Text by Patrick Bell.
Imported cars for common folks began hitting the U.S. market in the 1950’s and 1960’s. Many different companies peddled their wares with varying degrees of success. People who bought in early were taking a chance as often there was little to no history or information available on their purchases. Today we are focusing on those people and the car’s they bought.
We begin with a sharp looking 1968 or 1969 Fiat 850 Sport Spider from New York. This Italian was powered by a rear mounted 903 cc 4 cylinder with 52 horsepower. Directly behind it was a white 1967 Plymouth Belvedere, and in the driveway was a 1965 or 1966 Chevrolet Corvette Sting Ray roadster.
The MG T-series is where the American love for sports cars began, as American GI’s discovered them in Europe while serving in WWII. The featured car was a MG TD which was produced from 1950-1953. It was equipped with an all weather top, fender mounted mirror, and Maryland license plates that were used from 1967-1968. So it was an old car at the time, and likely the gentleman’s weekend toy.
A couple was out for a drive on a fall day in an Opel Olympia Rekord P1 2 door sedan from New Jersey. These were produced in Germany from 1957-1960, and imported to the U.S. to be sold at Buick dealers. It was powered by a 1500 cc 4 cylinder. They were quite popular in Germany where it was the second best seller after Volkswagen.
I don’t claim to know the relationships of these particular cars and people, but the two cars were a common American driveway scene during this era; a standard American car with a Volkswagen Type 1 for an economical second car. On the left was a 1954 Ford Tudor sedan, and the VW was a 1957 or earlier oval window model. Both of them had Oregon license plates with 1959 renewal tabs.
A new looking Mercedes-Benz 220S or 220SE Cabriolet was taking a photo break on a rural road. These were produced from 1956-1960, with the fuel injected 220SE replacing the carbureted 220S in 1958. This one had a 1959 issue license plate from Colorful Colorado. Power came from a 2.2 liter 6 cylinder and a 4 speed manual with a column mounted shifter. They were quite expensive for the time with pricing in the low $7,000’s range.
This beauty was a 1957 or 1958 Goliath 1100 Luxus 2 door sedan from California. They were built in Germany by a subsidiary of Borgward. This is a Cabrio-Limousine, where the fabric roof rolled back but the side window frames were fixed, like the original 1951 Rambler. The Luxus was the high performance model, as 2 carburetors on the 1094 cc 4 cylinder boosted the hp from 40 to 55. Tail fins were added and the name was changed to Hansa 1100 in 1959, and it was around until 1961.
Here was a lady behind the wheel of a Fiat 1200 Granluce, a small family luxury type car that was built from 1957-1961. It was popular in its 5 year run with about 400,000 units produced, but I do not know how many made it to the U.S. Behind it on the left was either a 1961-1962 Pontiac Tempest or Oldsmobile F-85, and on the right a 1962 Pontiac Catalina 2 door Sports Sedan.
This may have been three generations of a family that was posing beside a Volvo PV444. They were produced in Sweden from 1947-1957, and as an updated PV544 model from 1958-1965. The PV444 power was supplied by either a 1.4 or 1.6 liter 4 cylinder with a three speed manual transmission. The car shown was likely a 1955-1957 model, and behind it was a 1954 Ford Customline with 6 cylinder power.
A pair of Porschephiles were swapping lies, er, stories at perhaps a rest stop on a tour. They were standing amongst two Porsche 356’s that likely belonged to them. The 356 was built from 1948-1965 with a 4 cylinder rear mounted engine for power. The one on the left looked like a 356A model, and had bumper overrider bars and fender mounted mirrors. They were produced from 1955 to 1959. The white one is a 356B or C with a California license plate.
Two ladies were standing with a Datsun 510 in an August of 1968 photograph. The 510 was new for 1968, and produced through 1973. They were conventional front engine/rear drive with a 1.6 liter 4 cylinder for power. A 4 speed manual was standard and a 3 speed automatic optional. They became known for their reliability and ease of repair. The one above looked like a station wagon, and had a New York license plate. To the right was a 1964 Ford full size model.
The Volkswagen Type 3 came to the U.S. for the 1966 model year with two body styles; the Fastback and Squareback. It had the 1600 engine Type 3 “pancake” engine that came with standard fuel injection starting in 1968 for the US market only. The featured car was a 1966-1969 Fastback that had an Oregon license plate and had apparently been purchased at a Portland dealer. The owners were on a backpacking trip in the woods.
This image is odd in that the date on the edge and the license frame are inverted, yet everything else is correct. It does show a man with a 1968 Toyota Corona 4 door Sports Sedan. Toyota had taken a break from the U.S. market in 1961, and when they returned in 1965 the Corona was a new model. Its competition both here and in Japan was the Datsun 510, as they were very similar in size and design.
Here was a lady leaning on a 1970-1972 Datsun 510 2 door sedan with a likely dealer installed vinyl roof. Parked ahead was a Volvo 120 series, which was the successor to the PV series shown earlier. And the blur of a well worn Volkswagen Type 1 passing by looks like a 1962-1964 model.
And we close today with a youngster who looked pleased to be in a photograph with a 1974 Toyota Corona SR hardtop. The SR model stood out for its standard 5 speed manual transmission, styled steel wheels, and radial tires among some other goodies. The one shown above also had a California license plate, and a windshield tint band to remind the owner what kind of car he or she drove.
Thanks for joining us and have a great day!
I’m going to posit that that Fiat 1200 probably came to our shores via the driver’s husband (possibly the driver, but unlikely) bringing it home from a deployment in Italy. That background gives me a gut feeling of Northern Virginia, or perhaps officers’ housing on some base. Bringing home cars was a thing back then as there were no regulations about what could be imported for personal use.
Also, the two older ladies and the Datsun…probably an example of Mother downsizing into a smaller (than whatever American car she had been driving) and more economical vehicle as her post-family wheels. Still a thing today with the older set.
This reminds me that for some reason, the two imports my parents owned early in their marriage are two of very few cars that there were never any photos taken of. Those two, a Karmann-Ghia and a Ford Anglia, both probably 1959 or 60 models, were the only imports either of them owned.
I love the Goliath – I don’t ever recall seeing one outside of a museum.
The Fiat 1200 Granluce is a second series example from 1959 onwards, and wow what a find. Agree with JPC the Goliath is simply loveable. But I have to say, I’m seeing the purple-rinse ladies fanging the 510 once they’ve discovered its potential.
The Goliath is a cabrio-coach or in German: Cabrio-Limousine
Correct. I’ve edited the text. Thanks.
I think it’s a 900 or 900E with the shorter nose for the transverse twin.
That pic is a hoot. Looks like the kid could hop into his toy car and go home form the ball field.
I continue to be amazed by your ability to identify cars from the tiniest of snippets…
The household with one big American car, one small import was common in my neighborhood as well, with VW, Opel, Volvo, MG, Toyota, Nissan, and Honda all represented on my block in the mid ’70s.
We were ahead of our time, by the early 70s we had one bigger import and one smaller import, plus a third import when I got a car in the 80s. We had friends who fit the pattern, a Ford Country Squire and a Fiat 128.
I suppose that’s my driveway now, I have a Ford F150 long bed and my wife has a Fiat 500, and coincidentally both are the same color
The Volvo I mentioned seemed to be the primary car that got the driveway spot; I can’t remember what car (if any) they had curbside. The Honda (’76 Accord) was their only car and was parked on the driveway. The others had the most common arrangement – big American car on the driveway, import on the street. My family always had the newest car(s) on the driveway, with older car, even the big Polara wagon, getting demoted to curbside when it was older and rustier.
I forgot when I typed my previous post that there was also a Saab 96 next door from the Volvo, though it was was another streetside car.
A small comment on the VW Fastback text. I don’t think the Type 1 Beetle got the 1600cc engine till maybe 1970. The 66 had the 1300, with the 1500 in the 67-69’s. The red interior on that Type 3 is cool, though.
Yes, I’ve edited the text now. Thanks.
Very nice as always, I would correct the following: “…. a Volkswagen Type 1 for a economical second car. On the left was a 1954 Ford Tudor sedan, and the VW was a 1958 or 1959 model. Both of them had Oregon license plates with 1959 renewal tabs.”
The car featured is most likely a US-spec late 55 – Aug 57 “oval” window type 1. No-flutted headlight glass covers (sealed-beam headlights), over-rider USA spec bumpers (keeps those tail-lights and bullet-front-signals from getting crunched by the popular bump to find your parallel parking space by those BIG American bumpers). All USA requirements on a very different European standard.
No more samephore “trafficators”, and “bulb-type” headlights among other subtle changes to meet USA standards.
Of course it was very common for owners to “update” their VWs back in the day, it could be a 53 with these modifications stated above. It is without any question an oval window. 1953-1957 model years.
I always enjoy your content, thanks. Awesome
Thanks; I’ve edited the text to just say it was a ’57 or earlier Type 1.
Great collection! A lot of these photos remind me of my parents, who were also early import pioneers.
The 1968 Toyota Corona appears to have a license plate frame from Barney Motors in Burbank, and the paper on the windshield is likely the “Report of Sale,” which California required be displayed on a windshield until the DMV registered the car. So I guess a happy owner with his brand new car.
That pic of the “Fiat 1200” looks to be in one of the “Charles E Smith”, townhome/apt, communities here in northern”VA”.
Your sleuthing, skills might be able to find it..
It’s sure a cool looking little, red, ride.
Good call! That’s in the Lincolnia section of Fairfax County – and I think it was built as a Charles E. Smith development. For finding this location, it helped to have the address “6316” above the door – it’s 6316 King Louis Dr., just off Little River Turnpike. The apartment complex is currently called Arbor Park, but was called Orleans Village when new.
Here’s a then-and-now comparison. The “now” image is from Apple Maps, since Google Maps hasn’t covered the interior of this complex.
Yup! Old “Orleans, village”!! had friends, co workers living there in the “80’s”, early “90’s” too. “Jamestown”, community along “Van Dorn St”, in “Alx”, city limits looked like this too.
Nice ;
Pops self imported a VW Typ II “Kombi” in 1954 as the local VW dealers had long waiting lists and would add extra cost “dealer markup” fees .
Later he had a SAAB two stroke wagon and a few Peugeots .
I never lost my love of tiny little fun to drive vehicles .
Foolishly I failed to buy a Datsun 510, what a missed opportunity =8-) .
-Nate
Between 1968 and 1973 my parents’ driveway had a ’59 Ford Zephyr and a ’68 Checker Marathon.
While the Corona and 510 were similar on paper, here in the US they did not appeal to the same buyers. Corona was a very “American” Japanese car, while the 510 was more like a Japanese BMW 1600.
“People who bought in early were taking a chance as often there was little to no history or information available on their purchases.”
That was sure the case in 1968, when I bought my first car. I read the car magazines, so I knew a little. I’d ridden in a TR4 once. When I finally scraped together $750 for a first car, the Triumph Spitfire at a small lot on the edge of town seemed tempting. It was the red Fiat 1500 Cabriolet next door that I left with, however. I’d never read anything about that model. I only knew that its vinyl top was far easier to raise than the Triumph’s tinkertoy pup tent. And it had one more gear! It tuned out to be a great car that I moved on from too soon.
For my first car out of college, I tracked down a newspaper ad for an “Audi/NSU,” whatever that was. It tuned out to be a boxy rewrite of the Beetle, and I’d drive one for ten years, just because I liked it. But imagine buying a car from a company you never heard of, that you never saw an ad or review for- it was a real shot in the dark.