(Photos from the Detroit Public Library Digital Collection) – It has been a while since I have roamed the digital stacks at the Detroit Public Library but finding myself with a few minutes the other day, I pounced on the opportunity. I am always delighted to poke around in there because there are literally millions of historic images to find and gawk at and learn about. In this collection of about 30 photos that caught my eye you will see military vehicles like the famed “Sea Jeeps” being tested, you will see amphibious “Alligator” tanks, school buses, fire trucks of all shapes and sizes, vintage race cars, panel wagons, 1970s ads for vans that touch Ford, Dodge, and Chevrolet, the GM Parade of Progress replete with its epic Futureliner trucks, and a lot more.

I do not often pine for living in an earlier time because frankly we have it pretty damned good right now but there are moments when I see photos like those below and think that just being able to pop in and out for a day or at least for the moment when the image was taken would be awesome. Pictures do tell 1,000 words but there are times you want to know more, like what the guy thought of driving the lead truck in the Parade of Progress or what the names are of the four GIs in the Jeep chugging down the muddy German road. Stuff like that, you know?

If you love history and cool machines, you will love these photos, I know I loved finding them!

Click the images below to expand them and roll through the awesome collection –