# What type of family car did you grow up with? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [September 27, 2021, 1:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-type-of-family-car-did-you-grow-up-with/951412 "2021-09-27T01:42:19Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![Heracles](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/heracles/32/487_2.png) [@Heracles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Heracles)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2021, 12:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-type-of-family-car-did-you-grow-up-with/951412/81 "2021-09-28T12:30:14Z")
About the Aspire : in French, the word for a vacuum cleaner is _aspirateur_ (TIL the Spanish word is _aspiradora_). Although the “sucks” analogy doesn’t work in French, having a subcompact car named after a cleaning appliance is bad enough. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2021, 2:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-type-of-family-car-did-you-grow-up-with/951412/82 "2021-09-28T14:15:15Z")
> [@themapleleaf](#): > > Did you like the Edsel? Well, I was eight, so I didn’t have much knowledge of cards. I did like the push-button transmission (it was on the dash, not the steering wheel). I remember it was a good-sized car and there was plenty of room for my two brothers and me in the back. I never thought if it was ugly or not. I did like the horse collar grille, since it made the car stand out. We traded it in, but we usually got a new car every three years or so. Here’s what it looked like. [![](https://i.pinimg.com/564x/1a/4b/4a/1a4b4a68384c02196fe8775215d26342.jpg) ](https://i.pinimg.com/564x/1a/4b/4a/1a4b4a68384c02196fe8775215d26342.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2021, 4:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-type-of-family-car-did-you-grow-up-with/951412/83 "2021-09-28T16:05:31Z")
Ford got around to redesigning the Edsel grille, but by then it was too late. [![](https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/FFQAAOSwUoBhJRiY/s-l500.jpg) ](https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/FFQAAOSwUoBhJRiY/s-l500.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![WildaBeast](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wildabeast/32/6_2.png) [@WildaBeast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WildaBeast)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2021, 4:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-type-of-family-car-did-you-grow-up-with/951412/84 "2021-09-28T16:14:35Z")
> [@Bonum\_Legatum](#): > > > [@WildaBeast](#): > > > > Continuing the bad car name hijack, I always though the Ford Aspire was a terrible name. What, was the car aspiring to be a better car someday? Because it certainly wasn’t a car anyone aspired to own. > > The hosts of the NPR show “Car Talk” once made this very point - almost word for word with your first two sentences. Great minds think alike… Well… I may have possibly stolen that joke from them… > [@RealityChuck](#): > > I did like the push-button transmission (it was on the dash, not the steering wheel). I have no first hand experience, but from what I’ve read that push-button transmission was one of the major failure points on the Edsel. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2021, 4:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-type-of-family-car-did-you-grow-up-with/951412/85 "2021-09-28T16:36:03Z")
> [@WildaBeast](#): > > I have no first hand experience, but from what I’ve read that push-button transmission was one of the major failure points on the Edsel. Perhaps, but I don’t remember having issues. The car ran fine until we decided to replace it, and we usually bought a new car every 3-4 years. ---
**Author:** ![Twoflower](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/twoflower/32/22_2.png) [@Twoflower](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Twoflower)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2021, 4:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-type-of-family-car-did-you-grow-up-with/951412/86 "2021-09-28T16:44:02Z")
As a kid, I was impressed with the Edsel’s bells & whistles. Push-button transmission (ours was in the center of the steering wheel), radio with a motorized seek function, powered antenna, stuff like that. Oddly, still had hand-cranked windows & manual door locks. Plenty of space for a family with four kids; huge trunk for camping trips. The distinctive styling was kind of cool. By the time I was old enough to drive it, it was clear it hadn’t aged well. My dad had given up on getting the push-button transmission fixed again, and installed a manual shift lever through the floor. ---
**Author:** ![control-z](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/eada6e/32.png) [@control-z](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/control-z)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2021, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-type-of-family-car-did-you-grow-up-with/951412/87 "2021-09-28T17:35:13Z")
Full-size sedan, then several 2-door coupes. Specifically 1970’s Chevy Impala, ~1976 Vega (haha), 1979 Mustang, 1991 Pontiac Sunbird. ---
**Author:** ![WildaBeast](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wildabeast/32/6_2.png) [@WildaBeast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WildaBeast)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2021, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-type-of-family-car-did-you-grow-up-with/951412/88 "2021-09-28T17:39:03Z")
> [@Twoflower](#): > > Oddly, still had hand-cranked windows & manual door locks. I’ve seen pictures of 1980s era Buicks with hand cranked windows and manual locks. I thought that was odd since GM positioned Buick just below Cadillac in their brand hierarchy. When I commented on it I was told there were some buyers back then who just wanted the Buick’s smooth ride and better interior, but considered power windows and locks “just one more thing that can break”. But of course the Edsel’s whiz bang push button transmission and power antenna were also more things that can break, so in that case it does seem odd to leave off the power windows and locks. Maybe that was Ford’s way of attempting to differentiate the brands – you want power windows, you have to sell out for a Mercury or Lincoln. ---
**Author:** ![Sam\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Sam\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_Stone)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2021, 5:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-type-of-family-car-did-you-grow-up-with/951412/89 "2021-09-28T17:46:23Z")
I grew up with a single mom who didn’t drive, and we couldn’t afford a car anyway. My grandparents had a '67 Impala, though. ---
**Author:** ![carrps](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carrps/32/2957_2.png) [@carrps](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carrps)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2021, 7:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-type-of-family-car-did-you-grow-up-with/951412/90 "2021-09-28T19:50:32Z")
> [@Mark\_Finn](#): > > In 1958, my father bought a used 1953 Ford. It survived two trips halfway across North America Oh, yeah, our 1955 Ford station wagon made two round trips from California to Ohio. It almost didn’t survive the first trip when it broke down near Indianapolis on the way home. Fortunately, my mom had a friend from her single days who let us crash at her house. Two parents, four kids, and an old dachshund. The son came home late that night while we kids were all sacked out on the living room floor and was a bit surprised. He was cool about it, though, and I have good memories of hanging out with a cool older teen-aged guy. 😄 The husband also had connections with the racetrack (speedway?), and we got a private tour and got to actually walk on the track…on the bricks! Cool. ---
**Author:** ![BrickBat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ac91a4/32.png) [@BrickBat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrickBat)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2021, 7:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-type-of-family-car-did-you-grow-up-with/951412/91 "2021-09-28T19:56:48Z")
When I was young and we were just a family of 4, my father drove sports coupes. 1965 Plymouth Barracuda 4-speed, 1968 Olds 442 4-speed. Then after a couple more offspring he drove larger personal coupes like Toronados or Pontiac Bonnevilles. ---
**Author:** ![garygnu](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/garygnu/32/2924_2.png) [@garygnu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/garygnu)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2021, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-type-of-family-car-did-you-grow-up-with/951412/92 "2021-09-28T20:06:27Z")
There’s an Edsel Villager station wagon that I’ve seen regularly driving around my town. I’ve wanted to get a picture for the “Most Interesting Car” MPSIMS thread, but, y’know, I’ve been behind the wheel and unable. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2021, 8:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-type-of-family-car-did-you-grow-up-with/951412/93 "2021-09-28T20:11:23Z")
> [@Briny\_Deep](#): > > We had that, in the sedan version, in black. It’s part of the reason I bought a modern Impala! Man, I loved the 65 Impalas, especially with the 425 hp engine. What a screamer. ---
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2021, 11:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-type-of-family-car-did-you-grow-up-with/951412/94 "2021-09-28T23:37:30Z")
80s Ford Crown Vic station wagon, then a 90s Chevy Astro van. The van became my car my second year in college, and was a lot of fun on road trips with my buddies. ---
**Author:** ![Somethingwitty1](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/somethingwitty1/32/8899_2.png) [@Somethingwitty1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Somethingwitty1)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2021, 12:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-type-of-family-car-did-you-grow-up-with/951412/95 "2021-09-29T00:04:55Z")
1969 Chevelle Station Wagon ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2021, 6:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-type-of-family-car-did-you-grow-up-with/951412/96 "2021-09-29T06:15:13Z")
Borgward Isabella Combi (an estate, or station wagon) ---
**Author:** ![Bullitt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bullitt/32/5725_2.png) [@Bullitt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bullitt)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2021, 9:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-type-of-family-car-did-you-grow-up-with/951412/97 "2021-09-29T09:00:21Z")
> [@MrDibble](#): > > Borgward Isabella Combi Had to look that one up. Interesting! [![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/6e/Borgward_Isabella_Combi_1959_%281%29.jpg) ](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/6e/Borgward_Isabella_Combi_1959_%281%29.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2021, 9:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-type-of-family-car-did-you-grow-up-with/951412/98 "2021-09-29T09:04:33Z")
Already 10 years out of production by the time I was born, BTW. ---
**Author:** ![Newtosite](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/newtosite/32/8623_2.png) [@Newtosite](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Newtosite)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2021, 9:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-type-of-family-car-did-you-grow-up-with/951412/99 "2021-09-29T09:12:24Z")
I learned to drive on a '59 Imperial. It was the widest car made at the time, and we lived in the hills with narrow single-lane roads. Fun! 🙂 But it was either that or learn to drive my mom’s stick shift Volvo…and I felt there was no way I could master that. ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2021, 1:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-type-of-family-car-did-you-grow-up-with/951412/100 "2021-09-29T13:31:46Z")
> [@WildaBeast](#): > > I have no first hand experience, but from what I’ve read that push-button transmission was one of the major failure points on the Edsel. > [@Twoflower](#): > > Push-button transmission (ours was in the center of the steering wheel), That was the main problem: people blowing the horn and inadvertently changing gears! [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-type-of-family-car-did-you-grow-up-with/951412.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-type-of-family-car-did-you-grow-up-with/951412.md?page=6)