Here’s a great little time capsule from the coast of California in 1969. It’s from the documentary shot at the 1969 Celebration at Big Sur, held a few weeks after Woodstock. It was vastly smaller, with some 10-15k attendees. And in this segment, there’s a couple of long takes of the cars parked along Hwy 1. Quite the assortment. The best takes start at 1:10.
Oh, the ’60’s…if you remember them, you weren’t there!!!
So many imports! I lived on the east coast near DC and there were certainly some foreign cars but maybe 3 out of 4 were American cars.
Were there really that many VW buses in California, or was it just a popular vehicle amongst the sort of people who attend folk-rock festivals?
The demographic of people attending a Big Sur hippie music fest is obviously not representative. But the selection of cars parked in the Haight would also be far different from a mall parking lot in Modesto.
Wow, that’s quite a variety of cars! Lots (and lots) of VWs, but also a Jaguar, a Corvette, and lots of et cetera.
’62 Dart wagon parked behind a ’63 Dart wagon at 1:29.
What’s that white sedan thing that enters the view at 1:35? It’s parked in front of the light blue Beetle.
(Ohgoodgawd, the Esalen Institute…)
Peugeot 404 methinks
‘Tis.
Two Corvettes!
So many VWs; obviously part of the counterculture and not representative of typical CA traffic back then. Lots of older iron also, makes sense. But someone had a new Vette and another a 68 Charger.
The guy with the red shirt at 3:01 looks like a tall version of me at that time (although I didn’t yet wear wire-rim glasses or have a mustache).
I grew up in Redondo Beach and while not as many buses for sure, beetles were represented in huge numbers as part of the local traffic mix. VW dealers in the area outnumbered any other make, even Ford or Chevy, at the time.
John Sebastian ! One of the most underrated musicians .
Stephen Stills too !
I *thought* that was Stills, I would have been sure if he sang too. Would never have recognized Sebastian though; doesn’t sound like the voice I know mostly from old Lovin’ Spoonful records, which don’t fully reveal how steeped he was in blues.
TR6 sighting at 2:26. That would have been the first model year for the TR6. I still miss my red 1972.
Was just watching the Woodstock film last night with my daughter
She has gotten quite into 60s music this summer, I think she would have enjoyed big sur
Looks like Cal Worthington’s back lot with the exception of the eccentrics & exotics.