My parents had one just like that when I was a toddler. The thing I remember most about it was the axle falling off as we were backing out of a parking lot.
I nearly had the same experience with this one! A few blocks from home and the axle broke. Inspecting it I realized I could make it home if I avoided all left turns. Right turns and perhaps no long straight stretches I would probably be okay. It was a pretty old car by then, though -- and cars became a lot older faster then (the car I drive today is almost twice as old but a lot more reliable).