Animal, Nature, and Travel: Vintage Ford Vehicles at Car Show

These photos of beautiful vintage cars help me relive happy memories of a car show I attended in downtown Greeneville, Tennessee in June 2009. Part 2.

My Favorite Vintage Cars from a Former Car Show in Greeneville, Tennessee

Do you like vintage cars?

Late one June day of 2009, my husband and I went out to a restaurant to eat breakfast. The restaurant, called Tipton's Cafe, was located on West Depot Street, in downtown Greeneville, TN. Much to our surprise, the road was roped off due to a car show that was going on at the time.

Fortunately, I had brought my digital camera with me as I wanted to take a picture of this amazing pie they sometimes made at that restaurant. After we ate, we started strolling along the roadway looking at the various cars.

I didn't realize how much I enjoyed vintage cars until that day. I shot pictures of the cars that attracted me the most.

Sadly, my husband died in August of 2015. I enjoyed re-living that happier day as I looked back at these photos.

Here are the cars listed from oldest to most current by car manufacturer. This particular blog will only show off the vintage Ford vehicles.

At the end of this blog will be the link to the blog featuring vintage Willys Coupe, the Plymouth, and several vintage Chevys. It will open in a new window.

Please note: On any of the pictures where you see the Associated Content logo at the top, please be aware that was a site I used to write for before they shut down. I had short videos of each of these vintage cars posted on that site. Sadly, when the site shut down, all those videos were lost. Sigh! These photos are the only things that was left of that happy day.

1932 3-Window Ford

This 1932 3-Window Ford car really caught my eye. It reminded me of pictures I had seen of my paternal grandmother standing on that foot-board area or sitting inside of an old black car. She started driving back in 1922 when she was 22. It brought back all kinds of pleasurable memories of her stories.

One of my favorite stories was that she used to drive a black car that did not have glass in the windows. I'm not certain if she meant the front windshield, as well. But the side windows and back windows, as I understood it, were covered with curtains to try to keep out the elements and to keep her warm in the winter. Can you imagine driving a car that did not have glass windows? Well, if you were a convertible driver, I guess you could. But she grew up in Indiana that got a lot of snow. It's hard for me to imagine being inside a car that only had curtains to keep out the winter cold, ice, and snow.

Here is a picture of that 1932 3-Window Ford.

My Grandmother Dunn in front of a Different Vintage Car

Sadly, our family does not have any pictures of the car with curtains for windows. This is the only picture I have of my beloved paternal grandmother standing in front of a true vintage car. My grandmother’s name was Lois Agnes Gooding Dunn. She was born in the year 1900. She died in the year 1997 at the age of 97. I still miss her to this very day!

1935 Ford

This was one of the cars I thought was quite classy-looking. The car was shiny and red. The headlights and rear tail lights were rather odd and unique-looking. I loved the rounded look to this car. It also looked like the trunk would have been nice and roomy.

I could almost imagine that a husband and wife would take this car to go shopping back in 1935. The wife would lead her husband around from shop to shop. She would buy this dress and that coat and this pair of shoes. They would take their packages out to the car and put them in the trunk. The trunk would still look so empty-looking due to its vast size. The wife would begin to feel antsy. She would feel like she had not bought enough because her packages barely made a dent or much of a showing.

The husband would growl under his breath as the wife led her spouse to another dress shop.

Of course, if the husband had decided instead to go to a store that attracted him, he might not find himself growling when he found that he would have plenty of room to store large purchases.

So I have now taken you on my little flight of fancy for the car in the picture shown below.
As for my husband, he enjoyed seeing the engine of this car. I'm sure his thoughts never had anything to do with shopping trips. Of course, another benefit of having such a large trunk is that it could hold a lot of groceries. That is a feature that we really appreciate about our own cars.

The front grill on the car was rather interesting looking as well. It gives the car a rather distinctive look. The fact that it was a 2-door car caught my attention with its rather small side windows and a very tiny rear window. As far as I can tell, it is a car built for 2 people only. It does not appear to have a back seat. So if the owner had a third passenger, I guess he or she would have to squeeze into the front seat.

Here is a picture of that 1935 Ford.

1937 Ford

I especially loved this shiny silver car that was made in 1937. It was a 1937 Ford car.

To look at this car, you never would guess it was made back in 1937 by its condition. Oh, sure, they don't make cars shaped like that anymore. You could guess it by its shape. But to look at its pristine condition, I could just imagine that it was straight off some recent assembly line.

As a storyteller, I really loved the front of the car. In a strange kind of way, it looked like a face. In this case, not a mean-looking face like that car in the "Christine" movie that kills people. This car has a friendly-looking benign face that is inviting rather than threatening.

To help you see what I see, if you will look at the top left picture below, you can see that a shaft of sunlight divides the front windshield into two. Those are the two eyes. The front grill is like the elongated nose. The headlights are like the rosy cheeks among the extended cheekbones. The black portion underneath, that kind of shadowing effect that includes the front tires, would be the mouth.

Okay, I can hear the sirens now. They are coming to take me away to the booby trap as you all might think I am going crazy. This is simply how my very vivid imagination works as I stare at cloud formations, knots in the wall, etc. I see animated objects in what is actually still life. It is the storyteller in me who loves making a story out of almost everything I see. As far as I'm concerned, it makes my life a whole lot more fun.

But you be the judge as you gave at the picture. That way, you can judge for yourself whether or not you think the front of the car looks at all like a face. Let me know what you think in the comment section below. Did you see a face? Or am I crazy? Uh-oh! I'm really asking for it now, aren't I? Smile.

It may be the case of you had to have been there that day. Today, as I review these words, I am not feeling quite as imaginative as I did when I first saw this car. Today, I probably would not think the front of the car looked like a face. I probably would be more focused on how classy the front of this car looks. But I do recall thinking that on the day of the car show.

Here is a picture of that 1937 Ford.

1940 Ford Car

This particular red car caught my eye due to the tiny bumper on the back side of the car. My husband and I speculated on how much protection a bumper like that could provide if it was ever in an accident.

I could almost imagine a high school or college student taking this car drag-racing back in 1940. If one of those drivers ever bumped against this car from the back, would the bumper have provided any protection to the car and its driver? I wonder.

I also liked the unique look of the black rubbery-looking material around the front headlights. Perhaps the headlights would be more protected if it was ever involved in a head-on collision. The headlights almost reminded me of eye balls with that black material surrounding it in that rather odd way. I wonder if the car originally came that way, or if that was an extra feature one of the original owners decided to add? Does anybody know enough about 1940 Ford cars to know the answer to that one?

I also enjoyed the look of the way that each tire was kind of covered and protected by the car body curving around like you see in the picture below. In my imaginary drag race, that should have certainly helped protect those tires from external damage.

Also, the car had a very sturdy look to it. I would imagine it would hold up pretty well on the road. I wondered how fast it was able to go. I also wondered what the speed limit was back in 1940? Anybody know?

Here is a picture of that 1940 Ford Car.

1940 Ford Pick-Up Truck

I really loved this black vintage truck. I think this is one of the cutest trucks I have ever seen. You can even view the shiny engine. What do you think? There is a comment section at the bottom of this blog if you would like to share your thoughts.

Check out its picture. As you do, you can take a flight of fancy with me as to the early fate of this 1940 Ford Pick-Up Truck.

Let's imagine that this 1940 Ford Pick-Up Truck as feelings. This might be the story it would tell.

1940 Ford Pick-Up Truck: Hi, you can call me Blackie or Shiny Blackie. At least, I started out that way. I was shiny as all get-out the day my owner came to pick me up. He walked in, looked me over from all sides, checked my engine, started me up and listened to how I sounded, and kicked my tires. Ouch! I didn't like that part.

He finally decided to purchase me and take me home. I was so excited to start my adventurous life. I wondered what that life would be like.

It turns out that he was just a simple farmer. Oh, he had good intentions at first to keep me shiny like that first day. But he led such a busy life, that he just did not have the time.

He grew a lot of produce like tomatoes, cucumbers, zucchini, squash, beans, snap peas, and corn on the cob. His wife busied herself growing flowers of various types. Their son took care of the chickens and the rooster.

Every week, they would give me a shower and wash me all over. Then they would load up a bunch of the produce into my truck bed. The son would gather a basket of eggs. They would drive me to a farmer's market to sell their wares out of the back of my truck.

A couple of times a year, there would be a county fair. They would give me the best bath yet. Then they would load me up with the produce, a cage holding their best chicken, a cage holding the rooster, and pots holding the wife's prettiest flowers. They would then show off all their wares. Usually, they would come home with two or three blue ribbons. I liked to think that my pretty color and shape had something to do with that.

But as the years passed, they eventually traded me in for a more current pick-up truck. I was sad to see them go.

I had a series of owners. I like this last owner best. This owner is careful to keep me shiny and clean all the time - not just once a week. He also does not require me to haul dirt or produce. Instead, he proudly shows me off at vintage car shows like this one.

So I hoped you liked my story and that you liked me. Come back and see me sometime at another vintage car show. It was so nice to make your acquaintance. Bye for now.

That is the end of my Flight of Fancy. I hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. So, with no further ado, here is the picture of that 1940 Ford Pick-Up Truck.

Vintage Ford Pick-Up Truck in Red

I thought this shiny red vintage truck was just beautiful. This particular shade of red on the pick-up was so metallic-looking and really pretty.

Part of what I most loved about this pick-up truck was that the truck bed actually had hardwood floors that were shined to perfection. It also looked like they had spent a lot of time shining and cleaning this pick-up truck.

Here is my little Fight of Fancy for this truck. Imagine, if you will, if you were the owner of this pretty vintage Ford truck back during the year when it was first made. Unfortunately, I don't know what year this car was made as the current owner of the truck was nowhere to be found.

So, let's say the year was 1945. You had gone with your wife to purchase a new car. You knew you needed a pick-up truck yet your wife wanted to ride around in a fancy car. You look around at all the cars available on the car lot or in the show window - if they had show windows back then. Your wife is walking toward the front of the lot and only sees the front part of this vehicle. You, on the other hand, have walked the entire lot and have scoped out this vehicle from all sides. Let's see what the imaginary conversation might have sounded like.

Wife: Honey, I have seen the prettiest red car. You know how much I love red. That is my favorite color. I think we should get this pretty red car.

Husband: Sweetheart, I know you prefer that we get a car; however, we really need a pick-up truck that I can haul things around in. I have seen the most ideal red pick-up truck that will do everything that I need to do. Plus, the price is right.

Wife: Honey, just come look at this pretty red car that I have picked out.

Husband: Sweetheart. Come take a look at this ideal red pick-up truck that I have picked out.

The "discussion" continues. Finally, since you are a gentleman, you agree to come and see this car that she has picked out.

She leads you on the same path that she has originally walked. Much to your surprise and secret delight, she leads you over to the very pick-up truck that you had selected. So as you both stand there admiring the car that she had picked out, you say, "Sweetheart, on second thought, I think you are right. This is the very car for us. Let's get it."

Wife: Really? You really like the same car that I like?

Husband: Yes, I really do. Let's get it.

Wife: Oh, honey! You are the greatest!

You immediately go over to the salesman and start haggling on the price. Once the transaction has been completed, you lead your wife over to the car that she had picked out. It is not until she is proudly climbing into this car does she realize, too late, that she had actually picked out a pick-up truck rather than a car like she originally thought. You can just imagine her chagrin and your delight.

It had been a WIN-WIN for a few minutes until she realizes her mistake, too late. Hopefully, she will come to love the pick-up truck that looks like a car from the front and a pick-up truck from behind.

So, now, for your viewing enjoyment, here is a picture of that vintage Ford Pick-Up Truck in red.

Ford Thunderbird Convertible

As I walked around viewing all these cars, I happened upon this lovely light-green vintage car. I could really picture a couple out on a date back in the 50's. As you look at the picture below, can't you imagine the characters from the movie called "Grease" sitting in this car at the drive-in movie theater?

Join me for a little flight of fancy. The daughter of the owner of this car loves all shades of blue and green. She has blue-green eyes and especially loves the color of her father's car. One day, she talks her father into letting her take this car for a drive.

First, she goes shopping. She goes to a dress store and buys a lovely dress the exact same shade of this car. She next goes to a shoe store and has some shoes dyed to match the color of her dress. After that, she visits the hair dresser. Even though she knows she is driving a convertible and her hair could easily blow out-of-place, she gets her hair done. She pulls out a filmy-kind of see-through scarf that she can use to tie down her hair if it becomes necessary.

She then goes home and puts on her make-up: foundation, lipstick, mascara, eye liner, and blush. The last thing she applies is some eye shadow that further highlights the color of her eyes.

Finally, the time has come. She puts on her new dress and her new shoes. Her hair and make-up look great. Then she walks out to the car and stands beside it. Her proud parents take pictures of her before she leaves.

Then off she goes to pick up her best girlfriend. Then she goes to pick up her best girlfriend's boyfriend. Then she goes to pick up her own boyfriend. She preens and glows as she receives compliments galore about how good she looks.

They drive around downtown for a while. She receives further compliments about the color of her father's car and how perfectly she is dressed to match. Finally, they end up at the drive-in movie theater and have a great time watching the movie, people-watching the other couples, and eating popcorn and drinking Coco Cola's.

Finally, the movie is over. They cruise broad for a little while longer. Then she takes the other couple home first. Then she and her boyfriend drive around a bit more before she has to drop him off, as well. After all, they all have a curfew that they must observe.

Did you enjoy my little Flight of Fancy? I know I did.

As for some solid facts, when was a Ford Thunderbird Convertible produced? According to Thunderbird Concepts.com, that includes a lot of Thunderbird history content, "It entered into production as a two-seater, 'personal luxury car', in 1955 and continued to be produced until 1997."
Here is a picture of that Ford Thunderbird Convertible.

1955 Ford Crown Victoria

I really loved this red and white car. Do you like the fuzzy dice and the car interior? What about the outside of the car? What do you think? There is a comment section at the bottom of this blog if you would like to share your thoughts.

No flight of fancy on this car. Just the lovely picture of that 1955 Ford Crown Victoria.

How old does a car have to be to be considered a Vintage Car?

As I viewed all these cars at the vintage car show, I began to wonder. To earn the label of “vintage car,” what is the cut-off year?

The car show I attended was back in 2009. So at that time, the 1969 Chevy Camaro car pictured in the other blog would have been 40 years old. Is that old enough? Did the owner of that 1969 car just get into the car show by the skin of his teeth? It really made me wonder.

I decided to do a little research with my favorite search engine – Google. So, I Googled the topic. I think that is now considered a real word. LOL!

To boil down all that I read and learned, on average, the car should be about 40 years old. The car also should be reserved for car shows and not used for the owner’s regular transportation.

So, on that topic, the silver 1978 Chevy Nova that I wrote about on the other blog, as well, would now be over 40 years old, should it even still exist. However, I attempted to use it for my regular transportation. Plus, it looked just like an ordinary car. It didn’t have that “old-timey” appearance. So, I think there has to be something more than being, on average, 40 years old.

There was actually quite a bit of controversy on that topic. What is your opinion? How does a car earn the title of being labeled a VINTAGE CAR?

Please note

I formerly had this posted on Hubpages. Due to one of my past videos disappearing when a former site I used to write for closed down, the hub went into draft mode. Now that I have my own blog, I decided to bring the article back to life minus the video. Sadly, the video has been lost for good as a past computer virus made one of my former laptops “crash and burn.” Sigh and double sigh!

What is your Favorite Vintage Car?

What is your favorite Vintage Car? Why? Please share your comments.

By the way, what features do you most appreciate about your car? What is most important to you when you are picking out your most ideal car?

Also, if you were going to own a vintage car, what type would you most like to have?

Link to other Vintage Car Blog

This is the link to the other blog I wrote about vintage cars. It will open up in a new window.

Vintage Car Show: Willys Coupe, Plymouth, and Chevys

OR, you can click this button.