This is the incredible story of a 1928 Chevrolet National Coach and as you might suspect, yes, I am involved at one point in its history.
On April 28 of 1928 a Mrs. Helen Six living on Liberty Beach Drive in Indianapolis Indiana purchased a new 1928 Chevrolet from Downtown Chevrolet on 5th St. in Indianapolis.
The odometer had not rolled up one mile when she took delivery and by the time she drove it home and put it in her garage it registered 12 miles.
Her husband Nolan was quite an eccentric and was going to add some accessories to the car so he jacked it up and set it on blocks. He removed the tires, drained all the gas and water from the car and every once in a while would hand crank the car to keep the oil circulating in the engine but there it sat.
On Jan. 20/72, 44 years later Nolan passed away. His wife Helen gave the car to their attorney who lived next door, for the handling of the estate. The car was just taken down off the blocks and pushed into the garage next door.
Helen Six died Aug. 28/93.
The attorney did nothing with the car and sold it to a Wm Omalia who owned a fireplace store In Indianapolis. Still it sat with 12 miles on it. Mr. Omalia in poor health sold it to a car collector named Terry McElfresh in the same city in 1994. The speedometer now read 13 miles. As the car had sat in poor storage and was not much cared for in such a long period of time the paint had oxidized and when this happens, something I have experienced myself with all original paint on old cars, simply wiping the car down will remove the paint. Because of this Mr. McElfresh had a professional refinish done to the car.
Mr. McElfresh then sold the car to a large car collector by the name of John McMullen of Lapeer Mich. in 1997. The car now has 15 miles on it.
In the year 2000 Mr. McMullen decided, because of age to dispose of his car collection. I had read about the sale and this 1928 Chevrolet with now 18 miles on it, would be part of the sale. For some reason I could not attend the sale date but contacted a close friend by the name of Jim Miller of Baden Ontario who was going to the sale as he had a particular interest in one of the other cars being sold. I said to Jim, who I had absolute trust in, buy that 28 Chevrolet for me!
He did and he also bought a 1928 Pontiac in gleaming black saying he knew I would want it also. (yep- that’s the Jim we all knew and loved and trusted)
He delivered both cars to me and both cars were outstanding!
A very successful lumber Mill owner and car collector in Nelson Wisconsin by the name of Willard Brunkow was looking for a 1928 Chevrolet for memory’s sake as that was his first antique car. Somehow he found out about my 1928 Chevrolet with 18 miles on it and phoned me. He asked me how would it compare to his Duesenberg and Cord automobiles that were sitting side by side. I replied, park the Chevy in between and it will outshine either of them. I really did not want to sell the car this soon but I had to accept the offer he made and we delivered the car to him in Wisconsin. He was tickled pink.
Willard believed that old cars should be driven for the sheer enjoyment of them. He died on Feb. 24, 2008 and his daughter Kathy and son in law Arthur Pryzbyl of Libertyville Illinois inherited the Chevrolet, with it now showing 162 miles on it. They were also to keep the car in perpetuity, never to be resold.
Its enough to bring tears to your eyes. The last I heard of the car was in August of 2008 and they have driven it up to 597 miles.
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