The car hobby is full of sad stories about the one that got away because life moves on— and so do cars.
The pain of loss is even greater when the car in question is your first new car.
Jerry Sutherland
John Klutton is the proud (and only) owner of a mint 1979 Dodge Aspen SE. He remembers the day he signed for the car because the sales guy took one look at John after he signed and handed the pen to John’s father. John was still in high school when he bought the car so the concept of a co-signer on the loan was not optional.
This is a documented 52,000-mile ’79 Aspen, so John explained why that number is so low. He had a winter beater in high school so that car took the brunt of the bad weather. The Aspen never saw winter so it ‘s always been a rust-free car. This car came with a factory 8-track that still works as well as it did back in John’s high school days.
John didn’t put many miles on the car even after high school because he always had something else to drive like a work truck or another family car. One thing was constant–the wheels on the car were always on it—they were donated by his brother because he was upgrading to mags, so John said they were a Day 2 addition to the car. He’d originally ordered hub caps, but the new wheels were a welcome upgrade.
Despite that sheltered life, John did drive the Aspen to some party towns like Penticton, British Columbia, Canada. He remembered one road trip where he was the passenger in the Aspen, and he accidentally unlatched the T-roof. It disappeared into the night sky and shattered on the road behind the car, but fortunately the roof didn’t hit another car.
John did get the car repainted in the 1980s at the same dealership he bought the car, but he didn’t like the results. The paint is rough in certain areas where the sanding was substandard, so he’s weighing the pros and cons of new paint.
John doesn’t drive the car much after all these years, but when he does run his Aspen he says, “it starts right up”. The 318 LA V-8 still has all its factory smog equipment and so far, it’s been a great ride for John. He believes his regular maintenance on his car is a huge factor in why it runs so well decades after he bought it.
There aren’t many things John wants to do to his Aspen. The seat covers protect a mint interior, so the car looks like it just rolled off a show room when you look inside.
The front grille assembly shows wear and scrapes, so John wants to locate some nicer pieces to bring the car up to the standards it had when he drove it away from the Dodge dealer back in ’79. The paint—as mentioned earlier—is still on the table.
John admits he never thought he’d still own the Aspen decades after he bought it, but it clearly made a big impression on him. He now owns four of them.
That’s how it turns out when you still own your first new car—it becomes addictive.
Jerry Sutherland
By: Jerry Sutherland
Jerry Sutherland is a veteran automotive writer with a primary focus on the collector car hobby. His work has been published in many outlets and publications, including the National Post, Calgary Herald, Edmonton Journal, Ottawa Citizen, Montreal Gazette, Saskatoon StarPhoenix, Regina Leader-Post, Vancouver Sun and The Truth About Cars. He is also a regular contributor to Auto Roundup Publications.
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