This is a slice of life view of the 1970s auto show through a enthusiast’s eyes.
Are you up for a blast from past? We come across cool stories every now and again. A TopspinTEC user posted one on a few days ago. His father took photos back then at an auto show. They captured our automotive hearts so much, we reached out to TopspinTEC to get more information and to share the photos.
We are happy to report that TopspinTEC, AKA Marshall LeVett was kind enough to reply and even sent us some additional photos. His father Richard LeVett took the photos and they show cars from the New York Auto Show. LeVett did not specify a year for the event. He mentions the late 60s on the Reddit thread, but it seems that the cars we see indicate it to be 1971 or 1972. The DeTomaso Pantera did not make it to the auto show circuit until 1970. In 1971, the R107-series Mercedes-Benz 350 SL made its debut. LeVett also sent us additional photos of the Pantera slide. It’s dated 1972.
Although not all photos are perfect, they are still very well done. It is rare to find a collection like this without retouched or highly processed photos from the manufacturer. These are slices of auto enthusiasts’ lives from the days before bell bottoms and manned missions on the moon. Except for one picture. Marshall sent us this photo, which features his father’s favorite car, a 1959 Mk. He parked his Jaguar outside the shop. Richard LeVett was clearly a man of taste.
We can’t help but be amazed at how auto shows have evolved over the years. Events today are filled with interactive displays, elaborate backdrops, and hands-on activities. It was all about cars back then. Or the engine, which was often exotic and set to become the powerplant of the future in the 1970s.
Let’s stop talking and let you travel back in time to the 1970s using this photo collection. These memories are shared with special thanks to Marshall LeVett.