THIS 1950 DODGE CORONET MADE FOR A PLEASANT INTERRUPTION

As diverse as the collector car populace is, it seems everyone knows someone who has an incredible knack for finding vintage vehicles. Common or rare; domestic or import; car or truck; restored or project–the finds keep coming at a rate that would make the late Bill Harrah blush with envy. And then there are guys like Scranton, Pennsylvania’s Stan Sipko; the kind of guy who doesn’t purposefully seek out old rides, but rather they find him.

If his name sounds familiar, we recently featured his 1948 Plymouth Deluxe Business Coupe last year. I recall that the Plymouth was initially supposed to receive a repaint, but that plan morphed into a complete nut-and-bolt restoration intended to be completed by later summer ’23. That restoration is still progressing to an anticipated conclusion, the delay caused–in part–by pleasant interruptions, such as the unexpected offer to purchase a 1927 REO Flying Cloud sedan that had been stowed for 50 years. It didn’t run, but Stan rectified that issue within days of taking ownership. And then there’s this recently acquired rarity pictured here: a 1950 Dodge Coronet convertible.

Like much of Stan’s collection, the Dodge’s history was known to him when it was offered. “A longtime family friend owned this car for 37 years and, being a purest, he didn’t want to alter it. Like a lot of car guys, he had been collecting parts since he purchased the Dodge with the intent of restoring it someday. He would take it out every now and then and go for a ride with his wife, which kept everything fluid. Well, we know ‘someday’ can be an optimistic word. He turned 89-years-old this summer and wasn’t sure that he would be able to get to the car, and he offered it to me at a very reasonable price. So, I took it,” says Stan.

Though the Coronet was introduced as Dodge’s top-of-the-line series in 1949, just 1,800 convertibles were built in 1950, a fact not lost on Stan. That, and it’s current condition. “My long-range plan is to make the car as presentable and drive it and enjoy it with the top down as much as I can. What can I say? I love old Mopars, and this one doesn’t need much more than some TLC.”

2024-01-31T18:19:53Z dg43tfdfdgfd