Sunday, January 16, 2011

Ugly Cars

Some how, my folks had a penchant for buying the ugliest cars on the lot! I think the record breaker was a brand new Fraser! They wheeled this monster home for all to admire, boy, the designer of this thing had to be on something. It was light blue, and looked like an inverted bath tub sitting on four wheels. It was the kind of car you would duck down in the back seat, so that your friends would not see you riding in it!
Finally after a year or so, new car fever overtook them again, so the Fraser was traded in on a '49 Chevy.
Things were looking up! It was not a bad looking car for the time, but after 6 months, the dark blue paint started to oxidize. A repaint was in order, but they had it painted white! I don't think Chevy even sold the car in white! Wow, an instant ugly, hulking, white monster! Eventually it got to burning oil so bad, that it looked like a crop duster coming down the road, so, you guessed it, another ugly car would soon grace our driveway!
To my surprise, a new 1953 Buick, two door hardtop rolled into the driveway. Now, you're talking!!!
It was yellow with a dark green top, white walls and all! Even a radio. A sporty looking car, which was not the norm for the family. The old Buick lasted for many years, and was eventually replaced with Dodge's, Ford convertibles, and more Chevy's. Some were dog's, some not. None of the cars that followed could match the sporty appeal of that Buick hardtop.
When I was 16, I was looking for my first car. I had been saving my after school job money, and searching for an old Ford or Chevy that I could afford. My step-dad told me that he had found a great car for me, bought it and that I could pay him back and that he would drive it home the next day. He would not tell me what it was, and seeing as how he had not bought an ugly car in years, I knew it would be a great car.
The next day after school I was foaming at the mouth, waiting for him to drive home my soon to be ride!
Well, into the driveway rolls a '52 Crosley station wagon! The uglies had struck again!! I never drove it, and sold it with in a week to a neighbor who thought it was "cute". I bought a 54 Ford V8, that lasted until I got out of school in '61. A fellow I used to fly a lot with told me he had never seen an ugly looking airplane,
we both agreed that was not the case when it came to some cars!

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