King of the Road
Wednesday, April 25, 2007
posted by Rob Roehm
While biographer L. Sprague de Camp claims that Robert E. Howard’s final vehicle was a “dusty 1931 Chevrolet sedan,” the “Inventory and Appraisement of the Estate” of REH indicates that it was a “1935 Model, Standard Chevrolet Sedan.” This newer model is corroborated by one Mr. Cross, who ran the Magnolia Service Station that Howard frequented. He said the car was a “’35 Standard, 4-door Chevy, black” (hat-tip to Rusty Burke). Good enough for me.
I recently attended the “All Chevrolet Show” put on by the Foothill Region’s chapter of the Vintage Chevrolet Club of America (VCCA) held on April 15th, in Pasadena, California. The primary reason for my attendance at this event was the hope that I would see a ’35 Standard. Mission accomplished.
The car pictured here is owned by Ray and Rosie Garcia, and has appeared in numerous television shows and movies, American Graffiti for example. The Garcias were gracious enough to allow me access to their car. I crawled around the interior and practically filled my camera’s memory card with snapshots of the instrument panel, the front and rear seats, the engine, the hood ornament . . . you get the idea.
It’s such a beautiful car that I had to share a few of the pictures.
