The cars in the show

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Gerald

Well-Known Member
Sep 8, 2011
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I love the cars in the show, but what I'm wondering is: were a lot of people in the sixties driving around in these big fancy cars? It seems like everyone can afford them. Or were these quite affordable at the time?

I don't know all the brands, but I mean the big Christine-like cars. You see a lot of those and while it looks good, is this done for the show or did you really have a lot of those around in the sixties?
 

GNTLGNT

The idiot is IN
Jun 15, 2007
87,651
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Cambridge, Ohio
I love the cars in the show, but what I'm wondering is: were a lot of people in the sixties driving around in these big fancy cars? It seems like everyone can afford them. Or were these quite affordable at the time?

I don't know all the brands, but I mean the big Christine-like cars. You see a lot of those and while it looks good, is this done for the show or did you really have a lot of those around in the sixties?
....such automobiles were available in the 60's, and I'm sure it was done for "atmosphere"-but from what I learned being in the city of Mansfield, Ohio while Shawshank was being filmed-a "casting call" was sent out to surrounding areas for owners of period correct classic cars, which were then used in the filming.....probably a similar case here, and just happened to be some pricey cars, though in comparison, $5,000 dollars for a new car then seems funny now.....
 

Gerald

Well-Known Member
Sep 8, 2011
2,201
7,168
The Netherlands
....such automobiles were available in the 60's, and I'm sure it was done for "atmosphere"-but from what I learned being in the city of Mansfield, Ohio while Shawshank was being filmed-a "casting call" was sent out to surrounding areas for owners of period correct classic cars, which were then used in the filming.....probably a similar case here, and just happened to be some pricey cars, though in comparison, $5,000 dollars for a new car then seems funny now.....

If in the case of Shawshank these are all original cars from a certain period within a certain area, you would conclude that there really were that many around...
The thing is in this series they all look so new that it becomes a bit unbelievable and almost distracting, even though on the whole it gives a rather authentic sixties feel. It just feels like everyone in the series just bought a brand new car...

The main characters are teachers. I think in general teachers don't earn a lot, but I suppose $5,000 should be affordable even to teachers?
 

GNTLGNT

The idiot is IN
Jun 15, 2007
87,651
358,754
62
Cambridge, Ohio
If in the case of Shawshank these are all original cars from a certain period within a certain area, you would conclude that there really were that many around...
The thing is in this series they all look so new that it becomes a bit unbelievable and almost distracting, even though on the whole it gives a rather authentic sixties feel. It just feels like everyone in the series just bought a brand new car...

The main characters are teachers. I think in general teachers don't earn a lot, but I suppose $5,000 should be affordable even to teachers?
....the 5,000 was just a number, many cars of the era were much less and a few even more...I'm not sure what the conversion would be in today's dollars....as for looking new, if these were collector owned cars-they would be new/shiny. My wife and I both own 60's era vehicles and they shine as good as or better than new. It's a matter of pride. Plus, I think it was probably purposeful that all manner of things be polished and new appearing on screen, after all JFK was ushering in hope and dreams in his own version of Camelot....
 

Gerald

Well-Known Member
Sep 8, 2011
2,201
7,168
The Netherlands
....the 5,000 was just a number, many cars of the era were much less and a few even more...I'm not sure what the conversion would be in today's dollars....as for looking new, if these were collector owned cars-they would be new/shiny. My wife and I both own 60's era vehicles and they shine as good as or better than new. It's a matter of pride. Plus, I think it was probably purposeful that all manner of things be polished and new appearing on screen, after all JFK was ushering in hope and dreams in his own version of Camelot....

You think they don't go for realism in the series and just want to present a sort of 'perfect America'?

Really cool you own such cars. Are your or your wife's cars in Shawshank or other films?

But, basically I understand, they were quite affordable at the time?
 

GNTLGNT

The idiot is IN
Jun 15, 2007
87,651
358,754
62
Cambridge, Ohio
You think they don't go for realism in the series and just want to present a sort of 'perfect America'?

Really cool you own such cars. Are your or your wife's cars in Shawshank or other films?

But, basically I understand, they were quite affordable at the time?
...yes, I think it was done consciously to reflect the hopefulness of the time...but I have no inside knowledge of that, just my guess....no sir, they were not in the film-the wife just acquired hers in the last year, and at the time I was to busy doing car shows to lend mine out:D....pricewise, you must remember that the average wage back then was much less than now, and even though the prices on merchandise were accordingly lower, it still amounts to the same kind of disparity of being able to pay full cash price for an automobile unless you were very well to do....for instance, the base price on my '69 Plymouth was less than $3,000-now, it's valued over $ 14,000.....
 

Gerald

Well-Known Member
Sep 8, 2011
2,201
7,168
The Netherlands
...yes, I think it was done consciously to reflect the hopefulness of the time...but I have no inside knowledge of that, just my guess....no sir, they were not in the film-the wife just acquired hers in the last year, and at the time I was to busy doing car shows to lend mine out:D....pricewise, you must remember that the average wage back then was much less than now, and even though the prices on merchandise were accordingly lower, it still amounts to the same kind of disparity of being able to pay full cash price for an automobile unless you were very well to do....for instance, the base price on my '69 Plymouth was less than $3,000-now, it's valued over $ 14,000.....

It seems most likely then that it's done to reflect the hopefulness of the time, as you say. They probably could have toned it down a little. There are also more regular cars in it, but the big, brandnew cars are just very much in the foreground and noticable. But cars are probably also the easiest way to show that times are going well and they just look good on screen.