“Surprise is the greatest gift which life can grant us.”
—Boris Pasternak
Herb Younger’s 1965 Chevy Impala was almost a member of family.
This is about a dad, a son, and a 1965 Impala SS. The story begins in 1964.
Mom, one of the dogs, and Dad’s 1965 Impala
Herb Younger saw her on the showroom floor. A 1965 Chevy Impala SS. Goldwood yellow. 396 cubic-inch engine. Chrome rims. Herb was in college, but couldn’t say no. He financed the car and worked to make payments. Life seemed complete. Herb needed no more.
Then he met Linda. They fell in love. They dated in Herb’s Impala SS. It took them everywhere, even the chapel to marry… and honeymoon to follow. When Herb accepted a teaching job across the country a year later, the couple drove Herb’s Impala SS over 2,000 miles without air conditioning. Packed in the back, all their worldly belongings plus two dogs and a parakeet named Harvey.
Then came two children, Jared and Derek. Ball games. Drive-ins. Trips to the zoo. They did it all in the Impala SS. But in 1985, 20 years later, things got a bit rough. Money was tight. The expense of college for two sons.
Herb needed cash. It had to be done. The Impala had to go.
That’s what dads do. It’s part of the drill. No medals. You would. Me too. Still, it was hard for Herb to let go.
Fifteen years passed. The boys were married and out on their own. But they never forgot. They devised a cool plot.
They sleuthed the Internet. They tracked Herb’s old Impala by its VIN. From California to Pennsylvania to New York to Maine, she changed hands. Seven owners. They scoured the land. At last, a man with a tip.
The Chevy was in Canada, a dealer in Montreal. Herb’s sons bought it over the phone. A gift for Dad.
When it arrived on the truck, it looked like not a day had passed. It was like that car stood still in time, longing for Herb, waiting for Dad.
A camera crew from Chevrolet filmed the reunion of Herb with his Impala SS. (Herb was told the crew was there to photograph a family documentary.) The ad was released to celebrate Chevy’s 100th anniversary.
In 2011 — the ever expanding family in front of Dad’s cherished 1965 Impala
June 16th. Father’s Day. Socks, a shirt or a tie? Dad deserves more.
It’s not the cost. Give it some thought. It’s just a month off.
Amazing piece. My father had a 1971 Hunter Green Chevy Impala. Mint Condition. That’s how he kept his cars. He passed that trait down to me and I thank him for it every day. If Dad were alive today, finding one of his old cars would be a gift of a lifetime.