Rock hunting in B.C. with a '59 Chevy
Published Friday August 22nd, 2008
George German enjoys reading CarStory in the EMC papers in eastern Ontario:
"Bill, your columns bring back many memories. Here is my story:
"I consider myself very fortunate to have been a teenager in the 1950s. If there was anything that could inspire a young teen, it was the thrill of seeing the year-after-year changes in the body styles of the cars of that era. My father was a car salesman for GM and we always had the latest Chevrolet or Oldsmobile for use as a demonstrator.
"For me, the real revolution in car design started in 1954 with the 'panoramic' (wrap-around) windshields! These new windshields seemed to open up a whole new vista for viewing, and of course the lack of a pillar on the hardtops added elegance to the design.
"The other big change in cars, starting in 1954, was the lavish use of chrome on the side panels. These flowing chrome lines led to innovative, two-tone paint schemes that made the cars look stunning.
"These novel paint schemes reached their peak with the tri-tone cars (Meteor Rideau and Dodge Custom Royal) which, to a young teen, were really impressive.
"When my father drove into the driveway with a new 1959 Chevrolet, I could not believe my eyes. At first I thought he had brought home a 'concept dream car' but I soon realized it was the real thing. I will never forget running my hands along the ever-extending rear fins.
"The car was a four-door hardtop that had one other unique feature: not only did the car have a wraparound windshield, but the rear window was also a wrap-around. The view from inside the car was like riding in a dome car.
"I remember going rock hunting with my parents in the interior of British Columbia. My dad found a large stump of petrified wood and he was determined to bring it home to Vancouver. With the help of several people, we managed to dump it into the trunk of our 1959 Chevrolet.
"However, Dad had not made allowance for the massive overhang of the trunk past the rear wheels, and whenever he hit a bump, the car would go light in the front end and he would almost lose all steering control. This made driving through the Fraser Canyon rather frightening!
"I would love to have a four-door hardtop of either a '59 Chev or Buick with their enormous tailfins. My grandchildren would never believe that cars were ever made of such a design oddity unless they saw them with their own eyes."
* Bill Sherk is an automobile historian who has had a passion for the topic since his days pumping gas as a teenager. We want to say thank you to our readers who send in their stories. We are giving a copy of Bill Sherk's book, 60 Years Behind the Wheel: The Cars We Drove in Canada 1900-1960 to each reader whose story is published in Car Story. To share your stories or photos e-mail bill@carstory.com or write Bill Sherk, 33 Oak St. E., P.O. Box 10012, Leamington, ON N8H 2C3.
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