Looks like a '73 Pontiac LeMans Grand Am. Nice. I can barely see its reflection in the window, but I think I also see a '65 Malibu inside the showroom.
That's right Boomchek. Kia motors bought the design of the FWD Lotus Elan M100 after Lotus ceased production of it in 1995 and made their v ersion nearly identical except for badges and the substitution of a 1.8 liter Kia for the Lotus' 16 liter Isuzu I-4.
Hmmm, I don't know what the fintailed little red sports car is, but the car at the pump appears to be a 1959 Pontiac Bonneville convertible and I can just barely make out a white 1953 Buick Special with a black roof in the background.
Chances are that white house in the background only went for $15,000. Thirty-five grand could still get you a pretty substantial house in the 1950s, especially if you lived in a more rural area. Your typical Airlite home in NE Philly only ran about $14,000 when they were new in the mid 1950s.
Yup, the sports car is a gen I Alpine with the big MoPar-inspired fins and the Poncho is a '59 Bonnie. The photo is from Butterfield 8 released in 1960 so probably filmed in '59.
Regarding the housing...around that time, early 60s, my grandparents bought a new ~1700sq ft rambler in suburban Seattle, I think it came in at just under 20K. Solid middle class house, nicely finished - hardwood throughout, 2 car garage, lots of funky "mid century" style fixtures. Even in the depressed market it's worth much more than 10x now...sadly salaries haven't changed likewise.
Regarding house prices, in 1962 my parents bought a .4 acre lot in a nice town in Northern NJ (Ramsey) for $3k and had a 3/1.5 w/2-car garage built for $27k for a total of $30k. I just checked Zillow - it's now worth $427k, down from $550k at the peak. I remember our '64 Impala 283 4-dr hardtop listed for $3k and actually cost $2,727. Do the math - 10x the original house cost now gets a way smaller house, while 10x the '64 impala cost still gets a comparable car. Of course gold was fixed at $35/oz. back then...
Well, I'll go for the easy stuff. How about a dark color '67 Camaro top left and a '68 white Camaro (with a vinyl roof?) up front. Top left corner looks like a '63 or '64 Oldsmobile 4-dr hardtop, but can't tell the model for sure. This looks like a H.S. auto shop class!! And I think I spy a fintail somewhere....
I think a lot of collectors add those continental kits. I was just a little kid back then, but I don't recall those many continental kits on cars in the mid-late 50's.
The white mid-engine sports-racer looks a bit like a Chapparal. OK, so the only Chapparal I've ever seen was from Hot Wheels, but it looked like that.
I agree. It looks like a Chapparal 2A, which was Jim Hall's first real design; the earlier Chapparal I was an update of Lance Reventlow's Scarab-Chevy, a front-engine design.
I always admired people like him, or like Colin Chapman, who looked at a racetrack or the cars on it and said "you know, I can beat these guys with brains rather than horsepower".
They were a bit overstyled--not bad for the time period. They were, however, supremely comfortable and luxurious by small-car standards of the day. And the 2.6 Mitsu motor was one of the first (if not the first) to offer balance shafts to cancel out second-order vibrations. It was also acceptably torquey, though not a high-revver.
As well as their performances and mechanical qualities, I've always admired Chaparral strange but very appealing aesthetics. :surprise: Beautiful mobile cans.
And the 2.6 Mitsu motor was one of the first (if not the first) to offer balance shafts to cancel out second-order vibrations. It was also acceptably torquey, though not a high-revver.
IIRC, it had 120HP, which was pretty decent for a 4-banger of the era. I had a '79 Sunbird with the Iron Duke 2.5L 4-cyl, and I think it put out something like 80 or 85 HP.
Wasn't that engine also used in the Dodge Fire Arrow?
"Regarding house prices, in 1962 my parents bought a .4 acre lot in a nice town in Northern NJ (Ramsey) for $3k and had a 3/1.5 w/2-car garage built for $27k for a total of $30k. I just checked Zillow - it's now worth $427k, down from $550k at the peak. I remember our '64 Impala 283 4-dr hardtop listed for $3k and actually cost $2,727. Do the math - 10x the original house cost now gets a way smaller house, while 10x the '64 impala cost still gets a comparable car. Of course gold was fixed at $35/oz. back then... "
Interesting since the US went off the Gold Standard in 1932, IIRC...
Interesting since the US went off the Gold Standard in 1932, IIRC...
Sort of. The Fed 'officially' abandoned the gold standard in 1933, but ....
... after WW2, the Bretton Woods system allowed most currencies to fix their exchange rate to the US Dollar, and the US Gov't promised to fix the gold rate at $35/oz.
Nixon suspended the convertibility of the dollar to gold in 1971.
IIRC that was during Nixon's economic crisis and wage/price controls. There were a lot of arguments that the US was being hurt by its strong currency back then. It has seemed to me that for a long time now there has been no logic to a Euro or Pound being worth more than a US dollar, maybe that was by design back then - but who knows. I think the only thing letting go of the gold standard accomplished was making gold a more volatile commodity. You can make a lot, or lose your shirt pretty quickly in gold sometimes. Globalization and China were inevitable, so gold standard or not, the US was going to face pressure down the road.
The place to see all of these Chaparrals is (surprisingly) at the Permian Basin Oil Museum in Midland, Texas. A bit out of the way, I understand, but they have an excellent exhibit, including each model.
Comments
in the window, but I think I also see a '65 Malibu inside the showroom.
2001 BMW 330ci/E46, 2008 BMW 335i conv/E93
2001 BMW 330ci/E46, 2008 BMW 335i conv/E93
2016 Audi A7 3.0T S Line, 2021 Subaru WRX
Kia made Elans for two MYs, 1996-97.
2001 BMW 330ci/E46, 2008 BMW 335i conv/E93
(Of course, a FWD Elan with a Toyota engine seemed wrong at the time, as well).
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FYI the Lotus Elan M100 used an Isuzu engine. It's the Lotus Elise that uses a Toyota unit.
2001 BMW 330ci/E46, 2008 BMW 335i conv/E93
2001 BMW 330ci/E46, 2008 BMW 335i conv/E93
Just add X10 to everything (at least)
Chances are that white house in the background only went for $15,000. Thirty-five grand could still get you a pretty substantial house in the 1950s, especially if you lived in a more rural area. Your typical Airlite home in NE Philly only ran about $14,000 when they were new in the mid 1950s.
2001 BMW 330ci/E46, 2008 BMW 335i conv/E93
Regarding the housing...around that time, early 60s, my grandparents bought a new ~1700sq ft rambler in suburban Seattle, I think it came in at just under 20K. Solid middle class house, nicely finished - hardwood throughout, 2 car garage, lots of funky "mid century" style fixtures. Even in the depressed market it's worth much more than 10x now...sadly salaries haven't changed likewise.
2001 BMW 330ci/E46, 2008 BMW 335i conv/E93
2001 BMW 330ci/E46, 2008 BMW 335i conv/E93
I agree. It looks like a Chapparal 2A, which was Jim Hall's first real design; the earlier Chapparal I was an update of Lance Reventlow's Scarab-Chevy, a front-engine design.
Chapparal 2A>
2001 BMW 330ci/E46, 2008 BMW 335i conv/E93
I always admired people like him, or like Colin Chapman, who looked at a racetrack or the cars on it and said "you know, I can beat these guys with brains rather than horsepower".
And did they ever!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chaparral_Cars
2001 BMW 330ci/E46, 2008 BMW 335i conv/E93
I kind of liked them too.
2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.
He hurt his shoulder so I drove it home.
Decent car, and considering how bad the cars from that era were, perhaps it was more than decent.
2001 BMW 330ci/E46, 2008 BMW 335i conv/E93
Regards,
Jose
IIRC, it had 120HP, which was pretty decent for a 4-banger of the era. I had a '79 Sunbird with the Iron Duke 2.5L 4-cyl, and I think it put out something like 80 or 85 HP.
Wasn't that engine also used in the Dodge Fire Arrow?
Interesting since the US went off the Gold Standard in 1932, IIRC...
Sort of. The Fed 'officially' abandoned the gold standard in 1933, but ....
... after WW2, the Bretton Woods system allowed most currencies to fix their exchange rate to the US Dollar, and the US Gov't promised to fix the gold rate at $35/oz.
Nixon suspended the convertibility of the dollar to gold in 1971.
So, I suspect you're both right!
wouldn't forget it.
Especially the high wing cars>
Chapparal 2E/Chevy:
..or the incredible "sucker car">
Chapparal 2J/Chevy:
The 2J used Lexan skirts and a pair of fans to create major down force to create enormous downforce.
2001 BMW 330ci/E46, 2008 BMW 335i conv/E93
Yes, it was banned despite never actually winning a race.
The tall wings were also banned but there were legitimate safety concerns. Adjustable wings were also banned (cars so equipped did win some races.)
2001 BMW 330ci/E46, 2008 BMW 335i conv/E93
Regards,
Jose
Regards,
Jose
2001 BMW 330ci/E46, 2008 BMW 335i conv/E93
Handsome little sedan, IMHO.