American Cars In Germany In The 50's

[Shadetree]

My wife and I will be joining my buddies in Myrtle Beach Sunday. Back in 1956 we were all single 19 year olds serving for three long years in the air force in Germany. We worked together, ate together, lived together and ran around together for 36 months, some longer. Good German beer was .15-20 cents and we lived in wine country. Some of my friends married German girls and brought them home and are still together today. We sit at a table in the hospitality room in a Holiday Inn while our wives go shopping. We re-live those days and the tales get bigger and better. We have been doing this since 2003. It was a good time in our lives. Sadly our numbers are dwindling...

We traveled in style back then. I can remember a 1950 Ford convertible, a 1953 Mercury two door hardtop, a `48 Lincoln, a `50 Merc coupe, a `46-48 Ford coupe and a `51 Ford two door in the squadron. There were other GM and Chrysler products too.

The officers and NCO's had these cars shipped free to Germany and when they shipped back to the states they sold them to the lower ranks as they were worth more in Germany than back home. They were once again recycled when the new owners shipped out. I would imagine some of these cars still survive today. They were really nice cars back then.

Gas was rationed at 100 gallons a month I believe on base. The price was a whopping .15 cents a gallon! Gasoline off base was very expensive.

[FL&WVMIKE]

SHADETREE ................
What unit were you in ?
Where all were you stationed ?
MIKE (mikeburch)

[blucar]

I was stationed in Germany in '56-58 when I was in the US. Army.
My wife and I had been married for awhile prior to being drafted.. Upon completing an electronic school in Maryland I was transferred to Germany. My wife and I decided that we would enjoy an all expense paid trip to Europe so we sold everything and away we went.. Had a great time and great memories of living on the economy in Fulda Germany, 60 miles N/E of Frankfurt..
During our stay in Fulda, from time to time we would take the train into Frankfurt, see the bright lights and do some shopping.. On one trip I walked out of the German hotel, sitting in the parking lot was the best looking '38 Chevy convertible coupe I had ever seen. It was black and nicely equipped. The car had German plates on it, not U.S. Forces in Germany.. I took several pictures of the car, they are in my albums. I have always wondered how the car got to Germany, had it been hidden during the war? Many U.S. cars were hidden from the German troops during the war.
The majority of our friends from our stay in Germany are long gone...
I recently had a very unusual thing happen to me.. I was scouting around eBay looking for YOM plates for one of my vehicles.. A few plates popped up that were U.S. Forces in Germany.. One very nice set of yellow/black plates were from 1957.. I looked at the plates, then moved on.. The numbers on the plate kept drifting through my head. I went back to the listing, something about the numbers was talking to me.. I marked the listing..
A couple days later I went looking through my military pictures, I came across a pix of the '50 Opel I owned in Germany, the plate on the car jumped out to me, it was only a few numbers from the plate on eBay.. I went to eBay and placed a large bid on the plates.. I won them for a very good price..
The strange part about this whole story was the fact that where I was stationed we did not have a Provest Marchall's Office on post. When it came time to do auto registration, etc., we had to line up by Company's on the appointed days. The guy that had bought the plates I won on eBay had been standing in the same line I was, on that day in '57, just a few guys behind me.
I contacted the guy that listed the plates on eBay, he had bought the plates at an estate sale in Florida, he had no idea who the original owner of the plates was.

[TDO]

I also spent my Army time in Germany, March of 65 to Sept. 67. In Erlangen.
Ist. Bn. 35th Armor. I had a 58 Ford 2 door Hard top. Lots of good times over there in that old Ford. Gasoline was still rationed 100 gal. a month for a big car, 50 gal. a month for a small car. still .15 cents a gallon on post. They had a big junk yard in few miles from me , lots of American cars that were left over there. That's where I got my parts.

[thirt4]

I was in Germany '68-'69 before going the "other way" across the pond where it was a whole lot hotter and more humid... NO good beer there either or good women.
Butzbach and Fulda, Arty unit.
Going back to Butzbach area and tour the whole country this fall for a month.

[Al in MN]

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Army 1960 to 1-63 3rd infantry div.68th armour Battalion,Tank driver.
It was a good tour........Kitzegan Germany
Al in MN

[Al in MN]

Been working on the 48 about a year now just afew things to do yet.........
AL

[jrhaelig]

From '82 to '85 I was in the Army guarding Glow Sticks and living on Ramstein AFB.

One of my NCO's was restoring a cowl induction Chevelle at the time. 454 I believe. Had the engine rebuilt by a local guy - which may or may not have been a new experience for him. That was the hottest car I remember.

Most of us went the other way. We bought Porsche's that couldn't pass the German DMV inspection any more. We had litre coupons. Came out to like $ .50 per gallon. Only good at BP stations, though.

We went back there to tour just last year. Gas was slightly higher...............

[oldbugger]

I spent my time there in 70-71 in Nurenburg, Furth area. Friend of mine had a 7 litre 67 Galaxy there, that was a fun car to drive on the autobahn. Good memories. Paul

[ccnelson]

I spent my time in Erlangen, north of Nurenburg. 1966-1969 with Co D 126th Maint. Bn, 4th Armored Division. The only American cars I remember on base was a 60 Pontiac Bonniville driven by SSG Loften and a 61 Ford Custom driven by 1stSGT Alford. The sharpest American car I saw in Europe was a beautiful white 1957 Thunderbird in Zurich, Switzerland. My buddy drove an Opel and I had a VW 1500. My buddy and I took a 30 day leave in the summer of 1967 and traveled all over Europe in the Opel. Yes, very good memories. Craig

[machine girl]

great story, our daughter in in the army, did the afgan duty now in Germany. she bought a brand new ford mustang here (usa) the real hot one and had it shipped over there, no extra cost to her!

[gmc1941]

Spent 4 years 1959-1963 in Munich Germany in Southern Area Command McGraw Kersern with 508th MPs and post Transportation. Also married a local but it only lasted 14 years. Wouldn't have changed it for anything. Had 1953 Ford Tudor, fun car...

[29AV8]

I spent my time in Munich from Nov.66 to June 68 as a sentry dog handler with the 24th MP Co.24th Infantry Div.My buddy had a Porshe and the Autobahn was fun.Good times.

[FL&WVMIKE]

My son, Tony Burch, was a Marine Security Guard at the American Embassy, in Munich during the late 90s. No car though, I just had to say ...............
MIKE (mikeburch)

[fordy_nine]

I spent 1968-69 in Miesau, a small village between Saarbrucken and Kaiserslautern. We sold our car stateside so my wife and baby daughter could join me there. I was a radar repairman at 4th ORD Co. and drove a $50. 1950 VW split window w/ mechanical cable brakes. It was one of our best years...........Bob L

[Vic Piano]

I was stationed in Manheim, Germany from October '69 to March '71 at Coleman Barracks, Charlie Company, 708 Maintenance Battalion, 8th Infantry Division, 7th Army. As I recall, there were a lot of '66 Chevy Impalas and '67 Ford Mustang's owned by Germans, not G.I.'s.

[oldbugger]

Originally Posted by ccnelson

I spent my time in Erlangen, north of Nurenburg. 1966-1969 with Co D 126th Maint. Bn, 4th Armored Division. The only American cars I remember on base was a 60 Pontiac Bonniville driven by SSG Loften and a 61 Ford Custom driven by 1stSGT Alford. The sharpest American car I saw in Europe was a beautiful white 1957 Thunderbird in Zurich, Switzerland. My buddy drove an Opel and I had a VW 1500. My buddy and I took a 30 day leave in the summer of 1967 and traveled all over Europe in the Opel. Yes, very good memories. Craig

Erlangen, one of the best beer fests in Germany. I was there 1yr later, actually Nurenberg, our Co, 42 Med, ran the ambulance service to your post, and many others in the area. Owned my 1st bug there also. Paul

[38coop]

Vic, I was also stationed at Coleman Barracks from Jan.1968 to Sep.1969 with the 8th Infantry Division MP,s. The one American car that I remember on post was a 67 pink Mustang convertible. Most of the guys in our barracks had German cars. Remember Cow Town.

[Vic Piano]

38coop, Yes, I do remember Cow Town, how about the Groovy club, did you ever go there? The last six months of my tour I was transferred to the Unit Police on Coleman Barracks. Here is a photo of me with one of my friends, he posted it on Facebook a few weeks ago. The last time I saw him was March of '71 when I rotated back to the states to be discharged.

[ccnelson]

Originally Posted by oldbugger

Erlangen, one of the best beer fests in Germany. I was there 1yr later, actually Nurenberg, our Co, 42 Med, ran the ambulance service to your post, and many others in the area. Owned my 1st bug there also. Paul

Yes, Erlangen had one of the best beer fests around. Not to big and not too small. We always had a great time there. It was one of the first beer fest of the season. Erlangen also had Strawberry Hill. They grew strawberries and made the best strawberry wine I have ever tasted. The first time my buddies and I went there we were drinking the wine like it was beer. The Germans were pointing and laughing at us as we drank. We soon found out why when we left. No one was walking straight and some on their hands and knees. The wine was good but certainly packed a punch. One of my friends totaled a nice Ford Taunus coming back from the Hill when he clipped a telephone post. Glad I wasn't on that trip. No one injured though.

We did spent time in Nurenberg when we got bored with Erlangen. Some of the guys always had to go down to the Wall. Nurenberg had a great Christmas Market which we never missed at Christmas. The only Ford T-5 I have ever seen was at the PX in Nurenberg. Dark Ivy Green Fast back, 289 V8, 4-speed. Rebadged Mustang for the German market being sold new at the PX.

It seems to me that the 46th Med had a small detachment on post (Ferris Barracks). when I was there.

Craig