Brazell worked for Texaco for 40 years and learned all about the oil business from the inside. As coordinator of Texaco’s worldwide exploration and production activities he knows how difficult it is to find, retrieve, transport and refine petroleum. He also knows we don’t have unlimited oil. “We did recognize that oil is a finite energy source,” the 84-year-old retiree said. “One of these days it’s going to run out.”

He decided to do his part in cutting back on gasoline consumption by getting himself a Crystal Red Volt. Brazell says, “I believe electric vehicles like the Volt are an important step towards reducing our dependence on oil, while renewable sources of energy – like wind, solar, and hydrological power – will all play a role in producing clean energy for electric vehicles.”

Brazell posing proudly with his new Chevrolet Volt

Brazell first heard about the Volt in 2008 and immediately knew he wanted one. He went to his local dealership in Asheville, North Carolina, and put down a deposit even though he didn’t know what it was going to cost and it wasn’t going to be available for purchase until 2010. When it was determined North Carolina wasn’t going to be one of the launch markets for Volt, Brazell made arrangements to get one of the first ones in the Washington, D.C. market from Lindsay Chevrolet in Woodbridge, Virginia.

When his Volt was ready for delivery, Brazell drove his old Buick up from North Carolina. He went to the dealership along with his daughter Mary and his grandson Ben. They piled in for an inaugural drive and Brazell immediately knew he had upgraded his ride. As the Volt accelerated he said, “It is quiet! And it’s a softer ride than I thought.” After just a few seconds behind the wheel he felt like he wasn’t going to miss his Buick Park Avenue.

Brazell has an interest in the environment as evidenced by the fact that he recently audited a class on sustainable energy at the University of North Carolina at Asheville campus College for Seniors. He says most of his driving is less than 40 miles a day, so he expects to use very little gas, but he isn’t willing to give up the independence provided by a gasoline engine. He likes the Volt because “the extended range of the gas engine is there if I want to take a drive to New York to visit my grandchildren.”

The man who spent a good portion of his career looking for oil, looks forward to using a little less of it over the next several years. His instant review on his Volt: “They’ve done a good job on this car. It’s going to be a real joy to drive it.”

Sovis was the third owner of the gorgeous blue convertible. He bought it in 1972 for his 15-year-old son Ronald.  “We happened to see it advertised and my son and I went and looked at it and we decided that that would be a good car. It was good and solid, it was complete and it had the original trim in it, the original top and with a lot to work with, it was worth buying.”

And while his son Ron wasn’t old enough to drive it, Bob took advantage of having this beautiful classic. “When I got it, three of my sons and I took it on a weekend trip up north and had a grand time with this car because it was not in the condition it is in now. It was a good backwoods car. I recall hitting the brakes very hard because of a deer — and (with) no seat belts, no latches on the back seats – the kids were almost in the front seat as a result of that stop. But fortunately nobody got bruised or bumped and we didn’t hit the deer. That was one of our very memorable experiences with the car.”

Those family memories came to an incredible screeching halt when a tragedy struck. His son was accidentally shot and killed by a friend when he was only 15 years old. After that heartbreak the planned restoration went very slowly. Bob says, “It was a very difficult car for me to work on, so it sat and sat. I got it about 60 percent done. I was doing a cosmetic restoration, not a total restoration like it is now.” Memories and other obligations pushed the Fleetmaster to the back burner. But, in 2007 Sovis came up with money to enable him to get the car professionally restored.

Once completed he started taking it to car shows. He says, “(it’s the) top award winning car in the vintage Chevrolet club and also it’s a Grand National Winner in the Antique Automobile Club of America.” But that’s not the end of the story for Sovis and his Chevrolet Fleetmaster. He decided that since the car was made at the Flint Assembly plant and had been owned by Flint-area residents, it was only appropriate that the Sloan Museum in Flint become its permanent home. So in memory of his son Ronald, Bob donated the car to the museum.

Sovis retired from GM after 38 years with the Service Parts Operation and remains a loyal GM customer.

Where did you work at GM?

I worked 6 years at the (Milford) Proving Ground and 17 at the (Warren) Tech Center. I was an electronic technician. We ran the electrical lab and worked on a lot of the components that are under the hood.

How did you get involved with restoring classic cars?
I started dating a man and ended up with two loves … that guy and classic cars.

My husband Ken and I have now been married for 6 years. When we started dating he was putting together a ’57 Chevy. After awhile he said, “You should get one.” Later he called me and said, “There’s a nice ‘57 Chevy truck on the board for you.” I used to drive an old Chevy pickup truck, so it was perfect.

What has the biggest challenge been in restoring your truck?

It’s hard to pick out a single-biggest challenge to getting it done. Time, money and finding specific parts are all tough. Actually it took me 5 years to find my bench seat. They make covers for bench seats. They don’t make bench seats. So I put an ad in Classic Chevy and ended getting it out in Milford. The company Cars, Inc. did the cover for the seat.

Also, when I got the truck there was no headliner. The interior dome light was two wires. It was a work truck and it needed a lot of work. Then I had to make decisions on how I wanted it to look. I took three rolls of film at the 2005 Autorama, all just looking at different types of flames before deciding how I wanted the flames on my truck to look.

How do you feel when you look at your truck?
I feel proud. I’m just very, very proud. I’ve always driven Chevrolets. I’ve always loved Chevys, and there’s nothing like the lines of the classic cars. If you’re a car person, it gets in your blood. You can’t help it. It’s almost an addiction. You hear the rumble and you get whiplash turning your head. What can I say? They’re part of your life. They should be part of your life. And it’s American made. I’m proud of it.

Adam with Mr. Coffman

 Editor’s Note: Adam Denison is an assistant manager in Chevrolet Communications.

It’s not every day that I get the chance to meet a 101-year-old man, much less a 101-year-old man who is the proud owner of a 2010 Chevrolet Camaro SS Transformers Special Edition. I had the chance to do just that when I met Mr. Virgil Coffman of Decatur, Ill., on Tuesday.

When we heard about Mr. Coffman’s purchase of a new Camaro, we knew we wanted to meet him, so we acted quickly to bring him and his nephew, Bob Lamb, up to Detroit for the VIP treatment. It was my privilege to spend the good part of the day touring the GM Design Center and Heritage Center with Mr. Coffman and his nephew.

Mr. Coffman, born January 16, 1908, is a native of Illinois, but actually lived in the metro Detroit area from 1934 to 1973. He started off working for a parts supplier for GM, and then became a chemist for Chevrolet at a facility in Livonia, Mich., where he worked until he retired in 1973. He’s been interested in cars for a long time. One of his first cars was a 1928 Olds. Most of the 30 or so cars he’s owned in his life were from GM (most of which were Cadillacs), but he’s never owned a foreign car.

When I asked him what he thinks is the key to his longevity is he responded that it’s work. He stays active by cooking his own meals, making jam during the summer and making fudge for family and friends during the holidays. In the past he also enjoyed working on cars and even repainted some his own a number of times.

A few years ago Mr. Coffman decided he no longer needed a big car, so he figured he needed to get a sports car. He bought a red 2006 Chevrolet Monte Carlo SS which he drove until he traded it in for the Camaro. He told me that when he saw the Camaro for the first time he knew he had to have it. Some of his favorite features of his new Camaro are the Rally Yellow color and the ride and handling of the car. When asked why he opted for the Transformers Special Edition he remarked, “I figure if I hold on to this car for 10 or 12 years it might be worth $100,000.”

 He has been surprised by how many people stop to check out his car. “You can’t go anywhere in that car,” he said with his characteristic wit. “You get out and somebody going to talk to you.”

One feature Mr. Coffman finds very useful on the Camaro is OnStar’s Hands-Free Calling. He has a hard time hearing on the phone, so he prefers to use this feature to call his daughter-in-law because he can hear better on the car’s speakers.

It was a rewarding experience for me to tag along as Mr. Coffman took a tour of some of the Design studios with Ed Welburn, Vice President, GM Global Design, and then the Heritage Center. It was easy to see that he was having a great time.

 It was truly an enjoyable experience to meet Mr. Coffman, and feel his passion for the Camaro. That kind of passion knows no age boundaries.