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10 Vintage Cars to Remind You How Cool Cars Used to Be

Cue the nostalgia.

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Mike-Casey/Reminisce Extra

1958 MG Magnette

“This car was marketed to the young urban professional in England in the 1950s. I spotted mine in the used car ads in the newspaper in 1999. I could remember seeing only a couple of these even in the ’50s. Today, there are fewer than 200 in North America.” —Credit: Mike Casey, Reminisce Extra March 2017

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Sherman-Smallwood/Reminisce Extra

1960 Corvette

“We had a lot of fun and enjoyed getting together with several other couples, parading around, stopping as a group at a restaurant or just showing off. We got a lot of attention—some friendly waves and some envious looks,” said the owners.—Credit: Sherman Smallwood, Reminisce Extra March 2017. Don’t miss these vintage cars you’ll wish were around today.

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Linda-Dills/Reminisce Extra

1978 Monte Carlo

“My mother, Lorraine Fischer, bought this beautiful car brand new when she was in her 60s. It actually was her second choice. She first picked out a Chevy Nova but returned it, saying ‘it had trouble making it up a hill.’ She wanted something with more power. This two-tone beauty caught her eye, and it was love at first sight. It turned out to have all the power she wanted.”—Credit: Linda Dills, Reminisce Extra January 2017

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Frank Scherer/Reminisce Extra

1948 Ford Anglia

“When I take it to car shows, no one except for the old hot-rodders even knows what it is.”—Credit: Frank Scherer, Reminisce Extra July 2016. These vintage ads will take you right back to the 1960s.

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Ted-MacHugo/Reminisce-Extra

1954 Chevrolet Bel Air

“Michelle [my wife] and I have won many trophies at car shows, and our retro car has been featured in Betty Ace Broads & Rods magazine, on the custom-car website Cool Rides Online, and in a classic car insurance ad. Our mascot, Duke, a stuffed German shepherd, always rides in the backseat. This is our dream car, and we love it!”—Credit: Ted MacHugo, Reminisce Extra September 2016

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J.-Andrew/Reminisce-Extra

1952 MG

“Ernest [my husband] was thrilled with his MG. He loved to put the top down and drive with his scarf streaming out the back, his jaunty cap clinging to his head. I was more inclined to slouch behind the windshield to keep my long hair from swirling into a tangled mess.”—Credit: J. Andrew, Reminisce Extra November 2016. Check out these vintage swimsuits we wish would make a comeback. 

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Donna-Shaw/Reminisce-Extra

1960 Studebaker Lark Convertible

“Norman [my boyfriend at the time] didn’t pay much for the car; I think he bought it soon after he got out of high school. It had an electrical problem (we assumed) because every time we hit a pothole or went over railroad tracks, the windshield wipers would come on. I certainly didn’t date him for his snazzy car!”

Credit: Donna Shaw, Reminisce Extra November 2016

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John-E.-Purcell,-Reminisce-Extra

1957 Studebaker President

“In 1990, I bought this sedan, made by the same manufacturer as our old family car, from a World War II veteran who had acquired it in an estate sale.”—Credit: Edward Lemanski, Reminisce Extra November 2016. 

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John-E.-Purcell/Reminisce Extra

1922 Ford Model T

“John [the owner] says the best reward is when people compliment the car and say it reminds them of cars they or family members once had. At one show, the car’s previous owner spotted it in its restored glory 17 years after he sold it to the Purcells. The two talked, took pictures and reminisced about the car. ‘It’s a piece of history,’ John says. ‘The neatest part of owning it is when people share their memories.'”—Credit: John E. Purcell, Reminisce Extra January 2014

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John Rowerdink/Reminisce Extra

1954 Dodge Royal

“John Rowerdink still remembers the day that he first set eyes on this car, which his father, Cornelius, ought in Bismarck, North Dakota. It was love at first sight. ‘I was 10 years old,’ John recalls. ‘I still remember getting up and seeing that brand-new car parked in the backyard. It really made an impression on me.’”—Credit:  March 2014. Next, don’t miss these retro photos of what life was like in the 1950s.

Originally Published in Reminisce Extra