I was there... 1955 Chevy Bel Air
Written by Bill Bowman
In 1955, I ordered my first new car, a 1955 Chevrolet Bel Air Black and White Power Pak Convertible, at Hanley Dawson Chevrolet, 7 Mile Road and James Couzens in Detroit, Michigan. The purchase price of the car was $2,400 with a six week delivery date.
I was employed at a tool and die shop in Ferndale, Michigan as an apprentice. After four weeks I changed my driving route home so I could pass the dealership every day hoping the delivery might be early. No luck. On a Friday, the car was delivered but it was all black. They told me to take the car for the weekend and bring it back Monday and they would paint the back end white. I never kept the appointment and received a $30.00 refund.
My take home pay was $86.00 per week. The car payment was $86.00 per month and the AAA insurance was $86.00 per year. For an additional $800.00, total of $3,200, I wanted to purchase a 1955 Corvette, but I did not qualify for the additional $35.00 per month. After making the 24th and final payment, I sold the car for $1,800 and used the money for a down payment on our first house on Lindsay in northwest Detroit.
If I had only known.
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