It was 1994 and we were living in Pocatello Idaho.  My husband, Mitch, purchased a Pontiac Bonneville that sold new in 1959 in Alexandria, Louisiana.  The car had 17,500 original miles with original paint and interior.  The color was Sunset Glow with a white top.

The car was just like the one Mitch’s parents had in 1961 and being from the same hometown, I remember him driving it.  He told me how he found it for his dad and made him trade the ugly, much hated 1958 Plymouth wagon for the tri-power beauty.

We had it transported and the night it arrived there was snow on the ground and Mitch was out of town.  I met the driver at the local truck stop around midnight and I ask him if he would mind driving it back to our house because we lived on a hill and the grade was steep and twisting.  Being the good soul he was he did.

When we moved from Pocatello to the Boise area, I drove it across the state and it ran like a top. We kept it for 10 years and enjoyed driving it every now and then.  The last time it was driven was at Greek’s Picnic and all the cars got to parade around the Meridian Speedway at halftime.  I was driving and had six others in the car with all the windows rolled down.  It seemed like we were just gliding around that track but when I went to leave I discovered I had no dashboard lights, so I had to follow Mitch home.

The plan was to have it restored someday, but before that happened; Mitch came home one afternoon and said, “Oh, by the way, I sold the Bonneville to Norm”.  Now things like this have happened all the time in my life, so I always knew not to get too attached to the cars.  My first attachment was to a 1957 Cameo pickup that we had, and one day it was gone.  I should have just told him, “never sell the Bonneville… I really like it”.  Do you think that would have worked?  After it left our driveway was when he really knew how much I loved that car.

Just sitting in that car made you feel extra special with all the glass,  chrome, stainless, the sparkles in the carpet, stars in the headliner and all those dashboard lights.

Right after Norm bought it he had it totally restored and it was beautiful.  I would see him at all the car shows, just as proud as could be. He loved that car also and it couldn't have been in better hands at that time, but that was to be mine.

He had the car for about 4 years, and then one day he happened to stop by the house with a friend to just visit.   As Norm was getting out of his car he said to me, “You know Wilma, I might just have to sell the Bonneville”.  I asked why and he said that he was worried his kids weren’t into cars.  They were into fishing and hunting, and he was afraid they might throw a fishing pole in the back seat and take it to the lake.  He didn’t want that to happen to it.

At that very instant, I said to him, if that is what you really want to do, please talk to Mitch first.  Now it could have been wishful thinking on my part that we could just buy it back, but no matter what, I wanted him to give Mitch first chance… just in case.

While the fellows were outside talking cars, I didn’t get a chance to let Mitch know the Bonneville may be for sale.  As I saw Norm leaving, Mitch came into the house and said to me, “Guess what?”

I started screaming with joy because I knew what he was going to say.  And when he said to me, “it will be here tomorrow”.  It was like a dream come true with all the pieces and parts falling into place and without me saying a word.  Maybe it was just meant to be.

The next evening I found myself sitting in the dark garage in the Bonneville with all the dashboard lights on.  Then for a moment, I could hear Mitch in the house looking for me.  When the garage door opened, and the lights came on, he said, “Hey, get out of my car”… I laughed.

The car has a 389 ci  4BB, but we have a tri power for it.  It’s a hydramatic with PS, PB and electric rear antenna. The car now has 23,500 miles and the wide whites have been sidelined, at least for now with a set of 18” Coys.

Oh, by the way… there is another red 1957 Cameo pickup in the garage now. I don’t know if anyone learned any lessons here, but I just know I’m one lucky gal.

Wilma Geiger