Growing Up In The 1950s & 1960s: Vintage Photos Of Kids And The Family Car

Text by Patrick Bell.

We have some family entertainment today, with many images of kids and cars from the past.  There are a variety of seasons and occasions that are bound to trigger some memories, so let’s get started.

Our first image today is a young girl making a face while sitting in a man’s lap on a windy day.  In the driveway was a 1965 Lincoln Continental sedan that looked close to new.  The Continental received a reskin and the wheelbase was lengthened for the 1964 model year, so exterior changes for 1965 were limited to a new grille and front bumper, parking lamps were moved to the leading edges of the fenders, and different tail lamps.  What you could not see were the front disc brakes that were now standard equipment.

A girl was hamming it up in front of her parents and their 1951 Nash Airflyte Statesman, which also looked close to new.  Power came from a “Flying Scot” L-head six-cylinder of 184 cubic inches and 85 horsepower.  This was the last year of the “Bathtub” Nash. It received different parking lamps and the quarter panels had more of a fin, which now held the taillights.

Here were a pair of not-so-innocent-looking youngsters in their cowboy boots, with one of them carrying a shovel and a rifle.  They were posing along side a 1954 Ford Crestline Sunliner with the hub caps that were used on 1957–1959 Fords.  For 1954, both the new 239 cubic inch “Y-Block” V8 or the 223 “Mileage Maker” Six were available on the Crestline series.  This one did not have the “V8” emblem on the fender, but the “Crestline” nameplate was missing from the quarter panel, so it appears it had been detrimmed.  On the left was a 1955 Chevrolet Bel Air 4-door sedan.

This young lawman was at work in his dress uniform, wearing a sidearm.  Behind him was a 1953 De Soto FireDome 4-door sedan, which was powered by a 276 cubic inch V8 with 160 horsepower.  It was the upper series of two trim lines.  The lower was called Powermaster 6; it used the 250 cubic inch L-head six with 116 horsepower.

Dad and his twins? There were posing alongside a tri-tone 1956 Buick Super 4-door Riviera hardtop.  The Super shared the top-of-the-line Roadmaster’s 127-inch wheelbase, 322 cubic inch 255 horsepower V8, Variable Pitch Dynaflow transmission, and Safety Power Steering, making it second in the line of four series.  With a base list price of $3340, it was a super deal.

This trio of cuties was posing by a 1956 Dodge Royal Lancer 2-door hardtop with distinctive “Jet Fins.”  The Royal was the middle series of three. Standard power was a 315 cubic inch, 218 horsepower Super Red Ram V8. Optional were two versions (230 and 260 horsepower) of the Super-Powered Super Red Ram 315 V8.  Parked on the street were a white 1960 Chrysler Windsor or Saratoga 4-door hardtop, and, further down, a black 1959 Chevrolet Impala Sport Sedan.

Here was an excavator at work — he brought his own shovel and wheelbarrow.  Parked at the curb was a 1958 Chevrolet Bel Air Sport Sedan in Anniversary Gold and Snowcrest White.  General Motors celebrated their 50th anniversary in 1958 in part by offering the one-year-only gold color.  The Bel Air was the top-of-the-line 4-door (the new Impala was only available as a 2-door hardtop or convertible  this year).  This one was equipped with one of the V8 engine, a rear-mounted antenna, and full wheel covers.  Standard power for the Bel Air was the 235 cubic inch “Blue Flame” six. Optional were three versions of the 283 Turbo-Fire V8, and two versions of the new 348 cubic inch Turbo-Thrust V8.

This looked like a pair of siblings.  The older one was ready to jump rope, while the younger appeared to have a cookie in his hand.  Behind them was a 1963 Imperial with a 1970 Georgia license plate issued in Fulton County, the home of Atlanta.  It is difficult to determine whether this was a Custom or Crown series, but from the look of the side quarter glass, it may have been an 2-door.  It had the optional Flight Sweep simulated spare tire on the rear decklid.  Imperial was Chrysler Corporation’s top make, having become a separate brand in 1955.

I am not sure if this was a hug or a headlock.  Just a taste of big sisterly love?  These kids were posing in front of a 1964 Ford Country Sedan from California with a J. E. Davis Ford license frame.  The big Ford wagons had four engine choices in 1964, beginning with the 223 cubic inch “Mileage Maker” six, 289 “Challenger” V8, and two “Thunderbird” V8’s, a 352 and a 390.  To the left was a 1953 or 1954 Chevrolet Two-Ten 4-door sedan.

This a cute but apprehensive-looking pair was dressed up for a wedding.  I can’t tell what the girl is holding, but it might have been a camera.  Behind them was a new-for-1965 Chevrolet Caprice Custom Sedan.  Power for this one was supplied by a 327 cubic inch Turbo-Fire V8, which was one step up from the standard 283 Turbo-Fire V8, but you could also choose from two versions of the 396 Turbo-Jet V8.  Across the street on the right was a 1960 Chevrolet Corvair 700 4-door sedan, and further up was the wedding getaway car, a 1960 Cadillac Fleetwood Seventy-Five.

This girl is posing by another Ford Country Sedan station wagon, this one a 1966 model with dual-facing rear seats and the new Magic Doorgate, another Ford “better idea.”  Ford were the first automaker with the two-way tailgate that everyone else eventually copied.  The fender emblem on this wagon indicates it had one of the optional big block motors, which could be the 352 cubic inch V8, two versions of the 390, or the new-for-1966 428 Thunderbird V8.  On the other end of the scale were the standard 240 Big Six and 289 Challenger V8. The car in the driveway across the street was a 1955 Ford Fairlane Victoria, while in front of the Country Sedan you can just make out the left rear corner of a 1963 full-size Chevrolet.

This was not your typical family car, but the cute baby didn’t seem to mind.  Maybe he thought the 1966 Chevrolet Corvette Sting Ray Sport Coupe was going to be his one day.  The Corvette offered four engines in 1966, beginning with the standard 327 cubic inch V8 with 300 horsepower.  Optional were a 327 with 350 horsepower, and two 427 V8s with either 390 and 425 horsepower.  It is hard to read the fender emblem here, but it looks like it could be a 427.  I don’t recognize and cannot read the license plate, but the car visible in the background was a 1955 Chevrolet.

One of our readers, Paul Sussmann, submitted this image, so I am going to presume it was him in front of the family home.  I can see he was breaking with tradition at a young age, as he was driving a 1965 or 1966 Ford Mustang while his family drove Chevrolets.  Power for his Mustang was supplied by two pedals that were manually operated by two legs, with rear-wheel drive.  The family cars were two Impalas: a 1967 on the left and a V8-powered 1961 on the right.

A 1968 Chrysler New Yorker 4-door hardtop was the backdrop for these three girls, who were likely sisters.  They did not look like they were in a picture-taking mood.  The New Yorker was at the top of four Chrysler series, with a standard 440 cubic inch, single exhaust V8 that produced 350 horsepower.  A slightly warmer “TNT” version was available that offered a different camshaft, dual snorkel air cleaner, and dual exhaust for an output of 375 horsepower.

Today’s final image fits in well with the upcoming season:  This youngster was helping to shovel fresh snow out of the driveway so the 1968 Chevrolet Camaro SS Sport Coupe could be properly parked.  The Camaro SS was available with a choice of two high-performance V8s: the Turbo-Fire 350 with 295 horsepower or the Turbo-Jet 396 with 325 hp.  I can’t discern from here which engine this car had, but it was wearing Illinois license plates.

Thanks for joining us and have a great day!

 

Note: If you wish to see your vintage photos featured at Curbside Classic, send them to us at [email protected].

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