Oldsmobile was a 1968 Delta Custom (before the Royale)? It was loaded too. I remember this strange “wheel” that spun on the dashboard that was the cruise control. My parents had a string of Oldsmobile’s as well. Ending with a 1978 98 Regency. As a 16 year old, I thought we were “rich”! I used any excuse I could to borrow that car as a newly minted driver. That car in my Fathers opinion was problematic. It started a string of Toyota Cressida’s after that.
Now that Oldsmobile is dead, I find myself drawn to Cadillac’s. I cannot tell you how many well used Cadillac’s I have bought and brought back to as near perfect as possible and then sold. I bet I have lost thousands of dollars in the process. It sure has been fun though!
Ramblers
Their tinny simplicity, the unsynchronized column shifters, the AM radio, the silly little fins, the station wagons, the vinyl covered cardboard door and head liners, their lack of speed, their lack of luxury, and their Honda-esque sincerity. Ramblers are total dork-mobiles that never knew what it was like to be in style or fashion, yet carried out their daily duties like the guy eating the bologna sandwich, that his wife made, carried in his metal lunch box, along with his smokes and black coffee.
Yup – Ramblers.
Love your comment! Sometimes the plain lunch that you brought to work isn’t about being delicious. It’s just the fact that the love of your life thought enough about you to make it. That thought always made a bologna sandwich taste like a turkey dinner to me. I think most Rambler drivers would relate.
Lincoln (surprise!). No idea why, no one in my family had one, I just always liked them, from little.
Good question, and some interesting answers. I’ll name four brands:
Volvo, because three of the four cars my parents owned over nearly 60 years were Volvo’s and my first car was a Volvo also.
Bugatti … yes, an odd choice, but hear me out. First, I think the Type 35 was one of the most perfectly styled cars of all time. I picked it as the subject of a homework assignment for a “design history” class I took in college to fulfill some liberal arts credits for my engineering degree. The course covered everything from prehistoric arrowheads to Greek urns to Loewy locomotives, but no cars. The professor (who drove a Volvo BTW) loved my paper and admitted he had never though about including cars in the course material. And finally, my mother had actually ridden in a Bugatti, as a young woman on a trip to France, long before I was born, but I heard about it often.
Toyota: a brand I despised until about 25-30 years ago, but we’ve now owned 5 Toyota’s (3 of them 4×4’s), and in the offroad community, they have a passionate following worldwide (a very large cult I admit) which is well-deserved.
Finally, following Roger’s lead, I’ll name a truck: Peterbilt as a brand and company. I worked for Peterbilt for a few years out of college, and 40 years later I still keep in touch with a few colleagues, follow a Peterbilt history group on Facebook, and admire old and new Pete’s on the road every day.
Jeep! Looking at both sides of the family, I’m a 5th generation Jeeper. My great grandpa on my dad’s side had a Willys Jeepster, my grandpa on my mom’s side drove a Willys in WW2 and bought a 4WD Willys Station wagon when he was back home and then of course my parents have owned several Jeeps and we still do.
My favorite warm fuzzy automobile ‘feeling’ comes from FORD.PRODUCTS.OF.THE.1960s. (Especially cheap ’64 Falcon 2-door sedans).
Overall, my answer would be FORD as well. I’ve only owned 3 cars since I acquired my drivers license in Sept. 1989 so all my driving memories are in them, esp. the ’64 Falcon. The other 2 were a ’67 Lincoln and an ’86 Thunderbird.
When I was growing up my Dad had a Mercury Comet (think it was a ’76 or ’77) that was a light green color and then he bought two Zephyrs and the ’86 T-Bird was his last car until his death in Nov. 1998 at 59. I inherited that Thunderbird and proceeded to drive it regularly until an accident ended its automotive life on Jan. 11, 2000. A sad end.
My Mom had a ’70s Lincoln Mark IV and I remember it somewhat. BIG hood! (She also had a ’79 Chevy Malibu. Good car).
I have no beef with Chevrolet or any other car company it’s just that Ford is my favorite because I’ve never owned anything else. Ergo, an honest answer would ~have~ to be FORD or nothing. However, I do like the FORD ‘products’ I’ve owned so the Blue Oval comes in at #1. → Those afterburners on the Falcon are worth their weight in goodwill. I ♥ those taillights. (Never liked the look of the ’64 Thunderbirds by contrast. Thought they were ugly compared to the ’63s partly because the ’64 models ditched the round afterburners for rectangular tails. Didn’t like the front ‘look’ of the 64’s, either. Meh). I liked the 1972 Thunderbirds, though.
If I had the kind of $dough$ Jay Leno has I’d gladly add some old Chevys, Chryslers, Imperials and Cadillacs to my current 1-car automobile stash.
Opel, because we had various Rekords in my childhood. My first ride was as a baby in a Rekord D. The last one we had was a Rekord E Caravan. I still miss this car, and my parents sometimes too. Modern cars I don´t like so much, but some of the actual Opels looks nice. But I prefer the old rwd models.
Jaguar, because since my early childhood I´m a fan of this brand. In the block where I lived was a repair shop for classic british cars, so I could see them very often.
Studebaker, Ford and Datsun are all very close to my heart.
My first car was a 77 280z Datsun and it was the first manual I ever drove.
My parents owned a 76 Mustang II Cobra when I was very little (we called it the race car as it was painted red with yellow racing stripes) and then several fox body Mustangs after that. My dad sold me his pristine 83 GT for $300 that I still own today.
A 1959 Studebaker Silver Hawk was the first car I attempted to restore and helped to form a better relationship between my father and me. I still own this car as well.
Very nice story and pictures.
My entry is Nash. It is a great car from another era, reflecting the influence of both my father and grandfather. My grandfather had Nashes from the1930s to the early 1950s, including one that my father totaled in a teenage road race. My father continued the tradition, buying a 1948 Ambassador after returning from the war. They continued with Ramblers in 1956, 1959, and 1961, although my father said they “weren’t really Nashes”. As usual, he had a good point.
Chrysler. I owned several iterations of Plymouths and Dodges (and other brands too) but I finally acquired a Chrysler (300C) three years ago and I love it.
Personally, I am a Honda man, at 54 yrs old I’m working on my 2nd one, and see no reason to get rid of it after 17 yrs and 220k miles, no matter how many times my wife reminds me it won’t last forever. With manual Windows and locks, a manual transmission and a single CD player, it fits my flip phone mentality. But I’ve always aspired to a classic Chevy as my father is a Chevy man. Growing up, we had a 60 Bug and a 65 Implala with a 283 and power glide. In 74 he replaced the VW with a Caprice, boy was it luxurious with AM/FM and a/c. The 65 was replaced with a used 74 Malibu 2 door, you know those Collonade coupes, big on the outside, small on the inside. The Malibu was replaced with an 87 Caprice coupe, it was deep red; the paint looked better than it really was, a strong wind could scratch it. That coupe was replaced by an 03 Impala, a car that lacks the style of any of my fathers previous Chevys, but seems like it will outlast them all.
Tough choice. My family mostly drove Ford’s. In my lifetime my grandfather had a series of Buicks. My vintage cars have both been Mopar.
If I have to pick just one, it is probably Olds just due to all of the local history.
Old Jaguars. I was lucky to be in my late teens in the late 60’s, when classic Jags weren’t worth much. I daily-drove an XK-140 to school and work, courted my future wife in a 3.4 MKI, drove a 3.8 MKII to my night shift factory job. Had a MK8 project in the driveway. I recently bought a rust-free 3.4 MKI project, hope I’m able to relive some of it.
Chrysler (Dodge, Jeep, Plymouth, Eagle…at least the Vision anyways).
My grandma had a ’92(?) New Yorker, my grandpa a ’94 Ram 2500 Cummins 12-valve, (they now have a 2012 200 and 2007 Ram 2500 Cummins, respectively. Grandpa has a beautifully restored ’77 Fury and ’74 Dart). My aunt Nancy a ’87(?) LeBaron GTS (now drives a 2014 Mercedes C250 after totaling her 2011 200) and my aunt Terry a ’94 Concorde (who now has a very nice 2012 300C Hemi).
Growing up, my parents traded our ’92 Explorer for a ’98 Grand Voyager Expresso in ’98. I loved that van and no one is supposed to like minivans.
I was always a Mopar fanboy and am to this day. I own a ’13 200 Limited, an ’06 Ram 2500 Laramie MegaCab with a 5.9 Cummins, and two classics, a mint condition ’93 Concorde and a soon-to-be restored, 100% stock ’91 LeBaron convertible. If I had endless amounts of room and money, I’d be collecting darned near everything from the ’60s to present day. Everything from D-series trucks to Fury/Monaco, Diplomat, St. Regis. Neon to Ram 3500 Resistol Edition. Old Dart/Valiant to new Darts (which could have been Civic/Corolla killers if Marchionne just gave it a little more time and effort). K cars. LH cars. Minivans. Rumble Bee Ram. Jeeps.
If I ever was uber wealthy, you’d find no supercars in my stables, just Mopars, and a lot of ordinary/rare ones at that (I’m not in to super fast cars, so no Viper or Demon for me).
I’ll always have my two classics and my truck, but my next DD to replace my current 200 a couple years from now is going to be a 300 or a Grand Cherokee. Heck, I’d take the FWD Cherokee, too. Seems to be a nice little crossover and I hate crossovers, and the refreshed design is a lot more appealing.
My grandfather (paternal) lived all his life in New York City and never owned a car. My maternal grandfather only drove Dodge. My father drove company cars so it was what they gave or let him choose. I know of early Chevrolet, Dodge, Fords, Plymouth, Oldsmobile, Audi, Porsche, Mercedes and his last a Buick. My mother had some of those brands listed like Ford, Plymouth, Audi, BMW, Mazda and Honda. As for me I like all cars, I like to drive all cars, I like to work and restore any old car, but I’d have to give the first nod to Ford/Mercury.
Packard.
It was the first exotica I noticed, noticed inappropriately young for a normal person. Usual for here, then. I was somewhere not too far from nappies, I guess.
A grille from the classical world, but shaped to be a 1930’s skyscraper. The whole, long, dark, curved, whitewalled as if wearing spats, shaped and edged with chrome outlines. Round edged windows to hide the occupants, for peering through longingly for the rest of us.
Spoken of in ways that suggested a quiet knowing. “Ah, a Packard.” Unspoken authority in that way, too.
And that name. It sounded, it sounds, unarguable. Down a long nose (car or person) to one who is too young to know such things. Sighing patiently, “Packard, ofcourse, boy.” It’s very sound is wealth imperturbable, American, permanent, rounded and finalised with that dominant “r”.
To a modern ear, it probably sounds like a marketing handle for a concrete maker, packed and hard.
But not to my irrational self. Which is why as the point of entry to wondering about cars, and, as it happens, as a name who did make great cars, it remains special to me.
I’d have to start with the British Leyland group as the first car my father had and consequently I ever rode in was a Morris 1300 (ADO16). Then Toyota and Nissan, as those were the first cars I drove after I got my license.
Pontiac.
This started with my parent’s ’63 Star Chief, which was far better than any car the family had owned before. Next for them was a ’66 Tempest 326, followed by a ’69 Tempest, also 326. Great engine.
My first new car after college (and marriage) was a 1967 Tempest Custom Convertible with the Sprint package. 4bbl OHC 6 and 4-speed. I still dream about that car.
Went on to a Catalina. At one point bought a used ’65 Tempest for a work car, pushrod 6 and three-on-the-tree.
Tried a couple of Mopar and Fomoco products, but no love there. In later years we flirted with German cars, with mixed success. When American cars began to go downhill we went Honda/Acura or Toyota/Lexus and have never looked back.
But my heart is with Pontiac, the best cars of my youth
Oldsmobile certainly would be a great place to start. My very first experience with an Olds product was my parents 1968 dark green Delta 88 sedan with a Rocket 455 V8. That was up until that point dads favorite car and he kept it for 12 years selling it to a military guy that was being stationed at a different base.
It was Chevy and Ford after that with a 1974 Chevelle following the Delta 88 and then the nightmare 1979 Fairmont that I inherited.
Luckily I convinced dad to look at a beautiful light green 1982 Cutlass Supreme coupe that mom fell in love with and they bought it on the spot when we drive it back to the dealership after a lengthy test drive.
A 1984 Cutlass Ciera in light brown with a dark brown interior followed soon after as mom’s second car and then we inherited the grandparents 1985 gold V8 Cutlass coupe which was handed down to me as a college gift during the 1990’s.
In 1993 dad traded in the light green coupe for a 1992 dark blue Cutlass Supreme sedan with the 3.1 V6 and 4 speed automatic. Mom followed a few years later with a red 1994 of the same car upgraded with ABS, driver’s airbag and the 3100 V6.
Somewhere around 1996 I traded the 1985 gold coupe for a black 1989 Ciera with maroon interior, full rally gauges and the bullet proof 2.8 V6 and 3 speed transmission that refused to die even after it’s next two owners after me crashed it, put well over 200K miles on it with poor service and they beat on it mercilessly.
After that I had a clean brown 1983 307 Cutlass Brougham coupe and now currently have a beautiful low mileage 1987 two tone blue coupe with the 307, bucket seats, gauges and thankfully the FE3 suspension. She sits in my driveway as we speak with a pic below and drives like a dream.
Saab, of course. Had 4, loved them all, want them back.
Distant second – a model, rather than a brand – Golf.
Can’t pick just one, gotta go with Checker, Citroen, and Studebaker 🙂 . My father was part owner of a Checker dealer and back in the fall ordered up a loaded ’69 Marathon to be our new family car, it had a 4BBL 350, a/c, p/w, and was cool as heck. At the time we also had a ’63 ID19 Cabriolet as a second car, oh man how I LOVED that car! As for Studebaker, well, the very first car I ever rode in was a ’60 Lark 4 door.