Revved up at the Car Show

Of the 94 vehicles entered in Saturday’s 14th Annual First State Bank Car Show, a few cars had more sentimental value than others did and at least one made a return trip to Malta after being sold here in 1955.

As long time Malta resident Ken Ulrich and former Malta resident Jon Bourassa strolled down the rows of vehicles at the car show, Bourassa stopped and told the story of how his blue and white 1955 Bel Air two-door sedan had a history with the town and how he came to own it after many years of wanting it.

“I first saw the car in 1969 when Robert Legg owned it,” said Bourassa. “I was a junior in high school at the time and asked him if he’d like to sell it and he said ‘no’.”

Years later, he said, the Malta 55 Bel Air was owned by Malta’s Ted Udell who was a local mechanic. When Ted passed away, his son, Dennis took the car and moved to Billings. Bourassa happened upon Dennis in Billings one day and immediately recognized the vehicle. But Bourassa still couldn’t get his hands on the title.

But Bourassa was determined to get the car, though he purchased a similar car (and several other restoration jobs in the meantime) to somewhat cure his craving.

“A few years later, it ended up in Glendive with Gary and Maureen Lundman,” said Bourassa. “I was doing some work in the Bakken Field in ’05 and stayed with Gary and Maureen and I saw the 55 again.”

Bourassa said he tried, once again, to purchase the car.

“I asked him if the price was negotiable, he said ‘no’ so I asked him if he wanted cash or a personal check,” Bourassa said. The car was finally his. Bourassa, who splits time living in Park City, Mont. and Girdwood, Alaska, spent years restoring the car and brought the Bel Air to Malta on a trailer last Friday for the car show, the first trip the vehicle has made anywhere since he purchased it.

“I just put the last new piece of interior in yesterday,” he said. “So now it is back in Malta after being purchased and I waited 37-years to own that car.”

The car was originally purchased at a car dealership that in 1955 would have been located just a few blocks south of Saturday’s car show (Ulrich thought it would have been Mavencamp’s at the time, but he wasn’t certain.) For his efforts of bringing that car back to Malta, Bourassa and the Bel Air were awarded the Furthest Distance Award on Saturday (as well as a trophy as one of the winners of a Top Six Award.)

The remaining Top Six Award winners were Royann Johnston and her 1965 Mustang, Barry Bergos and his 1967 Camaro, Charlie Rummel and his 1957 Studebaker, Laird Clifton and his 1978 Chevy truck and Allan Graf and his 2011 Mustang.

The next award given out was the Darryl Seeley Memorial Award which honors the long-time First State Bank loan officer. The award was given out by Patty Seeley and was awarded to Jess Murphy and his 1951 Chevy ¾ Ton Truck.

The last award of the day was the People’s Choice Award and for the second year in a row, Buddy Walsh and his 1969 Plymouth GTX 440. As reported last week in the PCN, Walsh has owned the car for over 50 years and he brought both of his sons home to Phillips County in the car after they were born.

“It’s a surprise,” Walsh said of his back-to-back wins. “This is a nice car show and I really appreciate what the businesses here in town do. Half of the enjoyment of having a car restored is getting the chance to let other people see the car. This is quite an honor.”

A few minutes after the car show, event coordinator Terry Skones said she was pleased with how the day shaped up.

“I think it went great,” she said. “We had nine alcohol cars that have showed up and numerous new entries of people who haven’t entered the show in past years, including (60’s Malta High School) Reunion people, at least five of them and then (entries) from Canada continue to support us well.”