By any measure, our Super Chevy Show in Virginia was a wild success. On a personal note, one of the highlights of the weekend was getting to meet Tommy Nolen and his wife, and getting an up-close and personal look at his stunning '61 Impala SS. If you remember, it was featured in our April 2010 issue. It's the most fully documented ’61 SS in the world, as far as Tommy can tell, and I got goose bumps just sitting in it.     

The camera hides a lot of flaws, but this SS was as magnificent as it appeared in the photos—maybe even better. Tommy is just the second owner and I had hoped to meet Victor Hicks at the event. He was the original owner. Unfortunately, he was feeling ill that day and couldn't make it.

Think about it: This is a car that still has the original gear lube in the rear and in the four-speed. The generator was rebuilt, not replaced. It's a time capsule. One thing I noticed that I hadn't expected was how small the original shift ball was. It was so dainty, maybe a third smaller than the chrome factory knob in my ’72 Corvette.

Thank you, Mr. Nolen, both for letting me sit in it and for gracing our show with such a stunning and historic automobile.