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U.S. Timeline, 1960-1969 - America's Best History

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America's Best History - United States History Timeline 1960-1969. Civil Rights and Turmoil. Most important historical events of each year of the decade of the 1960's listed.

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Creators of lush songs described as "teenage symphonies to God" and one of the most innovative bands ever, the Beach Boys invented California rock. Brian Wilson's songs celebrated a West Coast teen fantasy, full of surfing, driving and pretty girls that barely hid the songwriter's inner conflicts. Wilson orchestrated and produced glossy, manicured tracks with an ultra-smooth blend of guitars and vocal harmonies, creating a signature pop sound as recognizable as any in rock history.

Though the group scored a late career hit with "Kokomo" (Number One, 1988) and survived into the late 1990s, it had been reduced to America's premier nostalgia act, having lost all but one of its founding members (Mike Love). But while the Beach Boys star continued to fade in the new millennium, Brian Wilson overcame many of his demons and began recording and performing live again to rave reviews. In 2004, he released SMiLE, a four-decades-old Beach Boys project few expected to see finished.

Brothers Brian, Carl and Dennis Wilson were encouraged by their parents, Murray and Audree, to do music and sports. Brian was a varsity baseball player at suburban Hawthorne High when he began to work seriously on music. His first band included brothers Dennis and Carl (who was expelled from Hawthorne for going to the bathroom without permission), cousin Mike Love, and friend Al Jardine. As the Pendletones, Kenny and the Cadets (Brian was "Kenny"), or Carl and the Passions, the group played local gigs. At Dennis' suggestion, Love and Brian wrote "Surfin'," which became a regional hit on the soon defunct Candix label in December 1961 while the group was calling itself the Beach Boys. Like most of their early songs, "Surfin'" used Chuck Berry guitar licks with vocal harmonies (arranged by Brian) recalling 1950s pop groups like the Four Freshmen, which Brian studied closely.

Murray Wilson, who was later revealed to have been psychologically and physically abusive to his sons, managed their band and got them a contract with Capitol. The hits began: "Surfin' Safari" (Number 14, 1962); "Surfin' U.S.A." (Number Three, 1963), a note-for-note copy of Berry's "Sweet Little Sixteen" with new lyrics; and "Surfer Girl" (Number Seven, 1963), all of which launched and capitalized on the "surf music" fad, although only Dennis surfed regularly. "Surfer Girl" marked Brian's emergence as a producer, with its complex vocal harmonies and sophisticated pop chords. An admirer of producer Phil Spector, Brian would continue to refine his skills and become one of the greatest record producers in rock.

The years 1963-1965 established the Beach Boys' legacy: "Little Deuce Coupe" (Number 15, 1963), "Be True to Your School" (Number Six, 1963), and "Fun, Fun, Fun" (Number Five,1964), written by Brian and Love in a taxi to the Salt Lake City airport; "I Get Around" (Number One, 1964); "Dance, Dance, Dance" (Number Eight, 1964); "Help Me, Rhonda" (Number One, 1965); "California Girls" (Number Three, 1965); and such ballads as "In My Room" (Number 23, 1963) and "Don't Worry, Baby" (Number 24, 1964). Early in 1965 Brian Wilson suffered a nervous breakdown and decided to quit touring, though he continued writing, recording, and producing.

Pet Sounds, which was released in March 1966, and included "Caroline, No" (Number 23), "Wouldn't It Be Nice" (Number Eight, 1966), and "God Only Knows" (Number 39, 1966), hit Number Ten but sold comparatively poorly. (In fact, it was not certified gold until the 30th anniversary of its release, in 1996.) Nonetheless, it stands as one of the most important works in the Beach Boys oeuvre, for it ushered in the era of studio experimentation, predating the Beatles' Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band and rivaling even Spector in terms of its sophisticated production. With the passage of time, the importance of Pet Sounds has only grown. Paul McCartney and Beatles producer George Martin have acknowledged that it was the inspiration for Sgt. Pepper's, and the album's 30th anniversary was celebrated in 1997 (a year late) with the release of a four-CD box set that included tracks stripped of vocals and vocal tracks without instrumentation. At the same time the Sub Pop label released a single containing three previously unreleased tracks: a stereo mix of "I Just Wasn't Made for These Times," a vocal-only version of "Wouldn't It Be Nice," and the stereo backing track for "Here Today." (All three tracks are also contained in the Pet Sounds box.)

The highlight of the Beach Boys' borderline psychedelic period was "Good Vibrations" (Number One, 1966) (from Wild Honey), Wilson's production masterpiece. It took six months and cost $16,000 to make, with several distinct sections and such exotic instruments as Jew's harp, sleigh bells, harpsichord, and theremin. Meanwhile, Brian's ambitions, neuroses, and drug intake were increasing throughout the 1960s. He and Van Dyke Parks began collaborating on Smile in late 1966, but after a mysterious fire at the studio where they were working, Wilson reportedly destroyed most of the tapes in a fit of paranoia. Several songs have surfaced since; the Wilson-Parks "Heroes and Villains" (Number 12, 1967) appeared on Smiley Smile, and the melancholy, beautiful title cut of 1971's Surf's Up was also a Smile composition. The Smile debacle, and Smiley Smile, marked the end of Brian's reign as the Beach Boys' sole producer.

Beginning with Wild Honey (Number 24, 1967), other group members shared writing and production, along with Bruce Johnston, who joined the touring Beach Boys after Brian retired from the road in late 1964. (Johnston replaced Glen Campbell after a brief stint.) Johnston has been associated on and off with the Beach Boys, primarily as producer, ever since. The Beach Boys' late-1960s touring band also included Daryl Dragon (later the Captain of the Captain and Tennille) on keyboards; Blondie Chaplin (later a sideman with the Rolling Stones and others) on guitar, bass, and vocals; and Ricky Fataar (later of Joe Walsh's band) on drums. In 1968 the Beach Boys became the first major American rock band to play behind the Iron Curtain when they performed in Czechoslovakia. Increasingly, Carl played a larger role in directing the group. His was the lead voice on "Good Vibrations," "Surf's Up," "Wild Honey" (Number 31, 1967), "Darlin'" (Number 19, 1967), and "Friends" (Number 47, 1968), among others.

Beginning in 1970 and for the next 18 years, the Beach Boys released their records on their own Brother label, a custom imprint of Warner/Reprise. Their first album under the deal, Sunflower (Number 151, 1970), inaugurated a five-year performance hiatus for Brian, although he tried one live show in early 1970 at the Whisky-a-Go-Go in L.A. The group's hugely popular oldies-dominated live shows reinforced in the public's mind the image of a group whose creative past was behind it. In fact, however, 20/20 (Number 68, 1969), Sunflower, and its more successful followup, Surf's Up (Number 29, 1971) contained some of the group's more adventurous and interesting work: the lower charting but important singles "Do It Again" (Number 20, 1968), "I Can Hear Music" (Number 24, 1969), "Add Some Music to Your Day" (Number 64, 1970), "Long Promised Road" (Number 89, 1971), and the intriguing album cuts "This Whole World" and "'Til I Die."

In 1972 the Beach Boys decided to record in Holland, but after relocating their families learned there were no adequate studio facilities. They had a studio broken down, shipped, and reconstructed in a converted barn, where for over six months they recorded Holland. Reprise initially rejected the album for a lack of what the company considered a solid hit single, so Brian Wilson and Van Dyke Parks provided "Sail On Sailor" (written by Brian and several others in addition to Parks). With a rare lead vocal by Blondie Chaplin, the single hit Number 79 when released in 1973, but rose to Number 49 when re-released in 1975. Holland also contained "The Trader," yet another of Carl's more introspective, mature works, and Al Jardine's "California Saga (On My Way to Sunny Californ-i-a)" (Number 84, 1973).

Aside from a critically acclaimed double live album, The Beach Boys in Concert (Number 25, 1973), the group's next five charting releases would be repackages and greatest-hits compilations, including Endless Summer (Number One, 1974) and Spirit of America (Number 8, 1975). Another stellar live collection, Beach Boys '69 (The Beach Boys Live in London) came out in 1976 (Number 75).

Meanwhile, efforts continued to coax Brian out of his Bel Air mansion, which included a sandbox as well as a recording studio. In the late 1960s he had briefly run a West Hollywood health food store, the Radiant Radish, and in 1972 he produced an album by his wife, Marilyn, and her sister Diane Powell, as Spring (or American Spring). In 1976, after a much-publicized rehabilitation, Brian rejoined the band for 15 Big Ones (Number Eight, 1976). It included oldie remakes (Chuck Berry's "Rock and Roll Music," which went to Number Five and was the Beach Boys' only Top Ten hit from late 1966 through mid-1988) and Brian Wilson originals such as "It's O.K." (Number 29, 1976), with backing tracks Brian had recorded with ELO founder Roy Wood's group Wizzard.

In 1977 open personality clashes (primarily between Dennis Wilson and Mike Love) jeopardized the band's future as it switched labels and moved over to CBS; eventually Love's brothers Stan and Steve were removed from the Beach Boys' management organization. Steve Love was later sentenced to prison for embezzling nearly $1 million from the group. Johnston was back as coproducer for L.A. (Light Album); in the mid-1970s he had left the band to concentrate on songwriting (including Barry Manilow's hit "I Write the Songs") and make a solo album, Going Public (1977). Love You (Number 53, 1977) contained another overlooked gem, "Honkin' Down the Highway" along with Brian's surreal tribute to the king of late-night TV, "Johnny Carson." Chartwise, the late 1970s were a low time for the group: Neither M.I.U. Album (1978) nor L.A. (Light Album) (1979) charted. A flop single from M.I.U. was rereleased in 1981 and provided the group's first nonmedley Top 20 hit since 1976 in a Number 18 remake of the Dell-Vikings' "Come Go With Me."

The 1980s proved a tumultuous decade for the group. Carl Wilson quit in 1981 to concentrate on his solo career. He, more than the others, seemed to resist the band's increasingly nostalgic appeal. But after his return the following year, the Beach Boys continued being known more as an oldies-but-goodies act, albeit an extraordinarily successful one. In 1983 they unwittingly became the center of controversy when Secretary of the Interior James Watt banned them from performing a Fourth of July concert at the Washington Monument. Public opinion was solidly against Watt, who later resigned, and the group was personally invited to play the Washington Monument the next summer by First Lady Nancy Reagan.

Nineteen eighty-three marked Brian's return to the stage with the group, but also the death of Dennis. On December 28 the hard-living drummer drowned while swimming off his boat in Marina Del Rey, California. With the help of President Ronald Reagan, special permission was granted so that Dennis' body could be buried at sea. Brian had since come and gone from the group. The Beach Boys enjoyed their third Number One hit, their biggest-selling single ever, "Kokomo" (1988), from the hit film Cocktail, without him. Brian's long-awaited first solo album came out that year. Co-produced by his longtime therapist, Dr. Eugene Landy (whose license to practice therapy was later revoked), Brian Wilson elicited glowing reviews but sold poorly. The Beach Boys were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1988.

As of 1993 Brian was a touring Beach Boy again. Later Mike Love sued Brian, his cowriter Todd Gold, and Landy, claiming he had been defamed in Wilson's autobiography, Wouldn't It Be Nice?: My Own Story. The case was settled out of court in early 1994. In 1995 Brian and Love settled a long-running legal dispute over songwriting credit and royalties for Love. Wilson paid Love $5 million and Love has writing credit on such songs as "Wouldn't It Be Nice" and "California Girls." That same year, Brian Wilson and his estranged daughter Carnie reconciled their differences and contributed "Fantasy Is Reality/Bells of Madness" to Rob Wasserman's Trios.

The period from the mid-1990s through the turn of the century brought dramatic changes within the group, including what appears to be, at this writing, the end of the Beach Boys as we know them. They made their biggest impression on the country chart, where their Stars and Stripes, Vol. 1 (Number 12 C&W, 1996) featured "duets" with the group and country stars. In 1995 Brian was the subject of producer Don Was' documentary I Just Wasn't Made for These Times; he also released a second solo album, Orange Crate Art, and remarried. In 1997 he provided some production work, songwriting, and background singing for his daughters Carnie and Wendy's album The Wilsons. His third solo album, Imagination (Number 88, 1998), was warmly received upon its release, and Wilson returned to performing.

By then he had relocated to Illinois, and in a series of candid interviews gave the impression of someone happy and comfortable at last. "My music isn't going to save the world," he said when Imagination was released. "But I think it's going to save souls, certain people in the world. It pleases me to be able to do that. It feels good." He began touring in 1999. For his 2000 tour, he performed Pet Sounds accompanied by a symphony orchestra; a live album was released from that tour in 2001. In June 2000, Brian was inducted into the Songwriters' Hall of Fame. In 2001 he and Pet Sounds were the recipients of a star-studded tribute (with guests Elton John, Paul Simon, and Billy Joel, among others), televised on TNT.

Ironically, as Brian Wilson seemed to be coming back into his own, the Beach Boys were enduring perhaps the most difficult times of their long career. In 1997 Carl Wilson was diagnosed with lung cancer, which later developed into brain cancer. He continued to tour with the group as his health would permit, sometimes even performing sitting in a chair. However, by fall 1997 he retired (he was replaced by David Marks, an original member who quit the group in 1963 but continued receiving about $20,000 a year in royalties). Carl died on February 6, 1998, in L.A., at age 51.

Shortly after Carl's passing, Al Jardine quit the group, leaving only Love, Johnston, and Marks (who, ironically, had been replaced by Jardine back in 1964). The trio toured as the Beach Boys, with added musicians, while Jardine emerged with his Beach Boys Family and Friends (later renamed Al Jardine's Family and Friends Beach Band after Brother Records International, the corporate entity that is the Beach Boys, got an injunction against his using the Beach Boys name), which included two of his sons and Carnie and Wendy Wilson. Love and Jardine feuded bitterly in the press and in court, but much of this was overshadowed by an ongoing celebration of the Beach Boys legacy, in a documentary (VH1's The Beach Boys: Endless Harmony), a made-for-TV miniseries ( The Beach Boys: An American Family), and three simultaneously released greatest-hits packages. In 2001 the group received a Lifetime Achievement Award Grammy.

Capitol began another round of Beach Boys reissues and compilations in the early 2000s, and a Love-fronted version of the Beach Boys continued touring while Wilson appeared at various events with other rock legends including Elton John and Paul McCartney.

On February 20, 2004, Brian Wilson shocked the music world when he performed his legendary SMiLE album in its entirety at the Royal Festival Hall in London. That September, Wilson released a new studio recording of SMiLE which featured a notably different "Good Vibrations," with the lyrics Mike Love wrote for the 1966 hit version of the song replaced by Tony Asher's original demo lyrics. Wilson's SmiLE, recorded with members of his touring band and the Wondermints, was critically-acclaimed upon its release in September 2004, including a rare five-star review from Rolling Stone. Wilson won his first-ever Grammy Award, ironically for best rock instrumental, for the SMiLE song "Mrs. O'Leary's Cow (Fire)." In 2005, he released a two-DVD version of SMiLE that included a documentary and live performance of the album.

Wilson toured the United States that year and also appeared at the Live 8 concert in Berlin, Germany. Also that year, Love sued Wilson again, this time for "misappropriating" Love's songs, likeness and the Beach Boys trademark during the promotion of SMiLE. Before a judge threw the suit out of court the following year, Love, Wilson, Jardine, Johnson and Marks all appeared together atop the Capitol Records building to celebrate the 40th anniversary of Pet Sounds.

Wilson also celebrated the anniversary with a sell-out show at UCLA's Royce Hall in Los Angeles and was backed by a 12-member band that included Jardine. In late 2007, Wilson debuted a new song cycle, That Lucky Old Sun (A Narrative) , based on an old African-American spiritual, in London and scheduled a handful of performances in Australia into early 2008. Love and Johnson continue to tour as the Beach Boys. In February 2010, Wilson and Jardine appeared together along with an all-star cast of artists to re-record Michael Jackson and Lionel Richie's "We Are the World" to raise money for those in earthquake-ravaged Haiti.

Portions of this biography appeared in The Rolling Stone Encyclopedia of Rock & Roll (Simon & Schuster, 2001). Mark Kemp contributed to this story.

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Creators of lush songs described as "teenage symphonies to God" and one of the most innovative bands ever, the Beach Boys invented California rock. Brian Wilson's songs celebrated a West Coast teen fantasy, full of surfing, driving and pretty girls that barely hid the songwriter's inner conflicts.

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The Andy Griffith Show (TV Series 1960–1968) ⭐ 8.4 | Comedy, Family

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The Vietnam War was a long, costly and divisive conflict that pitted the communist government of North Vietnam against South Vietnam and its principal ally, the United States.

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1960s Fashion: Clothing Styles, Trends, Pictures & History

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Early 1960s fashion was more conservative. Late ’60s clothes were the exact opposite. Greaser, mod or hippie? Year-by-year timeline with over 50 pics.

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In my humble opinion, cars from the 1960s are the best. Not too modern, not too old. Just right. Mustang. Camaro. Road Runner. The list goes on and on.

Detroit stated 1964 models were designed with serious consideration for the needs & tastes of American women. Women represented over 1 million sales a year.

1965 was called the "the year of the stylist." Engineering changes took a back seat to changes in overall appearance. The Ford Mustang dominated.

1966 models brought the first front-wheel drive car since 1937. People were shocked that someone would make a car that would pull by its front wheels!

Continued improvements were made to electric cars in 1966. Ford showed off a lab model of a sodium-sulfur battery that was 15 times lighter than the average battery.

To read more about a specific year, keep reading below.

Cars in 1960

In 1960, car buyers were demanding smaller vehicles. Compact cars were marketed heavily by every automobile manufacturer, in stark contrast to the 1950s. New models included the Ford Falcon, the Chevrolet Corvair and the Plymouth Valiant. Soon after, Lincoln-Mercury released the Comet and Dodge introduced the Dart. Midway through 1960, General Motors announced that it would offer three smaller cars, the Buick Special, the Oldsmobile F-85 and the Pontiac Tempest. This focus on smaller cars domestically caused a sharp drop in import sales.

U.S retail buyers had 266 different models to choose from, with a standard price spread of $1,795 for a Rambler American sedan to $13,075 for the limited-edition Cadillac Eldorado Brougham. In general prices did not change much at all from the preceding year.

The 4-door sedan was still the best seller, but station wagons were increasing in popularity and ranked second in all sales over the sportier 2-door vehicle.

Engineering improvements aimed at improving economy of use. Aluminum replaced iron and steel to reduce weight in some models. There were adjustments made to combustion chamber design and compression ratios that aided fuel economy. Mechanical advances were on display as we saw the first rear-engine car made in America, the Chevy Corvair.

Also in 1960, the first alternator was used in a production car. Although alternators had been used extensively in vehicles like taxis, police cars and other vehicles with numerous gadgets and accessories, installing an alternator in a family car like the Chrysler Variant was a first. Some industry experts speculated industry-wide use of alternators within a decade.

Cars in 1963

Ford Motor Company's Ford Division spent an estimated $250-300 million to introduce its 1964 models according to Division President Lee A. Iacocca. The Ford 'new look,' generally followed the design of the Thunderbird. The popular Falcon, for example, had the look of the sporty Thunderbird.

Cadillac continued to stress comfort and performance. The Cadillac fins, the last remaining fins in the industry, were lowered one-half inch, and the 1964 cars are 1/2 inch longer.

Chrysler's luxury Imperial line, completely redesigned, featured a cleaner, less bulky, sculptured look, resembling the competing Lincoln Continental.

Detroit indicated that the 1964 cars were designed with serious consideration for the needs and tastes of American women. Executives acknowledged that women represented at least 1 million sales a year, which was the difference between a good year and a bad one.

Auto manufacturers emphasized more horsepower per unit. New engines ranged from 95 HP for the Chevrolet Corvair 500 to a big 360 HP for the Chrysler 300 K.

Floor-mounted 'stick' transmissions were gaining in popularity. One hand-shifted transmission manufacturers justified the demand on the theory that 'they make you feel like you are controlling the car.' Still, Ward's reported that automatic transmissions were installed on 76.4 % of the 1964 models.

Buick featured a new 'super-turbine' transmission in some of its 1964 models. Edward D. Rollert, Buick general manager, hailed it as "The greatest advance we've made in the automatic transmission. The most important single development in the history of the torque converter."

Cadillac featured a new built-in, combination heating and air conditioning system.

All auto makers continued their long warranty periods, with Chrysler's 50,000-mile five-year warranty, introduced last year, the most generous offer. Twenty-four months or 24,000 miles is the extent of the average warranty in the industry.

Two accessories that excited the car buying public were a tiltable steering wheel, which could be adjusted to seven different positions, and a 'swing-aside' steering wheel.

Seat-belt sales continued to increase and after January 1, 1964, became standard equipment on all cars. Air conditioning units were being installed in an increasing number of cars. They were factory-installed in 17.9% of the 1963 models.

Prices of the 1964 models ranged from $1,953 for the Rambler American 220 to $6,434 for the Imperial LeBaron by Chrysler. A special case was Chrysler's 20-foot Crown Imperial limousine, selling for $18,500.

E. M. Estes, Pontiac general manager, said, "There is positive proof that a majority of the buyers today want bigger, more comfortable, more luxuriously appointed cars.' To illustrate, he cited the 1964 Pontiac Tempest (introduced in 1960 as a compact), which was lengthened to 203 inches, 8.7 inches longer than the 1963 model.

Cars in 1964

The US Auto industry was hampered by strikes and parts shortages in 1964 but finished the calendar year with near-record production and sales figures. According to final, unofficial tabulations by Automotive News, 7,746,000 passenger cars rolled off the lines.

General Motors was hit by a nationwide strike on September 25, 1964. Ten days later, terms were reached on a settlement. Similar local strikes later plagued Ford. It wasn't until November 23 that the industry's main labor troubles ended. While domestic car makers had their troubles, imports fared well.

The 1965 line in general was described as "the year of the stylist." In the minds of the motoring public, engineering changes were subordinated to changes in overall appearance of the cars. Engines got a bit more power, but car warranties went unchanged.

US auto makers offered buyers a choice of 343 new models. GM cars presented softer, curving lines and a racy look; Ford featured sharp, crisp shapes; Chrysler and American Motors added a bit more sweep and roundness to their cars' contours. Most models grew in length.

If any new model deserved a "Car of the Year" award it was Ford's Mustang. From the day of its off-season introduction on April 17 until year's end, Ford had turned out 303,275 of those bad boys! Plymouth was well received with its Barracuda.

Chrysler, which already controlled Simca in France, bought a $35M minority interest in Rootes Motors, of England, in June. Chrysler said it would not increase its 30% stake in the British firm. GM and Ford also continued their overseas expansions.

A "Poor Man's Rolls" was offered during the summer, the result of a bit of British industrial teamwork. Rolls-Royce supplied the aluminum, six-cylinder engine, and British Motor Corp. built the body. They called it the Vanden Plas Princess R. Its selling price was a shade under $5,600 - against the $15,400 for a Rolls Silver Cloud III. The Princess R was about the size of a Benz, with a top speed of 112 mph.

Cars in 1965

The US auto industry had its biggest year ever in 1965, with production, sales, employment and profits soaring to all-time highs.

Another all-time high was reached: traffic deaths. Style-conscious Detroit was forced by government action to pay more attention to the good health of the people.

Cars in California were equipped, for the first time, with a $45 device that reduced carbon monoxide gases. Lyndon B. Johnson signed the Clean Air Act authorizing the government to create standards to limit air pollution.

For its 1966 cars, the industry created a "safety package", which included backup lights, multiple windshield wipers, padded dashboard, rear seat belts and windshield washer fluid. The price of these items averaged about $50.

For the US industry as a whole, there were few style changes in the 1966 models. The four major auto companies offered 364 body styles. Options were popular too.

The first front-wheel drive since 1937 was released in the Oldsmobile Toronado. People were shocked that someone would make a car that would pull by its front wheels instead of push from the back!

New innovations included the station wagon dual-action tailgate and stereo tape players with FOUR speakers.

Also new were Pontiac's overhead cam, six-cylinder engine, Chrysler's unique safety door handles and American Motors' self adjusting clutch.

Cars in 1966

Safety was the primary concern in 1966 as the industry chalked up it second best sales year ever, topped only by 1965.

But with a nationwide death toll of about 1,000 road deaths per week, everyone's focus was on safety. And 1966 was an unparalleled year for safety requirements for car manufacturers.

Here's a long list of just some of the new standards for automobiles that were required in 1966 (in no particular order):

1. Auto manufacturers had to notify car buyers of any safety defects or recalls

2. Anchorages for shoulder belts and seats

3. Recessed control knobs

4. Collapsible steering column

5. Safety door latches and hinges

6. Four-way flashers

7. Dual brakes

8. Standard bumper heights

9. Uniform gearshift pattern

10. Safety standards for tires and rims

11. Turn signals visible from the side

12. Rear window defoggers

13. Non-rupturing fuel tanks and pipes

US companies offered 367 basic 1967 models. Most had options. Two major sales themes were sportiness and safety.

Ford, with the hugely popular Mustang carrying the load for a couple years, was finally getting some real challengers. One came from within: the Lincoln-Mercury Cougar. Chevrolet released the Camaro and Chrysler-Plymouth beefed up its Barracuda line.

Prices ranged from $2,000 for a Rambler to $10,000 for a Cadillac Seventy-Five limo. The design trend was toward a long hood, a short deck and low, sleek profiles.

For the first time, all four major auto manufacturers guaranteed the power train for 5 years/50,000 miles.

The electric car emerged on the scene in 1966. Ford showed off a lab model of a sodium-sulfur battery that was 15 times lighter than the average lead battery. At the time, company engineers said they need at least TWO MORE YEARS to develop a prototype car.

In October, GM showed off two experimental vehicles: a Corvair and a small truck. Both could drive about 40 to 150 miles.

Cars in 1967

The automobile industry had a rough year in 1967, with most of the blame falling on the shoulder of labor problems. Ford was crushed by a 49-day strike, putting its earnings loss in the third quarter at approximately $74 million - an absolutely staggering amount of money in 1967. The UAW union agreement with Ford, Chrysler and GM provided wage boosts of nearly a dollar per hour for workers.

Due to domestic production issues, auto imports set a new record in 1967 with 785,000 sold. Overall sales lagged behind 1966, with no help from the Vietnam War, which literally pulled hundreds of thousands of young men out of the market.

Prices rose markedly because of higher production costs and wages. A government decision to require shoulder seat belts on all cars manufactured in 1968 was a good example of the various safety regulations that caused prices to rise as well. Additionally, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics found that a large part of the price hike was simply price boost.

In 1967 cars were lower, longer and wider in shape. Convertibles and station wagons were replaced by their much hotter-selling counterparts, the two-door hardtop. AMC introduced the only new car in the U.S., the Javelin. It was a made as a challenger to the muscle car market dominated by the Mustang, Camaro and Barracuda. AMC was also the only manufacturer to drop a car, the Marlin.

Cars were coming with a lot more options and people were becoming accustomed to tailoring their cars specifically to their own needs. These were exciting times for car buyers indeed.

New safety regulations required that car manufacturers add or improve the following:

1. Windshield washers

2. Defoggers

3. Dual-cylinder brake systems

4. Impact absorbing steering columns

5. Safe door latches

Transportation Secretary Alan S. Boyd proposed an additional 47 safety standards covering cars through 1971. James Roche, president of GM, moved up to board chairman while Edward N. Cole took over as President. AMC named Roy D. Chapin, Jr. as chairman and William V. Luneberg as president.

Cars in 1968

All-time sales records were broken in 1968. Imports made up 10% of these sales, but domestic sales improved from the previous year. For the first time in a while, there were no real labor shortages to mention.

Prices rose slightly, but the biggest change was the length of cars. Luxury and family sedans were longer in 1968 than ever before, with new models featuring flowing bodies, longer hoods and much nicer interiors. New options included heated rear-windows and self-adjusting anti-skid brake systems. Headrest were a new feature on all cars, required by government safety standards.

Auto manufacturers implemented a controversial price cutting measure: shortening warranties. Until then, most warranties had been 24,000 or 24 months, but in 1968 the standard warranty was cut in half to 12,000 miles or 12 months. The warranty covering the power train remained covered by a 5-year or 50,000 mile warranty.

Ralph Nader, author of Unsafe At Any Speed, continued to push hard for government safety regulations, citing the nation's highway death toll of 50,000 per year.

A big surprise in the industry occurred when Semon Knudsen, who had just recently resigned as EVP of GM, was named president of Ford Motor Company. Knudsen's father was a former president of GM.

Manufacturers continued to experiment with electric cars, but were having great difficulty solving the problem of an economical, long-life battery that's strong enough to power a car.

Cars in 1969

Once again new car sales records were broken. Both domestic and imported car sales were up, but scattered strikes and a tighter market tempered optimism. The success of imports inspired American manufacturers to design an even smaller sub-compact car, similar to the wildly successful Volkswagen Beetle. The older style compact cars, such as the Corvair which debuted in 1960, were abandoned.

Not all cars were small. Many young buyers still wanted power and they got in bunches. Several great muscle cars were released in 1969, as you can see in the pictures below.

Some notable design changes include the Ford Thunderbird changing the nose to resemble the Pontiac Grand Prix, Cadillac dropped the V-symbol, and fiber-glass-belted tires were on nearly every car. Interestingly, some car companies included detailed repair manuals with their cars to help owners mitigate repair costs.

In a surprise move, Ford named former GM executive Semon Knudsen president in 1968. However, after just 19 months on the job, he was fired by Henry Ford II. Ford's only comment: "It didn't work out."

1960s Sports Cars & Muscle Cars

1960s Luxury Cars

1960s Family Cars, Station Wagons & Sedans

1960s Compact Cars, Trucks & Concept Cars

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1960s cars could be the most stylish cars ever built, but power was even more important. Learn about the history of 1960s cars and browse over 150 pics.