A CAR collector acquired his childhood dream movie car after several years and keeps it preserved and running.
The film “American Graffiti” is a marvel of cinema, as it had a small budget and, at the time, a little-known director, George Lucas.
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Premiering in 1973, “American Graffiti” was turned down by every major film studio except Universal Pictures, which gave Lucas a small budget of $777,000 – equivalent to just over $2 million in 2023.
The car, a 1958 Chevrolet Bel Air Impala driven by Ron Howard’s character Steve Bolander, was far from the movie standard – with a modified engine and “fire” paint on the sides.
Ray Evernham, a movie buff, former NASCAR crew chief and TV host — like most Americans — had a soft spot for the coming-of-age film that romanticized cruising and 1960s car culture.
“American Graffiti is very important to me because in 1973, when I was 15 years old, I went back and forth to the theater probably a dozen times to see that movie,” he said during an interview with AméricaCarna.
He loved all the cars featured – but the Bel Air Impala was the one that caught his attention the most.
“I was so inspired by this car that I dreamed about it – it was the ultimate hot rod,” he continued.
After becoming a household name through his endeavors as an automotive consultant, racing expert and car collector, he decided it was time to try and find out where the car ended up.
“About 15 years ago, after I started making a little money, I decided to try and find the car so I could buy it,” he said.
“And I met the guy in Washington and there was a lot of history in the car – he bought it at a Lucasfilms auction in 1972, before the movie came out.”
Because the film wasn’t projected to be the $200 million box office success it ended up becoming, the owner was able to purchase the vehicle for an incredible price.
“At the time, I think he only paid about $283 to $300 for it.”
The first time Everham tried to buy it, he was denied – but fate brought the car back into his life while he was filming an episode of AmeriCarna, where he bumped into the owner.
However, the vehicle was no longer in his possession, as it was put up for auction.
“It was auctioned off several times and didn’t meet its reserve, and I tried to negotiate back and forth, but I just couldn’t get the price they wanted for it,” he said.
Heartbroken, Everham decided to keep in touch with the owner and was finally able to buy the car from him after a few more years.
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“It’s an incredible car and it’s an incredible part of my life – it represents a 40-year journey… I can look at it and think about everything I’ve done since high school,” he said.
“It’s probably the most important car in my collection… This car will always be close to me.”
Since the car was manufactured in 1958, the car was definitely showing its age.
The pain was endured with the clear coat all but gone, the interior was worn and faded and the chrome wheels were in desperate need of polishing.
Just in time for the 2016 SEMA Show in Las Vegas, Nevada, it was tastefully restored by Axalta Coating Systems.
This story originally appeared on The-sun.com read the full story
