1961

Actually it had been a family business since 1955. I used to relish sitting in the "cool" cars and any with a console shift was a bonus. Occasionally a Cougar or Mustang, Pontaic. He never allowed a Chrysler product on the lot, never that I remember, nor International. Unfortunately dad was in it for money and those were no profit margins. Family mainstream cars and trucks made the money. He got out of it when I was about 11, in 1974.

We had a mechanic that was a National Guard fellow and worked for us part time. He took a very early VW bug and stripped the body off. He made a steel tube frame and had the local sheetmetal guy make panels for it. Painted it matte OD green. I never wondered where he got that paint. lol The finisher was a big red 3/4" plywood box in the back over the thumping 40 hp engine. That is where we kids got to ride! It was glorious. At our farm we went on some fun doughnut, fishtailing, jumping, mud slinging off road rides. Just like Rat Patrol but the hillbilly version. It was a rare delight when my dad gave in and picked me up from kindergarten or first grade school. All my friends got to see how cool it was. I think we snuck it in the county fair parade once! I never knew where it actually ended up. We had cars that ran for sale at $75 -$150 on the back row. Good stuff up front for the $2k range.