Today’s virtual travelogue pays a visit to NYC with photos taken between 1978 and 1979. To those who lived in the city at the time, these should bring quite a few memories of the period. While to those who only met it through media, they should still feel the period vibes as if out of a Woody Allen or Scorcese movie. Starting with the first image and that multitude of Yellow Cabs.
Busy place.
At least five images, show a late model full-sized Ford. And five images, show either a Dodge Aspen, or Plymouth Volare. Perhaps indicative, of their popularity.
Interesting, to see the Toyota Land Cruiser, in the third image.
I remain a fan of the original less formal roofline on the first M-Body LeBarons and Diplomats. (As seen in the last pic.)
wow these are the sharpest pictures I seen on this website, fantastic
Amongst the usual stuff, it’s fun to see a Capri (with a bumped bumper), an Audi 5000, a Peugeot 504 and of course the FJ40 Land Cruiser.
There’s a rear corner of what looks like a 604 in pic 2. Rare in the US.
Very pretty .
Also a good reminder of why I don’t miss living Down East .
-Nate
In those years 78, 79 and early 80’s, the Peugeot 504 and 505 diesels began to circulate in New York as taxis. After a few years they were replaced by the Chevy Caprice.
I love those 1978-80 Oldsmobile Cutlass coupes, like the one seen in the first image, far more than the ’81 and later ones.
Sorry, I meant the second image.
I had a ’77 Ford LTD II like the one seen in the first image. I miss that car!
Amazing. I love all of these photos. Where can I buy the book? The concentration of Dodges in the last photo during Chrysler’s dark period of the ’70s!
EDIT: Whoops – the dove gray sedan is actually a Chrysler LeBaron (lettering on the rear panel).
I think I see a Pinto Cruisin’ Wagon a few cars ahead of a pretty nice silver Aspen.
Quite a few Checker cabs still rollin’ at that time…
What is the very tall white building in the fourth photo?
Thank you! This is the New York City I remember as a child. I don’t think I ever saw a Royal Monaco cab in person. As a very young car enthusiast, it was almost (wonderfully) overwhelming trying to keep up with everything I saw.
That is 1 Centre St….. Amunicipal building housing many of the city’s administrative offices. Also, I’m fairly sure it was the spot where the Crocodile Dundee “now that’s a knife” scene was filmed
Second to last picture shows the Dakota Apartment building. It was thrust into the world news Dec 8, 1980 with the assassination of John Lennon.
There’s a whole lot of malaise here but I find the silver Aspen coupe in the last pic rather handsome, sans vinyl roof. I really love the Mopar C-body taxi with hidden headlights, too (Monaco or Fury?).
These are great sharp pictures. I appreciate and respect them as window into another time, although they definitely represent a place I’m perfectly happy to “admire” only from afar…both then and now.
Second picture, the car to the left?
Peugeot 604?
Yes, seems a 604.
Second to last photo is plaza hotel. E. 61 St on sign. Dakota is on the Westside.
Indeed. Think more Eloise, and less John Lennon. 🙂
This is the Manhattan that I knew. And it’s the one that I still see in my mind’s eye when I think about my time there.
Although I spent most of my time on the upper west side (really nothing shown of that in these photos) and working in Midtown. Madison and 48th – the longest term Midtown home of my then employer, Scientific American – was my place for several years. It’s gone now, as are so many of the buildings shown in these photos.
These are some great pictures…
The building in Picture 10 is the New York Public Library with a nice Lincoln Mark V sitting on the curb.
My wife and I visited NYC in ’88 and again in ’89 when we worked in Connecticut. First trip was in my ’77 Plymouth Fury to Central Park, the second trip we were a little more brave … we rode the train from New London to Penn Central Station and visited Manhattan and cought the return train back “home.” We rode a city bus down to Battery Park. We enjoyed our day trip very much … the bus ride was quite a “trip” in itself … we tried not to act like typical tourists, but it couldn’t be avoided.
And, we made sure we didn’t miss that train back to New London.
Picture 10 is the Museum of Natural History; i mixed my NYC trips up. We drove down in my Plymouth and spent the day here, on our first trip to “The City.” We enjoyed both trips.
Nice photos of a place I have never been.
#1 Theater row. Left to right a Checker cab, ’73 Dodge Coronet cab, ’75-’78 Ford LTD cab, ’77-’79 Ford LTD II, ’72-’80 Dodge D series pickup, ’78 or ’79 Dodge Aspen cab, ’77 or ’78 Dodge Monaco cab.
#2 W. 40th St. Left to right the tail of a Peugeot 604 from New Jersey, ’72 Chevrolet Kingswood Estate or ’73 Caprice Estate, ’79 or ’80 Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme coupe, Mercedes W123 with the signal lamp on, blue VW Type 1, ’74 Pontiac LeMans, the nose of a ’78 or ’79 Plymouth Volare.
#3 Left to right a ’74 Dodge Coronet cab, Checker cab, ’78-’80 Pontiac Grand Prix, Toyota FJ40 Land Cruiser, ’74 or ’75 Buick Regal, Audi 5000, ’77 Dodge Royal Monaco cab.
#4 Left to right a white VW Rabbit, white ’75-’77 Chevrolet Chevette, grey ’68 Chevrolet full size wagon, dark blue ’79 Pontiac Catalina or Bonneville, orange post ’71 Dodge B series van, green post ’75 Ford Econoline, brown VW Rabbit, ’75-’78 Ford LTD cab, burnt orange post ’78 Dodge van.
#5 Left to right a tan ’78 Oldsmobile Cutlass Cruiser, gold ’77-’79 Cadillac Sedan deVille, burnt orange ’80 or ’81 Toyota Celica, dark green ’70-’73 Pontiac Firebird, white ’71-’72 Ford Pinto, white over black ’78-’80 Pontiac Grand Prix, dark red ’68-’72 Volvo 164, black with silver front end ’71 Cadillac Fleetwood Brougham, tan ’78-’80 Chevrolet Monte Carlo.
#6 Left to right a red ’71-’77 Chevrolet or GMC box van, tan over brown ’78-’80 Buick Regal coupe, black over blue ’68 Chrysler Newport or Newport Custom 4 door hardtop, blue ’77-’79 Oldsmobile Ninety-Eight, black ’71-’73 Ford Maverick.
#7 Left to right a blue ’77-’79 Ford LTD II, ’75-’76 Dodge Monaco or ’77 Royal Monaco cab, post ’73 VW Camper van, brown ’78 Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme coupe, white ’76-’80 Dodge Aspen or Plymouth Volare wagon, beige ’75-’78 Ford Country Squire.
#8 A ’75 Oldsmobile Ninety-Eight Regency coupe at the Wonder Wheel.
#9 Left to right a post ’78 Chevrolet or GMC van, way down a ’67 Chevrolet Chevelle, skip two a ’71-’72 Pontiac Ventura coupe, ’64 Plymouth Valiant 4 door sedan, VW Type 1, ’73 Dodge Dart sedan, Ford Pinto wagon in the driveway.
#10 Left to right a ’76 or ’77 Dodge Aspen in the lower corner, green ’69 Chrysler Newport or Newport Custom 4 door hardtop on the move, against the curb a brown ’74 or ’75 Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme coupe, black ’77-’79 Lincoln Continental Mark V with no vinyl roof, a Checker cab passing by, black ’75-’77 Buick Century sedan parked.
#11 W. Broadway and Franklin. Left to right a tan over brown ’74-’76 Ford Gran Torino Brougham 2 door, blue vinyl roof in the foreground looks like a mid-seventies full size Ford or Mercury, maroon Mercedes W114, white ’73-’79 Ford F-series long bed, white over brown ’73 or ’74 Dodge Charger SE, light blue ’76 Pontiac Catalina sedan, blue Ford C700 Cabover box van, black over white ’70 Lincoln Continental sedan.
#12 E. 61st St. and 5th. Left lower corner a ’77-’79 Cadillac, left to right two ’75-’78 Ford LTD cabs, gold ’78-’80 Pontiac Grand Prix, ’73 Mercury Capri, blue ’75-’80 GM X body.
#13 Very slowly merging. Left lane a ’77-’79 Cadillac missing a wheel cover, grey ’77 or ’78 Chrysler LeBaron sedan, tan ’71-’77 Dodge B series van, white ’77 Cadillac sedan. Right lane ’78 or ’79 Dodge Aspen coupe, ’76 or ’77 Aspen coupe, skip one, blue ’78 Ford Pinto Cruising wagon, skip two a tan ’79 Chevrolet Caprice 4 door sedan.
Thanks for the photos.
In the mid-70’s, my wife and l courted in NYC. She was from Holland and l, from Oklahoma. Sex shops were ubiquitousin in the City then, especially in Times Square. I was shocked, she was not.
Some Time Stamps in the photos:
Photo #1: (rear of Ford LTD II)
Based on the movie bill boards (King of the Gypsies & The Brinks Job), both premiered in December 1978. Both had short runs.
Photo #6: (rear of ’64-’65 Chrysler Newport/New Yorker)
Based on the movie bill board to the right (Heart Beat), premiered April 1980. Also had a very short run as its revenue was less than production budget.
Photo #10 (’69-’70 Chrysler & NYC taxi).
To the right is the “Gold of El Dorado” exhibit at the Theodore Roosevelt Memorial Hall (188 Central Park West). Exhibit ran from November 1979 thru April 1980.
Not one but two LTD IIs! I always notice them because a green 1977 LTD II was our family car when I was a kid. You almost *never* see them anymore, though I did spot one at the gas station a few months ago.
Picture 2 is probably 6th Avenue and West 35th Street near the Macy’s. It has been pedestrianized and the Florsheim is a Duane Reade now I believe.
Picture 4 is Chambers Street and Broadway, facing the Municipal Building. Across from the Municipal Building is the Surrogate’s Courthouse and home to the Municipal Archives. There is also the Tweed Courthouse, build in the 19th century and currently home to the Department of Education. City Hall is next to the Tweed Courthouse but not shown.
Picture 5 might be Church Street, which is walking distance from Chambers and Broadway
In the 6th photo down I see the rear tail of a 1968 Chrysler, possibly a Newport? or New Yorker?
Probably has the 383 V-8. Anyone knowing otherwise please correct me. Thank you