On August 12, 1957 Bill Hatch walked into Bates Chevrolet in Alhambra, California and purchased a new 1957 Corvette.
65 years later, Bill is still the original owner of this car!
Bill wanted a new car and had his mind set on the (now) classic 1957 Chevy BelAir. The salesman asked Bill if he knew that Chevrolet offered a sports car? Bill said, "Let's take a look". There were three Corvettes on the lot at Bates Chevrolet, one white, one red, and one black. Bill chose the black car with the red interior. It was "basic" -- three speed manual transmission, the base 230 HP 283 CU IN engine, removable hardtop, and no heater (who needs a heater in Southern California?).
Here is the documentation. Bill purchased the Corvette for the total price of $3,430.72. He made a down payment of $1,863.72. He traded in his 1950 Ford convertible and received a trade-in allowance of $200. After fees, Bill financed the net cost of $1,400 with 18 payments of $83.03.
I have written about this amazing longevity of ownership many times.
Ten years ago (2012), I chronicled Bill's ownership with this article:
In February 2013 an article appeared in the magazine of the National Corvette Museum, "America's Sports Car". Here is my post about that article:
Bill Hatch in America's Sports Car Magazine
In 2019 I challenged anyone to find a person who has owned one Corvette longer than Bill -- so far, no challengers!
In 2020, at one of our "Burger Run" events, we had a surprise party for Bill and another North Coast Corvette Club member.
Last year (2021) I took Bill to lunch for his 89th Birthday and we took his classic Corvette.
Bill is now 90 and his Corvette is 65 -- both are "classic survivors" - and in "running condition"! Bill and Marylyn, his wife, went on their honeymoon in the car. No trailer queen, Bill has consistently driven his Corvette around Carlsbad on a weekly basis. He has lost track of how many miles they have traveled together -- but it is a lot!
Below are some of my favorite photos of Bill, Marylyn, and his Corvette.
Congratulations on this milestone event, Bill. Here's to many more miles and smiles!
Cary & Nan August 11, 2022
P.S. If you are a writer for any Corvette or Auto magazine and want to write an article about Bill, you can reach me at cary@carythomas.com
Cool
ReplyDeleteUnbelievable, Congratulations on the longest Corvette Ownership ever! WOW!!
ReplyDeletehttps://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/his-1960-corvette-is-at-home-in-a-public-brooklyn-garage/ar-AA1awrDX
ReplyDeleteMy name is Bill also. I bought my 1959 corvette in 1970 when I was 18. I am second owner and I am 71 now. I still enjoy driving it to car shows and warm summer nights.
ReplyDeleteGood for you. I bought my 1959 in 1966 but was a dope and sold it!
DeleteI bought mine when i was 17 and in high school, it is gold, I bought it in 1966, 57 years ago from the 2nd owner. Been times it was my family car. My oldest son's teeth marks are on the dash pads where he chewed on it as a baby.
ReplyDeleteThe engine had been replaced under warrenty so no matching numbers but since I'm more for speed than restoration, I have a 406 in it now and is getting replaced with a 377 stroker set up for nitrous. It's a fun car, probably will never leave the family, pretty obvious who gets it, I have other cars for the rest of the
kids
You have an amazing story too!
DeleteThis is a beautiful story. Bill, you are my hero! I had a 1962 Corvette for 35 years, but your loyalty to your Corvette is monumental. Chevrolet owes you an award.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Bill! 1962 is a fanastic year!
DeleteGreat example of a true Corvette hero. How many miles has it gone?
ReplyDeleteWe don't know for sure as the odometer has rolled over.
DeleteNice to see people driving their cars vs hiding in a garage. They were meant to be driven and get cranky (leaky) when not driven. We bought our 57 which was a 98.5 point car and have enjoyed driving it ever since. Congratulations on the long, caring relationship. Cheers
ReplyDeletethank you!
DeleteA great story. I am curious if Bill’s wife Marylyn has a story to tell about a Corvette. One picture shows her standing in front of a black twin to Bill’s (except for the silver cove paint). That is quite a couple to have two classic Corvettes.
ReplyDeleteThanks for your kind comments. The photo of two 1957 Corvettes is Bill Hatch, and another friend, also named Bill (Connelly), who had the 1957 with the silver coves. The Hatch family is a "one Corvette family!"
DeleteCongratulations Bill! What an adventure. Your story is inspirational!
DeleteI bought my 64 brand new. Next May we’ll celebrate 60 years together! Hope I make it! Off to the gym!
John B Greensboro NC
Great story! I have an '84, which I took possession of Dec. 23, 1983. I am approaching 40 years, with over 365k miles on the original engine. It's a Z51 model, with the Doug Nash 4+3 transmission the rarest of the '84's. She is getting some TLC to get her back to show quality.
DeleteA wonderful story, a good story and a true believer. Good to see it is driven so many people can enjoy seeing it…well written and a nice token of friendship, continue and carry on.
ReplyDelete