According to You: What vehicle took you to prom?

Chevrolet

Wow, your feedback was certainly impressive for this question! Seems like everyone participating in the latest installment of According to You had a vehicle worth sharing: a car that was worthy of a special night spent dancing as a teenager. Our prom memories are just as diverse as our tastes and life experiences, so we’ve selected some examples from the Hagerty Community to share with everyone. (You can have a look at all of them here.)

Let’s get into it, and see what vehicles took us to the big dance!

 

The Deuce and a Quarter

Mecum

@Mike: For my 1973 prom, I took a 1970 black Deuce and a Quarter [Electra 225] that had Dad recently gotten as a trade at the Buick dealer. Beautiful ivory-colored brocade interior. I did 120 mph and got the car airborne! (On a 35 mph street, no less.) No damage, and we lived through it. My date was surprised. Tough car–I drove it to the junkyard in 1982.

A Sterling mode of transport

Sterling

@Mr. Ed: Mine was a Lynx Bronze 1988 Sterling 825 SL that my dad had purchased the previous fall. Connolly leather–wrapped seats, Recaro front buckets, reclining rear seats, authentic burl-wood interior trim—the works.

The Brits know how to put an interior together and build a great suspension, but they can’t make an electrical system to save their lives. Still can’t believe Rover went with a Lucas electrical system instead of the Honda/Denso system in its Acura Legend cousin.

Even more luxurious yachts

Lincoln

@Steve: My uncle had a brand new, 1968 Continental Mark III in triple black that drove my date and me to the senior prom in 1967. We were stylin’!

@Bob: To both junior and senior proms, I took a 1950 green Olds 88 coupe with the big, four-barrel engine. After a few wrenching sessions, it was the fastest car in our town.

@WAB: Junior prom (in 1977) was in a 1972 Chrysler Imperial Coupe—super impressive, and comfortable luxury everywhere you looked. My [ride to] 1978 senior prom was a 1977 Monte Carlo, triple Firethorn Red, that I had inherited from my father a couple years ago with 3000 miles on it. Wish I had that Imperial Coup … have been looking for an excellent one for years.

@Tom: I had a 1941 Series 61 Cadillac Sedan (in very good condition) that had been sitting up on blocks in a neighbor’s garage for 15 years. When my friends and I were young kids, the owner would allow us to play in the car as if we were driving it. As I approached my 16th birthday, the neighbor said that, if I got it in working order, I could have the car for $100. I was able to do so under the guidance of a local service station owner. When I received my license in 1967, I became “that guy” who all my friends wanted to double date with as it had a very roomy back seat. Needless to say, there was no double dating on prom night for any of my friends.

High five for the Tri-Five

1955 Chevrolet Bel Air side view
GM

@DUB6: A 1955 Bel Air hardtop with stock 283 and three-speed floor-shift. Green interior—bench seat up front. The car was mostly white but with a tan hood and one blue fender, plus several spots showing my early attempts at body work, protected with yellow primer. (Where/why did I get yellow primer? Hey, it was the psychedelic ’60s, folks!)

After the dance, we headed downtown, where I promptly got pulled over for drag racing, which was an automatic $50 fine in those days. Not having that much cash, I got to spend the night in a cell, with my Chevy parked out front—minus my date, who had had to call her father to come get her. (Needless to say, we never dated again after that night.) When I scrounged the $50 from friends the next day, I in my powder-blue tux with white bucks sashayed out to the ’55 to the hoots of my assembled buddies and—quite red-faced, I assure you—headed home to face my folks. Memorable prom night? Yup!

@Ray: 1957 Chevy Bel Air 283. It was the family car, but during my high school years, after I got my license, it was mine pretty much any time I needed wheels.

Greatest Of All Time?

Mecum

@Ken: I took a 1967 Pontiac GTO in 1972. Two proms, two girlfriends at the same time. Too much fun, too much car for a 17-year-old kid, and did not get into too much trouble (with the car or the two girls).

@Frank: In 1975 I drove a 1967 Pontiac GTO, Fathom Blue with black interior, Hurst dual-gate automatic, no power steering/brakes, and no air conditioning. Bought the car in December of 1974 for $700 at age 17. My first car. Remember everything about the car, and it was in very nice condition.

@DUB6: Ah, the days when you could buy a “very nice condition,” seven-year-old GTO for $700—please, please, please take me back!

The bench-seat Monte…

Chevrolet

@Tim: I took a 1986 Monte Carlo SS, and it was one of the few I have seen that came with a front bench seat. It came in handy that night! Drove it to my prom in 1987.

A Pinto punchline?

1978 Ford Pinto Wagon front three quarter
Mecum

@Jim: 1978 Ford Pinto wagon, four-speed. Beast!

Mopar muscle

Mecum

@John: 1967 Plymouth GTX, midnight metallic blue, white interior. 440 Commando, dual quads, and A-727 Torqueflite.

@Steve: For my 1970 prom I took a ’66 Plymouth Satellite with a 440, 727 auto, Keystone Klassic wheels, and redline tires.

@Patrick: 1960 Dodge Dart Phoenix: monstrous fourdoor with a 318. Great beer wagon.

Dumps like a truck?

RTI Auctions

@Richard: In the early ’80s my son was going to a prom with no date. The company I worked for had an ole Mack dump truck. He asked me if I’d drive him there in the ole beast. I said, “Hell yes.” He worked on that truck until it looked like a rough show truck. We made a statement for sure; some 40 years later, when he sees old classmates, they say, “Hey, you’re the kid that came to the prom in the dump truck!”

@Steve: A 1966 Chevy C-10 stepside–I had pulled out the six-cylinder, dropped in a 327 V-8, and added a nice set of oversized aluminum slots with a fresh paint job in Corvette blue. The best part was the bench seat! Ended up getting married to that girl.

@Gred: In 1979, I took my 1971 Ford Ranchero GT, 351 Cleveland 4V carb, light green w/wood paneling, skinny rims, and tires w/dog-dish hubcaps. That car was such a sleeper.

Down to Cougar town!

Mercury

@Steve: In 1977, ’78, and ’79 (with the same girl) I drove my ’67 Cougar (my daily, but I was proud of it). Girl is still a friend, and I recently bought the car back after a 15-year absence. It was partially stripped and almost hopeless, but it’s been fun to try to get it back to what it was when foolishly sold.

Stay in your (Fair)lane?

Ford

@John: 1974 or 1975 (can’t remember which) prom, drove the 1965 Ford Fairlane my father bought for me to drive when my aunt was going to trade it in. Visualize a shoebox, you have the styling for that car (1966 and 1967 models looked a lot better). My brother got to drive our parents’ 1969 Galaxie 500, a nicer ride. Anyway, it wasn’t an impressive ride, I was a hopelessly shy and awkward nerd and she was quite a looker, so she moved on to more impressive guys.

She heard he had a Mercury …

Len the OP

@Len: I took my own car to the 1956 prom, a 1951 Mercury convertible.

Malibu with my ‘bu!

Hmm, it’s possible this photo will upset @snailish. Sorry about that! Mecum

@snailish: Mid-’90s prom, and I got to borrow a driver-quality 1970 Chevelle Malibu (dark blue with the black Malibu interior) convertible for that. Sadly the car was sold away from the family while I was away at college (for cheap, too). The next owner did a $50,000 restomod (in late ’90s dollars) to turn it into a red-with-black-stripes SS clone.

Prom-prom-prom?

Mazda

@Sam: I took a 2004 Mazda 3 for junior prom. Hopefully I get something better for my senior prom! LOL!

 

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Comments

    Lucky to go to three proms! Tenth grade invited by a Junior-rode in her brother’s ’66 Chevelle. The next year I drove my Dad’s ’67 Fairlane 2-door hardtop. Senior prom I drove my ’69 Mustang fastback. Still have a Fairlane and Mustang!

    My one and only car in high school was my ’68 Mustang coupe with 302-4V. Lots of ladies saw the red interior of that car, but only one went to the prom in it, and she later became my wife, 1st edition.

    Went in 1977 in my ’67 Galaxy XL, Dropped the Girlfriend off at her curfew ay 11, them met up with the girl I met at the prom. the front bucket seats were not good but that back seat was phenomenal

    To Steve and his 1968 Lincoln MkIII 1967 Prom car.
    In that the Mk III was introduced in 1969 I could see “maybe” a late 1968 prom. You sure you got your years right?

    I took a 1963 Dodge 330 with a slant six and rust holes on both sides big enough to stick your fist thru. Torqueflight push button trans and a Pioneer Supertuner bolted to the trans tunnel. A carnivorous back seat!! That car is probably still running somewhere, with my dates hyman stuck to the headliner. Great times!

    My Junior year, I drove to Prom in a new (Dad actually took delivery of it the day of the prom) 1967 Dodge Charger. White. Red interior. 383 four-barrel. Only later did I experience the true benefits of fold down rear buckets and a pass-through to the tailights!

    I drove a 1961T Bird convertable to Fountainblu Hotel in Miami Beach with the girl who was gonna wqait for me while overseas in 1963….Dear John..

    In 1961 I was supposed to be driving a beat up 1956 Chevy to Prom but due to unfortunate circumstances (my Grandfather died the week before prom) my parents were out of town making funeral arrangements. I got the idea to borrow a better car and was able to convince my Mother’s doctor to loan me her 1959 Olds Super 88 (All white) Convertible for the weekend. Everything went well and I returned the car freshly washed and polished before my parents returned from out of town. I don’t remember them being too upset with me at the time, but maybe I am suffering from protective amnesia.

    My junior prom in 1972 I drove my 1961 corvette. It was a very warm night & when I opened the cowl vent it blew my dates dress up over her head. We were driving a little fast at the time. Same girl & same car for my senior prom, but this time she was prepared for the vent opening.

    My Prom car for 3 years, including homecoming was a ‘68 matador red Impala 2door coupe. Had Black brocade cloth interior, nice paint duel exhaust with shell industries test mule 350 4 bolt main engine, rally wheels, Large Front and back seat!! Best part I bought and paid for it!

    Love to read all your stories as I never had an opportunity to attended a prom, went into the Service USAF when I was 17 and a Jr in NYC HS…better that then, well you know. I do own my 87 MC SS since 88 so I guess from now on I will tell my wife of 56 years that we are headed off to the prom…she might have me committed.

    1964 Ferrari 250 GT Berlinetta Lusso. My wife and her date were allowed to take their family’s Ferrari to senior prom in 1980. Imagine the lucky date allowed to drive that car!! They were not pricing out the way they do these days (7 figures), but still must have been a real eye catcher.

    My prom ride was a 67 Mercury Cyclone convertible. Another one of those $700 “mechanic’s specials.” This was 1973. Just needed a clutch, my first clutch replacement. Things I remember about the prom was the oil gauge developed a leak on the way. The previous owner had installed a cheap under dash oil, temp, amp set. Quick fix, but I was dressed for the prom. The food and band were unremarkable, but all our friends were California Scholastic Federation members, and we had a great evening. Rather like the college mixers for college deans list members. Young adults with sex on the mind, talking quantum physics, string theory, philosophy, the latest release from RCA Red Seal… Sometimes, the best thing was to just sit back listening and observing. Still amuses me near fifty years later.

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