To borrow from Frank Sinatra's "A Very Good Year" I chose 1972 when I was Jack Benny's age. Just look at those auto prices! I remember purchasing a brand new "Beetle" for the then astronomical price of $1,776. I wondered how in the world I would ever be able to make the payments. Obviously I did; I used that car for many years and hated every moment behind the wheel. I had been assured by one of my workmates in the New Brunswick store where I worked that the VW was a quality car and American quality would never be able to compete. Aa aluminum slined shaft on the windshield wiper mechanism proved that the quality was no better than those of the good old USA. I still remember tooling down route 130 heading home from New Brunswick with the windshield wiper shaft spinning and only occasionally activating the wiper blades. The soft aluminum motor shaft on the wiper mechanism ground the teeth out of the spline. No more VW's after that experience.
It was about 1972 when I got out of the Navy and Jerry Ashman down on Prospect Street had a tiny Fiat fastback for $999. I took if for a drive and remarked to Jerry on the way back that I could probably walk back faster. It was a horrid and slow little car.
ReplyDeleteEd Millerick
How about the $39.00 used car specials from Reedman's over in Langhorne? I'm not sure they lasted the drive home!
ReplyDeleteMy first car was a '57 Pontiac convertible from Santini Motors, at Brunswick and Phillips Ave in North Trenton. The used car lot is still there and the cheapest car I see is about $2500.