All These Vintage Cars Survived California Fires Because They’re Not Made of Plastic

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Posted on 01/17/2025 6:29:12 AM PST by Red Badger

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As wildfires continue devastating California, silver linings are hard to come by. People have died, homes have been lost, and, sadly, those statistics could still rise. Bright spots are few and far between, though it’s important to take them when you can find them—however small they may be.

A shocking amount of street-parked vintage cars made it out seemingly unscathed, and as cliche as it sounds, it’s because they just don’t make ’em like they used to.

Pontiac Firebird. Justin Sullivan for Getty Images That expression is overused and often incorrect, but it applies here. These vintage cars, excellently captured by Getty photojournalist Justin Sullivan, still sit in front of burned-down homes, almost entirely unharmed. A few have some light scorching, and one Oldsmobile Cutless is a bit melty at the back, but the majority of them are fine. Ironically, almost all of the vintage cars in these photos are American, save for the one lonely Volkswagen Beetle. While there are likely several factors that saved these cars from fiery demise, one factor is that they’re made entirely from metal and glass on the outside.

Modern cars are much safer in a crash than vintage ones; it’s almost frightening, really. But your old uncle’s complaints about modern cars being made of plastic ring true here. Without plastic fender flares, body cladding, or fake vents, there was nothing on these cars to melt or catch fire. And because of that, they were saved from the extreme heat and wind-swept flames. At least their exteriors were; who knows what they’re like under their hoods or behind their doors.

Could these cars have been saved by circumstance? The winds pushing the fire away from them, concrete barriers separating them from the flames, or the fire being extinguished before it reached them? Of course. I’m not saying you can drive a vintage car through the inferno and be guaranteed to come out the other side. But when we’ve seen so many cars damaged, melted, and lit ablaze over the past week, it’s remarkable to see these cars survive while sitting so close to the hellish aftermath.

There are some great cars, here, too. An old custom Shoebox Ford, a second-gen Ford Falcon, a Plymouth Belvedere, the aforementioned Volkswagen Beetle, and an ultra-cool AMC Hornet Sportabout wagon are among the classic survivors. They’re cars whose beauty, coolness, and smile factor make the world a better place. We’re grateful to see them stick around a little while longer.

There isn’t a complete home left standing behind any of these cars. Their owners almost certainly lost everything but their cars in the fire. No one will blame them for ignoring any solace in their vintage cars’ survival, nor would anyone blame them for rejoicing about still having something, either. Having anything at all to take away from this nightmare is a win, even if it’s a small one. And these vintage cars can provide those little wins for their owners.

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1 posted on 01/17/2025 6:29:12 AM PST by Red Badger

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