Friday: Changes

How things change..........gas prices keep going up - what happened to the 10 cent/gallon 1950's? You drove a big, huge, immense land yacht like this Lincoln Continental and you just didn't care  -  or maybe even then you complained about gas prices.

But you did have choices and not everyone wanted, needed or could afford a big beast, no matter how cheap gas was. My Mum was British and Dad listened to everything she said, so in the '50's when it came time for our family's first new car, there was little discussion, it had to be a Brit car and it would probably be an Austin  -  does anyone remember them? We were just an average family with not a lot of money to throw around on a car, so we ended up with a 1956 Austin Cambridge, manual trans, no radio.............

............ours was black with a white top (Mum insisted) and a red leather interior  -  everything British had a leather interior. It was a good looking little car, but in those days when we were going on a 90 mile trip, it had to be thoroughly checked over to make sure it would endure!

Our next car was bought in 1960 and at the time it was a big step up  -  a six cylinder and an automatic........

Our "luxurious" new ride was a 1960 Austin (again) A99 Westminster designed by Pininfarina. At the time and I still think today that it was a great looking car. Black and white (again) with the red leather interior and thanks to my big brother insisting, snap on whitewalls  -  they fit between the wheel rim and the tire  -  just don't tear them by hitting a curb! And once again -  no radio! Great car.

 Finally an American car in '66. Black (yet again!) and after much discussion, which I can still remember, the white top was turfed in favor of - get ready for it - a beige one with a beige interior. It looked much better than the forlorn example in the above pic, but it was a 4 door hardtop and that was a treat. Engine? You guessed it, a six, but the "big" six. Loved that car, but it still didn't have a radio. As a teen, you just can't make out to the sound of heavy breathing!

Ok so much for nostalgia........big race in Montreal this weekend, the Canadian Grand Prix. Vettel crashed in practice, but probably won't slow him down. Hoping as always for Hamilton. By the way, in a couple of weeks, Lewis Hamilton and Tony Stewart will switch rides at Watkins Glen  -  now this should be interesting. 

Until next time........