The all-American, all-defunct, cars of my childhood
From a family who has never owned a foreign vehicle
Growing up, my parents went through a ton of cars. We couldn’t afford much in the way of vehicles, so we were stuck with whatever $2,000 deal they had at the local used lot. It was a small, rural Pennsylvania town, so just about every vehicle available was American-made. It has rarely been a positive experience, one car was especially dangerous, but this is what we had.
Here are five cars from my childhood that I remember fondly, for better or for worse. I think it can be telling of ourselves to look back at the first cars we were familiar with, and I would love to hear your stories in the comments (or, I encourage you to make your own list and post it!)
Ford Taurus (early 90s)
order_242 from Chile, CC BY-SA 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons
The Ford Taurus - manufactured for over three decades and the best selling car in the United States for five consecutive years. The Japanese-made Toyota Camry dethroned it in 1997 and still reigns on top today. From 1986-2007, Ford sold over 7.5 million of these.
When we owned a red, early 90s (or very late 80s) model Taurus later in that decade, the engine caught fire on the highway. It's possible it happened from maintenance neglect. I don't remember much else of this car, other than it's horrendously hot and scratchy fake-velvet (?) upholstery.
Dodge Spirit (early 90s)
Greg Gjerdingen from Willmar, USA, CC BY 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons
We owned a white Dodge Spirit around 2001-2002. This vehicle was made from 1989-1995, and I have no idea what year we had. The base models choked out 100 hp, unlike the performance trim R/T in 1991.
There were no problems with it, but we didn't have it long before it was totaled in an accident. I was in the backseat, it my first car accident. Thankfully no one was injured (although the people in the other car faked their injuries, sued us, but were later found to have committed serious insurance fraud and they were all sent to jail). Later on in my life, I've had other bad experiences involving white cars, so I no longer trust them; I won't get in one. But I love Dodge!
Ford Escort (1994)
dave_7 from Canada, CC BY 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons
After the Spirit was totaled, we got a 1994 Ford Escort. It was a 3-door hatchback and was red, although appeared hot pink in certain sunlight. Soon after taking ownership, we realized it had a bad transmission and a leaking fuel tank. It could never hold more than 2 gallons at a time or else it all leaked out. It lasted about a year before it died. This was the worst vehicle we ever owned.
The American Ford Escort was nothing like it's fun, zippy European rally cousin, the Cosworth. This one replaced the infamous Ford Pinto and apparently kept the leaking fuel feature. Jokes aside, this car was beat to hell when we bought it, so it likely wasn't Ford's fault. Shockingly, the Escort was the best selling car in the U.S. in 1982, 1987 and '88.
Ford Windstar (1997/98)
Dorky me and my lovable van
After the Escort, we picked up this much safer, forest green Ford Windstar van, and I loved it. So much so that I had to have my picture taken with it like a nerd, hah! It was fantastic to have the entire back seat area to myself.
But don't laugh so easily. Believe it or not, the Windstar was the fastest mini-van of its time (they were manufactured from 1995-2003). It had a V6 with 200 hp, so watch out! While it was better than the Escort, it still had a bit of a safety flaw - there was only one rear sliding door on the passenger's side. It wasn't until 1998 that Ford added the other one.
Our Windstar died after after about two years, and as you've probably noticed it's been a pattern of bad luck with Fords. While the brand generally has a good reputation in the U.S., there's plenty of people who will agree with the age-old acronyms of "Found On Road Dead" or "Fix Or Repair Daily". The way I see it, you're either lucky with a Ford, or you're just not.
Chevrolet Cobalt (2006)
The Cobalt after nearly 10 years, on trade-in day (2015)
It was in late 2005 that we were finally able to purchase a brand new car, the 2006 Chevrolet Cobalt. It was black, it was sleek, it was NEW! To make it even more special, it was the first car I ever drove.
It had a 4-cyl. 2.2 L engine with 145 hp. All of the fresh, shiny new engine parts made it feel like you were strapped to a rocket ship compared to all the other duds we had. There was of course a sport version made, the Cobalt SS. But if you weren't into all that speed and power, the base Cobalt was a moderately fun, perfect daily driver for an individual or small family who wanted a cheap option.
The Cobalt lasted us almost 10 years without a single major problem, which is normal as long as you take care of your car. We traded it in for a brand new Chevy Trax in 2015, even when it still had a lot of life left in it. We stayed with Chevrolet because they had been so reliable.
That little Cobalt was a dream to a family who struggled with cars for many years. Any neglect that happened in the past was mainly a result of not being able to afford any maintenance or repairs, not necessarily ignorance. To fix that Escort would have cost more than what we paid for it.
But with great gratitude for today, I hope that we may continue to have safe, reliable cars in the future, and I'll certainly never forget all the ones from the past.
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Comments (48)
When I was born, my parents owned a Morris Oxford. I have no memory of that car though. The ones I do remember were a '69 Plymouth Satellite (my dad's first new car -and the one that influenced me to buy my own Satellite some 30 years later), Next was an '81 Pontiac Grand le Mans sedan, which was odd in that the rear door windows were stationary -couldn't be lowered! My sis and I had to make do with narrow flip-out vent windows. The Pontiac became my first car when my dad bought his '87 Fifth Avenue, I loved that Chrysler so much! Too bad it was totaled by someone who ran a red light.
After the 5th Ave, my dad bought himself a Pontiac Sunbird, which was the last car he ever bought. We still have the Sunbird parked in the driveway for sentimental value.
Gosh, I loved that generation 5th Avenue, too! I still look for them online from time to time.
Same here. One of the last old-school American luxury cars! As much of a proponent I am for the trusty 318, I'd be tempted to do a slight restomod keeping the luxo-cruiser vibe alive but giving it a better punch. Maybe a modern 5.7 Hemi and...
Read moreThe first car I remember from early childhood was a 1980 Chevrolet Chevette. It was blue with a pinstripe down the side. After that we ended up with a used Buick sedan that didn't last long, and then another Buick sedan that lasted a few years. I used to love flipping the ashtray lid open and closed in the rear passenger door. After that, we had a 1991 S10 Blazer and a V6 1993 Camaro. Eventually the 1991 S10 Blazer was replaced with a 1998 Blazer. I think these were all purchased used. At the same time, my dad always had a work truck (he worked in construction). I remember a 1978 F250, then a 1989 F250, then a 1998 GMC 2500.
That is quite a lineup of American cars, thanks for sharing! My grandma had a Chevette, light blue, and she actually gave it to us but I didn't include it here. I remember those backseat ashtrays, wow I haven't thought about those in many...
Read moreI'll never forget the solid closing sound made by the doors on my grandparents' 1970 Plymouth Fury III hardtop sedan. Or riding in the back of my great aunt's root beer brown 1971 Dodge Coronet wagon that seemed about a mile long. Or driving my mom's 1972 Dodge Dart Swinger at age 11 (with her right next to me in case things went sideways). Ahh, memories!
1965 Chevy impala, what a great car. Lots of room huge trunk, miss that car
I'd love to have that today! That was a beauty
Your right they don’t make cars that you can put a family in and take a trip.
My parents have always bought Japanese cars, and so does most of my family, so I guess that's where I'm headed.
Japanese cars are good value, I think that is where I am making the change.