Here are a couple of old Kodak Kodachrome 35mm slides that show some automobiles that were in my family, in this case, on my Mom's slide of the pack.
One is of my Uncle Ron and his wife in Western Springs, IL, standing in front of a beautiful 4-door Chevrolet. He moved with his family to Southern California, where he was an aeronautical engineer with North American Aviation, until his early passing on Nov. 23 of 1953.
The next image shows an exceptionally cool 1949 Lincoln coupe at Uncle Ron's graduation from Purdue University, probably in 1950-51.
My earliest automobile memory is playing with the spring-loaded trunk latch on the Lincoln, lol !
These are some cars at my parents wedding reception in 1954. It was held at my grandparents because my Dad wasn't Catholic so they couldn't use the church. Some cars I have ID, but others I haven't. Don't know what the long green car in first photo is.
This post was modified 4 months ago 2 times by grockwood
What great photographs and a collection of some pretty cool vehicles from that time ! Automobiles in the pictures can be a great help in dating the years of the photos.
Geoff, I remember the first time I saw the Dauphine. One of my Aunt and Uncles had a early split back window VW and I mistook the Dauphine for it. I thought it an odd looking car. I have recently been looking for one in 1/24th, but haven't found the right color. Mike your right about dating photos. I have noticed a 58 chevy and Ford in the pictures with the Dauphine. They were taken at my grandparents home but later at some other time. My Uncle Tommy wearing the suit and tie threw my off.
I always loved looking at the automobiles that appeared in family photographs and home movies. I would certainly like replicas of every car that I saw in the images !
Wow, I find it very interesting that so many of you have had a connection to the Renault. Internet search reveals "an 11 year production run, 1956-1967", and, "Over two million sold, making it a huge commercial success and the first French car to reach that milestone, with significant exports to the US."
Geoff, I remember the first time I saw the Dauphine. One of my Aunt and Uncles had a early split back window VW and I mistook the Dauphine for it. I thought it an odd looking car. I have recently been looking for one in 1/24th, but haven't found the right color.
This is the Fabbri 1/24 I have. Very spartan but accurate proportions from my recollection. I've also seen it in maroon. And I'm sure I've seen a 1/24, 1/25 kit around too.
I vaguely remember some advertisements back then that were here in the USA for the Renault Dauphine. It was seen as a kind of same type and competitor automobile to the Volkswagen Beetle.
Another kind of "small car" type of car was the Kaiser Willys Jeep, I believe developed from the famous U S. Army vehicle. Here it is on display at the 1950 Chicago Automobile Show at the International Amphitheater. My Grandpa had such a station wagon-type vehicle in grey and it is one of the first cars I remember getting a ride in as a baby.
