There is something charming about visiting a town that embraces automotive history. Thinking back, my visit to Seligman along Route 66 was one of the top highlights of my year.
During a recent overnight stay at the Shady Dell RV Park, I took a stroll through Lowell, Arizona – a small establishment on the outskirts of Bisbee. It’s only about eight miles north of the Mexican border, and the fact that it’s so remote adds to the charm. (The vibe was a little bit like the settlement of “Portal,” which I also visited earlier this year.)
Lowell got its start as a copper mining establishment and, in fact, expansion of the mine ended up consuming part of the original town. Today, Erie Street remains as a reminder of the past. Here were some of the vehicles I liked the most:
1948 Chrysler New Yorker
The New Yorker was a luxurious offering from Chrysler, complete with an Art Deco-inspired interior. Power came from a 323.5ci inline-eight mated to a semi-automatic Fluid Drive transmission. This streetside Chrysler was done up in taxi livery for the Broken Spoke Cab Company. It had some nice upgrades like an A-pillar-mounted spotlight.
1951 Chevrolet Styleline Deluxe
This Styleline was parked on the north end of Erie Street at a gas station. The right-rear door was ajar, so I peeked inside and got a good whiff of “old car smell.” The Styleline’s standard powertrain offering was a “Thrift-Master” 216ci inline-six mated to a three-speed manual.
1953 Ford Customline
This might have been my favorite car in the mix. Styled as a police cruiser, it was parked on the south end of Erie Street. And glancing at Google Street View, it’s been there for several years. The door had the name of Barney Fife, a fictional character who played a police offer in the “Andy Griffith Show” in the 1960s. (In the actual TV show, Fife drove an early 1960s Galaxie.)
1954 Ford Crestline Country Squire
This four-door station wagon was a top-of-the-line ride for its time. Another Broken Spoke-themed car, this two-tone classic had V8 badges on the front fenders. That meant it was powered by an optional, new 239ci Y-block V8 that was rated at 130 horsepower.
1957 Chevrolet Bel Air
We love our tri-five Bel Airs, and this four-door sedan had an amazing patina on the exterior. The turquoise and white two-tone paint had seen better days. Surprisingly, unlike many of the cars on Erie Street, it had current registration and fully inflated tires, so perhaps someone is driving it on a regular basis.
1957 Ford Ranchero
Another finned beauty was this red “coupe-utility.” This car-based pickup, which launched in 1957, was Ford’s answer to the desire for a vehicle that had passenger-car handling but cargo-hauling capability. It had an integrated body design and came standard with a 223ci inline-six.
1959 Edsel Ranger
The Ranger’s shield-shaped grille was an unmistakable feature for the time. The Ranger was an entry-level model for Ford’s Edsel brand, and it could be ordered as a sedan or a hardtop. This baby-blue four-door had nice chrome and a very straight body – a strong candidate for restoration if someone decided to go that route.
1969 Chevrolet C10
It was nice to see some pickup-truck representation, and this C10 was parked outside a motorcycle shop with all sorts of period-correct memorabilia. The C10 was a half-ton, produced as part of GM’s “Action Line” generation. The diversity of the lineup was vast, ranging from short/long beds, fleetside/stepside, and many engine options.
1969 Chevrolet Camaro
This was undoubtedly the best-preserved (or best-restored) car in the mix – probably because it belongs to someone who was visiting the area and hadn’t been parked very long. Model year 1969 marked the last year of the first-generation Camaro – a vehicle that will forever be remembered as “peak” muscle car among enthusiasts.
I hope you enjoyed a walk down Erie Street with me. Considering it’s lined with classic cars, it might as well be called Memory Lane instead. Which car did you like the best?