Packard Forum Index » General

I suppose we have all had experiences where someone came up trying to start a conversation with that time tested gambit "What year is your car?" It's part of owning an old car, right?

I usually turn it around and ask what year you think it is?

This where it gets weird. The vast majority will guess 1955. Why 55? Why do 55s reach out from the grave like this? What happened in 1955 that causes this egregious blunder?

Oddly, very few people guess any other year, for whatever reason.

Because every other car built in the 50's was a '57 Chevy!

I'd take a guess that most familiar with the era would say 55 because that was the big year of change -- so many makes went from stodgy to flashy. Packard, Chevrolet, Pontiac, Mopars, Hudson all went thru a significant change. Even some of the makes that didn't get new bodies got chrome layered on. In Packards case, whatever year it is, it is still a 55 to them because that's the only year they remembered to account for the "modern" looking car with lots of chrome and bright colors.

Wait till they get angry with you because you correct them on the "Air" ride. They know because they had an uncle who owned one.

1955 was one of those years when everyone in the US decided it was time for a new car, the sales numbers were astounding. Come 1956 everyone was in a new car and all brands sold far fewer units. Too bad, most '56 models looked better than '55s, to my eyes at least.

U'll get used to it. As long as people are asking they are showing interest. It's when everyone ignores these cars that we have to worry.

I just answer their question real quick: "48" or "56" or what ever year it happens to be. I have 4 or 5 vintage vehicles some i've owned for over 40 years.

It often pays to just answer their questions. Correct the year if they are wrong but brag on their ability to get it close enuf for rock'n roll. Sometimes a per-chance conversation can lead info on the whereabouts of other collectibles that are just waiting for us to buy them.

It's just one of crosses we must bare while owning any collectible.

I don't think 1955 carries any significance beyond the fact that it's the middle calendar year in the decade. I always figure that the inquirer knows enough to identify the car as a 50's-era vehicle. Then, if that's all he knows, he can guess 1955 and only be a few years off no matter the correct answer. He then walks away thinking, "Gee, I'm smart. I was only a few years off..."

??Cars (most anyway) got tail fins after '55??

Or is that a glich in my imagination? If I was guessing and didn't know I reckon I'd feel that a car with significant tail fins was probably post-55 and one with none to speak of was pre-55.

Here in Oz we were a few years later with the fins, but the American cars were boldly finned by about '57 and massively finned by '59 or '60. Caddies (- I still remember - 'Cadillac: the longest car in the world, 20foot 4 inches!') and the Pontiac Belvedere were the 'massively finned' cars that the fathers of my school mates owned, but even the British Zephyr (Zodiac) models had small fins by late 50's.

I suspect for most "guessers" who aren't into the nuances of design in the era, the answer is simplier. If they think it's the 50s, the safest guess is to go for the middle of the decade.

Dave
My thoughts exactly. You beat me to the response button.