# A list of the cars owned by my 92 year old Grandfather

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-list-of-the-cars-owned-by-my-92-year-old-grandfather/359086>\
**Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\
**Created:** [June 1, 2006, 11:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-list-of-the-cars-owned-by-my-92-year-old-grandfather/359086 "2006-06-01T23:38:25Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 18\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Morbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/morbo/32/389_2.png) [@Morbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morbo)\
**Post date:** [June 1, 2006, 11:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-list-of-the-cars-owned-by-my-92-year-old-grandfather/359086/1 "2006-06-01T23:38:25Z")

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Transcribed from his memory, with comments on each car as he remembered them.

[ol]  
[li]1933 Chevrolet - Dad gave Denzil and I this car[/li][li]1936 Ford - new, 4 door, gray, Denzil and I bought this car together, top speed 90 mph[/li][li]1933 Dodge Coupe - In 1937 when I got married, Denzil got a Plymouth[/li][li]1936 Chevrolet - It had a cracked head[/li][li]1937 Chevrolet - second hand. Accelerator stuck and I jumped out before it ran into a train and exploded[/li][li]1936 Plymouth Coupe - second hand[/li][li]1941 Chevrolet - new, $867 total price, The junkiest car I ever owned[/li][li]1941 Plymouth - second hand, dark red, It was far superior to the new Chevrolet[/li][li]1941 Ford - 2 door, black[/li][li]1940 Dodge - no oil pressure, I kept it for about 1 hour, stopped payment on my check and took the car back[/li][li]1942 Chevrolet - 4 door[/li][li]1940 Ford Coupe - I sold it when I was drafted in 1944[/li][li]1941 Oldsmobile - 2 door, bought second hand in Detroit after I was discharged in 1946. Sold it for $600 more than I paid for it[/li][li]1939 Packard - second hand[/li][li]1948 Chevrolet - new, dark blue. We bought Carolyn a used bicycle. I took it apart, sanded it, and had it spray painted the same color as the car. The bicycle stayed with us longer than the car.[/li][li]1949 Chevrolet - 2 door, moved to Springfield, IL and bought car from Metropolitan Chevrolet, it always leaked[/li][li]1950 Plymouth - 2 door, black, very good car[/li][li]1951 Nash - 4 door, green, it had a bed inside[/li][li]1951 Ford - 2 door, black ==\>(car 3) (car 2) (car 1) \<== Car 3 hit me (car 2) stopped at a stop sign behind car 1. I was skidded on a dry pavement, mashed in the trunk and my car hit car 1 and knocked out my grill. A policeman saw the accident, so he asked the driver in car 3 why he didn’t stop. The driver said he was watching a girl walking along University Ave. in Champaign, IL[/li][li]1953 Chevrolet - 2 door, black[/li][li]1955 Plymouth - 2 door, sold to Mrs. Childers because bought the next car[/li][li]1955 Chevrolet - 2 door, green, my Dad’s car, I bought after he died[/li][li]1956 Chevrolet - new, 4 door, hard top, turquoise with white top, power pack. Carolyn always raced this car, the best car I ever had, 0 to 60 in 9.6 seconds, 10 to 1 compression ratio, ethyl gas required. I put more than 90,000 miles on it and it is probably still running somewhere in heaven right now.[/li][li]1958 Chevrolet - second hand, 4 door, turquoise, 350 V8[/li][li]1960 Chevrolet - new, 2 door, army green, 6 cylinder[/li][li]1960 Pontiac - new, 4 door, dark blue, bought in Roodhouse in the winter, heater didn’t work[/li][li]1961 Corvair - new 2 door, white, exhaust fumes leaked inside the car. You couldn’t exist inside in the winter. After the guarantee, they fixed the problem[/li][li]1964 Dodge - new, 2 door, blue, big motor. It would really move, Larry and Carolyn drove it to Marion[/li][li]1965 Pontiac Le Mans - 2 door, stick shift, noisy second gear, shop foreman told me to turn radio louder and I wouldn’t hear the noise in second gear. Stopped payment on the check and returned it.[/li][li]1966 Dodge Polara - new, 2 door, white, very good car. I drove it 80 practically all day going to Florida[/li][li]1968 Dodge - new, 4 door, bronze, hard top. Popped out of gear and went into the lake while I was out fishing[/li][li]1970 Ford - new, 4 door, this one had erratic automatic transmission, traded it in on the station wagon, only had 16,000 miles on it[/li][li]1970 Ford Station Wagon - new, we went many miles in this car, Florida, once we took Larry, Carolyn and boys to Springfield MO then on to go trout fishing. The boys caught $40 worth of trout in a very short time. This was an excellent car, out more than 90,000 miles on it in a fairly short time.[/li][li]1973 American Motors Matador - new, 4 door, red with black vinyl top[/li][li]1973 VW Bus - new, orange and white[/li][li]1974 VW Bus, new, blue and white[/li][li]1975 VW Bus, new, red and white. Rolled it over on the way to Otter Lake, Jetson was walking around on the ceiling[/li][li]1976 Ford Granada - new, silver. Extremely fast[/li][li]1978 Oldsmobile Delta 88 - new, green and white vinyl roof, sold it to Mr. Hobby in 1980[/li][li]1966 Dodge pick-up, third hand, red, 318 V8, sold and still running somewhere in Horseshoe Bend, AR[/li][li]1980 Chevrolet Citation - new, not a very good car. Dooku learned to drive on it. If you took your foot off the accelerator going downhill it would freewheel and pick up speed[/li][li]1983 Renault Alliance - new, 4 door, silver, Dooku well remembers this car. [sub](It broke down in southern MO between St. Louis and Arkansas, we had to spend the night in a hotel - Dooku)[/sub][/li][li]1985 Dodge Omni - new, 4 door, gunmetal gray, only put 60,000 miles on this one[/li][li]1985 Dodge Aries - new, 4 door, red[/li][li]1986 Chrysler LeBaron GTS - new, 4 door, ice blue, sold to Rod Porter in Horseshoe Bend, AR[/li][li]1988 Ford Tempo GL - new, 4 door, silver, first car I ever had with power door locks[/li][li]1992 Ford Escort - new, 4 door, silver, drove to Duluth, MN and realized it was not very comfortable, so traded it in on next car[/li][li]1992 Ford Tempo, light blue, 4 door, program car (had 8,000 miles on it) purchased from dealer in Black Rock, AR. I put 44,000 miles on it so got another one[/li][li]1994 Ford Taurus - 4 door, used with 18,700 miles on it. I need one more for 50![/li][/ol]

He didn’t make it. Rest in peace, Paw Paw.

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**Author:** ![AuntiePam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f19dbf/32.png) [@AuntiePam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AuntiePam)\
**Post date:** [June 1, 2006, 11:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-list-of-the-cars-owned-by-my-92-year-old-grandfather/359086/2 "2006-06-01T23:54:06Z")

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🙂 That was fun to read. Your grandpa had a good memory. Sounds like he enjoyed _most_ of those cars.

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**Author:** ![Baker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bb73d2/32.png) [@Baker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baker)\
**Post date:** [June 2, 2006, 1:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-list-of-the-cars-owned-by-my-92-year-old-grandfather/359086/3 "2006-06-02T01:12:30Z")

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What an impressive feat of memory. Sorry to hear he didn’t make his goal.

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**Author:** ![KlondikeGeoff](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3e96dc/32.png) [@KlondikeGeoff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KlondikeGeoff)\
**Post date:** [June 2, 2006, 1:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-list-of-the-cars-owned-by-my-92-year-old-grandfather/359086/4 "2006-06-02T01:42:26Z")

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Wow, what a list and what a memory. As my memory is not that good, I recorded them as I went along.

The Renault Encore was the worst piece of junk I ever got, but at the time it was the only small car with an automatic transmission, and my wife had just learned to drive, so got it for her. She soon learned to appreciate better cars. 😃

I’m not as old as he was, but getting closer. Here’s my list as of now, with the year, the make, and the year I purchased it:

1. 1933 Terraplane roadster w/1948 Hudson 8 engine 1949
2. 1936 DeSoto 4-door sedan 1950
3. 1937 Plymouth business coupe 1950
4. 1946 Chevrolet 2-door sedan 1951
5. 1953 Nash Statesman 1954
6. 1958 Volkswagen bug 1958
7. 1961 Peugeot 403 station wagon 1961
8. 1963 Jeep Wagoneer station wagon 1963
9. 1965 VW bug 1965
10. 

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1966 Renault Dauphine 1966

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11. 

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1967 Mercedes Benz 200 sedan 1967

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12. 

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1969 Datsun 2000 sports car 1969

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13. 

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1971 Opel 1900 sport coupe 1971

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14. 

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1971 Datsun 1200 2-door coupe 1971

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15. 

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1931 Ford Model A Victoria 1972

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16. 

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1973 Volvo 144E 4-door sedan 1973

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17. 

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1975 Toyota Corolla 2-door sedan 1975

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18. 

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1975 Toyota Corolla station wagon 1975

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19. 

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1976 Fiat 124 Spyder convertible 1976

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20. 

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1975 Chevy Vega (winter car) 1980

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21. 

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1976 Cadillac Sedan DeVille 1981

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22. 

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1983 Toyota Celica ST Coupe 1983

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23. 

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1963 Bentley S3 Saloon 1983

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24. 

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1985 Renault Encore 2-door hatchback 1985

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25. 

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1991 Honda Accord 4-door LX 1990

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26. 

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1997 Mercedes Benz C230 1996

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27. 

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1997 Mercury Villager GS minivan (Nissan Quest) 1997

```

28. 2001 Jaguar XJ8 2001

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**Author:** ![Morbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/morbo/32/389_2.png) [@Morbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morbo)\
**Post date:** [June 2, 2006, 1:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-list-of-the-cars-owned-by-my-92-year-old-grandfather/359086/5 "2006-06-02T01:42:57Z")

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When it came to cars, he had a memory like a steel trap. His love of cars transferred to all of my brothers and me - I’ve had over a dozen, and I’m in my mid-30’s.

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**Author:** ![pinkfreud](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pinkfreud/32/17603_2.png) [@pinkfreud](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pinkfreud)\
**Post date:** [June 2, 2006, 1:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-list-of-the-cars-owned-by-my-92-year-old-grandfather/359086/6 "2006-06-02T01:48:21Z")

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Gosh, I feel like a real stick-in-the-mud. I still have the very first car that I ever purchased with my own money.  
It’s a [1968 VW Beetle](http://www.mortalwombat.com/Image/bug.jpg).

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**Author:** ![Morbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/morbo/32/389_2.png) [@Morbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morbo)\
**Post date:** [June 2, 2006, 1:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-list-of-the-cars-owned-by-my-92-year-old-grandfather/359086/7 "2006-06-02T01:57:42Z")

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> [@KlondikeGeoff](#):
>
> The Renault Encore was the worst piece of junk I ever got, but at the time it was the only small car with an automatic transmission, and my wife had just learned to drive, so got it for her. She soon learned to appreciate better cars
> 
> \<snip\>
> 
> 1. 
> 
> ```
> 1963 Bentley S3 Saloon 1983
> 
> ```
> 
> 2. 
> 
> ```
> 1985 Renault Encore 2-door hatchback 1985
> 
> ```

What, you didn’t want her learning on the Bentley? 🙂

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**Author:** ![Morbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/morbo/32/389_2.png) [@Morbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morbo)\
**Post date:** [June 2, 2006, 10:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-list-of-the-cars-owned-by-my-92-year-old-grandfather/359086/8 "2006-06-02T10:33:46Z")

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> [@pinkfreud](#):
>
> Gosh, I feel like a real stick-in-the-mud. I still have the very first car that I ever purchased with my own money.  
> It’s a [1968 VW Beetle](http://www.mortalwombat.com/Image/bug.jpg).

Is that _you_ in that photo? If so, awesome. [Here’s](http://www.leptonic.com/skip/s&saab.jpg) my baby. [Here’s](http://www.duncansbeemers.com/imagebank/big/L1000746.JPG) my other baby, and [here’s](http://subaru.com.au/explore/outback/images/2006/exterior/wagon_2.5i_2j20.jpg)my weef’s baby.

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**Author:** ![Sal\_Ammoniac](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/8dc957/32.png) [@Sal\_Ammoniac](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sal_Ammoniac)\
**Post date:** [June 2, 2006, 1:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-list-of-the-cars-owned-by-my-92-year-old-grandfather/359086/9 "2006-06-02T13:24:56Z")

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I’m completely not a car guy, but I’m impressed by the list. The weirdest thing on it, to me, is items 35, 36, 37 – three years in a row he bought a new VW bus? Most of all, I’m staggered by the sheer number of cars he went through (you too, **KlondikeGeoff** ). How much of this is just loving cars versus the cars being pieces of crap?

Myself, I’ve only had three cars in my life, and I’m past 40 now: a couple of Corollas and a minivan. Which, of course, is just about as boring as it gets, automotively speaking.

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**Author:** ![Morbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/morbo/32/389_2.png) [@Morbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morbo)\
**Post date:** [June 2, 2006, 8:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-list-of-the-cars-owned-by-my-92-year-old-grandfather/359086/10 "2006-06-02T20:04:57Z")

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> [@Sal Ammoniac](#):
>
> How much of this is just loving cars versus the cars being pieces of crap?

That’s how the conversation began - we were laughing about the ridiculous number of cars he’d owned. Definitely “just loving cars” - he always wanted a new car his whole life.

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**Author:** ![Gordon\_Urquhart](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/db5fbb/32.png) [@Gordon\_Urquhart](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gordon_Urquhart)\
**Post date:** [June 2, 2006, 8:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-list-of-the-cars-owned-by-my-92-year-old-grandfather/359086/11 "2006-06-02T20:19:44Z")

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What a treasure – you can really keep track of family history through something like that.

While my wife’s family members doesn’t keep lists, they do seem to recollect significant (and insignificant) events by the vehicles they owned at the time.

Examples:

Me: “We went to Yellowstone National Park in 2001, and the next year …”  
My BIL: “Couldn’t have. I didn’t have the blue F150 until 2002.”

Me: “When was the cement for this driveway laid?”  
My FIL: “Well, we had the Buick then, so it must have been prior to 1983.”

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**Author:** ![Ellen\_Cherry](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ellen_cherry/32/3600_2.png) [@Ellen\_Cherry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ellen_Cherry)\
**Post date:** [June 2, 2006, 8:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-list-of-the-cars-owned-by-my-92-year-old-grandfather/359086/12 "2006-06-02T20:48:32Z")

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My grandfather was just like Gordon Urquhart’s – and my grandfather had nearly as many cars as Dooku’s did! He died two years ago at 90; I wish I’d thought to have him make a list!

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**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\
**Post date:** [June 3, 2006, 6:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-list-of-the-cars-owned-by-my-92-year-old-grandfather/359086/13 "2006-06-03T18:15:34Z")

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**Dooku** , that’s an awesome list. My grandpa doesn’t love cars as much as yours did but he and my dad are the types of guys who would remember all the cars they’ve had over the years. You’ve inspired me to ask them to make lists!!

**Geoff** , what’s with the Pugeot, Opel and Renaults? And even the Bently? Were they readily available cars in the US at one time or did you live in Europe? Or did you just really want one and had it shipped over?

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**Author:** ![KlondikeGeoff](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3e96dc/32.png) [@KlondikeGeoff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KlondikeGeoff)\
**Post date:** [June 3, 2006, 7:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-list-of-the-cars-owned-by-my-92-year-old-grandfather/359086/14 "2006-06-03T19:07:48Z")

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> [@ZipperJJ](#):
>
> **Geoff** , what’s with the Pugeot, Opel and Renaults? And even the Bently? Were they readily available cars in the US at one time or did you live in Europe? Or did you just really want one and had it shipped over?

Hey I go **way** back, but even so, in those days Pugeots and Renaults were sold here. The Opel was sold by Buick dealers, and was a sweet car.

Pricewise, for years I felt most foreign cars were far better than the American ones, and still are. I kept saying that whenever an American car company would make a car as good and cheap as the foreign ones, I’d gladly buy it. I’m still waiting.

Ah, the Bentley I got when it was 20 years old, and what a car! Fortunately, they appreciate in value, so when had to sell it (3 kids in college at the same time), made some money on it, but cried and cried.

And the Model A was a blast. I had to restore it, but once on the road, it was fun to watch the people as i passed by. I’d pull into a gas station and empty the place as everybody came out to look. Unlike many antique cars, you could drive along at 50 or 55 mph, not holding up traffic. Also, even with those big cylinders, it got 20 miles to the gallon. Regular.

And you could fix anything on the car with a screwdriver or a pair of pliers.

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**Author:** ![Tuckerfan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/eada6e/32.png) [@Tuckerfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tuckerfan)\
**Post date:** [June 3, 2006, 11:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-list-of-the-cars-owned-by-my-92-year-old-grandfather/359086/15 "2006-06-03T23:20:24Z")

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**Dooku** , did your grandfather ever mention that the Packard he used to own would probably be worth around $100K today? When my dad was a teenager, he and his cousin owned a Packard convertable of that era, when I told him what they’re worth today ($130K) he blanched.

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**Author:** ![Morbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/morbo/32/389_2.png) [@Morbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morbo)\
**Post date:** [June 4, 2006, 1:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-list-of-the-cars-owned-by-my-92-year-old-grandfather/359086/16 "2006-06-04T01:07:11Z")

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> [@Tuckerfan](#):
>
> **Dooku** , did your grandfather ever mention that the Packard he used to own would probably be worth around $100K today? When my dad was a teenager, he and his cousin owned a Packard convertable of that era, when I told him what they’re worth today ($130K) he blanched.

Wow. I had no idea they were that valuable. We had all assumed that his 56 Chevy would be the most valuable if he still had it today.

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**Author:** ![Tuckerfan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/eada6e/32.png) [@Tuckerfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tuckerfan)\
**Post date:** [June 4, 2006, 2:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-list-of-the-cars-owned-by-my-92-year-old-grandfather/359086/17 "2006-06-04T02:47:41Z")

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> [@Dooku](#):
>
> Wow. I had no idea they were that valuable. We had all assumed that his 56 Chevy would be the most valuable if he still had it today.

Last I checked, 57 Chevys (which are higher in demand than 56s) were going for about $20K, of course, condition, and options can raise or lower the value significantly.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Morbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/morbo/32/389_2.png) [@Morbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morbo)\
**Post date:** [June 4, 2006, 4:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-list-of-the-cars-owned-by-my-92-year-old-grandfather/359086/18 "2006-06-04T04:08:44Z")

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See? Told you I had no idea. 🙂