Title: Recollections of our First Mopar
Date: Winter 2004
Author: Dick Sigafoose

When I joined the U.S.A.F. on Friday the 13th of February 1953 I had a driver, a '37 Chevy coupe, and a project car, a '38 American Austin Bantam roadster. The roadster was powered by a small Ford 60 V8 from the late '30s.

While in the service, my brother got married and my folks purchased the Chevy from me to give to my brother and new sister-in-law for a wedding present. Then may Dad was transferred to Cleveland, Ohio as part of a promotion. My project car was apart in the garage. Neither my folks or I could afford to have it assembled or packed & moved, so it was sold as-is.

Nancy and I were married in 1955 while I was still in the Air Force. So we needed some transportation. We went car shopping with my Dad. I spotted this beautiful light green '51 New Yorker, and remembered this airman I met while stationed in Georgia. His folk owned a furniture factory in Grand Rapids, Michigan and had bought him a '51 Saratoga with a Hemi. That thing would fly. The New Yorker also had a Hemi, it's first year of production. Yes, I had to have the Hemi. My Dad tried to talk me into something less expensive ($995), but no, I had to have the Chrysler.

Nancy and I returned to Shaw Air Force Base in Sumter, South Carolina. Being married, we were allowed to live off-base and get an off-base housing allowance. So we opted to live in town, about 4 or 5 miles from the main gate of the base.

One day I was running a little late to report for roll call. As I was approaching the highway to go to the base I saw one of our unit airmen fly past the intersection in his brand new Ford Victoria hardtop. He was also running late. There were several recently re-enlisted airmen in my unit, and all of them had purchased new Chevy or Ford V8s with their re-enlistment bonus.

The highway ran perpendicular to the base as you approached it. Then the road made a gradual 90 degree turn to the left then ran parallel with the base fence. It was another 2 or 3 miles to the main gate. We both got to roll call just in time. After roll call the Ford driver was telling the troops about his late drive to the base. "After I made the turn, I had my pedal to the floor. I thought boy is this new Ford flying. Then I saw Sigafoose had pulled up beside me. He yelled to me, "Hey, do you wanna' race?" and took off down the road in that big Chrysler like I was standing still!"