Cars mentioned in Inherent Vice
There are so many, very specific, references to cars in Inherent Vice, so I think there's a strong case for collecting them here (not that I mean to replace the very good work already being done on the page-by-page annotations). Particularly for non-American readers, it's often very hard to know what a 1964 Dodge Dart or a 1949 Mercury Woodie looks like, etc. So this page is intended as a handy all-in-one reference. And I am of course hoping that someone else is going to do the spade work...
64 Dodge Dart
1949 Mercury Woodie
Morgan
"Morgans from the showroom up in Westwood with hoods held down by leather straps" (p. 298). This one is a '63.
289 Mustang
Sauncho's classic beach-town ride (page 117).
SS396
Luz drives it at page 143, though it belongs to her brother (or is it a boyfriend?). The reference isn't specific, as the "SS 396" label was applied to various models of Chevrolet that had the "Super Sport" option package and a 396 cubic-inch engine. The Camaro or Chevelle is the most likely, though I believe the Chevelle was the only instance where the SS396 was marketed (at least some years) as if it were a separate model.