Theme From Route 66

[19&41]

It came up on my random playlist on the way to work. It's one of the earliest pieces that I can remember. I've always loved it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1nbRoyJ ... ixbautista

[TC Chris]

We Americans love our road trips. My trip along Route 66 was in 1958, in the 1955 Ford Country Sedan wagon. Northern route out, southern (66) route back. Two parents, 4 kids, a rack strapped on top with luggage under a tarp that always came loose and started flapping. We just found the photo of my Dad with the two flat tires removed. My mother was a master at keeping all the kids occupied, not fighting, not bored, and fed at appropriate intervals. Every spring break my parents would pack the whole family into the wagon and head out somewhere. A an adult I appreciate what a special gift those travels were.

Chris Campbell

[19&41]

Such trips were quite an endeavor compared to this post-interstate time.

[Ken Doyle]

Nelson Riddle was a wonderful arranger.

[electra225]

Martin Milner and George Maharis. Tood Styles and Buzz *who*? Senior moment. I was absolutely addicted to that show.

Martin Milner passed in 2015. George Maharis is still with us, born in 1928, that would make him 93. I hadn't heard of him in years.

[19&41]

Buzz Murdock. When TVLand first ran the series years ago, they interviewed Maharis, and he revealed to many what was the color of the 'vettes used in the series. The first one, pictured in the montage accompanying the tune, was blue. It didn't photograph well and was used during 1960. They then chose "fawn beige", also pictured later in the montage. Most assumed it had to be red.

[Firedome]

Chris I'd love to see that family trip pic you found!
We had Ford wagons too, '57, '59, '63 (became my first car) and '68, 2 were Country Sedans, 2 Country Squires.
I'd love to have a '59 Squire: dark blue metallic paint with the wood, it was gorgeous.
So many trips to Vermont from Baltimore with 4 kids in the "way back", sleeping bags spread out... never happen nowadays!

[electra225]

Thanks, Rex. That was a pretty good gig for two unemployed guys, roaming around the country in a new 'Vette every year.......

[Hi-Fi-Mogul]

And an interesting thematic change when
Glenn Corbett as Lincoln (Linc) Case replaced
Mr. Maharis.
The expanding Vietnam war was interestingly
dealt with through his character protrayal.

I also noted some later episodes of The Twilight Zone
presented Vietnam within those teleplays' scripts.

Sadly, Mr. Corbett died at 59 of lung cancer.
He had a unique actor's voice, as I remember.

[TC Chris]

Chris I'd love to see that family trip pic you found!
We had Ford wagons too, '57, '59, '63 (became my first car) and '68, 2 were Country Sedans, 2 Country Squires.
I'd love to have a '59 Squire: dark blue metallic paint with the wood, it was gorgeous.
So many trips to Vermont from Baltimore with 4 kids in the "way back", sleeping bags spread out... never happen nowadays!

Here we are in the Badlands, headed west.

Chris Campbell

[William]

That's a cool photo, Chris. Thanks for sharing.

Bill

[Firedome]

What a fabulous time-warp photo!
Professional enough that it could have been used in an ad. We had the same kind of removable rack and tarp, I have a pic of it on our '63 Ford wagon while pulling our '57 MFG boat, the whole family inside the car, just like this. Trips were a real adventure back then, and a flat tire was usually a part of it at some point.

[TC Chris]

Kodachrome slide. Dad had a little rangefinder camera with a separate light meter. Now people pull out their phones and push.

Chris Campbell

[Firedome]

Wagons were really the thing in the '50s & '60s. This pic shows how well they worked for families back then . I always felt the '55/56 Fords, Chevys and Plymouths were just about the perfect size for a family car, about 115" wheelbase and 200" long. Plenty big for even a family of 6 on trips. Detroit got carried away and cars got way too big really. I read on "Curbside Classics" that the peak for full-size car sales was in 1965, and they declined greatly afterwards as they kept getting bigger & bigger, especially by the '70s at 220" or longer. Much as I love them they just became too impractical for most drivers, not to mention massive fuel consumption averaging 12 mpg.

[hermitcrab]

Our Family car was a 60 Buick estate wagon then we got a new one in 65 ...us kids would sleep in the back on long trips... brings back the memories ...

[electra225]

Was your family Estate Wagon a LeSabre or an Invicta? The Invicta would have had the 401 and was the fanciest GM-built wagon for 1960.

[Firedome]

Fancier than this?? lol Actually this is a one-off custom.. but a spectacular one for sure!

[Firedome]

One I remember from Hemmings a couple of years ago... even cooler! Sort of a '59-60 mish-mash.
It won some kind of prestigious award iirc.

[William]

Both of the Caddies are awesome. I would take either...or both.

Bill

[electra225]

How about this nice black '60 Invicta wagon. The Invicta series had wheel opening mouldings. Guys who restore then put the Electra 225 trim under the body side moulding. You could get bucket seats, Positraction and dual exhausts on the Invicta wagons. They had chrome bars in the headliner like the Wildcats.