Inside the vanished world of SoCal's cruising scene when Camaros and Corvettes roared down Van Nuys Boulevard, gas was 33 cents, and barefoot blondes and brunettes sat on hoods during the summer of '72

Daily Mail ^ | 06/06/2021 | Mailonline Reporter

[Bonemaker]

In the summer of 1972, Alice Cooper and David Bowie blared from the radio as the country prepared itself for a presidential election later that year. (Incumbent Richard Nixon trounced George McGovern, the South Dakota Senator.) In the San Fernando Valley, teens and people in their early 20s were cruising up and down Van Nuys Boulevard, then they parked and hung out. Photographer Rick McCloskey, who grew up in the Valley, took his camera and chronicled the scene.

[Bonemaker]

When America was still America.

[Daveinyork]

Little GTO

[BradyLS]

When America was both great and fun.

[rktman]

Pffftttt! Should have been there in ‘66. LOL! I learned a lesson when visiting my godparents and I drove out from ABQ. Girls driving ‘fast’ cars were either in their boy friends car and knew how to drive or their own car and knew how to drive.

[LibFreeUSA]

SUMMER of '72 (I had just graduated HS)....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mBqiC5ox8Bw

[Sequoyah101]

Happiness was a full tank of gas and an open road for me. Restless, I’d drive to Amarillo or Memphis for breakfast, both about the same distance, turn around and come back home.

[eyedigress]

Brandy, You’re a fine girl....

[Signalman]

Remember when Ronald Reagan was governor of CA?
Those days are long gone.

[eyeamok]

Every Wednesday Night we were All there!

[Pollard]

[ImJustAnotherOkie]

Same here.

[neverevergiveup]

There was plenty of crap going on then too.

The Manson Family committed their murders in 1969, and were convicted in 1971. Vietnam was happening. The Kent State shooting was in 1970. The Weather Underground was active from 1969 to 1977, including the bombings. There were race riots in multiple cities. Watergate started in 1972. etc. A lot of what we’re trying to work through now started back then.

[Jim W N]

More like Jan and Dean in the 60's actually (before and aside from the grotesque hippies).

[higgmeister]

Don McLean too.

[higgmeister]

Class of ‘72 still lives!

[Jim W N]

Actually those “happy days” were mostly in the 50’s and early 60’s before and aside from the grotesque hippies - chicks were chicks and guys were guys and muscle cars were cool.

[dainbramaged]

Back when you could buy a decent running 1957 Chevrolet for around $500.

[basalt]

very true....1968 something else....country was on the verge of chaos...

[fidelis]

Yup, I was there. It was like living in an “American Graffiti” world on Wednesday nights. For the most part everyone was cool, even the cops. It was a good time to be young. Too many thugs these days for something like this.

[Bonemaker]

The cars didn’t look the same and they weren’t shooting out of them.