I've mentioned in a couple of my other postings, that back when I was in high school, for those of us who just couldn't get ourselves into a Camaro, Firebird, AMX, or Mustang, the going rage was something British or for those a bit more practical, a VW Beetle.
It was very uncool to have inherited your mom's Chevy Biscayne or Ford Galaxy. On the other hand, you could go to the absolute edge, as a couple friends of mine had done. One found himself a Riley Elf (a Mini with a trunk) and another a Morris Minor delivery van. Most of us though had clapped-out MGs, Triumphs, or Sunbeams. From the foreign car standpoint, British was it in the “affordable” economic zone. Those in the “upper crust” might have a Jag sedan and occasionally you saw a Mercedes, but those never made it into our high school parking lot way out in the country.
After having an MGA, a Sunbeam Alpine, and a couple of Minis, it was time to move on to something non-British when I graduated high school. So, between the time I graduated and my first couple of years of university, I had “progressed” to a '68 BMW 1602, a '66 SAAB 96 (a 3 cylinder 2-stroke) and a '72 SAAB 99E.
In those days, these were rare cars. In 1970, BMW sold slightly less than 15,000 units of all models in the US. By 1974, they had increased that number to a staggering 15,007. SAAB was selling slightly less at 11,000 and 13,500, respectively. The numbers for Canada were considerably less as one would expect and in both those marques, the distribution of the cars across North America was concentrated around major urban centers, due to very limited dealer networks.
Growing up in the country, the nearest dealers for both were a couple of hours drive away. These cars were not cheap new either. In 1970, I talked my Dad into looking at a BMW 1800 instead of the Toyota Coronas and Datsun 510s he was considering, as a replacement to his horrible Chrysler Newport. The latter were in the $1700 to $1800 range new whereas the very classy-looking BMW was over a $1000 more. It was an interesting trip to the dealer, but we didn't stay long since my Dad made a middle-class salary of about $10K a year then and the BMW was way beyond those means. But, due to their rarity and the hassles around owning that rarity, used SAABs and BMWs could be had for reasonable money; plus they were typically owed by marque fanatics, so you got a lot of used car for your money. Although my dad couldn't be talked into anything used, these gems were just the thing for a commuting university student wanting a ride that was bit different .
Owning a SAAB or BMW in those days was interesting. Gas station attendants (for those unfamiliar with the term, these were young teenage guys, employees of the station, who actually put gas in your car for you and would wash your windshield for free) would ask unknowing questions.
“BMW? Is that British Motor Works?” or “SAAB? What does that mean?"
Going to the local NAPA got equal responses, so the BMW and SAAB owners who DIY'd their maintenance and repairs had to know their part equivalency charts. That is, would a VW part work in your car? Otherwise, it was a trip to the dealer or getting to know the parts guy well enough so that they would put a part in the mail or on the bus for you. I got lucky and had one parts guy who would send me bits on my promise that I would send him a check that same day.
It was all part of being “in the club.” And in many respects, owning a BMW or a SAAB in those days was being in a club. When you saw another one driving on the road you would flash your lights and wave, usually frantically. Occasionally, you would even stop alongside the road to discuss all things BMW or SAAB. On the rare occasions where you might have an issue, be on the shoulder and under the hood, any passing “member of the club” would always stop and offer to help. Being "in the club" and having driven my 1602, I even got invited to the victory party after the 1972 IMSA Radial Challenge race at Mid-Ohio after BMW won and took three other places in the top 10.
It is a bit sad today, in that there are no longer rare affordable cars and there really aren't that many rare cars, period. Since I have moved to a very rural seaside setting, I've had a Ferrari and a number of high-line Mercedes and BMWs drive past. Something that I never would have seen growing up in the country.
Folks no longer see the fun in waving at the passing BMWs or Fiats. Gone are the odd Citroen, Peugeot, or NSU. You rarely, if at all, ever see a couple of BMW owners discussing their cars in a shopping center parking lot and you, sadly, never see SAAB owners at all. The days of “being in the club” have passed, just like the days of gas station attendants.
Do you have any memories or examples of being "in the club”?
About the Author: Uilleam Ross
Uilleam (Bill) Ross is a 60 year-old retired 30-year veteran of the IT industry and a 45-year car guy. Living in Western Head, Nova Scotia, he now indulges his passions for landscape photography and cars, principally Volvos and Land Rovers.
