It’s one thing for a young man to be in love with his car.
It’s another thing when that young man decides to make cars his life calling.
That’s pretty much what Bill Bean did. Starting from that
age which conjures up some sort of magnetism between cars and guys, Bill was
always headed in whatever direction would lead him closer to the subject he
loved.
There are quite a few photographs in the Bean family photo
box that have proved to be absolutely no mystery to me, for I’ve always known
about the car dealership in Alameda that Bill owned, along with his partner.
While in the later days when I knew him, the only car it was permissible for anyone in the family to drive was a
Chrysler, what I didn’t know was that Bean and Cavanaugh got their start not as
a Chrysler dealership, but with Plymouths and DeSotos.
Ah, gotta love the look of an auto showroom! Being able to forge a career and a life out of his passion for cars must have brought Bill a great deal of satisfaction.
ReplyDeleteWendy, it was a lifelong pursuit. Even in semi-retirement, he had his finger on the pulse of that world of automobiles.
DeleteNow that is some history! My husband is coveting that Desoto sign..he used to have a 1959 Desoto! What a wonderful old photo! :)
ReplyDeleteTell Far Guy I wish I could have gotten it for him! I've never even seen the place, though...
DeleteA great time for reminiscing. Back to the times when you could make repairs to your car without taking it to a dealership.
ReplyDeleteI hear ya, Charlie. That certainly was a time for the do-it-yourself crowd. More reasonably priced, too, I might add.
DeleteBeing a hoosier, born and bred in the shadow of the Indy 500, I totally get the whole "car as identity and holy grail" thing! Your stories make me smile
ReplyDeleteThanks!
Kassie aka "Mom"
Thanks, Kassie! With the Indy 500 practically in your blood, I know you can relate!
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