MacGougan at Large

Notes on Cars - 7

Big and Little

Sometime back in the mid 1960s, my Dad worked out a deal with our neighbor, the used car salesman. For our two medium-sized clunkers and an undisclosed amount of cash (some grandparent help may have been involved), we received two notably less clunky used cars. They were a study in contrast: Big and Little. 

One was a white 1959 Cadillac convertible. It looked like a whale. Specifically, the front end looked like the head of a sperm whale that had been fitted out with grillz, while the back end featured what I believe were the largest tail fins ever recorded on a land vessel. In a pinch, its two bench seats could probably seat eight.

The other was an orange 1959 Volkswagen Karmann Ghia. It was roughly the size of a two-man bobsled. It could hold three passengers, but only if one of them was an undersized contortionist without claustrophobia. (At the time, I was the undersized contortionist of the family, and spent my share of trips perched sideways on the narrow shelf that was theoretically the back seat.)

So we were a two-car family, but one that reached that state by having a half a car and a car and a half. Each of the cars was fun and stylish in its own way. The Caddy was all expansive, American opulence, while the Vee-Dub was minimalist European chic. The Caddy had electric windows and electric seats and an early version of a radio that could hunt for a signal. It also baffled more than one service station attendant because the access to filling up the gas tank was hidden behind a secret door built into the rear grillwork. The Vee-Dub, on the other hand, had a manual transmission as well as manual windows and seats. The one interesting gadget on board was a lever that could be turned if the gas ran out. I never had the opportunity to test it, but supposedly the lever would release a small emergency gas supply.

Today, my wife and I have our own version of Big and Little. I drive a compact Ford hatchback that’s economical and easy to park, while she drives a mid-sized Audi that’s more comfortable, especially for long trips. I have to say, though, that our version is pretty weak tea compared with the larger than life (and smaller than life) version of Big and Little cars from my youth.