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Those cars were butt ugly, for one thing. I can appreciate that some of them might be prized, but they just don't float my boat. Different strokes, and all that...

For something stripped down and solid performance, had I been of driving age in those years I would probably have preferred something like the Nash sedans of the early-to-mid 1950s. They were sort of the "bathtub" style (especially the 1950 models - television buffs know them best, probably, for showing up in The Adventures of Superman, which used those Nashes for the good guys and the big, eggshell-style Kaiser sedans for the bad guys for the first couple of seasons) but were a little more pleasant to handle (I had the privilege of driving a fully-restored 1952 Nash - I think it was an Ambassador, I don't recall off the top of my head - a few years ago and that car was a honey to handle for such a comparative tank) and not terrible looking at all. I could also be biased because I have a thing for both those Nashes (I loved the Nash Ambassadors of the earlier 1950s) and for old Packards, but that's just me.

The 1964 Falcon, though, was a nice car any way you looked at it. But the 1960-63 cars not as reliable as their reputation might have had it: my father's cousin had one, likewise the father of my best friend in junior high school, and both men had nothing but headaches with those cars and unloaded them as soon as they had the chance. And I still say that Ford engineer had it right: they looked like granny cars.

Yeah, I guess different strokes, there are folks that think the '58 chevy is better looking than the '57 out there, but I never understood it.

The late 40 and early 50s Hudsons, as I stated had there styling ripped off by Mercury, so some one besides myself must have appreciated them. I came across country in a '51 pace maker in '52...when it was not a "freeway" trip. That Hudson passed a lot of other makes out in the desert that just couldn't cut it. The Hudson was also the favorite of the stock car racers...it had a 308 cubic inch inline 6 that was a fireball and set records for it's time at Bonneville. It's biggest sin is that it wasn't one of the Big Three.

As for the Falcon, the 63 V8s were pretty quick for the time, and my buddy's dad had one...we beat the sh*t outta that thing...he drove it keeping time to that song "Pappa Owww Moow Moow" with the gas pedal, I'm surprised the crank never snapped. We did call it 'the Foul-Car' I'll give you that...but it took a beating and came back for more.

I have a 63 Ford Fairlane now with the 260V8...it is hard to believe that they didn't sell well when they came out, but...?

I'll say this: much is dependant on one's experience with a particular car...my worst was with a brand new 58 Chevy, but I've had a lot of luck with older Fords, and there are those you can't GIVE a Ford to...different strokes!