Hot Rods Remember these or am I dating myself?????

remember when these toured the highways? And how many remember new car releases being shipped with covers over them and the suspense of the official unveiling in your home towns? Like they say those were the good old days..................

 

Oh yea, The suspense looking in the showcase with covers over the cars was exciting.
Boy that is not the case now huh?

 

Seems like they all pretty much look the same now.Now much wow factor.

 

I thought they still shipped like that.

 

Now they just seem to use shrinkwrap to protect them- though there still seems to be some
delivered damaged.

 

new cars coming out was a big deal in the old days. I have a photo of a Chevrolet dealership where there are a bunch of people all dressed up and looking at the new 1949 models.

 

Remember when new cars were worth showcasing and you actually WANTED to go see the new models?

 

A truckload of 56 Oldsmobiles. That gladdens my heart.

 

When I lived in NYC, we'd go to the Auto Show at the NY Coliseum. When I lived in PA, the local freight trains carried new cars to a nearby distribution hub. We'd go down there and see the new cars through the chain link fence.

 

Bring in new cars was a highlight during those days,especially in small town America. HRP

 

I kind of like what Bennington has tucked away!
In a certain local museum of course.

 

Those transporters back in the day were the source of seasoned engine blocks. 327" chevys, 100k mile blocks run at reasonably low rpm, were cheap at junkyards. Anchor freight was big in our neck of the woods, upstate NY. Bore 'em .060, you had the start of a great hot rod motor or a circle track motor for those NASCAR coupes back then.

 

I bought a new Roadrunner in '68 and it had a bullet hole in the windshield. The salesman said when the trains go through Pennsylvania the kids shoot at the cars. I was so happy to get the first one available that I drove it over the weekend and took it back to the dealer the next Monday to have the windshield replaced.

The VWs and Audis come in through the port of Houston and when they leave on the transports they have a complete cover on the cars with a small clear plastic piece over the windshield so they can see out putting them on the hauler.

 

I still remember all the hype over the '55 chevy's but don't recall any thing being covered.

 

I can only wish I was around in those days. I've seen a bunch of pics and I really like the fact that if the load of new cars was GM, it was being hauled by a GMC or Chevy... same with the Fords, Dodge, etc...

Cool stuff...

 

Yes, I remember the excitement of the new models coming out. In the '50s ('56..'58 era...we moved away in '59) I'd ride my bicycle to a local truck stop, toting my Kodak 'Brownie', and photograph the newest cars on the transports.
Then I'd get them developed and show them to the kids at school....only a few of whom thought that was cool! But I did, and that's all that mattered to me at the time.

Ray

 

I remember peering through the windows of the local Oldsmobile, Chevrolet and Ford dealer sitting on my stingray bike hoping they would pull one of the covers off while I was there to see it! Never happened! We even had an AMC dealer just a bike ride away!

 

The dealerships used to Soap up the windows of the showrooms so you couldn't see the new models. Then on Saturday, they would open the doors and wash all the windows of the showroom. I remember the waiting outside the dealer when the the new Corvettes & Mustangs arrived! What fun!

 

I remember my Dad and Mom receiving an engraved invitation to look at the new Oldsmobiles in the fall. You had to wear your Sunday best to attend the event! Refreshment were served and I always got one of the Johan models. I also remember the dealer coming to our house, with all th books of colors and fabric and my parents would order their new Oldsmobile. Boy, have times changed!

 

We'd all drive slowly by the dealership in our family cars to catch a peek at the new cars....trucks loaded behind locked gates with the 'new' cars out of sight, and couldn't wait for the first showing in the big windows of the dealership, fringed in frosted glass edges...with bright lights looming over the cars inside....we sipped cherry-colas and wide-eyed stares....times have sure changed!!!

 

I like how they used the trucks and trailers as rolling billboards. I will take the 150 and Bel Air two door sedans for 55 and 56 please.

 

Looked forward to seeing the new models EVERY year back then. Now they all look alike anyway......

 

I had forgotten that...

 

I remember when the Stingray was introduced in 63. It was a big deal. I was 16. The good old days!

 

I remember the '59 Chevies. My father used to do sound systems for various events. He set one up for a local Chevy dealership to debut the '59s. The windows were covered in paper if I remember correctly. He came home with small toy models for me and my brother the night before the unveiling.

We thought that we were big shots! I guess I was 12.

 

My uncle always hid the new 1960's -early 70's chevy models covered up in his home garage , they wedged those big cars in there like cord wood, then when time snuck them to his family dealership for the unvailing! My dad worked there out of high school till drafted in late 1968. When he came back in 71 gm had went on strike, & my uncles family decided to close the dealership later that year. A couple of years later he bought the place & ran our family garage, machine shop, & auto parts store out of there till 2005. Moved to a new location. Man what memories. The upstairs was packed with nos gm stuff & dealer advertising & all kinds of goodies. I'm sintimentally attached to the place, since I spent most my young life there. A few of our old cars, even some dad ordered new there are still with us. Even though I was a little guy then, it reminds me of what small town America use to be like. Before nearby bigger towns gobbled up the franchises to become super sized dealers. Flux

 

I was stationed at Fort Carson Colorado (near Colorado Springs) in 64 & 65. When the new cars came out, the dealers got together and had an "unveiling" on TV. The high schools supplied their cheerleaders to usher the cars in. It was an exciting time for all.

 

Yes... I do remember these... and yes... you are dating yourself, vtwhead! It was a gigantic rush when the new cars came out! Every model was different, every single year (not like todays cookie cutter cars that all look alike). No sneak peeks on the non-existent internet. I couldn't hardly sleep, knowing tomorrow was the day of debut... for a car guy, it was spectacular, and cheap thrills! Thanks for reminding me and taking me down memory lane!

 

I remember the freight trains hauling the new cars thru our little burg. Handy, there was general store right by the tracks. We could sit on the bench outside, sip 12 cent pop, and admire the new rides as they passed by. Good times.

 

Bullet holes were common in Calif too. And some new cars didn't have 4 speeds or stereos when they got to their destination