Man won’t sell Alpine his wife convinced him to buy in 1966

A man has owned an Alpine for nearly 60 years and refuses to part ways with it, despite his wife having to talk him into buying it.

Alex and Mary Gabbard were the winners of a radio contest back in 1966 and were given $1,000.

With a car high on their wish list, they headed down to their local Sunbeam dealership.

It quickly became apparent that the two had different ideas about what they wanted in an automobile.

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The backstory of this Alpine V

Whilst Alex wanted a Tiger Mk. I, his wife was taken with a red Alpine V.

So with a monthly payment of $72.79 set up, they took home the Alpine.

The car had a four-cylinder 1725-cc engine and was a regular fixture at local drag races.

The couple’s fun came to a premature end when the Vietnam War started and Alex went off to fight.

For the four years he served in the navy, the couple drove their car along Route 66 from Chicago to Albuquerque, New Mexico.

Route 66 is no short drive either, as this Guinness World record holding truck driver could attest to.

In 1969, it would be the car that they’d bring their newborn son home in.

So, it’d be an understatement to say that the car carries a lot of memories for them.

Bringing the roadster back to life

Following Alex’s service in the Navy, the Alpine went into storage at his granddad’s barn.

It would remain there for 42 years, when the Gabbards wanted to take another Route 66 trip.

However, Mary’s health began to decline.

“Although Mary had driven her car for most of its 60,019 miles, another drive was not to be,” Alex told Hagerty.

From then on, the pair would attend car shows in the Alpine, much to the bewilderment of other attendees who had never heard of the model.

Mary unfortunately passed away in 2020, with the car serving as a reminder of her to her doting husband.

In total, the couple owned five Alpines – including a ‘his and hers’ matching set.

“In our time together, Mary and me with our Alpine remains the great adventure of our lives,” Alex said.

Alex has refused to sell the car, despite having a generous offer.

The couple’s son, who had his first car ride in the Alpine back in 1969, is now its caretaker.

This Alpine is a beauty and has held up well over the years, but it’s fair to say that the company have upped their game in the years since.

Just take a look at this stunning transparent concept car they released a few years back.