An Easter Tradition

While folks were getting dressed in their pastel Sunday best I spent my Easter Sunday understanding the history and tradition behind the story and importance of a '63 Chevy Impala Super Sport. John Ballentine (my Uncle) has for years spent his Easter Morning in Forest Park at the Horseless Carriage Annual Car Show. After skipping church service I thought I would finally go see why this was so important to "Uncle John". Forest Park was packed with families, couples and old men exchanging stories of how they acquired their classic car and the process it took to restore them. After passing the muscle cars and climbing the hill to the more traditional historical cars I found the still active 86 year old dressed in his Cardinals gear sitting in what to him was more than just a car.

Purchased for $3,500 brand new from the dealership, he wanted to get the Impala minus the SS which was 1k cheaper but his son John Dillard (a.k.a. Johnny) talked him to the nicer more expensive model. He knew that his plan was to give the car to Johnny so when he saw how much he adored the SS he couldn't say no. Not long after the car was purchased Johnny volunteered for the Army and served his country proud in the Vietnam War. As the car sat ready for Johnny to return, one day news reached back to St. Louis as army officials notified John that his 21 year old son would not be returning following deadly wounds he received from a helicopter crash. Johnny's mother would never allow the car to be sold. 

This classic car looks just as it did in 1963 and has been re-painted the original black while the red interior looks as it did 40 years ago. While I walked through the rows of classic cars and heard the story of how one man purchased his 50 year old Rolls Royce 12 years ago or how the father son team restored a '57 chevy, none of the shiny paint or hard work meant more to me than the 1963 Impala SS. A car that has received many offers twice what's worth according to Kelly Blue Book, but for one 86 year old man the car is priceless, and like John Dillard, it can never be replaced