1989 Buick Skylark

What do people remember about General Motors' small cars from the 80s? Not much that's good. Most conversations about GM cars of that era take the form of, "Here's another car that made more Americans switch to imports and never look back." This Skylark is not remembered as a particularly bad car. By the time it was introduced GM has cured most of the faults common to its early front-wheel drive vehicles. I'm more curious as to why this car is still enjoying regular use in Seattle's Wallingford neighborhood. What person living in a area where the homes are over $1 million would be seen driving this car?

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1966 Ford Mustang convertible

Ah, the miracle of west coast living. You can drive a car and park it outdoors for decades and it still looks great. The original owner of this Mustang ordered automatic transmission and the center console, but was content with the straight-6 motor. Here's another pristine '66 Mustang photographed nearby.

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1933 Ford V-8

In the mid 1920s, Ford's refusal to replace the ancient Model T had made the once-dominant brand's customers easy pickings for General Motors and other car makers. But the introduction of the Ford V-8 in 1932 made the company an industry leader again. Powerful and affordable, there had never been anything like the 221 c.i. flathead V-8. In the worst year of the Depression, this car was still in great demand. While Chevy would remain Ford's arch-rival, that car did not get an 8-cylinder engine until 1955.
* The grill on the '33 Ford has been called the most beautiful ever made.
* Arch-criminals Bonnie and Clyde wrote a letter to Henry Ford praising the ability of their '34 V-8's ability to help them evade the law. "While I still have got breath in my lungs I will tell you what a dandy car you make. I have drove Fords exclusively when I could get away with one. For sustained speed and freedom from trouble the Ford has got every other car skinned, and even if my business hasen’t been strickly legal it don’t hurt anything to tell you what a fine car you got in the V8."

 

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