Small Cars of the Early 1960s

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  • Опубликовано: 20 июл 2023
  • A look at some of the smaller cars of the Early 1960s
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Комментарии • 541

  • @RaymondHaley-bi8lx
    @RaymondHaley-bi8lx 10 месяцев назад +18

    A compact car, that can hold 6 comfortably is today's full size car.

    • @thehopelesscarguy
      @thehopelesscarguy  10 месяцев назад +1

      If you are lucky.

    • @RobertBee-fs8hv
      @RobertBee-fs8hv 10 месяцев назад

      I wouldn't car 3 per seat comfortable mother had a falcon station wagon

    • @dyer2cycle
      @dyer2cycle 10 месяцев назад +1

      Sadly, EVERYTHING nowadays have bucket seats..even pickups..so that reduces the seating down to 4 or 5...I have never liked bucket seats, one of the reasons I never bought a Camaro or Mustang...when looking for used vehicles, I used to always rule out anything with bucket seats..I always found them dreadfully uncomfortable, plus I don't like consoles, junk collectors, and everything falls down and gets lost between the bucket seats and the console. Can't find anything without them now, one of the MANY reasons I won't buy any remotely modern car(or truck)...

    • @thehopelesscarguy
      @thehopelesscarguy  9 месяцев назад +2

      @@dyer2cycle And of course they tell you it they are for support during aggressive driving, and then they cover them in slippery leather.

  • @1949rangerrick
    @1949rangerrick 10 месяцев назад +14

    My first car was a white 1960 Ford Falcon. 6cylinder 3 speed stick shift on the column. I moved the shifter to the floor, redid the seats and headliner, jacked up the rear, and painted it competition orange. It was 1966 and in So Cal so, as a surfer, I had to have surf racks as well. I never touched the engine except for plugs and points and general maintenance. I loved that car, but let it go a few years later. I’m 74 now and would love to get that car back. Cheap car but boy did we have fun with it.

    • @thehopelesscarguy
      @thehopelesscarguy  10 месяцев назад +1

      I understand.

    • @synupps877
      @synupps877 10 месяцев назад

      My first car was a white '60 Falcon Tudor, 144 cubic inch straight-six, three-on-the tree, in late '82, in Camarillo, California. I got it going again in the late '90s, made interesting changes in the early 2000s, and finally sold it as an almost rolling project in 2012.

    • @BuzzLOLOL
      @BuzzLOLOL 10 месяцев назад

      I'm 75, my daily driver earlier in mid 1960's was the 'sub compact' Jetfire:
      ruclips.net/video/Jzw5W1rRMog/видео.html
      Did my surfing on family vacations in Florida when a hurricane was coming in...

    • @dicksanders8206
      @dicksanders8206 9 месяцев назад

      And with the surfboards, too!

    • @1949rangerrick
      @1949rangerrick 9 месяцев назад +1

      @@dicksanders8206 one trip to the beach we came back to the car and some not nice person stole me surf racks. Have you ever tried to tie down 3 10 ft. surfboards to the roof of a Falcon? 🤦🏼‍♂️

  • @calvinbealer7264
    @calvinbealer7264 10 месяцев назад +1

    My Father used to Drive a 1963 Ford Falcon to Work every day. Then Drive a 1964 Plymouth Valiant. He got Tired driving Small cars, So He went Big Time driving around in 1965 Ford Galaxy 500. So he gave my Mother the other 2 Cars I mentioned.RIP Mr Calvin Bealer Sr. and Mrs Martha Jane Bealer. I Love Ya and Miss You Very Much.

  • @seed_drill7135
    @seed_drill7135 10 месяцев назад +8

    Despite decades of going to car shows, I don't think I've ever seen one of the Pontiacs or Oldsmobiles in person.

    • @thehopelesscarguy
      @thehopelesscarguy  10 месяцев назад +1

      I'm sure I have, but the Buicks seem more common.

    • @BuzzLOLOL
      @BuzzLOLOL 10 месяцев назад

      OK, my daily driver earlier in mid 1960's was the 'sub compact' Jetfire:
      ruclips.net/video/Jzw5W1rRMog/видео.html

  • @unwoke1652
    @unwoke1652 10 месяцев назад +52

    In other parts of the world, these cars were considered "large," referring to the Ford Falcon, Studebakers, Pontiacs, etc. Cars like Mini and Anglia were small.

    • @thehopelesscarguy
      @thehopelesscarguy  10 месяцев назад +7

      Yep.

    • @ciro356
      @ciro356 10 месяцев назад +4

      ​@@thehopelesscarguyThe Falcon was literally bigger than the Citroën DS, De Gaulle's State car, and than the Lancia Flaminia too 😳

    • @unwoke1652
      @unwoke1652 10 месяцев назад

      A cousin drove American cars, as he could afford them. There was a Chevy sans side window frames, with a burbly V8. Huge hood, the boot (trunk) was impractical and basically useless. Americans never knew how to build a car with a practical spare wheel, nor suited to long distance travel. To them, it was PanAm or AmTrac, but road travel wasn't foremost in design. A wastage of materials and especially fuel. We preferred Mercedes-Benz Heckflosse or the rebadged Opels we knew as locally built Chev or Holden, and Aussie Fords, also locally built in South Africa.

    • @thehopelesscarguy
      @thehopelesscarguy  10 месяцев назад +7

      @@unwoke1652 This makes no sense to me.

    • @MaxtheFinger
      @MaxtheFinger 10 месяцев назад +2

      ​@@thehopelesscarguyI get what he's saying about the difference in size, but the whole thing about American cars having little space or not being suited for long distance travel is a bit off.
      Having been an army brat in the '70s, and the son of a gearhead, and having traveled across the U.S. and Europe, I'll take a Falcon over an NSU Prinz anyday.
      That being said, I would drive the snot out of a Prinz!

  • @chrisjeffries2322
    @chrisjeffries2322 10 месяцев назад +5

    That English tricycle 3-wheeled car is almost a golf cart! Thank you for the share.

    • @thehopelesscarguy
      @thehopelesscarguy  10 месяцев назад +2

      If it just had a little more trunk space.

    • @chrisjeffries2322
      @chrisjeffries2322 10 месяцев назад +2

      @@thehopelesscarguy lol

    • @neilfoster814
      @neilfoster814 10 месяцев назад +2

      The main reason that 3 wheelers were popular here in the UK was due to the fact that you could legally drive them with just a motorcycle license as they were classed as a "Motor Tricycle", the same as a motorcycle and sidecar. So they were ideal for bikers who hadn't got their car license yet. The only condition was that the reverse gear HAD to be disabled or blanked off. To start the Bond Minicar, you had to open the bonnet (hood) and use the Kickstarter on the engine.

    • @thehopelesscarguy
      @thehopelesscarguy  10 месяцев назад +1

      @@neilfoster814 That doesn't sound all that convenient.

  • @robbiesmith6417
    @robbiesmith6417 10 месяцев назад +7

    Still love the dart

    • @thehopelesscarguy
      @thehopelesscarguy  10 месяцев назад +2

      This era of Dart has grown on me.

    • @glennso47
      @glennso47 10 месяцев назад

      Do you mean the “new” Dart ?

  • @anastassiosperakis2869
    @anastassiosperakis2869 10 месяцев назад +5

    it was very interesting to me as I remembered many of these cars from my school days in Europe.

  • @keithhumpherys8343
    @keithhumpherys8343 10 месяцев назад +8

    I remember quite a few of these cars. Had a 1960 Covair 4door and drove it everywhere, also Oldsmobile 1963 Jetfire. Last was 1967? Fiat 850 coupe and drove for several years. Friends had Ford Falcon, Valiant, Saab, and other cars. I really enjoyed those cars back in the sixties.

    • @garycamara9955
      @garycamara9955 9 месяцев назад +2

      I had one of the first 700 Flat 850 sport coupes in the US after they changed the design of the body. It was a 69 and was positano yellow. I got it in Dec of 68. I took it in for its 25,000 mile service before the dealer had even seen one.

  • @d.r.martin6301
    @d.r.martin6301 9 месяцев назад +2

    I grew up in the 60s driving one of those small cars, and a convertible, no less! 1964 Rambler American. My dad sold it to a collector in '73, so I expect it's still rolling around somewhere.

  • @vincecarnevale4406
    @vincecarnevale4406 9 месяцев назад +4

    Had a 1969 Ford Falcon with a 170cu.inline 6 that got an incredible 30 mpg on the highway.,very reliable and
    easy to work on..

  • @deaddocreallydeaddoc5244
    @deaddocreallydeaddoc5244 10 месяцев назад +8

    My first car was a 1964 Plymouth Valiant with the small V8 and push-button auto transmission. It was a darn good car and could go pretty fast. My second was a '64 Falcon Ranchero. iI was great, too.

    • @stevenmiller8986
      @stevenmiller8986 10 месяцев назад +1

      Mine was a 1964 falcon Futura convertible

    • @thehopelesscarguy
      @thehopelesscarguy  10 месяцев назад

      Cool.

    • @BuzzLOLOL
      @BuzzLOLOL 10 месяцев назад

      Ah my daily driver earlier in mid 1960's was the Jetfire:
      ruclips.net/video/Jzw5W1rRMog/видео.html

    • @bobmalack481
      @bobmalack481 10 месяцев назад

      That Plymouth Valiant slant 6 engine was the base engine and was tough as nails and reliable, and produced for years, though not a powerhouse motor, they made it for years. That valiant was featured in Steven Speilburgs first movie 'Duel' made in '71. A good movie starring Dennis Weaver. It's on U-tube in its entirety. You won't be bored. Robert at 68.

  • @johnd8892
    @johnd8892 10 месяцев назад +16

    The BMW 700 at 13:54 really saved BMW from disappearing as their old fashioned but expensive large cars then found few buyers even in Germany.
    The affordable 700 was much more profitable partly by sharing the 700 motorcycle engine but having good interior space and class leading performance.
    Likeky no BMWs today without this car.

    • @thehopelesscarguy
      @thehopelesscarguy  10 месяцев назад

      You are most likely correct.

    • @billolsen4360
      @billolsen4360 10 месяцев назад +1

      And Volkswagen did a bang up job of stealing many of the BMW 700 styling queues for the VW Type 3 line!

  • @Billy-id7mx
    @Billy-id7mx 10 месяцев назад +19

    great show. it's amazing how times have changed. beautiful cars and every designer did their best to find something that worked in their market. great pride in everyone who tried. that's called courage

  • @imranhashmi6172
    @imranhashmi6172 10 месяцев назад +10

    Mesmerizing. I was a kid in the 60 s and actually rode in many of these cars. Great presentation.

    • @thehopelesscarguy
      @thehopelesscarguy  10 месяцев назад

      Thanks.

    • @ACF6180T
      @ACF6180T 10 месяцев назад +1

      I didn't get to ride them, But I do recall seeing quite a few of these marques in the 60's, & being a child growing up just outside of Washington D.C. I did own a 1960 Chevrolet Corvair in the mid 80's to early 90's, & still own 3 Corvair's 64,65, & a 67.

    • @thehopelesscarguy
      @thehopelesscarguy  10 месяцев назад +2

      @@ACF6180T Cool.

    • @BuzzLOLOL
      @BuzzLOLOL 10 месяцев назад

      Jetfire was my daily driver in early 1960's as a teen:
      ruclips.net/video/Jzw5W1rRMog/видео.html

    • @mickmccrory8534
      @mickmccrory8534 9 месяцев назад +1

      I had a '62 Olds Cutlass. It had the 215 alum block V-8 engine with a 4 bbl.
      Skipped hi school & went to the city impound car auction with Jeff Brix.
      Car had a 4 speed w/ a Hurst shifter. Bought it for $75... It needed rod & main bearings. I jacked it up took off the oil pan, & put them in from underneath.
      It ran 14 sec 1/4 mi at Cordova drag strip.

  • @thebes56
    @thebes56 9 месяцев назад +1

    In 74 my first car was a 62 Mercury Meteor. I loved it! Later my Dad made me sell it and gave me his 68 Ford Custom. It was a good car, but the Meteor looked cooler to me.

  • @danielthoman7324
    @danielthoman7324 2 месяца назад +1

    Back in the early sixties my uncle and aunt from canada had an Austin A40. They came to visit us one year.❤

  • @robertchristie9434
    @robertchristie9434 10 месяцев назад +1

    My aunt bought a 1960 Simca while working at The Chrysler Engineering center in Highland park Michigan. It was a 2-door hardtop with the 1300 engine & a 4-speed manual on the column. I still remember my dad driving it & saying it swayed side to side like crazy & couldn't get out of it's own way it was so slow. She remedied owning the Simca in '64 by trading for an exec lease turn-in '63 Dodge 330 B-body 2-door plain Jane that had a 383 4-bbl push button Torqueflite. It weighed less than 3K lbs & would flat out fly. It was used at the Chelsea test & proving grounds. She said that she would only own cars with "zip" from then on. Great memories, fun times.

  • @saxongreen78
    @saxongreen78 10 месяцев назад +8

    Mercedes 'Fintail' introduced the World's first scientifically calculated crumple zones in the front chassis.

    • @thehopelesscarguy
      @thehopelesscarguy  10 месяцев назад +2

      I wonder if that was a selling point at the time.

  • @SpreadEagled
    @SpreadEagled 9 месяцев назад +3

    You forgot the Chevy II Nova. I used to own a 1962, 1963 and 1964 Chevy Novas.
    Great cars! 👍

    • @thehopelesscarguy
      @thehopelesscarguy  9 месяцев назад +1

      I didn't really forget them but bumped them to the late 60s in favor of the earlier Corvair.

    • @SpreadEagled
      @SpreadEagled 9 месяцев назад

      That’s great! I loved that Chevy II Nova! 👍

  • @arnepianocanada
    @arnepianocanada 10 месяцев назад +3

    3:48 Mercury Comet was first a planned small Edsel, complete with discreet vertical grille. Then Edsel shut down. One designer recalled the clay model being rolled into the Mercury studio.

  • @bl18ce99
    @bl18ce99 10 месяцев назад +1

    I started to not watch this because I didn't think there would be anything I didn't already know. Until you got to the over the pond cars. Thank you.

  • @curbozerboomer1773
    @curbozerboomer1773 10 месяцев назад +3

    The flathead six that Rambler Americans offered in the late 1950s, into the 60s, was a little jewel. very quiet, smooth engine. I could balance a nickel on the top of my 1959 Rambler American's engine block, at idle...My 3sp got 20-28mpg. The right car at the right time, it kept AMC from going bankrupt during that recession. That little flat six was offered through 1965, although by then, most folks opted for the OHV engine, that made about 35 more hp. Unfortunately, these cars would only last for maybe 100,000 miles, and then would fall apart. You get what you pay for!

    • @thehopelesscarguy
      @thehopelesscarguy  10 месяцев назад +1

      My grandmother used to say pretty much the same thing.

  • @josephbingham1255
    @josephbingham1255 10 месяцев назад +2

    Superb presentation. When I was a youth in community college without a family to fall back onI had a chance to purchase a Dodge Dart say about 1968 from the original owner. Instead I bought a Healey Bug Eye Sprite to impress my girlfriend. We drove it to the Hearst Castle and came back on a bus. The next weekend I took a bus up there along with tools. Many stories like that with that car.
    I learned: Skip sexy and exotic and go straight to dependable and practical. Later I bought another Bug Eye and kept it running for 34 years as a second car - until I retired and sold it to a New Zealander who moved to America. Thank you for reviving such memories of many of these cars I used to see around. :)

    • @thehopelesscarguy
      @thehopelesscarguy  10 месяцев назад +1

      Thanks. I understand how hard sexy can be to pass up.

    • @josephbingham1255
      @josephbingham1255 10 месяцев назад +1

      @@thehopelesscarguy Sidebar: I once saw a photo of a Maserati exotic type car that had a beautiful woman with as I recall a foot up on the nose of the car. The caption read - The Car is Cheaper. :)

    • @thehopelesscarguy
      @thehopelesscarguy  10 месяцев назад +1

      @@josephbingham1255 I aint saying she's a . . . .

  • @robertburbach
    @robertburbach 4 месяца назад +1

    I drove my mothers Falcon Ranchchairco (pick-up )when I was in high school in 1960 . That baby would sit up and do tricks for me

  • @horseyhorselips3501
    @horseyhorselips3501 9 месяцев назад +1

    I always loved that 1960 Plymouth Valiant

  • @dorothydromgoole8040
    @dorothydromgoole8040 10 месяцев назад +2

    Thank you for showing those Dodge Darts, I owned one, it was a 1964 and I love driving it and if I could I would get another one. I got it in 1986 I was 25 and I just got my license. Love from Marysville, California

    • @thehopelesscarguy
      @thehopelesscarguy  10 месяцев назад

      Nice.

    • @BuzzLOLOL
      @BuzzLOLOL 10 месяцев назад

      Would love another of my daily driver earlier in mid 1960's, the 'sub compact' Jetfire:
      ruclips.net/video/Jzw5W1rRMog/видео.html

  • @jamesdodd9066
    @jamesdodd9066 10 месяцев назад +5

    How could you forget the Isotta-Francini? Opening the front of the car with a swing out steering wheel was one of the most endearing memories of my childhood.

    • @thehopelesscarguy
      @thehopelesscarguy  10 месяцев назад

      I included the Iso Isetta in earlier videos.

    • @deltavee2
      @deltavee2 10 месяцев назад

      When I was living in Paris in the late '50s they were called 'suppositoires d'autobus' or 'bus suppositories' because they were small and normally painted white....
      They were ubiquitous on the streets of Paris, you couldn't turn around without seeing one.

  • @LukeWarmwater-yb5lx
    @LukeWarmwater-yb5lx 10 месяцев назад +4

    Another Great Video Hopeless Car Guy, sure miss those days.

  • @DavidHall-ge6nn
    @DavidHall-ge6nn 10 месяцев назад +12

    Another interesting, comprehensive, and well-produced episode. Thank you!

  • @robkunkel8833
    @robkunkel8833 9 месяцев назад +2

    I like how you bring out what the car could do in the quarter mile. We used to go to the drag strip in Oswego, IL and I would enter my 57 Olds with a V8 and 4 barrel carb. About 324 cu in, I think. Regardless of all that power, my location was in the 18 second range. Some of these little things, like the Corvair , could blow my doors off by 2 seconds! Love the slant 6. Always started in the cold weather winter. Always. Lots of great pictures. Thanks!

    • @thehopelesscarguy
      @thehopelesscarguy  9 месяцев назад

      In all fairness, most of these quarter mile times were 4-speed cars, and automatic versions were still usually more than a second slower.

  • @philpots48
    @philpots48 10 месяцев назад +1

    My father had a 1963 Ford Falcon, he had a long commute and liked driving it.

  • @cavecookie1
    @cavecookie1 9 месяцев назад +2

    I has a '62 Buick Special with the V-6 engine. Fun little car...parts were very hard to find, and very expensive when you could find 'em!

  • @jeffreybrianring6392
    @jeffreybrianring6392 10 месяцев назад +4

    Great episode, never heard of a lot of the small foreign cars.

    • @johnd8892
      @johnd8892 10 месяцев назад +1

      Unfortunately a lot of the non US cars cisen were not the mass market cars, even outside the US, but oddballs.
      Three wheel cars just a UK low tax niche car.

    • @thehopelesscarguy
      @thehopelesscarguy  10 месяцев назад

      Glad you enjoyed it.

  • @erin19030
    @erin19030 9 месяцев назад +2

    You could buy a brand new Ford Falcon back then for $1999, 160 cu in six with a stick on the column. It was a great beginners new car to own. I bought the 1967 version of the Falcon for $2100, it had a 200 cu in straight six with three on the column shifting. Maintenance was easy and cheap. The oil change and tune up done by the owner owner was $50. Gas mileage was 20 Mpg. Only daily turnpike traffic was the short coming for this car.

  • @barrycuda3769
    @barrycuda3769 10 месяцев назад +4

    Here in New Zealand, my father had a 1966 Valiant super 225 , manual 3 speed on the column , prior to that he had a '58 Holden for a short time, and before that an old 1950's Ford Prefect .When he got the Valiant we went out for a restaurant meal to celebrate the new car , it was so superior to what he drove before , plenty of power , plenty of interior space , absolutely reliable,it was a great car 'and not viewed as a small car here. Iv'e since had a succession of Valiant's myself ,and at present own an automatic version of the '66 Valiant.

    • @thehopelesscarguy
      @thehopelesscarguy  10 месяцев назад +1

      Nice. I actually did a video on the history of the Valiant, and covered those . . . southern versions.

    • @barrycuda3769
      @barrycuda3769 10 месяцев назад +1

      @@thehopelesscarguy Yes I think I saw that one , I like your attention to the details.

    • @BuzzLOLOL
      @BuzzLOLOL 10 месяцев назад

      Well my daily driver earlier in mid 1960's was the 'sub compact' Jetfire:
      ruclips.net/video/Jzw5W1rRMog/видео.html

  • @mikewalters3048
    @mikewalters3048 9 месяцев назад +1

    I learned to drive and took my first driving exam in a 1960 Comet. It had 90 HP, 3-speed on the tree. An AM radio in a steel dashboard. Just about the best car to learn on. Many, and perhaps most new drivers do not know how to drive using a manual transmission.

    • @thehopelesscarguy
      @thehopelesscarguy  9 месяцев назад +1

      These days a manual is no longer considered the budget option, but a performance option.

    • @mikewalters3048
      @mikewalters3048 9 месяцев назад

      @@thehopelesscarguy I did not know that. I'm trying to remember the last time I drove a stick shift. It's been years. Mid 1990s. But I drove nothing but stick shifts for over 25 years. I have no doubt that I could drive one again, no practice necessary.

  • @aeroscottmodelenginerepair2830
    @aeroscottmodelenginerepair2830 10 месяцев назад +2

    Thank you for your detailed video focused on these small cars.

  • @garygreen7552
    @garygreen7552 10 месяцев назад +3

    Fascinating video. Thank you. My experience included a 1956 Simca Versailles, a 4 door sedan with a small V-8 and about 80 hp., and a German Ford Taunus with an inline 4. Both had 3-speed manual transmissions. I recognized many of the cars, but this was my introduction to many others.

    • @thehopelesscarguy
      @thehopelesscarguy  10 месяцев назад

      Thanks for sharing!

    • @BuzzLOLOL
      @BuzzLOLOL 10 месяцев назад

      My daily driver in early 1960's was the Jetfire:
      ruclips.net/video/Jzw5W1rRMog/видео.html

  • @kingofthedots3835
    @kingofthedots3835 10 месяцев назад +1

    I remember being small enough to sleep on the back dash of your thumbnail black falcon on a trip from Arkansas to Ohio .....Looking up to see the stars was dizzying .....Great memory .....still one of my favorite cars 🎉🎉🎉🎉

  • @massoudzadeh3394
    @massoudzadeh3394 9 месяцев назад +1

    Thank you for starting with Rambler,
    My favorite of the 60's cards :)
    Great information as well :)

  • @MGB-learning
    @MGB-learning 10 месяцев назад +3

    Great video

  • @grandcarriage1
    @grandcarriage1 10 месяцев назад +3

    I loved this. The styling was SO diverse. I had no idea the Corvair with the turbo was that fast. I drove an early 60’s one with an updated suspension. Shockingly nimble car. That Isuzu was ridiculously handsome compared to its rather cartoonish counterparts.

    • @thehopelesscarguy
      @thehopelesscarguy  10 месяцев назад

      It did have a very modern look for the time.

    • @garycamara9955
      @garycamara9955 9 месяцев назад +1

      A freind had one he took it to automotive engineering for a new engine. They kept giving him the standard corvair engine. They blew up. One didn't even make it a block. He finally gave up and parked it in his father's garage. The turbo had less compression than a standard engine. Sooo using a turbo on a standard engine is no bueno.

  • @MrJommins
    @MrJommins 10 месяцев назад +5

    That was great! I fully enjoyed it.

  • @OLDS98
    @OLDS98 10 месяцев назад +2

    You covered them all it seems. I was day behind watching the video. I do not know how you do it ever week. Great information and detail. I saw GM featured as well and smiled when I saw the brands. Thank you for your efforts and sharing the many small cars of the world.

    • @thehopelesscarguy
      @thehopelesscarguy  10 месяцев назад

      Actually I start working on these more than a month in advance.

    • @BuzzLOLOL
      @BuzzLOLOL 10 месяцев назад

      Yes, my daily driver earlier in mid 1960's was the (included) 'sub compact' Jetfire:
      ruclips.net/video/Jzw5W1rRMog/видео.html

    • @OLDS98
      @OLDS98 10 месяцев назад

      @@thehopelesscarguy That is still a lot of work. I commend you.

  • @landiahillfarm6590
    @landiahillfarm6590 10 месяцев назад +4

    WOW! Extremely comprehensive, great job. I'm going to have to bookmark this puppy and do my homework, I thought I knew a lot about cars but this video has brands I've never even heard of before! Thank you.

  • @aftonline
    @aftonline 9 месяцев назад +3

    Two of these cars, the Falcon and Valiant, were transferred to Australia and became the large car staples for Aussies for over 50 years (in the case of the Falcon, more like 20 years for the Valiant), in competition with GM's Holden, which is rumored to be a development of a "small" car GM planned during the war years, but never launched in America.

  • @timothykeith1367
    @timothykeith1367 10 месяцев назад +6

    The '60 Falcon with a six weighed about the same as the '71 Pinto with a four.

  • @kennethswain6313
    @kennethswain6313 10 месяцев назад +6

    Wow very comprehensive. How much did the VW sell for in the early ‘60? Of the American cars how many are still in service? Thanks

    • @thehopelesscarguy
      @thehopelesscarguy  10 месяцев назад +6

      A Beetle was around $1600-$2000, very cheap. As how many of these cars are still on the road, it is hard to say.

  • @horseyhorselips3501
    @horseyhorselips3501 9 месяцев назад

    I had a 1963 Pontiac Lemans with a four banger and rear transaxle in 1970 wish I still had that car today

  • @Primus54
    @Primus54 10 месяцев назад +19

    It always amazes me just how much smaller and underpowered were the overseas cars compared to the U.S. market. As usual, excellent research and great photos, HCG. Cheers! 👍👍👍

    • @anastassiosperakis2869
      @anastassiosperakis2869 10 месяцев назад +4

      it is not amazing at all if you know the reasons why.

    • @davidcoudriet8439
      @davidcoudriet8439 10 месяцев назад +4

      "underpowered" is relative...

    • @thehopelesscarguy
      @thehopelesscarguy  10 месяцев назад +8

      It is surprising that our small cars competed as large cars in other countries, but it is easy to see why.

    • @woxyroxme
      @woxyroxme 10 месяцев назад +7

      Gas is outrageously expensive in other countries, I lived in Germany in 1967-69 and again in 1971-73 and spent the summer of 1979 and 1980 there, most people did not own cars and the few that did were driving very small cars, their streets are much narrower and on some people would have to park with the passenger side wheels on the sidewalk on certain streets. They are able to live without cars much easier than Americans

    • @thehopelesscarguy
      @thehopelesscarguy  10 месяцев назад +4

      @@woxyroxme We do have the big open spaces.

  • @williammaceri8244
    @williammaceri8244 10 месяцев назад +2

    I liked the way The Big Three made their compact cars. The Falcons were exactly what American drivers wanted. Falcons were the best selling compacts out of all of them. Therefore it made sense that the Falcon would evolve into the perfect next major hit, the Mustang. The Stang hit the streets running, and is still the American standard for which all "Pony cars are based. The Mustangs fit what us Boomers wanted before we ever knew we wanted them. I love everything about American cars. And I always will

  • @jackwood2328
    @jackwood2328 9 месяцев назад +1

    An excellent presentation on this obscure historical market area with very well chosen images and highly relevant information. Best I've seen, period.

  • @nonelost1
    @nonelost1 10 месяцев назад +2

    13:37…My favorites were those early 60s VW bugs. I owned four of them back in the day, two of them with the ragtop sunroof, one of which I decked out like Herbie.

  • @BenDover-fu3pn
    @BenDover-fu3pn 9 месяцев назад +1

    Excellent job here. Thanks

  • @truebras
    @truebras 10 месяцев назад +4

    Interesting that the Ford Falcon was the base for 1964 Mustang. The Falcon was the longest lasting single generation in Argentina from 1962 to 1991. By the 1980’s they looked very outdated with modernized large rectangular headlights. It looks weird, but Argentinians loved the Falcon.

    • @thehopelesscarguy
      @thehopelesscarguy  10 месяцев назад +1

      It is hard to believe they only lasted a decade here when they did so well elsewhere.

    • @truebras
      @truebras 10 месяцев назад +1

      @@thehopelesscarguy ,
      Well, well, the truth is not the consumers like so much the 1st gen Falcon that they kept building them until 1991 in Argentina.
      There are basically 2 reasons.
      The first one is that Argentina and its neighbor, Brazil had a closed market for imported goods. That was done to stimulate the car industry in both countries and also to maintain commercial surplus of export against imports.
      Yes, it did worked, but as car manufacturer established in these countries worked more like cartels than true competitors, there were very few interest in launching updated new models every few years.
      So, the Ford Falcon was not only example in Argentina. Renault 12 also lasted from 1970’s to the 90’s.
      Dodge had a version that Hillman Avenger that last until the 90’s.
      Peugeot 504 was another model.
      Fiat 128 same.
      All these models were quite popular.
      So, if you visit Argentina in 1980’s, you quickly got the conclusion that most of its fleet looked about 15 years old. Although, some of models were actually made recently.

  • @jasonz7788
    @jasonz7788 10 месяцев назад +2

    Awesome thanks 👍

  • @boondocker7964
    @boondocker7964 10 месяцев назад +1

    I got a '67 Falcon, in '69, 3 on the tree, drove it for 10 years, finally got a '76 Maverick, drove it for 2 years, got a new C10, Chevy, 3 on the tree, drove it for 6 years, got a new Merc Grand Marquis, drove it for 11 years, best riding car I ever had.

  • @patchleslie3235
    @patchleslie3235 10 месяцев назад +2

    Good segment liked it a lot . I've never seen some of these cars

  • @zinnsand21
    @zinnsand21 9 месяцев назад +2

    My first car was a 61 Ford Falcon Tudor Sedan. Three on the tree.. Dad was a Ford mechanic so maintainance was next to nothing..

  • @neoconshooter
    @neoconshooter 10 месяцев назад +1

    I owned, over a decade, or so, three different Honda 600 Z Coupe's! They were so small the gearshift lever came out of the middle of the dashboard. They had 595 CC Twin cylinder over-head cam engines and would get 63 MPG if driven gently and go over 75 if not! But in all cases, more fun than you could beat with a stick!

  • @rizzlerazzleuno4733
    @rizzlerazzleuno4733 10 месяцев назад +7

    Wonderful 👍👍, but your next version should include the MG 1100 (starting in 1963 and also sold as Morris, Austin, MG, Riley, Wolseley, Vanden Plas, & Innocenti versions). And the Triumph Herald, introduced in 1959. Two very popular cars that were exported in small number to the US. The Falcon became a different beast with the option of 260 & 289 V8, two-door hardtop and convertible models. And without the Flacon there would have been no Mustang. I was in Junior High when the American compacts were introduced and it was interesting to see how they evolved in just a few years.

    • @thehopelesscarguy
      @thehopelesscarguy  10 месяцев назад

      And it might.

    • @BuzzLOLOL
      @BuzzLOLOL 10 месяцев назад +1

      We're about same age, my daily driver became the Jetfire:
      ruclips.net/video/Jzw5W1rRMog/видео.html

    • @rizzlerazzleuno4733
      @rizzlerazzleuno4733 10 месяцев назад +1

      @@BuzzLOLOL Thanks for the link.

    • @thehopelesscarguy
      @thehopelesscarguy  10 месяцев назад +1

      @@BuzzLOLOL Very cool.

  • @troyworkman3617
    @troyworkman3617 10 месяцев назад +2

    You really did a great job with this. Congratulations

  • @williamclarke4510
    @williamclarke4510 10 месяцев назад +1

    The 1960 falcon clutch was a dog which couldn't engage smoothly. It just grabbed.

  • @barackmycat9448
    @barackmycat9448 9 месяцев назад +1

    I remember how easy it was to work on these cars, not like now.

  • @courtneypuzzo2502
    @courtneypuzzo2502 10 месяцев назад +5

    my favorite smaller sports car of that era is either the Austen Healy Sprite or the MG Midget small cars always have smaller engines than their full size counter parts for example the Oldsmobile Cutlass started as an entry level compact luxury car my dad got much of his early driving experience in a 1974 Cutlass Sport Coupe believe equipped with a 403 CID or 6.6 L v8 engine where as a 2024 Toyota Camry goes to 60 MPH in 5.8 secs and a 1/4 mile time of 13.5 sec while the 74 Cutlass took 10.4 secs to reach 60 and 17.5 for 1/4 Mile though most Cutlasses were powered by V8 engines while the Camry is powered by either a 4 Cylinder with 208 HP or a V6 engine with 301 HP in its modern form mind you a Camry is 13 in shorter than an 442 was. and a similar length to the front wheel drive version of the Buick Skylark though the new version scheduled for release in mid 2024 is likely going to be powered by the same supercharged 6.2 L V8 as in the Corvette Camaro and the Cadillac Blackwing super sedans though most of the specs haven't been announced yet though the expected MSRP is $70,000 which is 1400% what the MSRP was in 1953

    • @thehopelesscarguy
      @thehopelesscarguy  10 месяцев назад +3

      It is certainly a different world.

    • @BuzzLOLOL
      @BuzzLOLOL 10 месяцев назад +1

      By 1970's, cars were made into weak gas hog emissions slugs by the Democrats in the Govt...
      My daily driver earlier in mid 1960's was the Jetfire:
      ruclips.net/video/Jzw5W1rRMog/видео.html

  • @keithwolstenholme4238
    @keithwolstenholme4238 9 месяцев назад +1

    My uncle had a Renault Dauphin back in those days.

  • @mjrchapin
    @mjrchapin 10 месяцев назад +2

    What a treat! Simple descriptions, great selection. I subscribed!

  • @kennymcquinkiss8292
    @kennymcquinkiss8292 5 месяцев назад +1

    Love the channel. Lots of great information and beautiful pictures. Have you ever done the 1959 year?

  • @friendofbeaver6636
    @friendofbeaver6636 9 месяцев назад +2

    Interesting to see the World market contrasted with the US offerings.

  • @THROTTLEPOWER
    @THROTTLEPOWER 10 месяцев назад +3

    Great vid, very cool!!!!! 👍👍

  • @brianmoore6306
    @brianmoore6306 10 месяцев назад +1

    Another GREAT video! I appreciate all that I learned on this one!

  • @dicksanders8206
    @dicksanders8206 10 месяцев назад +8

    The Simca was one of the best looking little cars.

    • @thehopelesscarguy
      @thehopelesscarguy  10 месяцев назад +1

      A bit dated, but yeah.

    • @garycamara9955
      @garycamara9955 9 месяцев назад +1

      I had a 63.5 Falcon Sprint V8 with a 4 speed. It was a fun little car.

    • @thehopelesscarguy
      @thehopelesscarguy  9 месяцев назад

      @@garycamara9955 I bet it was.

    • @dicksanders8206
      @dicksanders8206 9 месяцев назад

      Cool, Gary. I would have liked one of those myself.@@garycamara9955

    • @garycamara9955
      @garycamara9955 9 месяцев назад

      ?

  • @mattwilson3244
    @mattwilson3244 9 месяцев назад

    Well covered Dude ,will look for you again ,I allways liked the First Dodge Darts .

  • @Melbournelost66
    @Melbournelost66 9 месяцев назад +1

    My father had a 62 XL ford Falcon wagon 170 pursuit. I think the Australian version was tame compared to the US. The Plymouth was a Chrysler Valiant in Australia. These compact cars in the US were considered a large sedan in Australia. We also had a lot of British cars in this era. During this time, Ford, General Motors Holden, Chrysler were all manufacturing in Australia making a local version of US compacts. All makes went on eventually to make fully Australian designed models.

  • @raymondhaley6185
    @raymondhaley6185 10 месяцев назад +1

    ❤ yesterday's compact cars were quite roomy and I❤ their style.

  • @philiprussell3338
    @philiprussell3338 10 месяцев назад +7

    Tremendous factual listing of worldwide car listings, as you so rightfully pointed out , the definition of " Small " varied widely. 👍👍

    • @thehopelesscarguy
      @thehopelesscarguy  10 месяцев назад +2

      Thanks. There was some variation between the Falcon and the Peel.

    • @seed_drill7135
      @seed_drill7135 10 месяцев назад +1

      A lot of those cars were micro cars. The King Midget was the only US microcar remaining in production through the 60's, but it barely counts as a car.

    • @thehopelesscarguy
      @thehopelesscarguy  10 месяцев назад +1

      @@seed_drill7135 And it was pretty much unchanged, which is why I left it out of this video. But it was in the earlier ones.

    • @theboyisnotright6312
      @theboyisnotright6312 10 месяцев назад

      Honestly I'd love to have a smart car. Around town would be awesome. An electric bike or motorcycle would work but in Minnesota, so would be a bit to cold for 5 months.. they want way to much for a smart car. I inherited my dad's GMC pickup and I love it. But too much car for just running around town , V8s are thirsty 😂

    • @seed_drill7135
      @seed_drill7135 10 месяцев назад +1

      @@theboyisnotright6312 Smart cars weren't particularly efficient given their minuscule size. I could see how fitting into half a parking spot would be a feature in a major metro, though.

  • @davidtosh7200
    @davidtosh7200 2 месяца назад +1

    Ford Falcon is a popular compact car of the 1960s then Mercury Comet for Ford Motor Company.

  • @billhowes7464
    @billhowes7464 10 месяцев назад +1

    My sister had a '63 Falcon two door. Straight stick. Fun car to drive.

  • @jebsails2837
    @jebsails2837 10 месяцев назад +2

    Great content and memories. Three-wheeled vehicles in the UK paid a motor cycle road tax as opposed to the hefty 4 wheel tax. I knew of the Studebaker / Mercedes collaboration but did not realize the style similarities of the the period. Narragansett Bay

  • @Crazyuncle1
    @Crazyuncle1 9 месяцев назад +2

    The American small cars of the 60s, that were then considered to be cheap and bland, now look brilliant when compared to the boring, one shape fits all, sedans of today. With a few exceptions it’s hard to determine one brand from another.

  • @user-fg4fr2bz5y
    @user-fg4fr2bz5y 10 месяцев назад +1

    Our family had a Plymouth valiant as a 2nd car. I practically drove that thing into the ground. It lasted forever!!

  • @deltavee2
    @deltavee2 10 месяцев назад

    Well as one HCG to another, I subscribed and thumbs up and white bell and all that stuff.
    Good channel, I'm enjoying every one. The first car to make an impression on me at 10 years of age was the Simca Aronde followed by the Vedette Versailles. Then we moved back to Canada when I was 14 and blooey! I had a pair of Big Healeys ( BN-6 and a BN-7 ) before I was 20. Lust at first sight 😆

  • @MarcKSmith
    @MarcKSmith 10 месяцев назад

    I'm one of 10 kids. In the '70's my siblings and I drove a mind-boggling array of cars, including: Volvo PV544, 122, and 1800S; MG 1100 Sedan; Austin America 1300 Sedan'; BMW 2000 and 2002; Alfa Romeo Berlina; Nash Metropolitan; Datsun Bluebird; and even a Simca (but not for long). Gas was expensive and Dad didn't want anything to do with Volkswagens and Japanese cars in general. We'd have been well served to drive more conventional cars but we all learned to use a wrench. Most of these cars, of course, dated from the late '50's to mid '60. With regard to your video, I saw plenty of Renaults, Fiats, BMW 700's in Argentina. And the Ford Falcon was a luxury car of sorts there.

  • @adrianmonk4440
    @adrianmonk4440 10 месяцев назад +1

    That '62 / '63 Studebaker Lark was Snaaaaaaz-zy !!! All the other fur trappers would think I was mighty fine driving that.

  • @thomashenniger2070
    @thomashenniger2070 10 месяцев назад +1

    Great segment, love the old models from overseas.I ha a 1966 Simca back in the day. Good Stuff, keep it up😝

  • @ramman5784
    @ramman5784 10 месяцев назад +1

    I once owned a 60 Valiant and a 64 Dart. I wish I never sold either. Basic transportation that started every time. No A/C power steering , brakes.

    • @thehopelesscarguy
      @thehopelesscarguy  10 месяцев назад +2

      How did we survive without the giant touch screen? Oh, that's right, very well.

  • @219enri1
    @219enri1 10 месяцев назад +1

    When I was a kid, my parents had a Renault 4, very popular in France. Like many French people at that time, my parents were careless drivers and the car soon had many dents and scratches. The main thing was that it drove.

    • @thehopelesscarguy
      @thehopelesscarguy  10 месяцев назад

      Keeping it drivable is typically the priority.

  • @erin19030
    @erin19030 10 месяцев назад +3

    That first Falcon was a great little car. Bottom line was no money down and $58 a month for three years. Insurance was way cheaper and the car was basic transportation. A stick six 200 cu in thee speed off the column, 14” wheels optional 13” wheels stock. It eas a great 1st owner car. Easy and cheap to maintain. Held 6 people but only 4 with comfort. The trunk was decent size. It was not a turhpike cruiser though ,but closer to a real sports car than a sports car. Handling was good as was acceleration. I loved mine !

  • @bernie2108
    @bernie2108 10 месяцев назад +2

    hard to imagine a 0 to 60 time of 32 seconds today.

    • @thehopelesscarguy
      @thehopelesscarguy  10 месяцев назад

      I don't know, that traffic I was in earlier today.

  • @lightbox617
    @lightbox617 10 месяцев назад +1

    My family had two ford falcons during the mid 60's No fuss, No nonsense. 3 on the stick. We could change clutches, head gaskets, universal joints, spark plugs et al. Not a bad experience. I think that the ford straight six 200 and 250 were the best engines ever mad except for the slant six. I once helped my brother change a slant six in he van in a backyard with a makeshift hoist in 12 hours

  • @shumack48
    @shumack48 10 месяцев назад +5

    What about the Aussie cars they are interesting

    • @thehopelesscarguy
      @thehopelesscarguy  10 месяцев назад +1

      Well the Valiant and Falcon were still pretty much the same as the American ones at this point, and I'm putting the Holden in my mid sized video.

    • @johnd8892
      @johnd8892 10 месяцев назад +1

      A few of the photos are the Aussie versions. 2:20 is a right hand drive Australian Chrysler Valiant. First sold here in 1962 as the R series. All with the 225 slant six. The 170 unknown here. All as four doors only but the 1000 made from US body kits sold out very quickly and there was quite an unsatisfied demand until the next S model arrived.
      In the meantime Chrysler dealers might steet you to the last of the Simca Vedette V8 car also assembled by Chrysler and sold by there dealers.
      Both Falcon and Valiant started as looking near identical to US four door models but moved away with each new model.
      The 1965 XP Falcon looks quite unlike any US Falcon and saved Ford Australia from ceasing manufacture by addressing the strength limitations of the US first models.
      Ford did a crazy multi day endurance run to prove the XP cars were good. Henry Ford 2 could not believe what the cars were going through when he specially visited the event.

  • @terrysellers6712
    @terrysellers6712 10 месяцев назад +2

    This guy is worth listening to, unlike the youngsters with the child's voice that looked everything up on the internet!🤨 It's refreshing to hear a knowledgeable man who doesn't hold a phone at his face haphazardly that nobody wants to see! But I digress. 🤭

  • @ronaldrhoades9783
    @ronaldrhoades9783 10 месяцев назад +5

    well i can say something about both the Ford Falcon and the rambler first in the 60,s Ford motor company actually gave a damn about the working man and his family think model T here unlike today where your choices are over the top expensive trucks with lackluster quality the same with the suv,s. Cars?haha the only car ford now makes is the electric mustang ,both my parents worked and my mothers first car was a 59 rambler wagon then the ford falcon i remember my farther taking his drill to drill holes later his saber saw to cut the hole in the dash for an AM radio Fm was not yet discovered the car was great she had it for years until they traded it in for the Rambler classic as for the rambler american i had one 11 years old and i had no problem getting up to expressway speed back then the big three cared about the buying public and did try to make their lower end car affordable unlike to day where both FORD and GM don't give a dam about quality or affordability as long as they can pay their CEO,S upwards of 2,3 million a year in salary not counting bonuses neither Ford or GM give A Damn they know the federal government will bail them out with taxpayer money they already did that for GM and GM continued to lie to the consumers !

    • @thehopelesscarguy
      @thehopelesscarguy  10 месяцев назад +1

      It is very different today.

    • @ronaldrhoades9783
      @ronaldrhoades9783 10 месяцев назад +1

      @@thehopelesscarguy yes your right and sadly not for the better

  • @michaelwhite2823
    @michaelwhite2823 10 месяцев назад +3

    Well done but I got so lost in Europe I can't remember if you skipped the Chevy II nova

    • @seed_drill7135
      @seed_drill7135 10 месяцев назад

      That wasn't really an "early" sixties car.

    • @danielulz1640
      @danielulz1640 10 месяцев назад +1

      ​@@seed_drill7135introduced in 1961 as a 62 model!

    • @thehopelesscarguy
      @thehopelesscarguy  10 месяцев назад +1

      The Chevy II was bumped to the late 60s video by the Corvair.

    • @michaelwhite2823
      @michaelwhite2823 10 месяцев назад

      @@thehopelesscarguy okay its just I would be shocked it you left anything out

    • @thehopelesscarguy
      @thehopelesscarguy  10 месяцев назад

      @@michaelwhite2823 I wish I could be that complete.

  • @michaeltipton5500
    @michaeltipton5500 10 месяцев назад +2

    I remember all these American cars growing up.

  • @oldgysgt
    @oldgysgt 10 месяцев назад +2

    Ford Falcon joke from the early 1960's
    Frank; "Hay Bob, I just got a new Ford."
    Bob; "Did you get a Falcon?"
    Frank; "No, I think I got a good deal."

    • @adrianmonk4440
      @adrianmonk4440 10 месяцев назад

      I saw what you did there 😆 LOL

    • @thehopelesscarguy
      @thehopelesscarguy  10 месяцев назад +1

      Oooohhh!

    • @oldgysgt
      @oldgysgt 10 месяцев назад +1

      @@adrianmonk4440; I'm not kidding, that joke was being told soon after the Falcon was introduced.

  • @bogiewheelman71
    @bogiewheelman71 10 месяцев назад +1

    The english pop 50 looks like a small cab on wheels, no fenders needed.

  • @gene978
    @gene978 10 месяцев назад +3

    This is when you could change the tires without a jack. Just lift the car up and replace the 12 inch tire.

    • @thehopelesscarguy
      @thehopelesscarguy  10 месяцев назад +2

      I have seen that done on a MG, with 2 people.

  • @michaelklein3148
    @michaelklein3148 10 месяцев назад +1

    I also remember the Nash Metropolitan and the Renault Dauphine.