Is it too much to ask for a new ’57 Chevy?
General Motors Company, also known simply as GM, is struggling with the broken U.S. economy and is now on the brink of facing possible permanent closure. GM says their factories are losing money employing workers to make cars that no one can get financing to buy due to the current credit freeze. Their brands include Chevrolet, Buick, Pontiac, GMC, Saturn, Hummer, Saab, and Cadillac.
But could there be another reason? After all, who wants to buy a big ugly gas guzzling Hummer you can’t park anywhere? What about a new sedan with less character than a new vacuum cleaner? What excites the extravagant buyer more? A new red Samsung washer dryer for $2,800 or a new red Chevy Malibu for $28,000? Hmmm…
A 2009 Samsung washer dryer and a 2009 Chevy Malibu.
Losing GM would mean the end of an era. But, am I crying over today’s GM or reminiscing over the past? I long for the classics, the 1950s Chevies with bicolor panels and shiny chrome trim; the sleek and curvy Corvettes, the old prestigious Cadillacs and Thunderbirds.
A 1938 Ford Roadster and a 2005 Chrysler PT Cruiser.
In April of 2000, Chrysler debuted the PT Cruiser. It wasn't a very good copy of the 1938 Ford Roadster it was supposed to emulate, but it was still super popular nonetheless. According to a New York Times article from March 5, 2002, the car was listed for an affordable $16,000, but sold for as much as $21,000 with dealer options added. When the PT Cruiser went on sale, dealers quickly ran out of cars. 180,000 sold that year, each earning a profit of $800 per car, or 144 million dollars, which essentially saved Chrysler corporation. With a production goal of 300,000 in 2002, Chrysler would make 240 million dollars in profit that year.
The first car I ever dreamed about owning was a bright yellow 1970 Stingray Corvette which frequently drove past my parents house. Some evenings as a young adolescent on the verge of turning 16 and getting my license, I would sit on the front steps listening to the cicadas, waiting for the corvette to go by on it’s way to who knows where. Years later, I was able to sit in the driver’s seat of a similar model, only to discover I was too short to reach the pedals.
My husband actually owned several 1950s and ’60s vintage cars before I met him, only to resell them or abandon them where they broke down – he’s not a mechanic and an old car is too expensive to pay someone else to repair, if you can even find someone to fix it for you.
After we grew up, got married, and became responsible adults, my husband and I ended up buying two very boring brand new cars. We spent a lot of money on them, so they are quite comfortable, have all the modern conveniences such as seat warmers; automatic windows and door locks; five-year warranties; side panel air bags; upgraded alarm systems; and decent gas mileage. But, when was the last time you heard someone write a song about say, a Ford Escape or a Saturn Ion?
American cars have lost their pizzazz, their romance, their soul. Today’s cars simply don’t inspire the same feelings of pride of ownership. “I love my Subaru, Oh yes I do. I love my Subaru, and I’ll be true…,” just doesn’t carry the same impact as John Wilkin’s anthem about a new 1963 Pontiac GTO (recorded by the Beach Boys in 1964), “Listen to her tachin' up now, listen to her why-ee-eye-ine. C'mon and turn it on, wind it up, blow it out GTO.”
What ever happened to cruising? The wholesome teenage pastime of driving up and down the busy strip of road between the mall and the 24-hour McDonalds, showing off your car’s new racing stripes and wax job while you hoot and hollar at the opposite sex? – The very pastime about which Bruce Springsteen celebrated in song, perhaps about a 1959 Cadillac Eldorado such as the one shown at right complete with tailfins and rocket-red paddle lights: “I love you for your pink Cadillac, Crushed velvet seats, Riding in the back, Oozing down the street, Waving to the girls, Feeling out of sight, Spending all my money on a Saturday night.”
What about car clubs and car shows? Carclubs.com lists hundreds of car clubs for all years of models. It’s difficult to find clubs specializing in new models except for perhaps Saturn, but that list contains mostly clubs with 3 to 10 members and one that isn’t even a club at all, but just a big ad for Saturn parts and repair shops. The Ford Model A isn’t even manufactured anymore, but has 23 clubs. Out of 282 total Chevrolet car clubs listed, there is only one “newer” car club, a Suburban club with only 12 members, and no clubs specializing in the newer Aveos, Cobalts, or Malibus. But, look at the old classics, the collectibles, and you’ll find dozens of clubs, some very specialized, such as 50 Camero clubs, 26 Chevelle clubs, over 100 Corvette clubs, and even one Chevy Bonanza pickup truck club. Hubcapcafe.com also lists hundreds of antique car clubs nationwide. Even Alaska has three antique auto clubs, including the Anchorage Corvette Association. When’s the last time you went to a car show featuring new Pontiac Coupes or Chrysler Town and Country’s?
The first car I ever dreamed about owning was a bright yellow 1970 Stingray Corvette which frequently drove past my parents house. Some evenings as a young adolescent on the verge of turning 16 and getting my license, I would sit on the front steps listening to the cicadas, waiting for the corvette to go by on it’s way to who knows where. Years later, I was able to sit in the driver’s seat of a similar model, only to discover I was too short to reach the pedals.
The new 2006 Chevrolet Stingray Corvette, above at right, does a decent job emulating the 1970 model at left. However, the new 2005 Ford Thunderbird convertible, below at right, misses the mark and looks little like the shiny 1960 model at left.
My husband actually owned several 1950s and ’60s vintage cars before I met him, only to resell them or abandon them where they broke down – he’s not a mechanic and an old car is too expensive to pay someone else to repair, if you can even find someone to fix it for you.
After we grew up, got married, and became responsible adults, my husband and I ended up buying two very boring brand new cars. We spent a lot of money on them, so they are quite comfortable, have all the modern conveniences such as seat warmers; automatic windows and door locks; five-year warranties; side panel air bags; upgraded alarm systems; and decent gas mileage. But, when was the last time you heard someone write a song about say, a Ford Escape or a Saturn Ion?
American cars have lost their pizzazz, their romance, their soul. Today’s cars simply don’t inspire the same feelings of pride of ownership. “I love my Subaru, Oh yes I do. I love my Subaru, and I’ll be true…,” just doesn’t carry the same impact as John Wilkin’s anthem about a new 1963 Pontiac GTO (recorded by the Beach Boys in 1964), “Listen to her tachin' up now, listen to her why-ee-eye-ine. C'mon and turn it on, wind it up, blow it out GTO.”
What ever happened to cruising? The wholesome teenage pastime of driving up and down the busy strip of road between the mall and the 24-hour McDonalds, showing off your car’s new racing stripes and wax job while you hoot and hollar at the opposite sex? – The very pastime about which Bruce Springsteen celebrated in song, perhaps about a 1959 Cadillac Eldorado such as the one shown at right complete with tailfins and rocket-red paddle lights: “I love you for your pink Cadillac, Crushed velvet seats, Riding in the back, Oozing down the street, Waving to the girls, Feeling out of sight, Spending all my money on a Saturday night.”What about car clubs and car shows? Carclubs.com lists hundreds of car clubs for all years of models. It’s difficult to find clubs specializing in new models except for perhaps Saturn, but that list contains mostly clubs with 3 to 10 members and one that isn’t even a club at all, but just a big ad for Saturn parts and repair shops. The Ford Model A isn’t even manufactured anymore, but has 23 clubs. Out of 282 total Chevrolet car clubs listed, there is only one “newer” car club, a Suburban club with only 12 members, and no clubs specializing in the newer Aveos, Cobalts, or Malibus. But, look at the old classics, the collectibles, and you’ll find dozens of clubs, some very specialized, such as 50 Camero clubs, 26 Chevelle clubs, over 100 Corvette clubs, and even one Chevy Bonanza pickup truck club. Hubcapcafe.com also lists hundreds of antique car clubs nationwide. Even Alaska has three antique auto clubs, including the Anchorage Corvette Association. When’s the last time you went to a car show featuring new Pontiac Coupes or Chrysler Town and Country’s?
Cadillac Ranch, art installation by Art Farm, 1974
Google “car museum” and you’ll find dozens of actual car museums worldwide featuring antique cars of days gone by. What about car monuments? Some are sophisticated works of art, such as the Lanchester Car Monument in Birmingham England. Others are more folksy, such as the Cadillac Ranch on route 66 in Texas where a group of artists called, “Art Farm” (no connection to current groups using the same name) buried a chronologically dated series of cadillacs headfirst in 1974 to lament the slow disappearance of the ever popular rocket-ship inspired tailfins.
The bodies of antique cars are lifted on top of buildings and displayed prominently. Krispy Kreme enshrines vintage delivery trucks in glass cases out front. The San Diego based, Corvette Diner displays a 1960s “little red corvette,” perhaps similar to the one Prince sang about: “I guess I shoulda closed my eyes when u drove me 2 the place where your horses run free.”
My husband still salivates every time we pass a 1957 Chevy. “We can’t afford it,” I say.
“But, It’s only $500!” he says back.
“It probably doesn’t run.” I reply, “And you have no idea how to fix it.”
Maybe someday, car manufacturers will get smart and reproduce their actual 1950s era cars, not just reuse the old names to label another boring sedan, but a much closer copy of the original car reproduced with new engines and all the modern conveniences of a new car. But, that would just be too intelligent.
The bodies of antique cars are lifted on top of buildings and displayed prominently. Krispy Kreme enshrines vintage delivery trucks in glass cases out front. The San Diego based, Corvette Diner displays a 1960s “little red corvette,” perhaps similar to the one Prince sang about: “I guess I shoulda closed my eyes when u drove me 2 the place where your horses run free.”My husband still salivates every time we pass a 1957 Chevy. “We can’t afford it,” I say.
“But, It’s only $500!” he says back.
“It probably doesn’t run.” I reply, “And you have no idea how to fix it.”
Maybe someday, car manufacturers will get smart and reproduce their actual 1950s era cars, not just reuse the old names to label another boring sedan, but a much closer copy of the original car reproduced with new engines and all the modern conveniences of a new car. But, that would just be too intelligent.
