By Bob McDonnellThe Surveyor

Back in 1959, Jerry Maxner, the then 18-year-old, owned a ’56 Chevrolet. Actually, to be correct, he and his mother shared ownership of the vehicle.

During the day, the Chevy allowed Maxner’s mom to get around Rapid City, S.D., including delivering Avon products. Evenings and weekends, Maxner possessed the car for dates, cruising, and an occasional drag race.

The ’56 Chevy remained in the family until 1966 when Maxner drove it to California. He sold it there and immediately missed the car.

In 2000, after moving to Colorado, Maxner found an auto auction specializ-ing in older-model cars. Attending the auction, he spotted a ’56 Chevy Bel Air for sale. Maxner liked the car, but it was a four-door, not the two-door style that he wanted. After checking the car four times before the sale, the draw of a ’56 proved too strong.

As Maxner remembers it, he and another man engaged in a battle for the car. The bidding jumped from $3,000 to $4,000, and fi nally $6,000. The other man dropped out, and Maxner has his ’56 Chevy again.

Later, Maxner learned that the bidding frenzy resulted from the fact that the car was a four-door hardtop. He discovered that this was the fi rst year for a four-door hardtop. Not many of this model still exist. This fact helped allevi-ate Maxner’s buyer’s remorse.

In 12 years of attending car shows, Maxner remembers seeing only three similar cars, reenforcing the rarity and popularity of the car. Maxner said that over the years, while attending car shows, he’s often returned to fi nd business cards on his car from prospective buyers.

Now the car is Maxner’s pride and joy. The Chevy sports a rebuilt 350 cubic inch engine, new wiring, disc brakes, new transmission, and a paint job. A 10-disk audio player hides in the trunk, so the interior looks original, right down to the repainted dash and windowsills. Four speakers in the front and back blast out music as Maxner drives his toy.

Maxner’s car is not one of those that only sees the light of day at car shows. Although it is in great shape, car show judges fi nd every little imperfection. Maxner prefers a car made for everyday use. His ’56 Chevy did win one con-test — Best of Show at the Loveland A & W in 2002.

On any given summer week, Berthoud residents get a chance to see Maxner’s gem as he drives around town. He also attends local cruise nights. In colder weather, the car and Maxner venture out monthly. Few people know that the car has no heater, so this limits winter cruising.

Berthoud residents will have a chance to see the ’56 Chevy soon. On June 7, Maxner plans do his annual drive of the blue-and-white car in the Berthoud Day Parade.

When not on the road, the car sits in Maxner’s garage at his home near downtown Berthoud. Asked about the car’s future, Maxner says, “I’ll die with it.” He does acknowledge that his son David will keep the car in the Maxner family someda y.

1956: That was a very good year

Photo by Bob McDonnell Photo by Bob McDonnell Photo by Bob McDonnell Jerry Maxner’s blue and white ‘56 Jerry Maxner’s blue and white ‘56 Jerry Maxner’s blue and white ‘56 Chevy hardtop catches the eye of Chevy hardtop catches the eye of Chevy hardtop catches the eye of many when he takes it for a drive many when he takes it for a drive many when he takes it for a drive along Mountain Avenue.along Mountain Avenue.along Mountain Avenue.

© Berthoud Weekly Surveyor May 29, 2014

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It’s a what?By Bob McDonnellThe Surveyor

The license plate on the vehicle says it all. It read, “A what?” Berthoud’s John Bevins can tell you what “it” is. It’s an Amphicar.

An Amphicar is part car and part boat. You can think of it as a boat that has wheels to drive on the street — or a car that can enter the water.

Bevins knows his Amphicars. Besides owning several of them over the years, he is the former president of the International Amphicar Owners Club. He is, or has been, the IAOC’s treasurer and webmaster over the years.

Additionally, he buys, sells, and restores Amphicars. He deals in parts and memorabilia related to these transportation phenomena.

Chatting with Bevins, one quickly learns about these unique vehicles. The amphibious automobile became available in 1961. Its roots are German but the engine is a Triumph 1147 cc, four-cylinder.

At first glance, the sporty design looks like most cars. The steel body has a slightly pointed and sloped front. In the rear, twin propellers provide the power when the car is in water. Whether on land or water, the front wheels steer the Amphicar.

Bevins says the car can go at least 70 mph and adds that it will “go 60 all day.” Some claims are that the car is capable of hitting 85 mph on land.

Those who own or have owned an Amphicar include past President Lyndon Johnson. The story among Amphicar aficionados tells of how Johnson, a practical joker, liked to take visitors, including foreign dignitaries, for a ride in his Amphicar on his Texas ranch. At some point in the ride, while traveling downhill toward a lake, Johnson screamed about the breaks not working.

Bevins doesn’t do that to those who ride with him. His Amphicar travels to Carter Lake and has “been in every lake within 100 miles,” Bevins says.

He did draw some attention during one jaunt at Lone Tree Lake. As he cruised the lake, a couple of ambulances, fire equipment and law enforcement showed up. They thought Bevins needed help. He did not.

Bevins likes to work on Amphicars and other vehicles. In addition to rusty shells of a couple of future restoration projects, he has a completely restored 1964 Amphicar. Commenting on the effort put into the restoration, Bevins states that he does everything but the sewing needed for the interior, and painting.

Not many Amphicars were manufactured and even fewer exist today. Bevins says Amphicar pro-duced 3,878 vehicles from 1961 to 1965. He feels that 800 to 1,000 are now usable and “seaworthy,” as he puts it. Thanks to his skills and effort, this number may increase.

The demographics of current Amphicar owners is undocumented, but Bevins says those who own them are “slightly off their rocker.”

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