“Two kids, wife and cat-we need a car” My Dads selection of cars through the 70’s

My Dad and Mom has only been in the good old USA for two years. The separation of families is sometimes part of the immigrant experience. After running wild under the care of my beloved Aunts and Grandmother my Mom came home to pick us up to finally be a complete family. To my surprise we already had a car! Having wheels was pretty significant in the Philippines especially for us coming from a small town. We had mainly use the philippine jeepneys.

The first car was a Chevy nova two door. I remember it was 350 automatic. I loved everything about it except for the two doors. I liked it a lot, but my Dad ran red light got a ticket. We also blew a hose driving from Ohio to Norfolk VA. I believe in karma even for cars. So this car was a no go. I remember when he applied plastic stripes on the hood. Unfortunately, they had that a baroque pattern instead of being properly solid. I figure our next car was going be cooler.

It certainly was! It was an Oldsmobile cutlass coupe with the number 442 and fake hood vents. Loved the fast back shape and the huge rear shelf where I could lie down and look at the stars while he was driving. Yes, it was the era of pre car seat and mandated use of seatbelts. I never thought that trying to fit 3 car seats would even be in my future in those days. I fell out of love with it when my dad closed the door on my ankle. That got me to think that another set of doors would be very nice.

My dad wanted a second car a year or two later because of his new job at the Lima state correctional facility. I could only see it from the outside. Side note it was the setting for the movie Attica. His next car which he would use for his commute to work was a Toyota Corolla deluxe two door coupe. I loved the bright red color and black vinyl roof. My dad was not comfortable driving it on the highway. As anyone that has lived in the Midwest knows all roads eventually lead to the highways. That early generation Japanese car had the unfortunate characteristics of being blown to the side by passing trucks. Of course, it was an automatic wringing whatever joy that was left in driving that car to zero. So when I met my wife years later and she was a total cool babe with manual transmission skills this made her so much more impressive in my eyes. (Article on my love for manual tranny cars) Totally hated that it was a two door with cramped back seats. Side note my first car became a toyota corolla with twin cam engine and 5 speed which was a joy to drive.

Next car was the blue ford elite. So luxurious for a budget! This was a badged engineered thunderbird moved downmarket. We did not keep the car and it was almost immediately traded in. The car betrayed the family by not starting while we were due for a friend’s wedding. Friends and neighbors clustered around the car with hood propped open all suggesting fixes for this doomed car. My sister and I dressed to the nines off to the sidelines wondering why we did not have our own doors what was this blue thing with bad karma spoiling our day.

The last car he bought was burgundy red 75 thunderbird. Yes, it was a two door but the doors felt like it had wingspan of an albatross. It had a glorious red leather interior. I promptly forgot that I wanted my own door. This car deserves its own post later.

As I got into sales, I wondered how my parents made buying decisions. We really needed a sedan or wagon, yet we got coupes. I recall one night while they were talking and overheard my mom who was a schoolteacher saying she made as much as a senator from the Philippines. (This is no longer true as corruption, ever increasing pork barrels, and increasing salaries have also made Pinoy senators millionaires) I realized that one of the main drivers (pun intended) in their car buying decision was to get most stylish vehicle since it probably validated their reason for being here which was for economic reasons. Those coupes were definitely stylish and made them feel good. The bottom line was they had a car which may not have been possible back home. Practicality took a back seat to the joy of owning a car period.

Do not prejudge your customer and think that for their own good that they should have one product or another. It all about what they want a not necessarily about what they need.