Vintage Snapshots: Cars And Views Of Modernity – Parking Lots Of The ’60s & ’70s

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– Posted on June 14, 2025

Text by Patrick Bell.

Today we have a good selection of images of modern buildings along with parking lots; the vintage cars we like to see, surrounding modernist structures that envisioned the “future” we currently live in. So, let’s have a look and see what we find around.

We will begin our tour at the Hilton Coliseum at Iowa State Center in the city of Ames.  It was completed in 1971, and this image appears to be two or three years later, after a good rain.  There were no big bumpered cars of ’74 or later.  Among the newest are the ’72 or ’73 Plymouth Suburban 9 passenger wagon on the left edge, the black over white ’71-’73 Datsun 1200 Coupe, green ’71 or ’72 Ford Galaxie 500 or LTD, bronze ’71-’72 Oldsmobile Cutlass Coupe, and two Gremlins; the yellow one could be a ’70-’73, while the green one looks like a ’73.  The oldest was above the hood of the bronze Cutlass and looks like a ’55 or ’56 Chevrolet 4 door sedan, and next was the white ’63 Mercury Comet Custom 4 door sedan in the forefront.

This was an Illinois Tollway Oasis, which were commercialized rest stops along the tollways.  They featured Fred Harvey restaurants and AMOCO gas stations.  There were five built beginning in the late fifties, with a sixth in ’68 and number seven in ’75.  This is one of the originals, as the newest car was a ’66 full size Pontiac parked closest to the restaurant.  Heading back this way two spots was the oldest, a ’61 Oldsmobile Ninety-Eight Holiday Sedan.  Continuing back was a ’64 or ’65 Rambler American 220 2 door sedan, ’65 Ford Galaxie 500 4 door sedan, and two Chevrolet Impala Sport Coupes; a ’64 and a ’65.  In the right row was a ’63 Ford Fairlane 2 door sedan.

Now we are in Corning, New York, at the Corning Glass Works headquarters.  This was the C Building, known locally as the “Black Box”. It was built in 1955, and this image was at least a decade later, as the white ’65 Ford Fairlane 500 4 door sedan on the right edge is one of the newest.  Next to it, a ’62 Buick LeSabre 4 door sedan, then a ’58 Plymouth Savoy 2 door hardtop that looks ancient, a ’63 Rambler Classic 550 Cross Country wagon, and further down a ’60 Ford Falcon Deluxe Tudor Sedan.  On the left, a light blue ’64 Ford Galaxie 500, tan ’65 Plymouth Fury II, grey ’60 Buick, and another Buick, a silver ’64 Electra 225.

No reliable search results were found on this one.  It was in the mid sixties, as the white ’65 Chevrolet Biscayne 2 door sedan at the right lower edge was the newest.  The license plates are predominantly red in color, which could have been ’64 Alabama or ’66 Ohio.  Above the Biscayne were a white Renault Dauphine, yellow Triumph Herald, and to the left a green Volkswagen Squareback.  In the street a red ’64 Chevrolet Chevelle Malibu Sports Coupe with fender skirts, and in the left foreground were three Mopars; a red ’64 Plymouth Valiant V-200 4 door sedan, black ’64 Dodge Polara or Polara 500 convertible, and a beige ’64 Chrysler Newport 4 door sedan.  Also a white over blue ’59 Pontiac 4 door sedan, and a grey ’64 Rambler Classic 4 door sedan.

These are the Walter Gage Residence Halls at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver.  There was a lot of variety in the parking lots, as is normal at a college campus.  It was the mid-seventies as the newest are a bronze ’73 Ford Maverick in upper left, a brown ’73 or ’74 Chevrolet Nova in the right lower, and right in the middle a ’73-’75 Ford F-series SuperCab with a cabover camper.  Many interesting imports include a Toyota Corolla and Corona, Renault 8 and 10, BMW 1600 or 2002, a few Austins or Morris’, and at least four Volkswagens.  Also a Mercury Capri and a second gen Corvair 4 door.

We are back at Iowa State University in Ames, perhaps on the same rainy day as the first image.  The building on the right is Larch Residence Hall, and in the center is Fisher Theater, which looked like it was under construction.  And in the background is Stephens Auditorium.  The parking lot begins with Buick, Chevrolet, Buick, Chevrolet; with a brown ’72 Electra 225 4 door hardtop, red ’71 Impala Custom Coupe, silver ’69 Skylark Sport Coupe, and a tan ’64 Impala 4 door sedan.

Here we are in Chicago, Illinois, at the Pavilion Apartments and a GM centric parking lot. There was a Chevrolet Chevette, Vega, Nova, Camaro, two Malibus, Monte Carlo, Impala, Corvette, and a Blazer.  Pontiac was in with a Catalina, and Oldsmobile had a Ninety-Eight.  Buick was represented by a Century, LeSabre, and Riviera, and Cadillac showed up with three deVilles.  Others include three Fords; a rough Mustang, Granada, and Torino. Two Mercurys; a Cougar and a rusty Montego.  And only one Mopar, a Dodge Challenger.  Imports were a Honda and possibly a Subaru.  That leaves two motorcycles.

It’s off to Las Vegas and the Landmark Hotel and Casino with an image from 1973.  Construction began in 1961, and had several financial related setbacks before opening in ’69.  It was closed in ’90, and destroyed in ’95.  From the left perhaps a yellow Opel Kadett Caravan, white over brown ’71-’73 Ford Pinto, blue ’70-’73 Chevrolet Camaro, red ’71-’73 Ford Maverick 4 door, white ’73 AMC Ambassador wagon, black over white Mazda RX-2 coupe, red ’71-’73 Chevrolet Vega Coupe, brown ’73 Chevrolet Impala 4 door sedan, black over white ’65 Oldsmobile Ninety-Eight, and a out of state, sunburnt, blue ’67 Ford Galaxie.

This is the Learning Resource Center at Oral Roberts University in Tulsa, Oklahoma.  The time period was the mid seventies as the newest cars were a gold first gen Honda Accord on the left in front of the gold ’71 or ’72 Ford Country Squire, and above the white ’67 Oldsmobile 4-4-2 Sports Coupe in the foreground was a gold ’75-’77 Ford LTD.  A few other interesting units were a blue Mazda RX-3 to the right of the Country Squire, another space to the right was a white ’68 Plymouth Fury II 4 door sedan, and above them a gold first gen Ford Bronco.

Now we are back in Vancouver in the downtown area.  The street to the left is Burrard, and both buildings on the left remain.  The tall one was the BC Electric Building, which opened in 1957.  It since has been converted to residential living.  The YMCA still occupies their building in the center, and the tall one in the center background is now the Century-Plaza Hotel.  These parking lots are now all built up.  The row in the foreground was Mopar heavy with a ’73 Chrysler Newport, MG B GT, ’72 Chrysler, ’72 Ford LTD, and a ’70 Plymouth Barracuda.  Others in the second row include another Barracuda and a ’67 Ford Galaxie convertible.

For our final image of the day, we will look at some modern machines.  Search results indicate this was Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) with an image date of November 1976.  There were two American Airlines planes; the Boeing 747 on the right preparing for takeoff, and the McDonnell Douglas DC-10 was about to turn around in preparation for takeoff.  Another GM dominant parking lot with a ’71 Oldsmobile Ninety-Eight Holiday Coupe on the right, and to the left a ’76 Buick Century 4 door, and behind it maybe a Chevrolet Malibu 2 door and a ’75-’77 Oldsmobile Toronado.  And a couple of imports; a BMW 2002, and a Mercedes-Benz W116 chassis.

Thanks for touring with us and to all good day!

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