Kordesch Family Auto History
Kordesch Family Autos
My dad's first car was a 1949 Chevrolet.
We lived in Long Branch, New Jersey. Karl worked for the U.S. Signal Corps at Fort Monmouth. We had just moved to the US from Vienna, Austria in March, 1953. I was four.
In 1955 Karl got a job at Union Carbide in Parma, Ohio. So we moved to Lakewood, a suburb of Cleveland. Karl bought a 1954 Nash Rambler.
Karl's next car was a red German made 1959 Borgward Isabella. Four gears on the steering column. 1500cc engine.
That Borgward was the first car I was allowed to drive when I got my driver's license (1965) at age 16. In 1971 I bought the Borgward from my dad and drove it to college in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
Our next car was a white 1964 Chrysler Station Wagon. It had automatic transmission.
Kar'ls next purchase was brand new brown 1969 Dodge Station Wagon. What a beauty! I felt like I was flying a powerful jet plane.
Here is a photo of me and my friends on a canoe trip in Michigan, 1972. The Dodge was heavily loaded with 3 canoes, 6 passengers and camping gear.
We really drove that car a lot! We used my dad's credit card for gas.
Around 1975 Karl bought a bright red 1967 Fiat Spider sports car. Wow. That was fun. I crashed it on an icy road in Michigan a year later. Oops!
When Karl got interested in electric vehicles, he bought a 2-door British Austin A40 Farina from Bob Forsblom who lived across the street on Arthur Avenue. He took out the engine and put in an electric motor and hydrogen fuel cells in the back. Later he converted it to a hybrid, then a plug-in electric.
Here is the Austin today.
He bought a 1978 Buick Skylark from his secretary at Union Carbide, which he later gave to me. We shipped it to California in 1980 when we moved to San Jose.
In Toronto, Canada, Karl owned a black VW Passat.
Karl's last car was a 2003 Ford Taurus. He bought it when he moved to The Plains, Ohio. It was a four-door sedan, air-conditioned. (My dad passed away in 2011).
My dad's first car was a 1949 Chevrolet.
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| Karl's 1949 Chevrolet Fleetline with Fort Monmouth License Plates. Fort Monmouth, 1954 |
We lived in Long Branch, New Jersey. Karl worked for the U.S. Signal Corps at Fort Monmouth. We had just moved to the US from Vienna, Austria in March, 1953. I was four.
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| Karl's Chevy had 4 doors and "Three on the Tree" manual gears. It was parked next to a Volkswagen at Fort Monmouth, New Jersey. 1954 |
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| That's My sister Johanna (6), our mom Erna (32), me (4) and our Chevrolet. Long Branch, New Jersey, 1954. |
In 1955 Karl got a job at Union Carbide in Parma, Ohio. So we moved to Lakewood, a suburb of Cleveland. Karl bought a 1954 Nash Rambler.
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| Karl's 1954 Nash Rambler 4-door Sedan with 1955 Ohio License Plates. Parked in front of our garage at 1277 Edwards Avenue, Lakewood Ohio, 1955. |
Karl's next car was a red German made 1959 Borgward Isabella. Four gears on the steering column. 1500cc engine.
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Albert, Karl with Coco, in front of Karl's 1959 Borgward car.
2060 Arthur Avenue, Lakewood OH 1965.
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Marty, Erna, myself, and Kitty in front of our Borgward.
Easter, 1965
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That Borgward was the first car I was allowed to drive when I got my driver's license (1965) at age 16. In 1971 I bought the Borgward from my dad and drove it to college in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
Our next car was a white 1964 Chrysler Station Wagon. It had automatic transmission.
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| My brother Marty, Age 10, in front of our 1964 Chrysler Station Wagon. 2060 Arthur Avenue, Lakewood, Ohio, April 1966. |
Kar'ls next purchase was brand new brown 1969 Dodge Station Wagon. What a beauty! I felt like I was flying a powerful jet plane.
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| 1969 Dodge Coronet Station Wagon with electric windows. Parked at 2060 Arthur Avenue, Lakewood, Ohio. |
Here is a photo of me and my friends on a canoe trip in Michigan, 1972. The Dodge was heavily loaded with 3 canoes, 6 passengers and camping gear.
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| Canoe trip in Michigan. Al, Denny, Bob, Russ, Jimmy, and Hieu. |
We really drove that car a lot! We used my dad's credit card for gas.
Around 1975 Karl bought a bright red 1967 Fiat Spider sports car. Wow. That was fun. I crashed it on an icy road in Michigan a year later. Oops!
When Karl got interested in electric vehicles, he bought a 2-door British Austin A40 Farina from Bob Forsblom who lived across the street on Arthur Avenue. He took out the engine and put in an electric motor and hydrogen fuel cells in the back. Later he converted it to a hybrid, then a plug-in electric.
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| Karl checking the batteries in his electric Austin. Union Carbide Corporation, Parma, Ohio, circa 1976. |
Here is the Austin today.
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| Karl's electric Austin A40, The Plains, Ohio, 2018 |
He bought a 1978 Buick Skylark from his secretary at Union Carbide, which he later gave to me. We shipped it to California in 1980 when we moved to San Jose.
In Toronto, Canada, Karl owned a black VW Passat.
Karl's last car was a 2003 Ford Taurus. He bought it when he moved to The Plains, Ohio. It was a four-door sedan, air-conditioned. (My dad passed away in 2011).
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| Karl's 2003 Ford Taurus, California, 2017 |
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