Text by Patrick Bell.
Today is Valentine’s Day, a commercial holiday where people of all sizes, shapes, colors and creeds stimulate the economy by purchasing stuff to show their love for their sweetheart. We are celebrating by featuring a gallery of couples and cars, the latter of course our favorite subject.
Our lead image was a couple with a dog and a 1956 Plymouth Savoy Club Sedan with a Pennsylvania license plate first issued in 1958. Savoy was the mid level trim line and the most popular of the year. The one above was equipped with a “Hy-fire” V8 which was available in a 270 cubic inch and two 277 ci versions along with two tone paint, outside mirror, radio, full wheel covers and whitewall tires. Other period goodies visible were the service stickers on the door frame, and the “AAA” badge on the deck lid.
This couple was having some fun next to a 1951 Ford Custom Convertible. The 239 ci flathead V8 was standard in the convertible, and a new option this year was the “Fordomatic Drive” automatic transmission. Otherwise I see no options, and the license plate I do not recognize, along with the small marker lamps under the headlights. Perhaps it was in a foreign country.
Three couples were gathered here, with one that could not keep their eyes off each other. Behind them was a 1956 Buick Special 2 door sedan, the entry level Buick of the year. It was powered by a 220 horsepower version of the 322 cubic inch V8, while the upper series used a 255 hp version. Other options I see were two tone paint, outside mirror, radio, and whitewall tires to go along with the standard hub caps.
And a couple that were dressed up and ready to go somewhere, likely in the 1957 Pontiac Star Chief Custom 2 door Catalina hardtop behind them. The Star Chief was for all practical purposes the top of the line series, sharing its 124 inch wheelbase only with the Bonneville that was in its introductory year and only offered in a convertible that was very rare. Standard power came from a 347 cubic inch “Strato-Streak” V8 with 270 horsepower, and it more than likely was equipped with the optional “Strato-Flight Hydra-Matic” transmission.
Here was a couple posing in front of a 1957 Chevrolet Bel Air 2 door sedan with what appeared to be a New Jersey license plate. It was V8 powered, which meant a choice of one 265 ci “Turbo-Fire” or three versions of the new 283. It also had two tone paint, radio, outside mirror, and whitewalls. Parked in the street was a 1949 or 1950 Plymouth Special De Luxe 4 door sedan.
A young couple was dressed and ready for the prom. They were color coordinated with a 1957 Chrysler Windsor 2 door hardtop that may have been their ride for the evening. The Windsor was the entry level Chrysler during that era, and the 1957 model introduced the new “Flight-Sweep” styling. Power for the Windsor came from a 354 ci “Spitfire” V8 with 285 horsepower. This one also had the Deluxe two tone and Stainless Steel Wheel Covers. Parked down the street was a 1951 or 1952 Plymouth, an Opel Rekord, and a U-Haul trailer.
There was a little more than lunch going on with this couple. Their apparent ride was a 1956 or 1957 Volkswagen Type 1 from California with a roof top carrier. They were out in the hilly country and the sun was low.
This Navy man appears to have been a Chief Petty Officer with at least 20 years of service. That means he began his service during WWII. He and his wife (presumably) were standing by a 1962 or 1963 Chevrolet Corvair Monza Spyder that looked close to new. The Spyder package included a turbo-supercharged version of the 145 ci flat six that produced 150 horsepower, along with a full set of gauges. It was available only on the Monza Coupe and Convertible, and the 4-speed transmission was a required option. Across the street was a 1956 Buick Roadmaster 4 door Riviera hardtop, and a 1958 Ford Country Sedan was in the driveway.
An older couple was shown here along with a 1964 Mercury Park Lane Marauder 4 door hardtop. The Park Lane returned as the top series in 1964 after a three year break. The Marauder was introduced in mid 1963 as the name for the new fastback style roof. For 1964 it was the name for the 2 and 4 door hardtop non-Breezeway style roof in all series. The name was dropped in 1965, but returned in 1969 and 1970 as a sporty model, and then again in 2003 and 2004. The good old name game. The featured owner was an “AAA” member as there was a decal in the windshield and a “AAA Indiana” front license plate.
Out on the beach was a couple with a 1966 Dodge Coronet 500 2 door hardtop that was equipped with a vinyl roof, trailer hitch, and aftermarket mag wheels. The 500 was the sporty series that was available only as a hardtop or convertible and included a bucket seat and console interior. Standard order engine choices ranged from the Slant Six up to a 383 V8. The car above did not have the call out for the 383, so I will presume it was one of the other four choices.
A dressed for success type of couple was here, posing with a 1966 Pontiac LeMans 2 door, either Sports Coupe (sedan), or Hardtop Coupe. The hardtop coupe was far and away the top seller, raking in over 64% of just the LeMans series sales. The featured car had one of the two available 326 ci V8’s for power, along with a tinted windshield, radio, and full wheel covers. The decal in the windshield was likely an inspection or registration that I don’t recognize.
Our final shot today was an older couple having some fun while the grandson was playing with the lawn darts. Behind the couple was a 1968 Chevrolet Caprice Sedan with one of the optional Turbo-Fire 327 V8’s, vinyl roof cover, Soft-Ray tinted glass, and a radio. On the other side of it looked like a 1970 Chevrolet Impala Sport Sedan, also with a vinyl roof. The van was an early 1970’s Chevrolet or GMC passenger style, and the front half of a 1964 Pontiac Catalina or Star Chief could be seen in the background.
Thanks for joining us and Happy Valentine’s Day!
Note: If you wish to see your vintage photos featured at Curbside Classic, send them to us at [email protected].
It’s cute how some of them are dressed to match the car colors!
What a wonderful post for Valentines Day!
where is the rest of the posting? there is only the single photograph?
No, it’s a whole gallery of photos. If it’s not opening, try powering down your device and start again. It may be some weird memory/cache issue.
Sweet! Can I have two of them? The ’56-’57 VW and the very appealing Monza Spyder coupe. It would be a hard choice to only have one of them.
That ’56 Plymouth has something else you don’t see anymore- a man’s hat on the parcel shelf.
Now that everyone wears ball caps like they’re out mowing the lawn…
Something quite heavy in the truck of that car?
Excuse me. “Trunk”, not “truck”.
Love thecm 1966 Dodge,white with black roof on the beach at the ocean ,even has torque thrust mag wheels,man had good taste
Very nice .
I wonder if I looked like this with my ladies when I was a younger man, several look so happy .
-Nate
I think the 66 Tempest couple has a NJ inspection decal.
I thought that two, but it sticks in my mind that Jersey stickers were on the driver’s side. Could be PA as I don’t see a front plate.
New Jersey inspection stickers were actually placed on the passenger side prior to the mid 1980s.
The font of the “11” here matches what New Jersey used, and there were two years in this period when the stickers were yellow (1967 & ‘71).
It’s odd that so many of us want our car in the picture with us. Sometimes it’s just something to lean against but often we have great pride in them and feel that they represent a part of our personality and accomplishments. Hence why sites like this draw us in.
Several nice cars here but I’m torn between my desires for the 1957 Star Chief and the 1966 Coronet 500.
Thanks for the wonderful Valentine’s Day pictures. I have to pick #6 where her prom dress matches the color of his car. Bet they got married and lived happily ever after. One question, Photo #4 is that gentleman getting ready to surrender with that white flag in his hand? Happy Valentine’s Day!
Hi JoAnn, I’d say pic #3 with the red Buick, you can see the stages of love. On the left couple, well into love, the middle couple, working on it, and the ones on the right, dream on, bub. If it was CCs intent to bring out the tears, mission accomplished. Seeing our folks at the beginning of their lives, and the cars were a special part of their lives, the styles complimented their lifestyles, unlike today, who cares?
My goodness, people were certainly thin back then. No matter the age either. Something has changed
Man, that 66 Coronet is just perfect.
+1.
The wheels really add to the look.
I believe that Picture #2 (1951 Ford convertible) is from Switzerland. Switzerland had those plain license plates for many years, and it looks like the dies match what the Swiss used. If so, the AG prefix stands for the Canton of Aargau, on the German border.
I wonder with some of these, who was taking the picture? I’d feel awkward aiming my camera at the couple next to the Beetle who look like they’d rather be alone with just each other (and remember we’re talking big 1950s cameras that couldn’t slip into a pocket) as well as a few other shots here.
When I photograph couples, I usually try to get them to engage with each other and ignore me, the cameraman. That usually results in more lifelike, realistic poses than having them stare at the camera statue-like, in my experience.
Ok , does anybody put the 66 Le Mans and the couple pictured as well coinciding almost frightening to the scary flick, Night of the Living Dead? At the very beginning of the movie, the guy that’s scaring his girlfriend? This man is even wearing the same glasses as the movie guy. The girl is remarkably similar. Same car rolling down the hill by her releasing the emergency brake. So similar.
That silly flick was filmed not far from where I grew up. Haven’t thought of it in a good while.
You don’t seem to see these couples w/cars pics today, unfortunately. Too many other distractions, perhaps? People were proud of their cars and partners and have the pics as mementos. Nice.
The maroon 1966 Pontiac was licensed in New Jersey as seen by the yellow inspection ticket on the right side of the windshield.
My 66 Coronet and my sister’s 73 Cougar XR7 taken in the early 80s. Somehow we both ended up with yellow cars.