Posted on 02/21/2009 7:21:04 PM PST by WesternCulture
My granpa over here in Sweden worked as a salesman in the 1950's.
I never experienced the 1950's myself (too young, unfortunately), but I can tell people here in Sweden were thrilled over the cars coming from across the Atlantic at that time.
My granpa bought a brand new Ford Customline around 1950. Not a flashy car, but a very decent vehicle for being Sweden (nearly) 60 years ago. At that time, middle class Swedes were poorer than average Americans of those days.
The 1950's are gone, for better or for worse, but the spirit remains.
When it comes to taking good care of old cars, Mariestad, Sweden (a town of 20 000 inhabitants or so), does more for true American cultural history than your average Obama-voter.
(Watch clip below. All Europeans aren't Volkswagen fans! - and remember, this is no festival, just what happens IN a very small place in Europe, outside of PC Europe..)
When I lived in Germany, we traveled a lot. I found that most of the Euro Countries had different sizes available. Up until then, I thought they only made the “squarish” ones for the American cars we sold to the Germans. LOL
“Old cars never die, they just rust away.”
- As long as love is true, miracles can be done.
A friend of mine has a passion for old American muscle cars.
His father was a very successful engineer, he inheritated
a lot of money and today he uses the intelligence his father passed on to him and the money to restore the splendor of past American car history.
American cars will never die.
Do you or he get HD Theater where you are? If so, you really must check out the Mecum auctions. The cars will knock your socks off. See the links I posted earlier in the thread for more info.
For the longest time, in England at least, you were assigned a license number by the government, but the “plates” were up to you, so there were any number of creative display solutions.
Ich bin ein Customliner.
I always wondered about that. I thought, maybe, they were County specific and maybe even vanity type plates.
Thanks.
It’s good your uncle didn’t live near the ocean. If you do and you park a car anywhere for 2 or 3 decades, you’ll end up with a pile of rust ;)
Lucky friend, and a worthy endeavor.
“American cars will never die.”
I certainly hope your optimisum wins out over my pessimism. To sit back and read FreeRepublic now days and hear so many folks more than willing to piss away, actually promoting the demise of the american auto industry is certainly heart breaking.
General Motors has produced some of the most loved cars in history. My favorite was the 63 Corvette.
Ford also produced vehicles americans proudly produced for nearly a hundred years.
Presently, I’m on Dodge Ram pickup #7
But the way things are now with Chrysler, it’s doubtful I’ll be able to buy number 8.
What the hell has Become of America ? when it’s citizens repeatedly denounce the attempts of a man supposedly in power to turn this economy around in a positive direction ?
Nope, I’m affraid huiandi’s and whatyacallit’s from India will become the norm here *sigh*
That’d be the Cadillac Ranch!
“What the hell has Become of America ? when it’s citizens repeatedly denounce the attempts of a man supposedly in power to turn this economy around in a positive direction ?”
- No one welcomes a recession.
Still, I’m pretty convinced 30-40% of the world’s car industry just won’t go away.
There is no escape from the negative aspects of Capitalism.
Recessions do happen.
On the other hand, you and I will probably meet in a bar four, five years from now and discuss these matters over a decent long drink somewhere.
Yup!
When asked about fords my usual answer used to be 'they make good tractors'.
I was recently informed that they sold their tractor operation to Fiat.
I'm in the market for something else nice to say about fords.
I'm drawing a blank.
Any help?
Anybody?
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