The early 70s Chevelle is well-established as an automotive icon and that popularity creates a big demand for these classic Chevys.
Gary Davis is one of those car guys who always liked the look of the early 70s Chevelle but the hunt took years because there’s a huge supply and demand with these cars.
These mid-sized Chevys had a large fan club.
Gary was drawn in by the classic and clean lines of these Chevelles. They were burned into his memory banks when he was a kid because they were light cars with big blocks and a mean attitude at the track.
Gary finally found one of these mid-sized Chevys in 1992. This was a one-owner car with a tragic history because the original owner was a kid who bought the Chevelle when it was brand new in 1972 but fate stepped in a few years later.
The original owner drove it for years. He had a great game plan for the next stage of the car in 1982 but unfortunately he passed away in 1982 so the game plan was shelved. Gary entered the picture 1992 when he found the car the old fashioned way. He answered a print ad and met the family of the late owner.
This wasn’t a simple “guy shows up with cash and takes the car home” scenario because the family had specific conditions that the new owner had to meet. Their son had specifically asked that the car be sold to a good guy-not some slash and burn idiot bent on thrashing the family legacy.
Gary was on the same page with the plans for the Chevelle so he passed the entrance exam/character test with flying colors, but it was the first time he’d ever had to got through an interview to buy a car.
Gary did a minor transplant-the small Chevy original equipment heart was replaced with a giant 572 cubic inch big heart. He kept the car exterior bone stock so the car looks exactly like it did back in ’72. That was part of the sales agreement because the family insisted that it never be painted another color and Gary stuck to the deal.
The finest tribute to Gary’s role as the current owner came from the brother of the late owner in the summer of 2007.He choked up immediately and told Gary that the car was exactly what his brother would have done. This was 25 years later and the car had that kind of impact on him, plus the original owner’s father reacted the same way when he saw his son’s Chevelle in all its glory.
The family tradition continues with this classic Chevelle because Gary travels the car show circuit with his daughter Amanda. He likes to set the record straight with the words, “It’s Amanda’s car not mine” but Gary and Amanda are inseparable at the local show and shines.
Gary owns a few cars plus his company is heavily involved in the racing scene but this big, bad ’72 Chevelle is his lifetime favorite ride.
Jerry Sutherland
