Joe21
03-25-2009, 07:15 PM
My grandchildren have asked me on several occasions to write down some of my memories from my childhood and my time in service during WW2 and the Korean War. Frankly, this has become a tough task. It's difficult for me to remember a lot of the details and facts but it does give me an opportunity to embellish the facts and hope they can't tell the difference. Finding, or making time to do the writing has allowed me to give new meaning to the word "procrastination". However, here is one of the stories that should bore anyone ---- and that's a promise. It's about a Dodge Touring Sedan.
The automobile was a rarity for most families during my younger days and young boys were just as excited about automobiles then as they are today. I have several stories about automobiles --- Overlands and Maxwells from earlier days but the Dodge brings back the fondest memories.
In the early 30's, my Dad purchased a Dodge Touring Sedan. The only thing I can think of to suggest why the word "touring" was used in describing an automobile was the size. Apparently this indicated the automobile was large enought for a family and their luggage for an extended tour. That Dodge was a thing of beauty. The main thing that set it apart from all other automobiles in my hometown was the color -- a tan automobile in a town where all others were black.
On the day the automobile was delivered to our house by the dealer, all of our neighbors were there to give it their close inspection and approval. Almost everyone in town came by the next several days to see "that tan car". My older brother and I were only too eager to point out all of the features. On each of the front fenders was a recessed area which housed a spare wheel, each covered with bright and shiny chrome. On the rear was a "fold away" luggage rack, a new and novel idea for that era.
The interior was a sight to behold. The shiny dashboard had more dials than anyone could imagine at that time. The upholstery was plush. Tassels hung above each door and there was a fancy rack for a lap robe or blanket. This was before the advent of automobile air conditioners and living in Florida, there was no heater. All of this for less than one thousand dollars !!! This became my Mother's and the family automobile.
My parents came originally from the Mid-West and many of our rlatives still lived in that area. Naturally, a trip to Florida was a good excuse to visit my family (relatives and friends were always welcomed). Soon after my Dad had purchased the Dodge some of the relatives came for a visit. There were several children including two boys about the same age as me and my brother. Soon after their arrival, one of the boys said to my older brother, "we want to see the machine". The only machine we could think of was my Mother's sewing machine. My brother and I didn't see anything exciting about a sewing machine, nevertheless, we took them into my Mother's sewing room and showed them her sewing machine. We learned immediately this was not the sort of machine they wanted to see and finally learned that to them a machine was an automobile. We then took them to the garage and when they saw that tan "machine" their eyes were as wide as a silver dollar. Naturally, my brother and I were only too happy to point out every detail. Actually we were becoming quite adept at this because of the daily visits to see that tan Dodge. My brother and I were still too young to drive, however, we spent many hours sitting behind that steering wheel pretending we were touring all of the United States. Oh, what fun we had !!!!
Over a span of about four years that Dodge was our means of transportation to many wonderful places. But that old Dodge was a gas guzzler and with gasoline at seventeen to nineteen cents per gallon, who could afford that luxury? Yes. that old Dodge Touring Sedan conjures up many fond memories.
The automobile was a rarity for most families during my younger days and young boys were just as excited about automobiles then as they are today. I have several stories about automobiles --- Overlands and Maxwells from earlier days but the Dodge brings back the fondest memories.
In the early 30's, my Dad purchased a Dodge Touring Sedan. The only thing I can think of to suggest why the word "touring" was used in describing an automobile was the size. Apparently this indicated the automobile was large enought for a family and their luggage for an extended tour. That Dodge was a thing of beauty. The main thing that set it apart from all other automobiles in my hometown was the color -- a tan automobile in a town where all others were black.
On the day the automobile was delivered to our house by the dealer, all of our neighbors were there to give it their close inspection and approval. Almost everyone in town came by the next several days to see "that tan car". My older brother and I were only too eager to point out all of the features. On each of the front fenders was a recessed area which housed a spare wheel, each covered with bright and shiny chrome. On the rear was a "fold away" luggage rack, a new and novel idea for that era.
The interior was a sight to behold. The shiny dashboard had more dials than anyone could imagine at that time. The upholstery was plush. Tassels hung above each door and there was a fancy rack for a lap robe or blanket. This was before the advent of automobile air conditioners and living in Florida, there was no heater. All of this for less than one thousand dollars !!! This became my Mother's and the family automobile.
My parents came originally from the Mid-West and many of our rlatives still lived in that area. Naturally, a trip to Florida was a good excuse to visit my family (relatives and friends were always welcomed). Soon after my Dad had purchased the Dodge some of the relatives came for a visit. There were several children including two boys about the same age as me and my brother. Soon after their arrival, one of the boys said to my older brother, "we want to see the machine". The only machine we could think of was my Mother's sewing machine. My brother and I didn't see anything exciting about a sewing machine, nevertheless, we took them into my Mother's sewing room and showed them her sewing machine. We learned immediately this was not the sort of machine they wanted to see and finally learned that to them a machine was an automobile. We then took them to the garage and when they saw that tan "machine" their eyes were as wide as a silver dollar. Naturally, my brother and I were only too happy to point out every detail. Actually we were becoming quite adept at this because of the daily visits to see that tan Dodge. My brother and I were still too young to drive, however, we spent many hours sitting behind that steering wheel pretending we were touring all of the United States. Oh, what fun we had !!!!
Over a span of about four years that Dodge was our means of transportation to many wonderful places. But that old Dodge was a gas guzzler and with gasoline at seventeen to nineteen cents per gallon, who could afford that luxury? Yes. that old Dodge Touring Sedan conjures up many fond memories.