Saskatchewan farmer Carl Bindert was 51 years old when he purchased his first new car -a 1955 Chevrolet from Hertz Chevrolet in the town of Southey, 55 kilometres north of Regina.

His grandson, Murray Iseli, doesn't know how it came to pass that Carl ended up with a six-cylinder Bel Air sedan with nothing special about it except for the colour.

The Chevrolet division of General Motors had completely redesigned its models for that pivotal year and dressed them in bright colours, including Autumn Bronze, Gypsy Red, Copper Maroon, Cashmere Blue and Coral. The colour combination of Dusk Rose and India Ivory chosen by Bindert really set off this otherwise plain-Jane car.

Collector's Corner

Bindert sold the farm in 1957 and moved to Vancouver with his 1955 Chevy. He seldom used his sedan in the city, as he walked to his job. The car spent most of its time in the garage. Iseli says he has loved it since he was a little boy.

"Grandpa, can we go in the garage and see the car," he would ask every time he visited his grandparents' home in Vancouver. "I would always polish the car at family gatherings," he recalls.

In 1981, Bindert gave the car to his son, Gerald, who worked in logging camps. Gerald took the Chevrolet with him to remote parts of Vancouver Island and the Queen Charlotte Islands as the car aged gracefully.

One day, Iseli was talking to his Uncle Gerald, who mentioned that he might sell his old car. Iseli jumped at the chance and bought the car in 1991 for $2,000.

1991 for $2,000. He drove the Chevy for nine years, and the low-mileage car ran perfectly until fender rust over the headlights and around the rear wheel wells caused him to park it in 2000. It might have continued to rust in the carport except for the chance drive by of an old friend in a very beautiful old car.

Longtime bodyman and car restorer Mike Foster convinced Iseli to restore the car. "I only agreed to restore the car if we left it 100-percent original," Foster says.

Iseli had no idea what the restoration would entail. The old sedan was completely disassembled, with the frame restored separately from the body. The body was put on a giant rotisserie, which allowed bodywork inside and outside and even underneath the car.

Iseli rebuilt the mechanical components and reassembled the restored frame with all new suspension parts while Foster proceeded with the bodywork. The two friends did everything themselves except the interior headliner upholstery and installation of the glass.

"Even that I had to do over because I wasn't satisfied with the quality of the work," Foster says.

Last summer, the push was on to complete the restoration in time for a large family reunion in the fall. The results are spectacular. The Dusk Rose and India Ivory paint glows in any light. Family members were overwhelmed to see the car restored to better-than-new condition. Everything had been rebuilt or replaced with the exception of the original seat covers, which brought back a lot of memories.

Iseli has honoured the memory of his grandfather, who bought a car that was special to him and has been passed down through three generations. "It's been a part of my life since my earliest days," he says. "It will stay in the family for a long time."

Alyn Edwards is a classic car enthusiast and partner in Peak Communicators, a Vancouver-based public relations company. aedwards@peakco.com