1960s Timeline

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Sept. 19, 1961 - The Falcon Squire, a new addition to Ford's 1962 line, is a 4-door, 6-passenger wagon with simulated wood trim. It boasts a cargo area of more than 76 cubic feet. The 1962 Mercury Monterey is the only medium-priced car in the vast Ford line-up. It is a styling cousin to the Ford division's Galaxie, but with slightly larger over-all dimensions. #cars #auto #automobiles #cartalk #vintagecars #vintageautomobiles

Sept. 14, 1961 - Cadillac celebrated its 60th anniversary today with a preview of its 1962 models at the GM Technical Center in Warren, Mich. Only subtle changes have been made in styling, and the fins that Cadillac first introduced 15 years ago still dominate the silhouette. However, they have been toned down once more in size and have lost their chrome-capping. The torpedo motif of the rear fender line has been altered slightly and vertical taillights have replaced the hori

Sept. 11, 1961 - The standard-sized 1962 Pontiacs have grown a little longer and wider, and their interiors have been upgraded. The newest addition to the line is a Grand Prix coupe, a bucket-seat car that is the same small size as the Catalina but styled to compete in the $4,600 Thunderbird class. All Pontiac models now include deep loop pile door-to-door carpeting. In addition, a smoother-operating automatic transmission has been developed. #cars #auto #automobiles #cartalk

Sept. 10, 1961 - Count Wolfgang von Trips, one of the world's fastest auto racing drivers, was killed today in a spectacular accident that took the lives of 11 spectators at the Grand Prix in Italy. At least 25 others were injured. The Count, driving his red Ferrari at about 150 miles an hour, lost control, and the auto hurtled off the course. It climbed a five-foot earthen embankment, brushed a wire fence that restrained part of the crowd, and struck the spectators. Von Trip

Sept. 6, 1961 - The Chrysler Corporation unveiled today its first new styling theme since 1957. Chrysler's soaring, wedge-shaped fins started a trend that year, which was later abandoned by the rest of the industry. Chrysler has now jettisoned fins and gone to the other extreme - soft, rounded lines. Longer hoods and shorter rear decks, accented headlamps set in chrome-capped wells, bold grills, and flashing ornamental trim mark the company's 1962 compacts and lower-priced st

Aug. 31, 1961 - The Studebaker-Packard Corporation has lengthened most of its Lark compact cars to medium-size status in an effort to compete with its more affluent rivals. A modest, continental look has been achieved by a new grill-and-radiator treatment that incorporates an emblem resembling the three-pointed star of Mercedes-Benz. Studebaker is the American sales agency for that West German company. Studebaker also has a new lower-priced, sports-styled hard-top called the

Aug. 29, 1961 - Two cars with a distinctive sports look were featured as Pontiac offered its 1962 preview today at the G.M. Technical Center in Warren, Mich. They were a small convertible in the luxury compact Tempest line and a racy, low-slung, bucket-seat coupé in the full-size Pontiac. The latter, called the Grand Prix, has a 303-horsepower cast-iron V-8 engine. As a counterpart to the new Grand Prix model, Pontiac has a more modest bucket-seat sports coupé in the compact

Aug. 25, 1961 - Engineering and mechanical changes rather than sharp restyling mark the 1962 Ramblers. The changes, American Motors officials said today, are keyed to the basic premise of "more usefulness for the user combined with increased reliability and safety." Eight inches have been sliced from the big Ambassador, but that model continues as the top-of-the-line offering, with plush interiors, substantial ornamental trim, and a cast-iron V-8 engine. The under-the-skin ch

Aug. 14, 1961 - A vision of the motoring elegance of the 1920s swept through New York City today. It was the annual "Car-avan" of the Classic Car Club of America. "There's double ignition on that job," said an old-timer, pointing to a 1930 Pierce-Arrow. "What's that?" a trucker asked as an unfamiliar hood profile passed. "It's a Duesenberg. Got 16 cylinders," the old-timer replied. There were two Duesenbergs, a Hispano-Suiza, three Rolls-Royces, two Lincolns, four Cadillacs a