Craig Fitzgerald, the occasional BangShift contributor, occasional vagrant, and full time bossman over at BestRide.com came up with a shockingly awesome story that centers around the lowly Olds Silhouette van pictured above and below. For as much crud as we like to heave at Craig, he can sniff out a story and this proves it.
A tell-tale decal that Craig spotted on the door lead him to the discovery that this van was connected to the legendary Berejik Oldsmobile dealer that was located in Needham, Massachusetts. This was not just a dealer that was known around New England for their dedication to high performance Oldsmobiles, they were known nation wide. At their height of their popularity and power they were actually part of the Smothers Brothers drag racing team in the late 1960s.
Craig tells the story of this van, the dealership, and the family that guided it for years. There’s some great vintage photos and it truly is a fantastic read if you dig muscle cars, horsepower, and drag racing.
Oldsmobile died a sad death but it was not because its dealers lacked passion and enthusiasm. The Berejik family stood as proof of that.
Click the image below to see the full story of this cool Olds Silhouette
I thought it was going to have a quad four in it or something. How about doing a story on Mancini’s twin engined Chrysler LHS? The stealth terror of Woodward Ave.
Cool story but a little sad as well…..
It’s sad alright. GM abandoned them and the Olds name. It’s a story that can go on and on, at the end of the day no one wanted what they had. The potential was there too. Shame.
Great story. I was among their fans and saw them race all the time. In the pits they were like just the guys in the slot next to your car, no I’m hot shit stuff from them.
Shame no details on the Van. That U van chassis either had a 3.1L, a 3.4L or a 3,8L V6. The Chevy V6’s in both 2nd gen $ 3rd gen. The Buick in the 89-24 type and the 95-up type. They use a bunch or Corporate parts and could easily be modified.
Eaton Blower, Turbo Charges, later 3.5 Chevy V6, or who knows. If no history was gathered, or could be it’s a shame to assume it’s just a decal on the door.