CARHUNTER : OK 50 YEARS AGO!

LETS LOOK BACK 50 YEARS TO 1964
Seems that the cars were a little more exciting than 100 years ago!

A very exciting year for cars, pivotal .

409's

The first muscle car? GRRRRRRRRR

John Delorean brought us the 1st muscle car GTO inspired by an Italian sports cars.

As per Ralph Nader the rear engine Corvair was unsafe at any speed!

The Mustang debuts and paces the Indy 500

President Lyndon Johnson has his first State of The Union address after the tragic and very public assassination Of John F. Kennedy. The TV coverage changed the world for ever and sadly a car became a symbol of tragedy. The X-100 was actually a 1961 and most people did not realize it was Blue. Ford had updated the car yearly to make it look current.

After Johnson was sworn it, some of his first orders were "get that damn car painted Black"

It was the last time a President rode in an open car, the X-100 was put back in service painted Black with its existing protective roof permanently installed. A face lift made the car essentially a 1964 Lincoln as the car was back on the job May 1964.

The most famous Turbine car is produced in limited numbers then Chrysler destroys most of them.

Station Wagons were cool!

Volvo Sports car!

Only about 39 Ferrari GTO's are built, one recently sold for 50 Million.

The iconic Porsche 911.

The Japanese big 3 had not landed hard yet in the USA, with many tiny little economy cars they had some nifty sports cars.

Toyota started in 1958, but we did not notice. As a Toyopet.

Honda- not until 1970

A 1964 S600

Datsun in 1965

February 9 1964 the Beatles hit NYC like a hurricane!

The Plaza Hotel was never the same!

Dodge

Ford

And GMC made some basic purpose built trucks before it was a trend.

The HEMI made the street scene.

Mercedes had a certain simple elegance.

And class

without being too pretentious.

BMW had not settled in yet, not until 1975

Caddy Cool

Lincoln made you the man!

Imperial was still its own car line.

January 18th plans to build the World Trade Center are announced.

Over the road trucks were still rather stark.

Not as glamorous.

Dodge Built Heavy Duty trucks.

I grew up with the Fishbowl Gm Buses.

The Verrazano Bridge opens to traffic and its first traffic jam!

Average cost of a new home $20,500, yearly income 5,880, gas was .30 cents a gallon, a stamp was .05 cents. Average price of a new car $2000-$3000

Fire trucks still simple.

Police cars were more 4 door muscle cars.

Matching set Canadian Mercury's

No Truck ambulances.

The Vette was coming into its legend status.

Rambler

Studebaker

NASCAR ironmen

Precursor to Funny cars- altered wheel base drag cars

Factory drag cars

Van craze did not hit yet, we used em as utility vehicles!

Military base closings include the Brooklyn Navy Yard and Brooklyn Army Terminal

We wanted to hit the road and go camping!

The manufacturers helped!

Dodge Travco 413 big block!

Jeopardy TV show is aired and still on!

Winnebago had not built mobile homes yet.

The Worlds Fair was in NY.

Cars were a big part and getting us moving!

NOW THAT'S A BIG BLOCK!

Timing is right since the 1964 NY Worlds fair opened 50 years ago today

50 years later I took some photos of the GM train in St. Louis at the transportation museum

Shot a quick photo of this tire in 2012 on I94 heading into Detroit, its new home!

A little updated though

Even though I was very young I remember dad picking me up behind this license plate below to stand on the platform (very young and short), yes I have the photo and no I won't post it! Damn crewcut!

President Johnson announces the A-11 spy plane, in reality the plane had been developed as a replacement for the U2 spyplane and was already in use. It had evolved into the A-12 or more commonly known as the SR-71 variant. By 1998 the planes had been taken out of service. The U2 is still in use.