The best cars graced Nebraska decades ago

Dear Editor,

Having family in McCook, Cambridge, and surrounding areas, I read The McCook Gazette 'Opinion' article: "To All The Girls I Have Loved Before" (Dec 18th issue). At first, I thought I was going to start humming the same tune sung by Willie Nelson and Julio Iglesias. However, it was Mike O'Dell's memories of old fascinating cars.

This article hit home, for me. My late dad, Bill Marples, owned almost every make of car imaginable. Granted, he had the natural Ford's, Chevy's, and Chrysler's. However, he also had a white 1956 Cadillac Fleetwood with rounded tail fins.It was one of the biggest cars in the world. To fill it with gasoline: You would press a button on the rounded tail-light on the fin. It would pivot-up and reveal the gasoline-cap. Dad also owned a TINY 1960 red FIAT, which was one of the smallest cars in the world. My dad had Henry J's/ Kaiser-Fraziers, Ramblers and Austin (NOT an Astin-Martin ... we weren't as wealthy as British Agent #007, James Bond ). He had Ramblers, Packard's, Nash's and 3 Studebaker pickup trucks (which were work-horses) plus a Studebaker Hawk car.

Those cars had elegance and style and my dad logged a lot of miles across Nebraska and Kansas in them.

Sincerely,

James A. Marples,

Longview, Texas