In the case of one car, what comes around goes around, then comes and goes again.
The car, a 1948 Chevy Stylemaster Town Sedan, is being offered by the Granada Theatre in a raffle — for the second time in 60 years.
The car was first given away on July 7, 1948. “A number of businesses all went together and you’d go into them and if you spent $10 you’d get a ticket,” said Emporia Granada Alliance member John Mallon.
“Of course it was a real hit,” Mallon said. A picture from 1948 shows the theater packed with people anticipating the drawing.
“So, being a car guy, I scrounged around and went and bought the car and did part of the restoration,” he said. “The body work was done by John North Ford. And so we’re back, and we thought it would be fun to buy the car, fix it up and give it away again.”
The drawing for the car is planned for Oct. 31, 2009. “We’d like to do it in conjunction with an event, but the theater isn’t booked that far out,” Mallon said.
Tickets for the drawing are $20 each or three for $50. Proceeds will go “to help with improvements and operations for the Emporia Granada Theatre,” according to an advertising flyer.
The car is on display at John North Ford, and tickets are available there.
“We’d like to be able to move it around to different businesses and have them participate in the sale of the tickets,” Mallon said.
No information could be found on the original winner of the car.