Elkland Chevrolet

93 years ago in 1927 Chevrolet was just a 16 year old brand, and at that time they issued this is pocket 'demonstration album' to their dealerships to aid in the sales force to display the value of Chevrolet. My favorite pages are 5 and 6 where Chevrolet distinguishes how the sales person should adapt their presentation 'to a Man' and 'to a Woman'! This treasure was provided to me by Bob Ferrario, the owner of Ferrario Chevrolet in Towanda PA from 1969. He has been very gracious to me during the process of purchasing this dealership, and he has given me access to his closet that has many treasures like this!

70 years ago this 1950 Chevrolet promo car was given out at Walters Chevrolet, Camden NY, to Lena & Skeet Monroe of Camden NY. After seeing my postings of historical dealership items, their grandson Jim Simmons, also of Camden NY, sent this 1950 Chevrolet to me so that I could feature it here online, and put it in my office display case along with all my other old dealership treasures. Thank you so much Jim, this is a great piece of history from Walters Chevrolet, and Camden NY. This 1950 Chevrolet promo car was produced by Banthrico Inc from Chicago IL. Unlike the popular plastic promo models handed out by Chevrolet dealers from the late 1950's thru the early 1990's, this model was made of metal, and it doubled as a coin bank.

70 years ago in 1950 this Jig-Saw Puzzle was handed out as a promotional item by Franks Chevrolet in Elkland PA. The front of the puzzle shows a brand new 1950 Chevrolet, "Americas Best Seller - America's Best Buy". The reverse side of the puzzle features the General Motors Proving Grounds in Milford MI and displays all the different testing sites the 1950 Chevrolet was 'tested and proved'. I included a picture of the dealership as it was in 1950 when this puzzle was given out in Elkland PA, along with a picture of the very same facility as it is now, after the Chevrolet remodel in 2014.

87 years ago this month the Chevrolet Motor Company sent this Bulletin out to its dealerships announcing that Chevrolet trucks with 6 to 10 wheels will be equipped with 'booster brakes' as standard equipment. Chevrolet states, "We believe with the booster brakes as standard equipment at such a low price, you will be in a stronger competitive position than heretofore" This gem was provided to me by Bob Ferrario, the owner of Ferrario Chevrolet in Towanda PA from 1969. He has... been very gracious to me during the process of purchasing this dealership, and he has given me access to his closet that has many treasures like this! Just as interesting as the front of this letter is the back of it. Typical car sales guy, flipped the memo over and starts a car deal! Looking it over looks like sales tax was 1.5% back in 1933. Love to know what kind of car was being sold.

25 years ago, in the fall of 1995, Chevrolet sent this little promotional envelope to the sales managers of Chevrolet dealerships. Don't see to many $2 bills, so I did what I do, I kept it. It was 1995 so Chevrolets 'Heritage of Success' was still relatively visible in our rear view mirror!

Again, to our Corvette friends, lets be careful out there!!

Walters Chevrolet advertisement on April 29, 1955 in the Advance-Journal, Camden NY

This is one of my favorite 'treasures' in the office display case. A memento sent out by Chevrolet to its dealers at the end of 1971 to celebrate 3 million new Chevy's being sold that year. What makes this really cool is the signature on the bottom left, JOHN Z. DeLOREAN!! Everyone remembers the car with gull wing doors that he created, featured in the Back to the Future movies, but most people may not know that he was previously a very important General Motors executive through the 1960's and early 1970's. From 1969-1973 he was in charge of the Chevrolet division.

$10,000 for a Chevrolet Dealership?! 75 years ago this week my grandfathers brother, Frank Walters, bought the Chevrolet dealership in Camden NY. As you can see on the check, it was written from Walters Atlantic Sales & Service located on Main Street Camden NY, that Frank had operated since the late 1920's. The story goes that during WWII my grandfather, Ted Walters, was stationed in the South Pacific, and through out the war he had sent home the money from his paycheck to... his older brother, Frank, to help support their widowed mother. Apparently Frank was quite thrifty with this money, plus successful at his Atlantic gas station during the war, so he was able to build up a savings. In 1945 Frank telegraphed Ted asking if he could use the money he had been sending home to help in purchasing a business. My grandfather agreed that he could, thinking not much of the money could be left over after taking care of their mother. After his release from the Army Air Corp Ted headed home on a train from San Francisco to Rome NY. He was greeted at the train station by his older brother Frank in a brand new Chevrolet, which at that time so soon after the war was very hard to come by. Ted asked his brother how had a new Chevy, and Frank replied to him that they were now both partners in a Chevy dealership! So that's how it started for my family in the Chevrolet business. Frank Walters never had children so the business was passed onto my Grandfather eventually. Ted raised his sons in the business and in the 1980's my father Andy Walters and his two brothers, John and David, became the owners of Walters Chevy in Camden. In 1986 John Walters purchased the Chevrolet dealership in Groton NY, and in 1991 David Walters purchased the Chevrolet dealership in Gouverneur NY. Unfortunately all three Chevrolet stores were closed in 2009, the year General Motors went bankrupt during the 'Great Recession'. I, Tim Walters, Ted Walters grandson, am the last of the Walters Family Chevrolet legacy. I grew up in the Camden NY Chevrolet dealership, worked there for 10 years after college then broke out on my own. In 2004 I purchased the Chevrolet dealership in Elkland PA, and this year am purchasing the Chevrolet dealership in Towanda PA. It all started with that check in 1945!!

No internet to look up new Chevy prices! This is how Chevy Dealerships would price out new Chevy's for their customers in 1977. My Dad found this Salesperson Pocket Pricing Guide from September of 1976 for the all new 1977 models. They are all in there, Chevette, Monza, Vega, Camaro, Corvette, Chevelle, ElCamino.

RAPID BLUE!! Another sold order 2020 Corvette just in. On its way to a happy C8 customer in Georgia!!

2 more C8's just arrived at Elkland Chevrolet this morning!! Hopefully the start of a steady stream of sold orders finally being fulfilled. Between the delayed production start because of GM Strike last fall and the spring time shut down to curb covid spread it has been a very long wait for these C8 customers.

HERE YOU ALL GO!!

THANKS to our customer from north of Syracuse NY for his patience in getting this new C8. Pennsylvania lifted the ban on selling vehicles last week, and right after we loaded this new C8 Corvette right up, and delivered it to Dick!! He sent this great picture of the Corvettes new stable mate, and though not a Chevy body, it does have a 502 V8 Chevy power plant!! My gosh