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With the start of our Summer outdoor festivals now upon us, one event that took place recently was the Classic Car Boot Sale in Kings Cross, an event I only discovered this time last year. The show brings together lots of people appreciative of nostalgia and some of the unusual artifacts that were so popular in the past. And also on show was some very eye catching classic American automobiles from the 1950's, one or two that were on show here last year, but still very much worth seeing again. And standing up close to them and touching them you simply cannot but feel overawed by those big road beasts. Growing up in 1950's America and to actually own one of these then you'd surely have no problem finding a date. Mind you looking at the size of space and seating in the actual cars you imagine that they were probably more suited to carrying around groups of people, hence the term cruising. But what great sounds they must have heard on their car radios around the late 1950's with legends like Chuck Berry, Elvis and Little Richard. And what was it Chuck Berry used to say in 'No Particular Place to Go.' 'Cruising and playing the radio, with no particular place to go.' The event in Kings Cross does seem to bring together people so steeped in nostalgia that they chose to come all dressed up in the decade of their choice with the 1940's and 50's being the most popular periods. On the way out of the show ground I had a quick rummage at a record vinyl stall and found a vinyl copy of 'The Hits of Les & Mary Paul' which captures the sound of the early 1950's just before the onslaught of Rock n' Roll. It was after all Les Paul that invented the first solid body electric guitar. And through Gibsons Instruments they went on sale in the shops around 1952. So perhaps les Paul was partly responsible for what was coming around the corner with the whole Rock n' Roll sound which then lead on to the discovery of youth culture. So I shall enjoy playing Les Paul on my Consul/Radiogram once I've finished building it. Below are just some of the pictures I snapped away on the day. And at the bottom of the post is a youtube video uploaded by 'The Vintage Festival' capturing some of the moments from that weekend. THE CLASSIC CAR BOOT SALE website. |
I love those full size convertibles, and the Cadillacs. I should show you a picture of me at 21 washing my white and coral 1956 Mercury Montclair convertible. That was my parents' "moving to California from North Carolina" car, and then they gave it to me when I was in college. It would hold six people, easily!
ReplyDeleteTom, You must have been quite popular at College with such a spacious car with room for many.
ReplyDeleteWhen I saw those big classic cars I was in awe of them. How can you compare today's cars with
those big beasts. If you look up which car is Car of the Year it'll often be a Skoda or something like
that. Small, shapeless and so condensed size wise then there's just no comparison to what you had when
starting out your life.
I really loved that 1959 Buick Convertible. I really wanted to ask the owner if I could just sit in it.
That would have been a real treat.
I bet your old photo looks like a Bruce Weber picture.