Now here's a nice car to have sweeping past in the rush hour. The very first American car I ever saw was a Chevrolet Impala, parked next to the beach in Rock, Cornwall in 1964. It was a very pale yellow and absolutely vast, especially compared to our Morris Minor and the assorted Hillmans and Austins parked close by. Transfixed by the fabulously wide lateral fins, I stood and gazed in wonder. It was easily the coolest thing on wheels I had ever seen, aged seven. I wanted my Dad to buy one. He didn't, but he did buy me an ice-cream and carry me on his shoulders, which was almost as good.
Seeing this estate, looking just right on the Earl's Court Road, made me realise I still want one, perhaps even more.
20 comments:
I'm partial to late 50's, convertible Bel Airs myself. Saw a fab collection on Main St., Napa in August. Yanks love their old cars :)
Lovely, lovely blog Fred. And out of the window too. Let's club together and buy one, and then do Fear & Loathing in East Grinstead, and instead of a massive pile of drugs in the back we'll load-up with All Day Breakfasts and Tizer.
Vinogirl, welcome. Your note on the semi-mythical Bel Air: I was on tour with a theatre company in Sweden, where there's nothing to do, in 1982. At one point we were in Sundsvall, 200 miles from the Arctic Circle. On Saturday night a cruise took over the town and young Swedes, all mad with drink, drove their Bel Airs and Mercuries and Model Ts very, very slowly around the main square. They would then chuck their empty bottles onto the pavement, where us goggle-eyed thesps tiptoed through the broken glass, our breath tinkling when it met the frozen air.
Peter; you get the Tizer, I'll get the Impala, and don't worry, we'll see the bats soon enough.
American car design of that era seemed to be all about the rear-end - wonderful fins - but their front-ends were never as good (eg Edsel!).
Apparently Swedes love Yankee old cars also!
Fred, that's a great shot, there was a right beaut on the web a while ago - all bleached paint and light surface rust and with a green-tinted windscreen, but totally minted engine and transmission-lovely. You could raise a family in one, they're so capacious. Vinogirl's spot-on with the '57 Bel Air-yes please.
There's an Impala on eBay right now, but it's a later model, a teensy bit bling and they want £20,000 for it. Much rather have the faded one; tells a better story.
After visiting car show with vinogirl we came straight back home and checked out prices...compared to english new car prices they were pretty reasonable...a future purchase may be in the air.
After visiting car show with vinogirl we came straight back home and checked out prices...compared to english new car prices they were pretty reasonable...a future purchase may be in the air.
Thud, what happened to the Merlin hunt?
vinogirl has a friend in Napa who restores old tail dragger planes (always up for a morning flight via golden gate) it seems he is well on the scent of one...it may be just for static display but I'll know more when back out in Ca in feb.
God! I nearly bought an Impala in about '83. It was in Sileby (Near Leicester) was missing the radiator, but was £100. The steel was as thick as your arm. I knew I could move it on to our cousin, Ben. He had the clout. Just another on the list of cars I've never bought.
If you look at your picture very closely, there are three figurines on the dash of the Impala. Weird.
Trust you Toby. Does it mean it's really a minicab?
Nah, papists.
Refer: "Plastic Jesus" - composed by Ed Rush, performed by Ernie Marrs and The Marrs Family in 'Cool Hand Luke'.
It says it all!
I had an Alfa Bertone GTV, years ago, with two big dash-top swivel vents into which I inserted a little paper dragon. If I set the heater controls just so, the dragon would do a little Chinese New Year dance.
At least one of the figures on the dash of the Impala, the one in the grass skirt, jiggled along with the rhythm of the rush-hour.
I want a jiggling grass skirted dancer on my dash please.
Defo grass skirts....would prefer nodding dogs myself.
That car is emblematic of everything I find enchanting about the great American roadtrip. It's delightful to see one so well cared-for.
Post a Comment