Sound Your Horn

Recalls Pantera’s original dealer

Brian Earnest’s article about Dr. Bernstein’s Pantera brought back some good memories for me. I am very familiar with Monarch Lincoln-Mercury, the dealership where he first saw a Pantera so many years ago. I used to work at a television station about a block from the dealership and, although I never saw the Pantera there, it is where I bought my very first brand-new car: a baby blue 1963 Comet convertible with a dark blue top. I wish I still had it.

The dealership is gone, too. When the owner, Charles Weyland, passed away, his family was not interested in the car business. It was sold, torn down and has been replaced by a Walgreens.

Paul Zimmerman, Louisville, Ky.

Clarifiying Chevy bodies

I will guess that I will not be the only reader mentioning the error. Actually, the 1949 Fisher “A” body used on Chevrolet, Pontiac and Olds 76 and 88 models was the first GM body to feature the integral quarter panel/rear fender construction. For the 1949-1950 Chevrolet version, the construction was less obvious due to the stainless moulding following around the fender to quarter panel line. While no sheet metal carried over, the 1953-1954 body shared many features of the previous body.