Queen Victoria

Did you ever see a car at a cruise night or car show that gives you a flashback to your youth, although you don’t know why? That’s what happened when we say this sky blue Ford Victoria last Wednesday night.

It wasn’t just the car or its hardtop styling that brought back some cloudy memories. Heck, in our neighborhood in New York there weren’t many hardtops and those that were there usually had four doors. We lived in a working class area filled with families and kids. So, sedans and station wagons were king and wagons were pretty scarce. They cost too much for most families.

We think it was just the look of the Ford and the color that linked the car to our past. Maybe one of my friend’s fathers had a same year Ford sedan if the same color. Or maybe one of our teachers drove a car like this one to PS46.

In a lot of cases, we can associate a certain car with a certain family. Vinnie Accalaree’s dad drove a ’51 Mercury. Lewis Cimino’s dad had a red ’59 Plymouth. Walter Zuck’s family had a charcoal gray ’57 Olds. We had a green and white ’57 Chrysler Windsor.

Someone had to have had a blue Ford. When we saw the car bells and whistles went off, but we just can’t associate the car with a particular friend or family in the old neighborhood. It was a long time ago.

Whoever had that car sure had a pretty one. Fords of the era seemed sporty and modern. They have timeless good looks. And the hardtop Victoria was the queen of the local Ford dealer’s showroom.