VW Cozy

I was downtown briefly on March 4 to check out a few new camera settings. And I walked into quite a scene on Kentucky Street…

© Frank Simpson

Kenilworth Junior High School art teacher Erinn VanderMeer and students and Grace Bogart of Copperfield’s “Yarn Storm” a VW Beetle in downtown Petaluma. The decorations were in anticipation of the appearance of the author of  “Extra Yarn” at Copperfield’s. See Press Democrat story 

 

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© Frank Simpson

Erinn VanderMeer © Frank Simpson

© Frank Simpson

© Frank Simpson

Grace Bogart, Copperfield’s © Frank Simpson

© Frank Simpson

 

The John Lennon Mystery Van

This vehicle certainly qualifies for inclusion in the Unique Vehicles category on this site. It was featured in a blog in January of 2010, The John Lennon Murder–Mystery Solved? These more recent photos document new messages and markings on the vehicle.

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Cars…Chrome…Redux American Graffiti

Selected photos from the recent “Salute to American Graffiti” in Petaluma on May 20 & 21, 2011

If I had a favorite car from the many that were on display, I would go for this 1951 Mercury coupe owned by Jim & Margaret Reeser of Santa Rosa, CA…

Of course, this American Automobile Icon is a strong contender…

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FOR ADDITIONAL PHOTOS OF OTHER AMERICAN GRAFFITI CARS, (CLICK HERE)

 

Cars…Chrome…1956 Ford Thunderbird

Granted, the Ford Thunderbird made its debut in 1955. However, this 1956 T-Bird is a special case and is emblematic of the T-Bird mystique. 

It was purchased off a used car lot in 1964 by Clay Daily. 

In 1972, it was “recruited” off the streets of Petaluma to serve as the vehicle in which Suzanne Somers made her famous drive by in American Graffiti… 

Clay still owns the car and uses it on a regular basis. It is now somewhere north of 300,000 miles and still counting. Of course, the car is part of the annual Petaluma Salute to American Graffiti.

A slideshow of selected T-Bird close-ups is in order…

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FOR MORE BACKGROUND ON THE CAR, (CLICK HERE)

FOR ADDITIONAL PHOTOS OF OTHER AMERICAN GRAFFITI CARS, (CLICK HERE)

 

Cars…Chrome…Symbols Of Our Past

Car shows, period & antique, are part of our culture in California. Photos in this post are from the May 7, 2011 Petaluma Plazarama show. The photos are not of the “traditional” type, focusing instead on the shapes, symbols, and chrome that once were trademarks of American automobiles.

For the record, the “star bursts” on some of the photos were not added in post production editing. As the photos were taken midday, I had to struggle to lower or control the reflections and still produce useful images…in the camera.

1956 Ford Fairlane

Ford Truck

1948 Hudson

Retired Tour Bus from Glacier National Park

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