Friday, July 16, 2010

The Family Cars 1931. OK, Turn'em Around.

Some of the family cars taken around 1931-32. Notice that instead of just walking around to the back to take the view of the back of the cars, they actually moved the cars around, and put them in the same order! Just a wild guess, but I'd say my grandmother shot the photos, and had the men in the family move the cars to keep the lighting correct. She would have been 'bossy' like that, lol. But then, when the men got back inside, I'm sure she had strawberry shortcake with fresh whipped cream or a lemon meringue pie waiting for them. 

The car on the very left I can't ID; maybe it's a 1930-31 Plymouth or Dodge? The second-from-the-right is a Model A Ford, I'm guessing a 1929. The 2 cars on the right are Buicks, most likely a '23 and a '25. I have a couple of bud vases that my aunt Hoohoo told me were from the Buicks. Notice how low the car on the left is, the newest one most likely. The two Buicks on the right tower over their newer garage-mates. A lot of technical development occurred in automobiles from the early-mid Twenties to the early Thirties.

The two same Buick coupes, this being the '23, with Hoohoo age 5-6 at the wheel,  and . . .


. . .  the slightly newer '25 Buick with Uncle Art at the wheel. Collectible Automobile featured a Buick coupe from this era a few years ago. Rather than a 'standard' interior with 2 seats in the front and a bench seat in the back, these Buicks came with only a real driver's seat in the front. It was accepted practice for the 2-3 passengers to sit in the back seat, with a fold-down front jump seat just for occasional use. In the really early days of automobiles, there was so much more individuality in vehicles. for good and bad.

3 comments:

  1. NOW YOUR TALKING MY KIND OF CAR. I'VE ALWAYS WANTED ONE OF THESE. IT'LL NEVER HAPPEN BUT I'D LOVED TO DRIVE ONE BEFORE I DIE. IT'LL NEVER HAPPEN BUT A GIRL CAN DREAM. SO FUN.

    GRANNY

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  2. Casey,

    I think you are right that the car on the left is a Plymouth. That grill is pretty definitive. Those Buicks are pretty amazing -- I love the fact that they are coupes and not sedans. I wish my family had been more diligent about photographing their cars -- particularly my grandmother;s Franklins. Every time I see a picture of one I think "I wonder if that's like one that Grandma had?"

    Paul, New York City

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  3. TG: Never say never! the oldest car I've ever driven is a 1964, so I have quite a ways to go in that department too. I would love to drive a car from the 1930s at least.
    Paul: thanks! I've googled and googled and never come up with an exact match, but I'll go with your knowledge. I have a profile view of a later Plymouth coupe I'll dig up. Either Hemmings Classic Car or Collectible Auto had a good article on Franklins in the past couple of years. I'll see if i can find it and I'll let you know the issue #. It went through each design phase for Franklins, from the 'shovel nose' that looked like early Renaults up to the last classics with their faux grilles.

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