… in 1957…
“Cars are lower than before thanks in part to the 14 inch wheel”
Can you imagine trying to sell a car that big today that sits on 14” wheels?
If I could travel in time and across the country I would love to see that show.
Many cars from that era can’t fit in my garage.
I didn’t get to see it in 1957, but I did go every year from 1960-65. I collected a treasure trove of car brochures, that–foolishly–I disposed-of in the late '70s. If I had known what those brochures would be worth today, I would have saved them, and sold them.
At those shows, I got to see some oddities, up close, such as the Amphicar.
I recall that Skoda used to rent the cheapest space at the show every year–a cramped spot underneath a stairway–to exhibit one sample of their Octavia model. It was the same color as the one in this photo, and I’m pretty sure that they trotted-out the same car every year. VERY few Skodas were sold in the US.
Probably the oddest thing that I saw was a 3-wheeled light truck, which was manufactured in Conshohocken, PA. I recall thinking that this thing just wasn’t very practical. I never saw one on the street, and it seems that the company disappeared without a trace. I can’t find anything about that little truck on the internet, and I really wish that I had saved their brochure.
I was at that show. I went every year with my grandfather. It was at the 1962 show where we first saw the Olds Jetfire. He was so impressed by the 215 horsepower from 215 cubic inches that we went to the Olds dealer the next week to order one. And btw, that car had 13” wheels. So 14’s would have been a big improvement.
We could have been looking at the Jetfire (and/or other cars at the show) at the same time.
If you go to downtown Disney in Florida you can ride in an amphacar. There are about nine of them all with Minnesota plates. Don’t remember the story anymore. A classmate from grade school restored one fully but it was stolen out of his garage. Last i talked to him he thought he knew where it was but didn’t involve the police. Same guy that took us for a ride down the rr tracks in his 53 Chevy with the top cut off, so I didn’t push him for details. Yeah they float but just barely.
Luckily when dad built this house in 73, he owned a new(er) Cadillac Fleetwood Brougham and both the upstairs and basement garages could easily handle it… My truck backed in with the tailgate down and a refrigerator behind it, I can still open the door fully on the frig… My truck is 212" long with tailgate shut… Heck the basement garage, I could pull in my Power Wagon (standard cab long bed) and pull the engine with ample room to move around with the cherry picker…
The garages is mainly what will keep me from selling the house and moving out somewhere more remote when we are ready to do something…
I always thought that it was odd that many garages from that era as well weren’t big enough to hold the cars of the day.
It seems that many modern-day homes have garages that aren’t designed to actually hold cars. My current home is older (built in ‘93) and has a 3-car garage in name, but there’s no way you could practically fit 3 cars in there. A friend who is a realtor tells me that modern construction generally allows for a 19’ deep garage, barely enough for a typical family car.
There’s a lake around here with a small island in it and a few people have homes on that island. One house has an Amphicar which they use to get to shore to run errands. Fine for a lake but no way I would take that in salt water with tides.
Yep - big red flag when the space from the edge of the garage door to the edge of the garage is only a foot or two.
Yeah my upper garage is 26 1/2’ wide and 28’ deep… The basement garage is bigger…And I still need more room… lol
Down side is it has a low ceiling with all the ductwork overhead…
Back in 76, we had a covenant that required a two car garage. The developer said it was more to keep the junk inside than for the cars. He was right.
As a pilot I had a “crash” pad in Long Island. It was in a neighborhood that was built in the ‘50’s. There was a tiny detached garage. My “airport car” was a 1976 Impala. If I backed in and touched the rear wall the garage door would not close!
My first new car was a 1988 Olds Ciera 2 door. It had 14 inch wheels! My next new car was a 1999 Monte Carlo, 16 inch wheels! I said: “Ooo, look at those skinny sidewalls!” My current Chevy Volt has 17 inch tires.
Unfortunately, from experience, I know you can fit 5 cars in a 3 car garage if you disassemble them. Plus two kayaks, a motorcycle, numerous bikes, an ATV, 3 outboards, a rototiller, lawn tractor, full sized plow, 2 snowblowers and on and on.
I have attended the seminar on how to acquire things several times but have yet to sit in on the how to sell things workshop… too busy with the Tetris game that is my main garage…
Perhaps we should start a Cartalk intervention group?
My personal rule has always been to use the garage as a staging area for no more than 1 month after moving into a house, and I have kept that promise to myself.
But, as you and that developer know, that seems to be the exception to the rule for many people. My development was built 26 years ago, and quite a few people have never yet used their garages for their vehicles.
On the occasions when their garage doors are open, it looks pretty much like the Collyer Brothers’ mansion inside. For the younger forum members who don’t recognize that reference… The Sad Story of the Collyer Brothers and the Question of ’Do We Own Our Stuff Or Does Our Stuff Own Us?’ — Christopher Roosen
Speaking of the NY Auto Show…
Genesis G90 Wingback Concept was sharp looking…
I agree. My neighbor would like it too. Before he retired, his company bought him a car to use. He wanted a black Dodge Magnum and was ready to lease it until his daughters said it looked like a hearse and refused to ride in it if his company leased it.
If they were my daughters, I would make sure they had plenty of Bus Tokens… 
Some kids think they are so entitled that they can dictate their parents lives…