Original oil painting by: Grandfather’s wife
Grandfather says he has lived through most of America’s golden age of the automobile.
In fact, he’s owned twenty-nine of them over the years, some of them bought for one or another of his five children to drive.
Here’s the entire list, from oldest to newest (U=used, N= new):
- 1936 Chevrolet (U)
- 1946 DeSoto (U)
- 1952 DeSoto (U)
- 1955 Oldsmobile (U)
- 1955 Plymouth (U)
- 1959 Volkswagen (U)
- 1960 Saab (U)
- 1961 Saab (N)
- 1961 Austin 850 (N)
- 1963 Saab (U)
- 1964 Saab (U)
- 1969 Ford Van (N)
- 1970 Saab (U)
- 1970 Dodge (U)
- 1971 Dodge (U)
- 1971 International Scout (N)
- 1972 Dodge (U)
- 1973 Honda (N)
- 1977 Subaru (N)
- 1980 Subaru (N)
- 1982 Toyota (N)
- 1983 Nissan pickup (N)
- 1984 Toyota (N)
- 1985 Ford pickup (N)
- 1987 Ford Bronco (N)
- 1995 Subaru (N)
- 1995 Dodge diesel pickup (N)
- 1999 GMC Suburban (N)
- 2017 Subaru Forester (N)
Grandfather’s all time favorites? The early Saabs. They had three cylinder, two cycle engines and he could get astride the engine compartment and lift them out by hand, which needed doing about every sixty thousand miles or so, when wear would cause a ring to catch in a port (no valves in those engines).
They were the most precise steering and great handling sedans of their time and their design was elegant simplicity.
The Dodge truck took him, Grandmother and the German Shepherd Jamby to Alaska and back, several times:
Some stretches of the Alkan Highway were not paved.
The road slopes down. Grandfather is not tipsy. Honest.
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About the Author: RD Blakeslee is an octogenarian from West Virginia who built his net worth by only investing in that which can be enjoyed during acquisition and throughout life, as opposed to papers in a drawer, like stocks and bonds. You can read more about him here.
Photos: Courtesy of the Blakeslee Family
Comparing the elegant simplicity of the early Saabs with the complexity of the 2017 Subaru Forester: The Forrester has extensive computerized controls, accessible by multiple choice menus assigned to a single control button. So, while I do not want and will never use much of the programming (e.g., automatic receipt of periodic dealership “news”), I had a hell of a time finding the windshield washer
Nice. That is a lot of vehicles. So what was the average amount of time you kept those cars?
Sam, I can’t give you an average because I don’t have a record of when most of the vehicles were bought and sold, but I can say that the latest-acquired vehicles were generally kept longer.
The 1995 Diesel pickup truck still serves me well and the 1999 suburban was recently disposed of – details here:
https://lenpenzo.com/blog/id44248-grandfather-says-the-correct-way-to-cope-with-adversity.html
Also, I sold the 1985 Ford pickup in 1996.
There are some classics in that list, RD. I used to have a 55 Olds and I miss it. Curious to know if there’s at least a car or 2 in your list you regret selling?
Sam, I think keeping a 50s era Saab would have been impractical at the time, but I wish I had one now, for old time’s sake.
Folks who owned a model A Ford can easily find one now; I never owned one, though several of my friends did.
“Rocket 88” engine, right?
That it did. Good memory!
My first car was a 1965 volkswagon beetle with factory sliding canvas top. Really simple to work on and fun too!
Amen!
… and re the easy DIY repair of the VW Beetle:
https://lenpenzo.com/blog/id49698-grandfather-says-the-family-trip-to-maine.html
I bought a 2003 Grand Marquis with 31,000 miles on it in 2009. Sold it in 2012 for a brand new Camry. One of the biggest regrets of my life. Traded it later on for a 5.0 Mustang. But I still miss that Mercury.
That car had a nice, simple rounded look to it, quite unlike current automobiles with headlight treatment that makes them look like sharks with indigestion.
One of the most beautiful cars I remember belonged to my wife’s aunt and she gave it to one of my sons: a 1972 Dodge Charger.
I’m on the other side of the spectrum. I am 65 years old and I’ve only owned 5 cars in my lifetime. I bought them all used (usually 3 years or less old) and take good care of them. I try to hold them as long as I can.
Chris, that has saved you a LOT of money over the years, Hasn’t it!
My Paternal Grandfather only owned one automobile in his life – a 1929 Buick, which “lasted him out”.
Before the Buick, he used horse-drawn vehicles.