My family, and Studebakers. Part one.....

A question I'm asked often in the Studebaker world is how I became interested in these cars, after all; I wasn't alive the day the STOPPED making them for crying out loud. That story begins by rewinding 4 generations in my family, by introducing my great grandfather....

Vernon Oroville Wills, born in 1905; was my great grandfather. He was a amazing man; one I am truely thankful to be able not only to meet, but to have a close relationship with before he died when I was twelve. If I start listing all the things he did, I wouldn't have enough space! Lets fast forward to right after the Second World War. My grandfather went to the local Chevy dealership, and placed a order for a brand new Chevy. Mind you, then, they couldn't drive them off the lot. Car production was still far behind from the war effort when he ordered. Another man came and ordered a new Chevy as well, right after him. When that man got his first, you can imagine my grandfather wasn't too pleased with that. He went to the local Studebaker dealer, who had a few cars on the lot, and drove one right off. When the order finally arrived for the new Chevy, he let him keep it; at his expense. This started a chain reaction with him, buying a new Studebaker every other year, up until his last new Studebaker being a 1964 Wagonaire, dark blue, with a 289 and automatic. He held a amazing pleasure of tormenting the Chevy dealers; and when Studebaker put McKinnon Chevy engines in the cars; those dealers as well! When Studebaker shut down production, he then went on to Mopars, which is the brand I initially grew up with as a kid.