History 1957 My favorite year! what's yours?

I'll jump on. 57 has always been my favorite year too.

 

1985 - Senior year of high school. The year with the most independence and least responsibilty I have ever had. Man it was goooooood!!!! Now for cars it has to be 1955. Love them Chevys.

 

1961: I was 10 years old and bought my First issue of Hot Rod in July. Remember looking at the sales brochures for the new Fords with my Dad, and helped him deside on a black one with a red interior. That was the first year he ever got a vacation, and the new Ford took us to Washington DC, Civil War Centennial started that year and the Smithsonian was FULL of displays. He took me to my first drag race one Sunday at Dover Drag Strip. In September Mom dropped me off at the local Antique Car show for the day, and I was really impressed by the cars and many owners. Sometime later that month I spotted a 1932 Ford grill incert hanging on the wall of a friends garage, and asked about it. Wound up swapping the floor mats out of Dad's new Ford for it. Never bothered to ask Dad if it was OK with him, until he asked me how my day was at dinner. Turned out he had replaced the two originals with four individulal mats and told me he "Always wanted a '32 3Window". That Christmas Aunt Betty gave me a copy of Ralph Stein's The Treasury of The Automobile. ..........still have the '32 incert and the book, bought the Lyndwood rail that was at Dover Drags about 16 years ago, 1961 was a year full of GREAT memories.

 

I'm thinking 2009, maybe.

 

1961 & 1962.

1961: we out ran all, and I mean all, the hemi's in AA Gas Comp Coupe class and won the class championship.

1962, we out ran all but one and came within 6 inches of winning the AA Fuel Comp Coupe class.

Damn those were good years

 

1962. Gas was 25 cents a gallon. Car tunes were all over the radio. Got my first car in 62, a red and white 56 Ford Fairlane Crown Vic. I was a young 16 years old and a sophmore in high school with my whole life a head of me and no worries of the future. Today I'm old, the future is now, and it has brought the worries with it. But the memories are great and still in vivid colors.

 

lets hope...your optimism is very refreshing, thank you...

 

I'm going with the "if you remember the 60's you weren't there". I got out of the Navy, married and had kids in the 60's. probably saved my life, lost more old friends to drug over doses than to vietnam.

1970 car factories dropped compression ratios several points and the fun factor went with it. 74 Gas shortage just about killed Muscle cars and driving

80's cars had a few sparks of life. Horsepower sells cars

90's well most things got a little better car wise

looking back over sixty six years I'll keep with 57 as my favorite year
I've steet raced. ran early gassers at the strip, never won a thing. 1964 Winternationals running just off the National record. went down hard in the first round never been down a track since. never regretted that, I lacked money and dedications it takes for organised racing

I've always had some kind of rod, went thru the T-bucket thing in the 70's. my family car in the 60's and 70's was a 55 cad powered 48 plymouth 4 door with powersteering and brakes and Air conditioning.
was also in 4 wheel drives and raced dirt bikes till Oct. 6 1974 took 2 years to learn how to walk again.
I have three project cars in my shop and the newest motor of the lot is a 56 Chrysler 354 Hemi with dual quads. my new shop truck has another 55 Cad with tri-power. the last one has a 55 Dodge Hemi that will have tri-power also.
some folks try to remember the 50's. I've never left! the old B.S. statement "the older I get, the faster I was"
or "a legend in my own mind" seems to fit better every year
one fact that has always been true. I make a living working on old cars. and old cars are why I'm living.
Jim

 

Mazooma
AMEN BROTHER, you're good! my first job was at Gwinns Drive in 2915 E. Colorado before Bob's Big Boy built down the street and took the car crowd had two real Soda Jerks outside in plain site and five car hops at night.
and racing at the old San Gabriel Strips (3 locations) on Rivergrade rd.
life was good
street racing at the standard station Rosemead
and Huntington. and respect for elders (now that I'm elder I really miss that one) ...........Jim

 

The year for me is 1957 too, I was 12 years old and growing up in So. Cal.
I got me first driver's license in a 1957 Ford Fairlane 500 and to this day '57 Ford is my most favorite car.
See attached picture that's the car.

 

Even tho I,m a product of 62,I think my favorite. Year is 69, not a bad looking car manufactured that year as far as I'm concerned and a lot more horse power options also.

 

1964. A really active year in drag racing -- and NHRA introduced Modified Production. Hot rod buddies and I worked on cars together and spent a number of Sundays at Island Dragway (NJ). That changed in 1965 as we all got called into the military.

 

1967 is the year for me. Chevys were the bomb!