Jive-Bomber submitted a new blog post: Los Angeles in the late 1940s... A Car Spotter's Game! Continue reading the Original Blog Post
It's so interesting to see photos from the late '40s and fifties. There's less clutter, the cars don't all look the same and we get to see kool old logos along with classic ones. I was born in Chicago in 1950. A game for my old man and my uncle was to sit outside a tavern at 25th & Kedzie and have me identify cars from their grilles, wheel covers and tailights. At six years old I'd say I got pretty damn good. I'm sure glad the old man (old...maybe 24) instilled the love of cars in me.
how were all those cars able to parallel park without that idiot parking assist cars have now? ... and no power steering and a stick shift!
Traffic was certainly manageable, however in most flat areas it seems like parking spaces were hard to come by even then.
1941 Lincoln Zephyr with the driver wearing a hat inside the car the first section of the film. Love prewar Zephyrs!
First time i'v seen this film, so cool, notice how hazy it is in the long shots and how pretty the lady pedestrians are.
Jive Bomber "...3:27 – 1929 Ford Model A Roadster on 16″ steelies with caps and wide whites. Sporting 1940 Ford tail lamps and Guide headlamps" '38-9 taillights, not '40. Cool footage, seen many times on this site. I like the stop sign arm swinging into position at 5:00 on the right. Being color blind (can only see blue and I know when the light's red/green by it's position in the box...which I can't see at night) I'd love to have this still being used today.
The fenders on the car with the sidemounts at 1:32 look late '30s. I'm going to guess a '38 or '39 Packard convertible sedan, maybe?
I find it really fascinating to see a film about cars and everyone of them were American made. Times have certainly changed.
I'm thinking that rumble seat hot rod is likely a Cabriolet judging by that heavy windshield frame. Probably a Model 40.
Check that smog in the background! In the first clip where the Lincoln and Packard are following the camera car, watch as the Packard accelerates off a full stop, cough, cough, hack. Love the video
Great video!! I’ve watched this several times in the last few years. Did anyone notice at 55 seconds the white coupe in the lot on the left? Is it chopped? Looks like it has Appleton’s.