We ran into a bittersweet story on SouthtownStar.com about an Illinois man who owns a 1967 Chevelle that he bought brand new from the now demolished Sunrise Chevrolet located in Midlothian, Illinois. Upon hearing that the dealer was closed, he managed to get his car on the property to take some last photos before the wrecking ball flattened the place forever.
The Chevelle is a really georgeous 1967 SS that has been put back to stock condition after living lots of its life with a 500hp, 427ci big-block under the hood. It was nut-and-bolt restored and has scored nearly 980 points on a 1,000-point judging scale. The good news is that the guy still drives the thing.
Lots of car dealerships are going to meet the same fate as Sunrise Chevrolet because they either could not sustain their business, or they had the rug yanked out from under them by the very companies whose products they dutifully sold for decades.
There was a time when a car dealership represented lots of good things. It was a community hub for employment, it was a literal holding yard for all the gearhead desires any car crazy kid harbored, and it was a destination for a dad and his son to go see the new models (even if they weren’t buying) every fall.
Anyone else out there own an original car from a local dealer?
