Friday afternoon, I hooked up with one of my friends and we made our way to the Tulsa Auto Show at Expo Square. The show features lots of new cars and has quite a few older cars. This year the hit of the show was the 1939 GM Futurliner that I posted about a couple days ago. Hit the link to go to that post if you wish. I am of two minds about cars. I love the technology, safety features, and durability of new cars but I love the styling of the old cars. Having said that, old cars of any type are a pain in the rear to own without major upgrades. Changing spark plugs, condenser, and coil the time, checking the timing was a major pain. Flooding out whenever you splashed through water was terrible. I hate older cars. I love the newer cars. Except they all look alike.
So we looked at all the cars but I took photos mainly of the older cars. Especially the Ford Thunderbirds. I don’t think there are that many more beautiful cars than the mid 1950’s Thunderbirds. They styling, the colors!!
But like I said before. I don’t want to own one. Hey, you have one and want to loan it to me for a day on a nice sunny day. Sure, I will take you up on it. But I will return it and drive back home in my old Kia Soul. (All is Well, With My Soul, as the hymn goes.)
Not just the tbirds, most of the cars had nice streamline, swoopy styling and many unique paint jobs.
And some had chrome everywhere. I love a lot of chrome.
So I admit, I took photos of almost all the old cars and hardly any of the new cars. The new cars all look like Toyotas anyway.
I love this two tone paint.
Here is an oldster.
Here is an ugly older car. it looks like an upside down bathtub.
Here is something unique. It looks like a gangster car. You can tell I am not a real car guy. My friend was and knew what all the cars were and he told me but I am an old guy and it was in one ear and out the other. If the cars have window tags I generally take photos of those for later reference. No window tags though. So you are on your own identifying these.
Now this, this is a Pierce Arrow. Love, love, love this car. I highly recommend that you buy one, and let me borrow it from time to time.
It has got one of the prettiest hood ornaments ever. The Tulsa Route 66 Marathon passes out replicas for their race models. I am a proud owner of one of them.
How about one of these. What child of the late 50’s and 60’s didn’t get hauled around in a station wagon. Nine or ten kids would fit in these, some laying down in the back. It is a wonder we didn’t all die.
Here is a new car I found. The Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat. It has a 707 horsepower engine and brakes to match. Its kind of sad. When it first come out a few years ago and was on display it was mobbed by guys looking at it. Of course, their were young women in short skirts and high heels answering questions. Now, you got guys with clipboards wanting to answer your questions, at least when they look up from their cell phones and happen to notice you. I felt like asking them where the women with high heels were but didn’t want to get all swarmed up in the me too movement.
So that’s a wrap on this years Tulsa Auto Show!!
Great place to spend a few hours. There are some memories here. That cream color Pontiac is a great looking car. My dad was a “station wagon” man, even though there were only three of us in the family, so that rear facing seat is classic. Looks like there were plenty of Thunderbirds to choose from. Have a blessed week Yogi.
When I see on old Thunderbird I always think of the movie “American Graffiti.” Loved that old movie and old classic cars. – Margy
Hi Yogi, Wow, I enjoyed all the photos of the Tulsa Auto Show. I would have enjoyed going to the show. Thanks for sharing all the photos! I loved your comment on my blog about your bosses boss and his boat and plans for retirement travel. What do you think … maybe he could add on a trip through the canal and up the West Coast to Seattle. Maybe he could dock right over at Elliott Bay Marina and I could snap a picture to put on the blog! 🙂 That would be cool! Wishing you a fine week ahead! John
We made a sort of play-pen for our kids in the back of our station wagon when we went on trips … sleeping bags lining the floor — and the ice chest was their card/game table. All four of them rode on long trips like that …. if the noise got too bad, whichever culprit we decided to punish had to ride alone in the back seat. Seat belts? We never heard of them, never mind child-safe car seats. I still can’t believe how lucky we all were. (We have four of those late 50s/60s kids … and oddly, now they are about the same age as we are (or at least feel on good days!).
Classic cars are so easy on the eyes, aren’t they? Even for someone who’s not into cars are attracted to these, like me.
Worth a Thousand Words
Stunning cars. That looks like quite an auto show.
I can’t imagine the amount of hours taken to keeping those cars in pristine condition.
cool! In my town they use to have a caravan through town showing off their cars. Then park them at our local lake for people to walk around and look at them. Not sure when it will happen this spring.
Classic cars. Awesome pics.
I had to laugh about the girls in high heels vs the guys with clipboards! And also the station wagon with “children” in the back. Shades of my childhood!
Cars from the 50s always claim my attention. Oh, how we admired the convertibles, and the cars with plenty of chrome!
Thanks for the fun walk through memory lane.
Kay
An Unfittie’s Guide to Adventurous Travel
Agree the old cars had visual style. Today I can’t tell one from another.