Special Advertising Supplement Wednesday, November 2, 2011
Heavy Chevy
Fond du Lac native Andrew Beck left his 1972 Chevy Nova in pieces in his dad’s garage when he joined the Army in 2008. His father, Michael Beck of Fond du Lac, surprised him by having the car put back together by the time he returned from military duty in Afghanistan. (Submitted photo)
Local Chevrolet fans share their fond memories By Laurie Ritger | The Reporter | lritger@fdlreporter.com
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here are endless stories about people’s love affair with Chevrolet — the iconic automaker that celebrates its 100th anniversary this year. Fans love that the brand is an American legend — as heard in the famous 1974 commercial jingle: “baseball, hot dogs, apple pie and Chevrolet.” They love the way the Chevy looks and the way it handles on the road. They say the price is right, too.
ARMY STRONG Ten years ago, Fond du Lac native Andrew Beck got his hands on a ’72 Nova — a classic Chevy muscle car. “I have always liked the style of Chevy’s muscle
2 | WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 2, 2011
cars and how they designed them,” he said about his love of Chevrolet. After buying the Nova, he decided it needed to undergo “a little” restoration. “Well, one thing led to another and the car sat in my parents’ garage in pieces,” he said. In 2008, Beck joined the Army. “He had to leave in a couple of weeks,” his father, Michael Beck of Fond du Lac, recalled. “He said, ‘I’ll never get it put back together.’ He kind of wrote it off — he never thought he’d see it in one piece.” The elder Beck got busy planning an amazing coming-home gift. He arranged for a friend to begin working on the
CHEVROLET
100 YEARS
various parts and pieces of the car in a garage in Oakfield. Some parts were missing; others were in such disrepair they needed to be replaced. Almost a year later, the car was back together and parked in Michael Beck’s garage. “He (Andrew) had gone to Afghanistan and it was kind of our gift back to him for being a good soldier and coming back in one piece,” Michael Beck said of his and his wife’s decision to invest in putting the car together. When Andrew came home (to Fond du Lac) after his deployment to Afghanistan, his dad told him he needed to check out some painting he had done to the garage floor.
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“He saw the car out there and was just overwhelmed,” his dad said about the surprise. “He is the greatest dad in the world!” Beck, now of Orlando, Fla., said in an email about his breathtaking present.
TOUGH TRUCK Glenn and Sara Marschie of Brownsville are having fun with their restored 1950 Chevy one-ton pickup. The truck, in its classic forest green paint, big chrome grille and rare nine-foot box, is one tough-looking machine. The truck has hauled grandkids and greatgrandkids in parades and always turns heads when it travels down the street. “I like it because it’s 60-some-years-old and still on the road,” Glenn said. “The ones they’re building today aren’t going to make it that long.” The truck, used previously on a farm, has about 80,000 miles on it. It was in rough shape when Glenn got it. “I’ve probably had it 15 years,” he said. “It sat in the shop for about five years until I finally got started on it.” He enlisted the help of a friend who knows about restoration. The truck has a four-speed transmission. “At about 50 miles an hour, it starts screaming,” Glenn Marschie said, adding that the truck was restored to its original condition. Marschie has had at least three other Chevy trucks. “I like the looks of them,” he said “and the price was right when I bought ‘em.”
Some of the memorable rides the 80-year-old car nut has owned include a 1955 Chevy Bel Air, a 1965 Corvair convertible and a 1974 Chevy Impala. Of all his memorable cars, he’s hung on to the light blue ’55 Bel Air. The car is a four-door, with eye-catching fender skirts and original cloth seats. Loest said there is an automatic transmission on the column. “I’ve taken it to about 10 parades or so,” he said. He credits his love of Chevy cars to his friend, Wally Vis, 82, of Brandon. The friends took Vis’ Chevy up and down Main Street in the ’40s and ’50s as they searched for a movie and hamburger.
“CAR OF MY LIFE” Reflecting on the collection of cars he has had during his life, Pat Wilmot of Mayville said he immediately thinks about a 1965 Chevy Super Sport two-door hardtop. He got the car after a traffic collision with a drunken driver totaled his first new car, a 1963 twodoor Chevy Impala. “April 9, my brother Mike’s birthday in 1965, is when a traffic accident I had set the wheels in motion for me to get that (car) of which I speak so glowingly,” Wilmot said. Luckily, the car full of five commuters from Mayville to the Enger Kress factory in
CLASSIC CHEVY Fond du Lac resident Dwaine Loest has had at least six Chevy cars during his lifetime. “There’s nothing better than a Chevy,” he said.
West Bend luckily only sustained bumps and bruises and cuts — no major injuries. No such luck with his smashed car. “The hood was pushed up almost to the windshield and steam slowly rose from the wrecked radiator of the car we had been so proud of for the past two years,” Wilmot said. A couple days later, Wilmot and his wife, Sandy, were at Fink Chevrolet in Horicon, where they selected a new vehicle — a Chevy Impala SS twodoor hardtop. It was black with a red interior, chrome all over, whitewall tires and spinner SS hubcaps. It had automatic transmission, 283 V8 engine and retailed for about $3,600. “We made a deal and that’s how I got my ’65 Super Sport,” he said. Amazingly, Wilmot only had the car about a year before he sold it. By then he was working at a local Ford dealership and it was impressed upon him that it wouldn’t do to be selling Mustangs and driving a Chevy. “A young lady from Iron Ridge ended up with the car of my life,” he said. “It was black and a beast to keep clean, but when it was, nothing on the road looked better to me. How I wish I still had it!” ■
Eighty-year-old Dwaine Loest of Fond du Lac won’t part with his special 1955 Chevy Bel Air. The car, with its fender skirts and original cloth seats, is one of at least six Chevys Loest has owned over the years. (Submitted photo)
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1938, and with three generations of providing excellent customer support and service, it’s easy to see why we have won the GM Mark of Excellence Award winner 6 consecutive years ACTION REPORTER
FELDNER CHEVROLET INC. CHEVROLET
100 YEARS
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WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 2, 2011 | 3
A true pioneer BEFORE THERE WERE SUVs, THERE WAS THE SUBURBAN Today’s most popular family vehicles are SUVs, or some variation on them.
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hese sport utility vehicles rose to prominence in the 1990s and are largely replaced by the more nimble, efficient crossover vehicles of
today. Still, SUVs remain a popular choice with many drivers who need off-road capability, versatility and lots of interior space. And the true pioneer of the SUV category is the Chevy Suburban. In 1936, Chevrolet introduced the Suburban, a vehicle that fundamentally changed the automobile market. With a focus on functionality, the credo of the new concept was “to carry all.” At long last, the whole family was to find sufficient space in one car — and preferably the fishing equipment, too. To build this automobile, engineers used a conventional truck chassis, but instead of installing a loading floor, as in the case of pick-ups, they had designed a generous passenger compartment in which up to eight people could fit on three rows of seats. A 90 horsepower engine provided the necessary power, and the world’s first station wagon was born. The Suburban had changed only very little by the time production was stopped in World War II. After the war, it underwent continuous improvements. In 1955, the basic model was delivered with a 100 horsepower engine, and in 1956 a V8 became the standard. In 1957, the Suburban was available for the first time with four-wheel drive, which made it a truly practical vehicle. It was no longer defined a station wagon, but a car, and as such the prototype of the SUVs seen on our roads today.
1936
1966
1972
Today
1981
CHEVY'S BOWTIE LOGO THROUGH THE YEARS 1916
1940s
1977
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1957
2000
CHEVROLET
1960s
Today
100 YEARS
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‘...Chevy to the levy...’ 100 SONGS THAT MENTION CHEVROLET
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ars and music seem to go hand in hand. And American popular music is filled with car references. But Chevrolet may top them all, judging from Pandora’s playlist of 100 songs that mention Chevrolet: “99 In the Shade,” Bon Jovi “All the Best,” John Prine “American Pie,” Don McLean “Amy’s Back in Austin,” Little Texas “Ball and Chain,” Social Distortion “Blitz,” Audio Adrenaline “Blue (Da Ba Dee) (Remix),” Eiffel 65 “Blue Jeans,” Silvertide “Captain Jack,” Billy Joel “Chattahoochee,” Alan Jackson “Chevrolet,” ZZ Top “Chevy Van,” Sammy Johns “Chrome,” Trace Adkins “Contact,” Citizen Cope “Crazy About Her,” Rod Stewart “Crocodile Rock,” Elton John “Dare to be Stupid,” Weird Al Yankovic “Don’t Forget to Remember Me,”
Carrie Underwood “Dr. Feelgood (Live),” Motley Crue “Drive South,” John Hiatt “El Camino,” Ween “El Tejano,” Cowboy Troy “Everytime It Rains,” George Strait “Fall in Love,” Kenny Chesney “Family Reserve,” Lyle Lovett “Fightin’ Words,” Trace Adkins “Girls with Guitars,” Wynonna Judd “Go ‘Head,” Mystikal “Go Lil’ Camaro Go,” The Ramones “Going Back to Cali,” LL Cool J “Here I Am,” Lyle Lovett “Here’s to You,” Rascal Flatts “How Bizarre,” OMC “Hustlin’,” Rick Ross “I Can Only Think of One,” Dierks Bentley “I Go Back,” Kenny Chesney “I Got You,” Dwight Yoakam “I Learned That From You,” Sara Evans “I Won All the Battles,” Tracy Lawrence “I’ll Be Your Johnny on the Spot,” Ween “I’m Customized,” The Cramps “I’m Just a Girl,” Deana Carter “I’ve Got a Rock N’ Roll Heart,” Eric Clapton “If I Stay,” Tracy Byrd
“Lost in the Flood (Live 2000),” Bruce Springsteen “Lucky 4 You (Tonight I’m Just Me),” SheDaisy “Make Me a Chevy,” The Promise Ring “Metropolis,” Trace Adkins “Miss Popularity,” Jordan Pruitt “Movin’ Out (Anthony’s Song),” Billy Joel “Mud On the Tires,” Brad Paisley “Natural Beauty,” Neil Young “Neutron Dance,” The Pointer Sisters “Night Moves,” Bob Seger “One Bud Wiser,” Gretchen Wilson “Paint the Town Redneck,” J.M. Montgomery “Pickin’ Wildflowers,” Keith Anderson “Picture Perfect,” Nelly Furtado “Putting the Damage On,” Tori Amos “Racing In the Street,” Bruce Springsteen “Rapid Roy (The Stock Car Boy),” Jim Croce “Real Gone,” Sheryl Crow “Renegade,” Tim McGraw “Repetition,” David Bowie “Ridin’ In My Chevy,” Snoop Dogg “Riding With Private Malone,” David Ball “Right Time of the Night,” Jennifer Warnes ““She’s In Love With the Boy,” Trisha Yearwood “Small Town Girl,” Kellie Pickler “Something On,” The Tragically Hip
“Jesse Went to War,” Marcy Playground “Joe Rey,” Fountains of Wayne “Keeping the Faith,” Billy Joel “Less Than Zero,” Elvis Costello “Let You Go,” The Clarks “Little Red Corvette,” Prince
Celebrating Our 40th Anniversary
“Song of the South,” Alabama “Still Love You,” Rod Stewart “Superstar,” Sheryl Crow “Suzy and Jeffrey,” Blondie “Tannin Bed Song,” Shawn Mullins “The Greeting Song,” Red Hot Chili Peppers “Under Assistant West Coast Promotion Man,” Rolling Stones “Three Marlenas,” The Wallflowers “Thunder Road,” Bruce Springsteen “Thundering Hearts,” John Mellencamp “Tim McGraw,” Taylor Swift “Twentieth Century Fox,” 38 Special “Unappreciated,” Cherish “Uneasy Rider,” Charlie Daniels “Union Sundown,” Bob Dylan “Water,” The Who “West Texas Highway,” Lyle Lovett “When I Think About Leaving,” Kenny Chesney “When You Close Your Eyes,” Night Ranger “Where Have All The Cowboys Gone?” Paula Cole “Why Do We Want What We Know We Can’t Have?” Reba McEntire “You Never Know Just How Good You’ve Got It,” Tracy Byrd “You Win My Love,” Shania Twain “Young Blood,” Rickie Lee Jones
take a d n a e Com rive in the test d hevy Volt! New C
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CHEVROLET
100 YEARS
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 2, 2011 | 5
Marking 100 years 2012 CHEVROLET CENTENNIAL EDITION CORVETTE RELEASED Chevrolet — founded by a racing pioneer 100 years ago — celebrates its performance heritage with the 2012 Chevrolet Centennial Edition Corvette
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his special edition features a sleek black color scheme, unique design elements and Corvette's trademark sports car technology. The 2012 Centennial Edition package is available on all Corvette models. The special package was inspired by Chevrolet’s racing-bred foundation, which continues with Corvette’s international racing excellence and production sports car prominence. “Racing and performance are the roots of Chevrolet, a tradition carried forward today by Corvette,” said Rick Scheidt, vice president of Chevrolet marketing. “The Centennial Edition not only celebrates our 100 years, it once again pushes Corvette forward for a new generation of sports car fans.”
A NOD TO HISTORY
INTERIOR
The Centennial Edition also features special badges that signify Chevrolet’s racing history. A graphic logo featuring an iconic image of Louis Chevrolet appears on the B-pillars, the center caps of the wheels, and the center of the steering wheel. The seat headrests also carry an embossed centennial logo. Aficionados will note one other small detail: The historic crossed flags badge contains a small adaptation, with “100” in place of the traditional fleur-de-lis symbol, only for the Centennial Edition.
The exterior color scheme is reinforced inside the car, with the Ebony leather-wrapped instrument panel and doors complimented by red stitching on the steering wheel, seats, console and shifter. Microfiber suede accents on Centennial Edition seats, steering wheel, shifter and armrests were first used on the 2011 Z06 Carbon Limited Edition.
STYLING The Chevrolet Centennial Edition Corvette expresses racing heritage, but does so with a sleek, modern, even sinister-looking appearance. The Centennial Edition package comes exclusively in Carbon Flash Metallic, with satinblack graphics and unique Centennial Satin Black wheels and red brake calipers. The wheels are constructed of lightweight cast-spun aluminum and include a thin red outline around the perimeter of its surface on the Z06. The wheels are specific to the respective Corvette models, including 18-inch/19inch for Coupe, Convertible and Grand Sport; and 19-inch/20-inch for Z06 and ZR1.
2012 Chevrolet Centennial Edition Corvette Z06 includes tributes to Chevrolet's racing and performance foundation.
100 YEARS OF CHEVROLET is published by Action Reporter Media. Contents of the section are for Action Reporter Media. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without prior consent of Action Reporter Media. For information, contact Lisa O’Halloran at 920-426-6701 or email lohallor@gannett.com. General Manager / Richard Roesgen | Advertising Director / Lisa O’Halloran | Graphic Artist / James Hoslet Advertising Manager / Jen Memmel | Circulation & Distribution / Greg Fyvie
6 | WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 2, 2011
CHEVROLET
100 YEARS
ACTION REPORTER
Louis Chevrolet THE "DARE-DEVIL FRENCHMAN" The man behind the Chevrolet brand.
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he Chevrolet car company is actually named for one man — Louis Chevrolet — a dare-devil who came from France to America and became famous as a racing driver.
SOME FACTS ABOUT LOUIS CHEVROLET:
➤ As early as July 16, 1895, Louis Chevrolet was the winner of a cycling race as reported in the “Journal de Beaune.” ➤ In May 1905, Chevrolet’s name first appeared in press reports in connection with motorized races. Driving a massive Fiat racer at Morris Park, N.Y., Chevrolet broke the track’s flying-mile record with a 68-mph run. He then went on to win a three-mile flying-start race at the same event. ➤ During the 1906 speed trials at Ormond Beach, Fla., Chevrolet drove a French-built Darracq race car, powered
Louis Chevrolet was known as the “daredevil Frenchman” for his brave exploits on the racetrack. He set numerous speed records and became a famous racing driver in early American automotive history. (Photo courtesy of General Motors)
by what was at the time a spectacularly powerful 200-hp V8, to a then worldrecord speed of 118.7 mph. ➤ On March 5, 1909, Chevrolet was engaged as a driver for William C. “Billy” Durant’s famed Buick racing team. Subsequently, Chevrolet’s successes as a race car driver multiplied. While brothers Arthur and Gaston would also race professionally, Louis generally lead the Chevrolet team when they competed together. ➤ Despite all of the spectacular successes, Chevrolet paid a price for his racing career. Celebrated in the American press as “the dare-devil Frenchman,” he is said to have spent nearly three years in hospital beds as the result of various accidents. When the youngest Chevrolet brother, Gaston, died as the result of a racing accident in 1920, Louis vowed to never race again.
Come in and Test Drive the NEW Volt!
YOU’RE INVITED TO JOIN US DURING THE CHEVROLET 100 YEAR OPEN HOUSE! See Classic Chevrolet Vehicles from the Past and Green Bay Players James Jones #89 and Vic So’oto #97. Scheduled to appear on Tuesday, November 1st, 4:00 to 6:00 p.m. 240 Gateway Drive, Waupun, WI
920-324-3585
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CHEVROLET
100 YEARS
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 2, 2011 | 7
HOUR
CELEBRATING
100 YEARS
THE COUNTDOWN IS ON! THURS., NOV. 3 8AM-8PM
FRI., NOV. 4 8AM-5:30PM
SAT., NOV. 5 8AM-5PM
HU RR Y!
GM SUPPLIER ON ELECT MODELS SELECT PRICING NOW
2012 CHEVY CRUZE UP TO
42 MPG HWY
ON ECO MODEL
You pay what a top GM supplier pays, and not a penny more!
2C160
$
MSRP: $17,784 SUPPLIER PRICING
$
17,480
179
2012 CHEVY CAMARO
UP TO
40 MPG HWY
UP TO
MPG HWY
$
2C162
2012 CHEVY TRAVERSE $ PER MO. 39 MO. LEASE
$
MSRP: $30,379 SUPPLIER PRICING
PER MO. 39 MO. LEASE♦ 12,000 MILES PER YEAR
2012 CHEVY SONIC
24
Chevy Runs Deep
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2012 CHEVY MALIBU
*
297
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169
♦
10,000 MILES PER YEAR
2012 CHEVY IMPALA
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PER MO. 39 MO. LEASE♦ 12,000 MILES PER YEAR
2012 CHEVY EQUINOX
UP TO
UP TO
UP TO
UP TO
30
33
30
32
MPG HWY
MPG HWY
2C62
$
*
36,757
497
PER MO. 39 MO. LEASE♦ 10,000 MILES PER YEAR
$
MSRP: $23,294 SUPPLIER PRICING
$
20,615
199
PER MO. 39 MO. LEASE♦ 12,000 MILES PER YEAR
2012 CHEVY SILVERADO 1500 1LT EXT. CAB 4WD UP TO
21 MPG HWY
$
MSRP: $36,030 SUPPLIER PRICING
*
31,999
*
$
MSRP: $28,229 SUPPLIER PRICING
359
INBOUND
$
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23,380
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*
23,507
279
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MSRP............................... $32,953 Courtesy Vehicle Disc...... $3,450 Rebate................................. $4,505
$
MPG HWY
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PER MO. 39 MO. LEASE♦ 10,000 MILES PER YEAR
2C114
MPG HWY
2C40
2C132
MSRP: $37,749 SUPPLIER PRICING
$
MPG HWY
1C547
Hwy 41 & 23, Fond du Lac
“For the past 100 years, and for generations to come, Chevy runs deep.”
866-760-0576
5001401619
WED., NOV. 2 8AM-8PM
OF CHEVROLET
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- Mike Shannon
Mon - Thurs. 8am - 8pm; Fri. 8am - 5:30pm; Sat. 8am - 5pm
GM Supplier Pricing on select models ends November 7th, 2011. *Plus tax, title, license and services fee. ♦39 month lease term at mileage indicated with $1,999 due on delivery, includes security deposit if applicable, subject to approval. See dealer for details.
8 | WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 2, 2011
CHEVROLET
100 YEARS
ACTION REPORTER