Don’t Go for the View…

For about as long as men and women have been making cars, they’ve been making out in them. 

I did it. Perhaps you did, too? Such escapades have certainly been a staple of Hollywood films for fifty years and, let’s face it, this is one of the main reasons teenagers desire a license and a car in the first place.

And one thing is certain: older cars make this activity a bit easier. The reasons may seem obvious, but they’re worth restating here. First, smaller cars were once actually smaller. Knees touched knees, shoulders touched shoulders, physical intimacy was part of the driving experience, and on a first date, well, that can be a very good thing! As for big, old cars: they generally had bench seats. This meant that you could ‘slide a little closer’ and snuggle up against a sunset or a starry sky. Simply turn on the radio to some warbling AM station and whisper sweet nothings…

All of which seems virtually impossible in today’s vehicles due to safety regulations, material choices, and the whole goal of isolating every driver in a ‘cockpit’. Yes, pun intended.

So, today being Valentine’s Day, there are certainly worse ways of planning a date. Forget the flowers and the fancy dinner. If you have a vintage car, there is no better day to wash it and take your girlfriend, wife, or new date for a long drive to a lovely spot.

Should you find yourself in the Los Angeles are, here are a few spots that might make for excellent bench seat, um, ‘views.’

• Mulholland Drive

• The Pacific Coast Highway, north of Malibu

• The Mission Tiki Drive-In in Montclair

• California State Route 2–AKA the Angeles Crest Highway–north of Pasadena

Happy Valentine’s Day, and enjoy!

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