Eurographics American Classics Series: Muscle Cars, a Caddy, and a VW Bus Full of Hippies

1968 Mustang 2+2 Fastback Cobra Jet

I know it's only Tuesday, but going back about five days it's already been one of those weeks most of us dread, a week in which every spare moment seems to be crammed with an obligation that just can't be put off. It started with a nice, big repair bill to my wife's car (the emission system had to be replaced), oil changes to both our vehicles and my granddaughter's, the unraveling of a complicated credit card problem that my 96-year-old father inadvertently created, two full days (and the job is still not complete) digging the old mailbox out of its cement entombment so that a new box could be placed into the structure, and several runs to the pharmacy to pick up needed meds.

Needless to say, this hasn't left a whole lot of time for puzzling, so progress on the great Eurographics VW Bus puzzle pictured here has gone quite slowly...but at least somewhat steadily. I'm about 850 pieces into the puzzle now, so it should be done in another day or so when I look forward to posting pictures of how it all came together.  In the meantime, I keep looking at the bottom of the puzzle's box which pictures other puzzles in the company's American Classic series and wondering how long I can resist the temptation to buy all of them.  

I mean, just take a look at these beauties:

1959 Cadillac Eldorado 

1970 Dodge Challenger R/T

1969 Chevrolet Camaro RS Z/28

1963 Volkswagon T1 Samba Bus

I think that these puzzles strike me so powerfully because of the nostalgic memories the images bring back. At one point in my life, I owned a used 1964 1/2 Mustang and I traded that in on a 1969 Chevrolet Camaro, so there's that. And two of my best friends in high school had pretty good taste, too; one of them owned a 1967 Dodge Challenger the exact color of the one pictured here, and the other had a 1962 VW bus that looked nothing like the Hippy-Bus pictured here but was still a fun ride. As far as the '59 Caddy, I don't even remember seeing anything like that thing...and would probably not been all that impressed if I had.

The topper in all five of these puzzles is their background settings and the folks just going about their business. Taken together, these give a pretty good feel for what living in those days could be like on a good day...and if we are lucky, all we remember are the good days.

How can I resist these things...and why would I want to, in the first place?