Text by Patrick Bell.
Today we are going to add another chapter to our series on Black Americans and their cars, with some new photos added to the topic plus a pair that have appeared previously. What I like about this gallery is that it is a moment captured in a day of the lives of regular hard working people along with their cars. Some of them are obviously special occasions, but for the most part just everyday life. As had been said before at CC, this did not get recorded much in the past for various reasons, especially in the lower socioeconomic communities.
Let’s start out with a young family likely at a family gathering. They are leaning on a ’60 Oldsmobile Ninety-Eight Convertible Coupe which was the top of the line model. In front of it is a ’51 or ’52 Plymouth, and behind a ’56 Dodge. Across the street in the left background is a ’50 Buick 2 door Jetback Sedanet, and through the windshield of the Ninety-Eight looks like either a ’58 Chevrolet or Pontiac 4 door sedan.
A friendly looking gentleman with a clean ’50 Buick Super 4 door Tourback Sedan.
Grandma and Grandpa with their not too happy looking granddaughter out in the country with a sharp ’53 Pontiac Chieftain De Luxe 4 door sedan.
Here we have a working man posing with a ’56 Ford F-250 with a six cylinder and a damaged fender that someone clipped a pole with. It appears like it is equipped for road repair work with roof warning lights. I can’t read the license plate location but it does look like a government agency style. He has the cowl vent open so it is a warm day. Behind it, looks like a twin to this truck.
The building on the left could be a school, so these folks could be educators. In the foreground a clean ’59 Ford Fairlane 500 Galaxie Town Sedan and in the background a ’58 Buick Special or Century 2 door Riviera.
A parking lot located in a hilly area with a girl posing beside a sharp V8 powered ’58 Chevrolet Bel Air Impala Sport Coupe with chrome exhaust tips. On the other side of it is a ’55 Pontiac Chieftain or Star Chief Catalina, and across the lot in front is a ’56 Ford Country Sedan.
A stylish looking lady posing on a ’54 or ’55 Nash Metropolitan convertible. The car in the background may be a ’35 or ’36 Ford 4 door sedan.
Another stylish lady, this one apparently in West Philadelphia, leaning on a ’62 Buick LeSabre or Invicta. In front of it is a ’56 Buick Special or Century 2 door Riviera, and in front of it a ’51 or ’52 Packard. Across the street is a ’47 to ’54 Chevrolet or GMC Advanced Design Panel. This may be a Sunday photo as the children behind the panel are in their best dress as well.
Here we have a man who is looking at something or someone in a ’62 Oldsmobile Dynamic 88 Convertible Coupe. He is in a big city apartment complex location.
Now we have a couple of sharp dressers smiling for the camera while standing next to a ’59-’68 Mercedes-Benz W111 or W112 ‘Fintail’ model.
A pleasant looking lady standing next to a ’68 AMC Ambassador DPL 4 door sedan in a tropical location.
And yet another stylish lady with a ’63 Ford F-100 with the integral cab and bed, better known as the ‘unibody’. This would be the last year for that body style. Across the street is someone’s rolling project, a Volkswagen Type 1 that looks to be of the ’58-’62 vintage.
For our last shot we have a pair of hip dudes striking a pose next to a ’70 Pontiac Grand Prix with aftermarket wheels and some fancy pin striping. In the background a ’70 Pontiac LeMans or LeMans Sport Hardtop Coupe.
Thanks for joining us and have a great day!
The ’50 Buick Super Tourback is just like the one we featured here the other day.
The very well-dressed young woman in Philly reminds me of a young Aretha Franklin.
The ’56 Ford F250’s are sporting California government license tags, the barely visible beds are not standard pickup beds .
The lady on the Nash Metropolitan DHC looks mighty pleased, maybe it’s her first car .
-Nate
I remember a lot of Ford trucks of that era with the same dent in the front fender, sometimes on both sides, kind of like today’s Camry dent.
Specifically, yellow ’56-’62 California plates issued to local governments. Subtle difference was that the “E” is inside a diamond shape for a state owned vehicle.
I owned a 1970 Grand Prix for several years and it was one of the finest cars I ever had. I would love to find one just like it. The only reason I got rid of it is that I couldn’t afford to put the gasoline in anymore as it only got about 11 miles per gallon . And I was a poor college student.
Wow – I’m pretty sure that Picture #8 was taken in the same West Philadelphia neighborhood (Parkside) where my father grew up.
It looked awfully familiar, and I was able to find a block that has a lot of similarities to the photo (though a lot of blocks in that neighborhood are now largely vacant, so it may have been somewhere else close by). A then-and-now comparison is below. The commercial building on the corner is articulated closer to the street than the other buildings, which is somewhat unique, and also the midblock houses in the background have tall rooftop ornamentation in both pictures, so it sure looks like the same place to me. Some porch roofs differ in the current image, but they could have been replaced.
Anyway, my father grew up about 2 blocks away – quite a coincidence.
Google StreetView link:
https://maps.app.goo.gl/DYz3dBbnmMGBe5Jk6
Eric, I am always stunned at how you manage to locate these scenes. It’s like your superpower, or something!
Thanks Peter! Locating these scenes is fun for me since it combines two of my big interests, being cars and geography.
From the 1960s on, Buick for some reason was a popular make among African-American drivers.
I’m glad we’re celebrating Black History Month here…(rest deleted due to overt political content-ED)
Malcolm X was an Oldsmobile man.
I believe he had a `63 or a `64 Olds 88 4 door.
An excellent set of photos.
I feel for the kids standing next to the Mercedes squinting into the sun. Like just about every other photo my dad took of me when I was that age.
LOVE this! More please.
I enjoyed these photos. The couple with the ’59 Ford look so happy with their choice. As for the last photo, if you must be cool, then do so – 1970’s Style. Keep up the good work, Rich! Psst, even I had a pair of high-heeled shoes – although I wore them little.
Thank you for including my neighbors in this posting. We had many Black neighbors, and we were just as excited as we were with their new family cars. GM cars were popular, and many of my friends’ parents drove Pontiacs and Buicks. My babysitter drove a beautiful 1966 Mustang fastback she won at a Chicago Cubs game. It was the first Mustang we rode in, and we were so impressed. Our neighbor had a 1957 Thunderbird with the round opera window. Our German neighbors drove VWs. Our Dutch neighbors drove a DAF. Our hillbilly white trash neighbors drove Volvos. The white folks like us, rode around in Rambler wagons. The young lady dressed for church reminds me of every Sunday morning at our church. Thank you for including these often-overlooked neighbors of mine!
Beautiful photos! Thanks for sharing these! 👍🙏