advertisement

Images: #TBT Gallery remembers 1960s' big cars on suburban streets

As the Chicago suburbs grew in the 1960s, and new roads were constantly being built, it seems everybody had a newer car.

Searching our photo archives, we found many examples of shiny American cars roaming the streets. Interestingly, most have four doors, perhaps because so many families chose to live in the suburbs.

Almost all the cars in our archives are American made, with only an occasional Volkswagen Beetle making an appearance. The only trucks to be found were the scarce pickup trucks that were probably farm or work vehicles. There was no such thing as an SUV.

We also found several photos of “junk” cars that were abandoned in fields and along roadsides. Perhaps code enforcement was nonexistent and it was easier to just walk away from an old car than to find someone willing to buy it. Today, most of the cars that appear in this photo gallery would be worth several times the amount paid for them more than a half-century earlier.

Got an idea for a suburban #TBT Gallery? Share your ideas and photos with us at tbt@dailyherald.com. Share your favorite and memorable #TBT photos with us on Instagram using #tbtsuburbs.

A line of new Skylarks and LaSabres sit in a grass lot at a Buick tent sales event in Mount Prospect. Interestingly, none of the new cars has hub caps on their steel wheels. Daily Herald file photo, August 1966
Traffic at Central and Prospect roads in Mount Prospect shows a new Chevrolet Malibu two-door in the foreground, followed by an older Plymouth and another Chevrolet. Changing lanes is a new, white Ford Galaxie. There are no foreign cars and no trucks to be seen. Daily Herald file photo, July 1967
A 1917 Ford Model T is admired at Elmhurst Motors. The Model T was the first mass produced auto that was built on an assembly line and is regarded as the first affordable car for the average family. Henry Ford said "I will build a car for the great multitude. It will be large enough for the family, but small enough for the individual to run and care for. It will be constructed of the best materials, by the best men to be hired, after the simplest designs that modern engineering can devise. But it will be so low in price that no man making a good salary will be unable to own one - and enjoy with his family the blessing of hours of pleasure in God's great open spaces." It sold for $360 and had a four-cylinder engine that delivered 22 horsepower. It had four doors and a back seat and wooden spoked wheels. The top could fold down in the rear to make it a convertible, according to AmericanAutomobiles.com and Wikipedia. The gentleman in the middle is leaning on a new Thunderbird, which could produce more than 300 horsepower with it's eight cylinder engine and cost more than $4,600, 50 years after the Model T was introduced. Daily Herald file photo, September 1967
This looks like a 1969 Ford Galaxie police car that is leading the Elk Grove High School Homecoming parade. Daily Herald file photo October 1969
A Plymouth Fury, probably a 1966 four door with rear fender skirts that covered the upper half of the tire, pulls a church float in the Itasca Memorial Day parade. Daily Herald file photo, May 1970
Children and their dog look at abandoned, junk cars behind a fence in Palatine. Daily Herald file photo, June 1969
This new Dodge 200 truck had four-wheel drive. It was acquired by River Trails school district in Mount Prospect. In 1967, a "big block" eight cylinder engine was available as well as a smaller six cylinder motor. Daily Herald file photo, March 1967
A new Buick Riviera sits in the foreground of this picture of a dealership tent sale in Mount Prospect. Daily Herald file photo, August 1966
In this photo to illustrate parking problems in a northwest suburb, several classic cars are seen. In the foreground is a Ford Falcon and a four-door Buick. A 1955-57 Cadillac, a Volkswagen and at least three 1965 Ford Mustangs are also in this parking lot. Daily Herald file photo, March 1967
This old Cadillac held four students shoulder to shoulder on the back seat deck in the Elk Grove High School Homecoming parade. Daily Herald file photo, October 1969
A large pile of junk cars might be a dream for today's collectors. This collection was in Palatine. Daily Herald file photo
The Conant High School Homecoming parade was a parade of cars, including a Ford pickup truck and a Ford van. Daily Herald file photo, October 1969
Junk cars in Elk Grove Village. Daily Herald file photo, June 1969
An abandoned car in a suburban field looks like it was vandalized. Daily Herald file photo
Junk and totaled cars after a winter storm are packed into a vacant lot because the tow truck company is too busy to do anything with them. Daily Herald file photo
What appears to be a 1961 Ford Country Squire station wagon, with a chrome roof rack, sits abandoned in Mount Prospect. Daily Herald file photo, September 1969
This car was completely covered in decorative paint, including the windshield, side windows and tires, in the Elk Grove High School Homecoming parade. Daily Herald file photo, October 1969
Junk cars in Elk Grove Village. Daily Herald file photo, June 1969
Article Comments
Guidelines: Keep it civil and on topic; no profanity, vulgarity, slurs or personal attacks. People who harass others or joke about tragedies will be blocked. If a comment violates these standards or our terms of service, click the "flag" link in the lower-right corner of the comment box. To find our more, read our FAQ.