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Author
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Topic: Astronauts sports cars and family automobiles
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Fezman92
Member Posts: 1027
From: New Jersey, USA
Registered: Mar 2010
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posted 06-27-2011 10:25 PM
   
Does anyone know what family sized cars did the Mercury, Gemini and Apollo astronauts (or their wives) drive? I know that there was a deal or sorts with Chevy, but was that an exclusive thing like with the Original 7 Time-Life interview? |
Cozmosis22
Member Posts: 247
From: Texas * Earth
Registered: Apr 2011
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posted 06-28-2011 03:48 PM
Many of the Apollo guys were also driving specially leased Vettes from the Rathman dealership in Melbourne. Apollo 12 crew had matching 1969 Stingray coupes with custom paint designed by Alan Bean. The June 1971 issue of LIFE magazine shows Irwin, Scott, and Worden with their red, white, and blue Vettes parked behind a moon buggy. As an aside, of the Original 7, the only guy who opted out of a hot little Corvette was John Glenn... he chose a Chevy station wagon. |
Rusty B
Member Posts: 239
From: Sacramento, CA
Registered: Oct 2004
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posted 06-28-2011 03:56 PM
Mike Collins and Ed Givens both had Volkswagen Beetles according to Google newspaper archives. |
Rusty B
Member Posts: 239
From: Sacramento, CA
Registered: Oct 2004
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posted 06-28-2011 04:42 PM
Toledo Blade, Feb. 28, 1960 - Wally Schirra drives an Austin Healy to and from work at Langley. Deke Slayton settles for a station wagon. Gus Grissom is the would-be sports car type. He drives a slightly out-of-date, black, four-door English Austin sedan requiring almost constant tinkering, which he does himself... Colonel Glenn has a spanking new German Prinz... Al Shepard, who lives at Virginia beach, is the proud owner of the white Corvette... Carpenter rides in a vintage Lincoln which he bought for less than $100 and tuned up himself. Cooper jockeys the motor scooter... Milwaukee Sentinel, Feb. 1, 1961: Al Shepard commutes to work at Langley in a Corvette... Press-Courier, Feb. 28, 1962: As Cmdr. Schirra nosed his white Corvette onto US I wondered if the drivers sharing his... Eugene Register-Guard, Aug. 26, 1964: [Walt Cunningham] just sold a Corvette, still owns a Porsche. But he's never raced them. |
kr4mula
Member Posts: 588
From: Cinci, OH
Registered: Mar 2006
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posted 06-29-2011 10:48 AM
I think the intent of the original question was to find out what *family* cars the astronauts (or their wives) drove, aside from the sporty ones most of them gunned around in. Obviously the kids weren't going to the dentist in a Corvette and the wives had to drive something while their husbands were at work or away. |
Rusty B
Member Posts: 239
From: Sacramento, CA
Registered: Oct 2004
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posted 06-29-2011 11:21 AM
This is the only one I've been able to find, and it doesn't mention the brand of car.Pat Collins, wife of Apollo 11 astronaut Michael Collins; "She's got a silver station wagon; Mike's got a little tan Volkswagen." - The Times-News Jul 17, 1969 Just found another: Boca Raton News - Nov 18, 1973 -"It may be Monday before the wife of Skylab 3 commander Gerald P. Carr finds out where he left the keys to their sports car. Joan Carr asked chief astronaut Donald K. "Deke" Slayton to schedule a private chat with her husband....Gerry didn't tell me where he put the keys to the MG, Joan disclosed...." The station wagon was the mini-van or the SUV of the 1960's. |
Cozmosis22
Member Posts: 247
From: Texas * Earth
Registered: Apr 2011
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posted 06-29-2011 03:16 PM
quote:
Originally posted by kr4mula:
I think the intent of the original question was to find out what *family* cars the astronauts (or their wives) drove, aside from the sporty ones most of them gunned around in.
Perhaps, but it was a different world back then. Most average American families had ONE car and one breadwinner. The early astros may have enjoyed some "extras" but they were by no means rich. Will guess that the single guys drove sportscars and the family guys had sedans.  |
star61
Member Posts: 253
From: Bristol UK
Registered: Jan 2005
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posted 06-30-2011 11:02 AM
In one of my old National Geographics, there is a photo of the Glenn and Carpenter families outside a house (I think Carpenter's?). In the open garage behind is an AC Cobra! Very hot motor. Maybe KC can enlighten... was that your dad's car?And I know it surely is NOT a family car... |
golddog
Member Posts: 174
From: australia
Registered: Feb 2008
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posted 06-30-2011 02:28 PM
The Cobra was Scott Carpenter's car; you can read about it in "For Spacious Skies." |
Jay Chladek
Member Posts: 2182
From: Bellevue, NE, USA
Registered: Aug 2007
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posted 06-30-2011 04:16 PM
Typically with the Vette leases, it meant the wife would also get to drive a GM wagon depending on if they had kids or not. While the astronauts didn't make much, they were treated well with the perks when they moved to Houston. As for which specific makes, take your pick and you are probably right for at least one of the families. |
dtemple
Member Posts: 596
From: Longview, Texas, USA
Registered: Apr 2000
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posted 07-01-2011 06:01 PM
quote:
Originally posted by Fezman92:
I know that there was a deal or sorts with Chevy, but was that an exclusive thing like with the Original 7 Time-Life interview?
This article gets into that a bit, though the story is mainly about Alan Bean's 1969 Corvette. |
uk spacefan
Member Posts: 94
From: London
Registered: Jan 2007
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posted 07-14-2011 12:26 AM
Jack Swigert once owned a Karmann Ghia - the people at Boggs Space Books can confirm this as years ago they had a speeding ticket for sale on their website with the details on it. Swigert literally lived life in the fast lane.  |
Fezman92
Member Posts: 1027
From: New Jersey, USA
Registered: Mar 2010
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posted 07-14-2011 12:40 AM
Darn... so I can't say that my dad's 63 Lincoln was the same car that the early astronauts drove, although by grandfather got it because he did work at Philco-Ford (aka Ford Aerospace) back in the 50s-60s so there is that... |
ColinBurgess
Member Posts: 1539
From: Sydney, Australia
Registered: Sep 2003
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posted 07-14-2011 01:53 AM
Charlie Bassett's pride and joy was an old A Model Ford that he had restored and loved driving around.The type escapes me at the moment, but wasn't John Glenn known for driving an old family saloon for years after he became an astronaut? |
star61
Member Posts: 253
From: Bristol UK
Registered: Jan 2005
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posted 07-15-2011 08:17 AM
I think Glenn had an old (new at the time) Peugeot somewhat similar to a certain detective with a penchant for old rain coats! |
garymilgrom
Member Posts: 1509
From: Atlanta, GA, USA
Registered: Feb 2007
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posted 07-15-2011 09:13 AM
The article referenced by dtemple about Bean's Corvette mentions that Glenn owned a Prinz, which was made by NSU and was similar to Peugeots of that era.I think the astronauts were like many servicemen who spent time in Europe - fascinated with foreign cars in all shapes and sizes. |
moorouge
Member Posts: 1441
From: U.K.
Registered: Jul 2009
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posted 07-16-2011 09:02 AM
According to an article today in the motoring section of a UK newspaper Shepard was the original 'Astrovette' and one of his original cars is on permanent display parked next to the Saturn V at the KSC complex.The article lists also some of the cars driven by the Shuttle astronauts. |
Rusty B
Member Posts: 239
From: Sacramento, CA
Registered: Oct 2004
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posted 07-16-2011 09:58 AM
The May 19, 1967 issue of Life magazine (viewable online at Google books) has a picture of Wally Schirra's red Maserati sports car and gold Toronado. Scroll to bottom of linked page for picture.This page from the same Life magazine shows Walt Cunningham working on his sports car. |
Lou Chinal
Member Posts: 942
From: Staten Island, NY
Registered: Jun 2007
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posted 07-16-2011 10:10 AM
Rusty, thanks for the link.Does anyone know anything about Alan Shepard's 1953 Corvette? |
moorouge
Member Posts: 1441
From: U.K.
Registered: Jul 2009
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posted 07-16-2011 03:23 PM
Lou - see my post just two above yours.Whilst not exactly on thread, the article I quoted under the title "My other car's a Space Shuttle" mentions the following - - Michael Barratt drives a Toyota Prius
- Mark Kelly drives a Ford Fusion
- Roger Crouch drives a Honda CR-V and also a Toyota RAV4
- Susan Kilrain drives a Ford Escalade
- Thomas Jones drives a Chrysler Sebring Convertible
- Robert Springer drives a Lexus SUV
- Jon McBride drives a 2003 Corvette
- Al Worden drives a Porsche 911 cabriolet
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Paul78zephyr
Member Posts: 340
From: Hudson, MA
Registered: Jul 2005
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posted 07-18-2011 02:32 PM
quote:
Originally posted by moorouge:
Susan Kilrain drives a Ford Escalade
No such vehicle: either Ford Escape or Cadillac Escalade.I loved the fact that Scott Carpenter drove a Shelby Cobra! |
MadSci
Member Posts: 179
From: Maryland, USA
Registered: Oct 2008
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posted 02-25-2012 12:43 PM
We know about the matching Corvettes while training to fly to the moon, but what do they drive now? For moonwalker Buzz Aldrin the secret is out. If you've ever wondered, "What car would an astronaut who's landed on the moon drive?" we have your answer. Apollo 11 astronaut Buzz Aldrin, the second man to step on the moon, drives a 2011 Volvo C70 convertible around Los Angeles with the vanity plate "Mars Guy.""It's a Volvo, blue-ish silver and just a neat-looking car. It's a convertible hardtop. I pull up at a stoplight and I can change the top from up and down during the stoplight. That's a little dicey, though," he laughs. "I mostly have the top down." |
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