Vintage Photos: Cars And Fast Food Places, In The ’50s, ’60s & ’70s

Text by Patrick Bell.

Fast food restaurants certainly hold a big part of American history in the second half of the twentieth century.  Today we have a good selection to view along with their parking lots, so let us begin.

We will start with the ubiquitous Golden Arches.  The newest vehicle I see is the Volkswagen Type 2 which was at least a ’68 model.  To its left was a blue ’66 Ford Ranch Wagon or Country Sedan.  That row was bookended by white Chevrolet Impala Sport Coupes; a ’62 on the left with a ’61 on the right.  In the driveway a ’55 Chevrolet Two-Ten 4 door sedan was following a red ’60 Buick LeSabre or Invicta convertible.

Here is the first Hardee’s, which was located in Greenville, North Carolina, and opened in 1960.  It may have been two door sedan day with at least three in the parking lot.  On the right, a ’57 or ’58 Dodge Coronet with a ’52-’54 Ford in the background.  On the left a V8 powered ’55 Plymouth Belvedere with a ’58 Ford Fairlane or Fairlane 500 on the other side of it.

A McDonald’s in Des Plaines, Illinois, that was the first in the state and the first franchise sold after the company’s incorporation in 1955.  From the left a ’56 Oldsmobile 88 4 door sedan, and a ’57 Dodge 2 door Lancer hardtop that could have been any of the three trim lines and was equipped with the Red Ram 325 V8.  Next was another Dodge, a ’50 Wayfarer Sedan, followed by a ’50-’52 Plymouth 4 door sedan in the shadows.  A Mopar day it would seem.

Now we are at Kentucky Fried Chicken in Reno, Nevada.  Colonel Sanders was waiting at the door.  The year was ’59 or ’60 going by the white license plates where the “w” as the first digit signifies Washoe County, where the seat is Reno.  This batch of cars was 80% GM, which indicates their popularity during that time period.  From the left a ’56 Pontiac 860 or 870, ’56 Ford Country Sedan, ’49 Cadillac Series Sixty-One or Sixty-Two Touring Sedan, ’56 Oldsmobile Ninety Eight, and a ’59 Pontiac Catalina Safari.

This is another view of the Des Plaines McDonald’s on a Ford heavy day.  The ’58 Fairlane Sunliner is the newest, with a dark ’52 under the sign and a two tone ’56 Fairlane Club Sedan to the right.  To the left was a ’53 or ’54 Packard, and next to the Sunliner a ’52 Chevrolet Styline De Luxe Sport Coupe.

The Chuck-A-Burger on Route 66 in the Crestwood area of St. Louis, Missouri.  I better stick with my diet and order the Lettuce and Tomato Salad for a quarter.  Representatives of the Big 4 were dining on this day with a V8 powered ’56 Plymouth Savoy 4 door sedan on the far left, followed by a ’59 Ford Country Squire with a business sign in the window, a V8 ’56 Dodge Coronet 2 door Lancer hardtop, ’59 Rambler Super Cross Country wagon, ’59 Chevrolet Brookwood 4 door wagon, and a six cylinder ’56 Chevrolet.

Here is the first Burger King, which opened in 1954 in Miami, Florida.  This image is from the mid sixties, with a ’57 Oldsmobile Super 88 Holiday Sedan in the foreground, followed by a clean ’63 Chevrolet Impala Super Sport Coupe, and a ’64 Rambler American 220 4 door sedan.

The first Jack in the Box opened in 1951 in San Diego, California.  1966 is reportedly the date on this photo with a ’62 Buick Special Coupe on the left, and the same vintage Chevrolet Corvair Coupe on the right.

A Burger Chef, location unknown, in the mid-sixties.  In the foreground was a clean ’65 Chevrolet Chevelle Malibu wagon, with a black ’63 Ford Galaxie 500 or 500/XL Sports Hardtop on the other side of it.  In the background was a red Renault 8.

Heavy traffic was the order in front of the Burger Boy Food-O-Rama (BBF) in Marietta, Ohio in 1966.  Waiting at the traffic light was a ’57 Ford Ranch Wagon, and a ’65 Mercury Monterey 2 door hardtop.  Completing the turn was an out of state, V8 powered ’57 Chevrolet Bel Air 4 door sedan that was following a ’66 Ford LTD 4 door hardtop.  And on the left edge was part of a Triumph TR2 or 3.

Lendys Kentucky Fried Chicken, Roanoke, Virginia, in a 1963 image.  Colonel Sanders is waiting at the door once again.  And watch out for that hanging bale of hay above the door.  On the right a ’61 Ford Country Squire, and to the left a ’63 Buick LeSabre 4 door hardtop.

An early In-N-Out Burger somewhere in California in the early seventies.  On the left a ’71 AMC Matador 2 door hardtop, and to the right a red ’62 Pontiac Grand Prix, blue ’64 Chevrolet Impala Sport Sedan, and a white ’65 Ford Custom or Custom 500 2 door sedan.

Pup-n-Taco at the corner of Slauson Avenue and West Boulevard in Los Angeles.  Both buildings were still there, and the Pup-n-Taco was a 24 hour, drive through smoke shop as late as August of 2022.  On the left a nice looking ’63 Chevrolet Impala Super Sport Coupe, in the center a red ’66 Plymouth Valiant 100 2 door sedan followed by a ’58-’64 Volkswagen Type 1.  On the right a blue ’61 Oldsmobile Ninety-Eight Sport Sedan and a white ’59 Chevrolet Sedan Delivery.

We are still in Los Angeles on Crenshaw Boulevard between Stocker Street and Homeland Drive.  The Jack-in-the-Box has survived in a newer building, and the car wash sign remains as well.  Gas was 34.9 cents per gallon on that day likely in the mid-sixties.  Only three cars to ID; a white Volkswagen Type 1 that is too fuzzy to date, a gold ’63 Chevrolet Impala Sport Coupe, and a black ’64 Impala Sport Coupe passing by.

Kokomo, Indiana was where this Burger Chef was located, and in the parking lot were a few of the most popular cars in the sixties.  From the left a ’65 or ’66 Ford F-100, ’66 Chevrolet Impala Sport Coupe, ’65 Ford Mustang convertible, ’64 Chevrolet Chevelle Malibu Sport Coupe, and a Volkswagen Type 1.

A Burger King in 1976 or ’77, perhaps in Michigan.  From the left a ’73 or ’74 Chevrolet C/K series truck, ’67 Pontiac Tempest Custom convertible with a 326 V8 and a ’76 Michigan license plate, a rusty ’71 or ’72 Chevrolet Vega Coupe, and a ’69 Oldsmobile Cutlass S Holiday Coupe.

Carrols was an early fast food restaurant with many locations in the eastern states.  It was bought and absorbed by Burger King.  This location may have been Geneva, New York, in the early seventies.  From the right a brown ’65 Chevrolet Chevy II 100 2 door sedan, red ’67 Plymouth Fury III convertible, white ’73 Chrysler Newport or Newport Custom 4 door sedan, and a green ’70 Pontiac GTO Hardtop Coupe.

Thanks for touring with us and good day to all!

 

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