The Grapevine: A 1957 Ford Convertible Reunion
By Rosalyn Queen on May 30, 2024 from The Grapevine
Last week my phone rang, and it was my brother. He said come outside I need some help. So, I went outside and parked there was this beautiful 1957 Ford convertible.
Now you might wonder why I would devote a blog about this car. Well, there is a big family story about this car and, besides that, many people remember this car. And it never fails when I am out someone will ask me about this car.
Now we are ready for the rest of the story. In 1957, I was getting ready to graduate from Roosevelt-Wilson High school and I received a Home Economic Scholarship to attend West Virginia University. But during my senior year I received a job offer to work for the local cable
company every evening after school. So, I opted to work and not go to college. After school I was offered a full-time job with the cable company, took it, and here we are.
company every evening after school. So, I opted to work and not go to college. After school I was offered a full-time job with the cable company, took it, and here we are.
We were sitting at the table having supper and my dad said to me, “Would you like to have a car for your graduation gift?” I was stunned and listened for the rest of the story. He said he would pay the down payment of $500 and the payments would be up to me. I thought that was a pretty good deal and agreed to it.
We started shopping and found this convertible at a dealership in Salem. One evening after work. We went to Salem, dad with his $500 and me with my signature to make payments of $52 a month. As we were ready to leave. Dad said, “It’s yours drive it home.”
I had to be at work, so I drove from Salem and parked that beautiful hunk on Third Street while I worked. I was so excited that I kept peeping out the window and checking that temporary registration to make sure my name was there.
So, here I am a 17-year-old good looking chick with a full-time job and my own new convertible. The stories are many about this car with my high school friends but especially with the boys. There were several times when I had boys call for a date and we spent the entire evening in the garage with the ’57 Ford. My girlfriends and I really did a lot of cruising and once were out with the top down and it began to rain. We hurriedly put the top up and we continued driving going down Topper Club Hill and the wind gets under the top and starts to raise it. I had neglected to latch the top. My friends hung on to it till I was able to stop. Thank goodness I never had an accident or put a scratch on it.
Time moves forward, I fall in love and plan a marriage. In October of 1958, Fray Queen and I take off for Winchester in the 1957 Ford to get married. We went to Washington, D.C. for our honeymoon, parked the car on the street and when we came out the pigeons had it covered with their droppings. Fray immediately made plans to get it washed so it would not stain the white top. Since I had never seen the ocean, we took a day trip to Rehoboth Beach. And that started a yearly tradition that continues.
The vehicle’s home was, and continued to be, dad’s garage. I continued to make the payments until it was paid off, but marriage and family planning was top priority now. At that time, I traded dad the car for a piece of property to build our home on.
Although the title changed in my heart it was still mine. We used it for many special occasions and especially for Italian Festival parades. The car is now titled to my nephew, Billy Burnett. It sat idle for several years and needed motor repairs. which my son in law Andy Lang did. When it was ready to move, my brother Bill took it and detailed it to its original self. It is now housed at my brother’s house, and he tells me that although little Bill lives in Florida the car will stay in West Virginia and be available for family use.
There are so many memories, dates, trips, and dad hovering over it like it was his baby and really next to his four children he really loved it. This sixty some year-old vehicle really is a part of our family. Dad always referred to it as the “57.”
Tears came to my eyes as I stood next to it, mostly because I was able to help make my hard working immigrate father’s dream come true and to realize that it is still a part of our family. “Hey dad, the ’57 is ready to roll.”
Get ready for summer, stay happy and healthy and until next week “Now You Have Heard It Through The Grapevine.”
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