An Imported Guinness for this Domestic

It’s got to feel strange when you show up to an event and your other car — the one with vintage tags — is parked prominently at your destination … blocked off by traffic cones.

“I suppose the guy who stole my car likes to eat here too. At least he’s taking care of the car,” one might think. 

James C. Rees Sr., of Collegeville, probably had a feeling like that last Saturday. Rees arrived, along with his wife, to the Collegeville Italian Bakery. The reason? Well, his granddaughter, who’s on the Methacton High School swim team, had just something-or-othered relating to the team, and the family decided to celebrate.

Actually, the party was for Rees and his car — a 1951 Chevrolet Bel Air Coupe.

For about five months, Rees’ family members have been reaching out to the folks at the U.K.-based Guinness World Records. They knew there was something special about the gray Chevy … and its owner. After sending documents back and forth, having people testify that Rees did, in fact roll the car out of the showroom, the family received a certificate, which it unveiled March 30 to a surprised Rees.

According to the Guinness World Records certificate:

“The longest ownership of a vehicle from new is 61 years, 7 months and 24 days by James C. Rees Sr. … who bought a grey and white Chevrolet Coupe on 15 June 1951 and still drives it as of 8 February 2013.”

The former record holder, according to Rees’ family’s correspondence with Guinness, was Carl Keller. He bought a 1951 Packard Convertible from a Packard dealership in Clintonville, Wis. on Aug. 31 1951 and is still driving it.

It makes you wonder if someone from Guinness flew over the pond to physically strip the guy of his record. 

Standing in front of the certificate and a collage of photos, Rees said the Chevy was more than a car. Two people came home from the hospital in the Chevy; it’s been to three proms; one homecoming; a honeymoon and several anniversaries.

The car is admittedly not a show car, but it’s almost all original. It’s been repainted once (in the original color, which appears to be Thistle Gray), there’s some oil on the valve cover and there’s some pitting on the chrome. But red interior looks immaculate and Rees still has what appears to be the original spare tire, which sits vertically in the trunk.

Powering the Chevy is a 216-cubic inch straight 6 (3.5 liters in current car speak), which doesn’t take up much of the engine bay; it puts out a modest 90-95 hp, has been mostly trouble-free and has about 97,000 on the clock. 

It’s strange. The car for which Rees claimed the record, could have been a different one altogether. Rees also purchased a new ’50 Chevy to replace his ’31 Chevy (which threw a rod). However he traded up to get the Powerglide transmission, which was just being offered.

“Well, my mother’s uncle called, and said they were coming out with automatic transmissions — it was Powerglide — and he said they have a nice car down at the dealership so I traded the ’50 in on the ’51. The ’51 was $2,163 and the ‘50 was about $1,500.”

Rees, clearly a Chevy guy, said he was drawn to the GM marque because it was easier to work on than the Fords of the same era, and more technologically advanced too.

The car’s no garage queen, and Rees said that’s the way he likes it. The car, while retired as the daily family car, still sees the streets at least every Sunday.

“This is not a show car,” he said. “I’ve got a ’32 Chevy half-ton pickup, fully restored, for that. No, it’s not restored … but there’s just not enough time in life to do all of this stuff.”