Nothing Screamed "Freedom" to Boomers Quite Like These Cars From Their Youth
Baby boomers are a lot of things - cantankerous, occasionally offensive, and usually pretty dismissive of “younger generations”. Still, their nostalgia for simpler times isn’t baseless, and when it came to cars, they may have had it better than any other generation that came before or after.
1960 Volkswagen Beetle
A car so culturally significant that it’s still an icon nearly a century later, the 1960 VW Beetle was a symbol of the counterculture and hippie movements that swept across the US and other parts of the world in the mid-20th century. Low maintenance and affordable, it’s the car your grandparents may have shared their first date in.
1962 Volkswagen Type 2 Bus
While the Beetle was undoubtedly linked to the hippie movement of the 60s, it was VW’s other popular vehicle that became its face. The Type 2 Bus was the primary mode of transportation for swingers, pot-heads, and those seeking spiritual enlightenment - usually by way of pot and other drugs.
1965 Ford Falcon
Of course, not everybody was a hippie in those days, and rather than embrace the countercultural zeitgeist of their time, many boomers sought a more traditional lifestyle as they grew into adulthood. The ‘65 Falcon was the vehicle for them, a straight-edged and affordable sedan that was perfect for road trips.
1966 Chevy Impala Convertible
In the '60s, nothing said “cool” quite like a convertible. These were the cars you bought with the express intent of cruising and showing off, and there were few vehicles that could meet that mandate better than the ‘66 Chevy Impala.
1964½ Ford Mustang Convertible
Of course, the Impala had some stiff competition, but anybody who is at all familiar with 60s cars would know that there is perhaps no other vehicle from that time more iconic than the Mustang. Its convertible variant was especially popular with the younger crowd, and it’s not hard to see why.
1964 Chevrolet Bel Air
The Bel Air nameplate originated way back in 1950, when baby boomers were still, well, babies. It’s the vehicle their own parents used to drive, and it was the natural choice for many adult boomers when it came to raising their own families. Reliable and with an understated sense of style, the ‘64 Bel Air is a nostalgic ride for many.
1969 Chrysler Town & Country Wagon
There is perhaps no other category of cars more synonymous with boomer family men than the station wagon. Spacious and at least semi-luxurious on the inside, these were the cars that allowed the entire family to go on a cross-country road trip in total comfort, and no other vehicle in the category is as iconic as the 1969 Chrysler Town & Country Wagon.
1977 Chevrolet Caprice Classic
Baby boomers were perhaps the last generation of Americans who could appreciate the promise of the “American Dream” without disillusionment, embodied here with the ‘77 Chevrolet Caprice. It was something of a status symbol in middle-class suburbia, a commanding vehicle that was nonetheless absolutely comfortable to drive.
1972 Oldsmobile Vista Cruiser
While the ‘69 Chrysler Town & Country Wagon was probably the more popular wagon (likely due to its more affordable price tag), the ‘72 Oldsmobile Vista Cruiser was the true road trip king of the 70s. With its distinctive glass roof and spacious cabin, it was a totally unique vehicle that commanded the envy of your neighbors.
1970 Datsun 240Z
While many boomers insist that “American-made” will always be the best way to go when it comes to cars, they’d have a hard time arguing against the 1970 Datsun 240Z’s merits. A sleek and stylish sports car that didn’t demand a full year’s worth of wages to own, the 240Z changed the perception of Japanese-made vehicles amongst Americans.
1974 BMW 2002
The general consensus amongst baby boomers was this: American-made meant power and performance; European-made meant precision and style. And if you were after the latter, the ‘74 BMW 2002 was the car for you, a “driver’s car” before the term could be driven into the ground.
1976 Toyota Celica
Nowadays, Toyota’s reputation for practical, economically-friendly cars is well-established, but it was the ‘76 Celica that really set the standard. With styling reminiscent of classic pony cars (like the Mustang) without any of their impracticality, the Celica was something of a sleeper hit amongst boomers, especially in a time when those classic muscle cars were becoming more and more neutered.
1963 Chevrolet Corvette Sting Ray
Ask any boomer as to what their dream car was when they were young, and chances are they’ll mention the ‘63 Corvette Sting Ray. Simply put, there was no other car quite like it, with its distinctive split rear windows and futuristic design that emphasized its sleek curves. It instantly lodged itself within the collective memory of the baby boomer generation and is still a marvel of design and engineering to this day.
1968 Shelby GT500
If your grandad was into drag racing as a younger man, chances are he’s been behind the wheel of a Shelby GT500 at some point in his life. A high-performance variant of the Mustang developed by the legendary Carroll Shelby, this was exactly the kind of car that had drivers quaking in their boots when they pulled up next to it.
1976 Cadillac Eldorado Convertible
The 70s was a bad time to be a fan of powerful American muscle cars thanks to the Oil Crisis and strict emissions regulations of the time, so the public turned their attention to land yachts. The 1976 Cadillac Eldorado Convertible was perhaps the most opulent of these cars, and became an instant classic despite its frankly subpar horsepower.
1966 Lincoln Continental Convertible
A decade before the Eldorado, another convertible had captured the hearts of many. The ‘66 Lincoln Continental was a large, powerful machine that seemed to represent the peak of Detroit engineering at the time - and unlike the previous entry, this one actually had a substantial amount of juice!
1966 Ford Bronco
1966 also gave boomers the Ford Bronco, a powerful four-wheeler that could be driven off-road, in the city, and in the suburbs. Simply put, it was something of a revelation for many boomers with a penchant for “going with the wind”.
1970 Jeep CJ-5
While Jeep had been around for some time by 1970, it was only that year when it became a fully American-owned entity. Ever patriotic, many boomers quickly got their hands on a CJ-5, discovering for the first time what the manufacturer was capable of - that is, unparalleled freedom and a pure off-road spirit.
1969 Chevrolet Camaro
We’d be totally remiss for not giving special mention to muscle cars, which pretty much defined 60s automotive manufacturing in America. Whether you were a Chevrolet fan your whole life or just wanted to stick it to Ford, the Camaro was probably your ideal car back in the day.
1970 Dodge Challenger
Called the “Challenger” because it literally challenged Chevrolet and Ford’s supremacy in the muscle car category, this was the vehicle you got when you wanted to be a contrarian - without going full on counterculture.
1967 Pontiac GTO
Called the “first true muscle car” thanks to its particularly aggressive sense of style, the ‘67 Pontiac GTO was a lean, mean machine, unapologetic in its manners, and was your ticket to the highway back in the late 60s.
1971 Plymouth Barracuda
As early as 1971, muscle cars seemed to be fairly homogenized in their design… until the Barracuda came along. With its distinctive fender “gills” and totally wild design, the ‘Cuda offered raw power to fast-living boomers who embraced individuality and non-conformity.
1977 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am
If you lived during the 70s, you probably couldn’t get away from Smokey and the Bandit, and it didn’t help that one of the most popular vehicles of that time featured in the film. Believe it or not, the decal on the hood is supposed to be a phoenix, but any boomer will tell you that it’s actually a flaming chicken.
1966 Chevrolet Chevelle SS
If muscle cars represented ultimate freedom for the independent gear-head, then what was there for the family man to get his hands on? The answer: the ‘66 Chevelle SS, a muscle car that also made for a perfectly acceptable family vehicle thanks to its more conservative design.
1968 Oldsmobile 442
With its “coke bottle” body style, unique black grille, and sumptuous louvered hood, the ‘68 Oldsmobile 442 was the muscle car for boomers who had already made it ahead in life but weren’t quite yet ready to slow down at all.
1970 Buick GSX
If the 442 was still too “pedestrian” for your tastes, then you likely had your eye on a much more exclusive prize: the 1970 Buick GSX. With a production run limited to a mere 678 units, this was the car you bought when your sense of supreme luxury came with a side of rebellion.
1969 Dodge Charger
For redneck boomers coming up in the sticks, the ‘69 Charger was the car for them. You can thank The Dukes of Hazzard for that - we just hope grandpappy didn’t opt for the “Confederate” paint job…
1965 Ford Mustang
Of course, we’d be out of our right minds to not include the ‘65 Mustang, the vehicle that ushered in a wave of copycats and competitors all trying to dethrone it. Few came close, and the Mustang got extra points for being supremely affordable as well.
1955 Ford Thunderbird
The Thunderbird was the first “personal car”, released to compete with the Corvette, and quickly became popular with boomers who wanted a real “lifestyle” car that was more than just a method of transportation.
1961 Austin-Healey 3000
The 60s gave us plenty of icons, but there was perhaps no other legend of the screen more envious than James Bond himself. The ‘61 Austin-Healey 3000, therefore, became a way for boomers to get a taste of 007’s lifestyle - without actually becoming a spy, of course.
1970 Ford LTD
The 70s brought with it a wave of “land yachts”, that is, full-size, borderline luxury vehicles (typically sedans) that symbolized middle-to-upper-class comfort. And while there were perhaps other cars more luxurious, none were quite as popular as the 1970 Ford LTD, a vehicle that many boomers hold fondly in their hearts to this day.
1972 Mercedes-Benz SL (R107)
For many people these days, cars are a purely utilitarian product - it hardly matters what the thing looks like or what it represents so long as it gets you where you need to go. But back in the 70s, cars were still a status symbol, and no other vehicle was more indicative of the upwardly mobile boomer than the 1972 Mercedes-Benz SL (R107).
1968 Mustang GT 390
If the original Mustang wasn’t enough to capture your grandad’s attention back in the day, the ‘68 GT 390 variant almost certainly did thanks to its iconic role in Bullitt, where it was driven by none other than Steve McQueen, the guy every other guy wanted to be like.
1975 Chevrolet Monza
The Monza came about during tough economic times, when many boomers’ dream cars were always just too far out of reach. The ‘75 Chevy Monza, therefore, was a source of salvation for many, a cheap, economical car that still offered a stylish and sporty way to stay mobile during the worst the 70s had to offer.
