I entered into the Driving Age (16) at 15-1/2 with a Learner's Permit in San Carlos, California; March, 1957. The DMV office was on the corner of Brewster and Arguello Streets in Redwood City, and the last time I saw the building it was a dry-cleaning laundry, the DMV having moved to Veteran's Boulevard.
	My First Car, a 1942 Willys Americar (Manufactured by the Willys-Overland Company ) was a coupe body mounted on a Jeep chassis. Being of World War II vintage its life cycle was only between 1941 and 1942 when all metals, rubbers, etc., were re-directed into war equipment production.
Being a 'Jeep' it wouldn't go much over 60 mph, but would go anywhere. My Americar was originally yellow and I had the cute coupe long before even my Learner's Permit. My father made me completely disassemble then reassemble the vehicle. As an early teen this took a considerable amount of time and distress as I was already anxious to sneak it out at night when mom and dad were gone someplace.       (This photo best represents the Americar.)
Ultimately the Willys was re-painted with a red-oxide primer. Its front grill  ressembled that of a turned-out Austin-Healey grill (which it was not) and  many mistook it for a customized '39 or '40 Ford coupe of that time.    Consequently I was always challenged with a 'Drag Race' at any of the little gatherings we (my licensced driver and I) found ourselves at.    Of course this was ludicrous in the extreme, one could run the quarter-mile drag faster than the Willys could make it. Unfortunately the photo of me next to my yellow Willys has been lost to time.

My Willys gave way by trades, negotiations, hook  and crook with Ken "Brad" Bradley to my 1949 Ford  two-door sedan. In the summer of 1957 it no longer  had the pristine appearance of these babies but it  went into my Junior year with me at Carlmont High School between San Carlos and Belmont, California. After needed engine, body, and upholstry work it emerged as a close as possible color to 'Candy Apple Red' with a 'Rake' from cutting the front springs short so that whenever it hit a bump the springs would bottom out and teeth would rattle.
But who really cared?    It was great for meeting and escorting the young ladies then, and instead of  dice hanging fromt the mirror I had a duck head mounted on the radio speaker  grill. It was my introduction into a Car Club, the 'Blue Angels' of San Mateo  where for initiation I had to appear at a local Kibby's Drive-In in diapers to order a meal. (Car Clubs shared a 'bad rap' as gangs even then but the two I was involved with the members were legimately interested in cars and the customizing of cars.) I know of no photos of my '49er, this photo is a close resemblance, but mine was a deeper color red.

And the classy '49 ford gave way to a 1952 Ford 1/2-Ton Pick-Up Truck. So my summer leading to my Senior Year at Carlmont was spent on refurbishing the truck.  two-door sedan. In the summer of 1957 it no longer  had the pristine appearance of these babies but it  went into my Junior year with me at Carlmont High School between San Carlos and Belmont, California. After needed engine, body, and upholstry work it emerged as a close as possible color to 'Candy Apple Red' with a 'Rake' from cutting the front springs short so that whenever it hit a bump the springs would bottom out and teeth would rattle. I think it was the left-over paint from the '49er at Brad's Auto Body on Morse Street (across from Any DiRossi's Gold Platter Restaurant where he would frequent the bar and take great delight in patting patrons, in their suits and white shirts, on the back with his greasy hands and yell Zucculafach! The true meaning of this word was known only to Brad, and it passed away with him.)CONNOISUERS CLUB