Chevy Bel Air - A Family Story
In 1956, South Louisiana, there was a man named Huey Rodrigue who purchased a Chevrolet Bel Air. Two weeks later Huey Rodrigue was in a car wreck, and his ’56 Bel Air was totaled. His brother Alex (pronounced El-lick) purchased the car from his brother, and restored it. He knew then that this lovely vehicle would be a lifelong project and friend. He spent his spare time and money, that he made on a mechanic’s salary, to restore the Chevrolet. 55 years, 8 children, multiple grand-children, and great grand –children later, Alex still has his Chevy Bel Air doing a restoration on it every few years to keep the car in top working order. Alex is now 84, and has vision problems, which prevent him from working on his car anymore. Thurs October the 20thAlex was given some terrible news; his Chevy caught fire and was badly burned. He is simply heartbroken. For some it may seem odd that one man can be so upset at the loss of a car, but for Alex this is something more. When you have a car, which you shared 55 years of your life and hard work with, it really takes a toll on you. For Alex this loss is like losing a friend of 55 years. It’s tough losing a friend who took you to work, helped raise your children, took you to church, rocked your baby to sleep, and the like for 55 years.
Above are some photographs that will take you through the history of the car.
I know everyday you get bombarded with a lot of demands and requests. As a creative person, I know how draining that can be. I wanted to take some time out to share a inspiring story with you, that can hopefully give back to you in some way. This car belongs to my grandfather and is in part my story as well. There are a lot of memories with thie car for me and my family. The second photo in the series, is actually my mother, and two of her sisters (as children) having a great time in my grandfather’s car.
UPDATE: With the help of Alex’s oldest son, they were able to restore the old faithful Chevy Bel AIr!
