 2003 Thunderbird Convertible Owner: Will and Barbara Murray |
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 September 14, 2010 Bio - Will and Barbara Murray Let’s start with Will: I was born in Colfax, Washington in 1937 and grew up in the wonderful small town of Palouse, Washington, graduating from high school there in 1956. I had one brother, now deceased, who was 2-1/2 years older than I. Until I left Palouse in 1958 to move to Spokane, I was always known by my given name of Wilford. It is an English name that originated from the name of a place in England where there were willows, and a ford crossing of a river. After arriving in Spokane I decided to be known as Wil. But finally gave up on getting people to spell my name with only one l. My first job in Spokane was with United Paint. After working in the paint factory for two years, I joined the U.S. Army Reserve. Once my active duty was complete, I went back to work for United Paint in the paint laboratory as a paint chemist. During this time I became extremely active in the Spokane Mountaineers. In the Mountaineers I met a good friend, Bill Boulton, who was equally passionate about mountain climbing. The two of us put some money together and started a sporting goods business called “Selkirk Bergsport.” The sporting goods business took off and after only four years we had a going concern with several employees. I sold my half of the business to my partner, which enabled me to quit my job and become a full time college student. I earned a BA from Eastern Washington and spent almost two years in graduate school there and at WSU. While I was a full time student I proposed marriage to the most beautiful woman in the world, Barbara Davis, whom I had met in the Spokane Mountaineers.  Now a little about Barbara Barbara Jane Davis was born in Topeka, Kansas and graduated from high school there. She earned a bachelors degree from Grinnell College in Iowa. After some time as a ski bum and mountain climber in the Tetons, she earned a doctoral degree from Pacific University in Forest Grove, Oregon. She opened her own optometry practice in the Spokane Valley in 1973. After thirty years as an optometric physician, she retired and went immediately to the Rocky Mountain School of photography in Missoula, Montana, earning her certificate as a professional photographer. Since 2003 Barbara has been traveling the world pursuing her interest in horticulture and photography. About our obsession with collectible cars: When I was about 15 my brother and I acquired an almost worn-out 1947 Cushman motor scooter. I used it every evening to deliver the Spokane Chronicle newspaper on my mostly rural paper-route. I had no driver’s license, plates for the scooter, or insurance... but the town cop would just wave as I went by. When the motor scooter engine blew-up. A local machine shop helped us rebuild the engine. It was my introduction to the mysteries of internal combustion engines. During this time my brother was paling around with a high school friend, Buck Finley. Buck had a 1936 Ford roadster. It was this roadster that caused my brother to develop a passion for Ford cars. I became infected with the same passion. I will never forget heading down to our local Ford dealership, Madison Motors, to view the unveiling of the new models in 1952, 1953, 1954 and 1955. During the Summer of 1955 my brother was out of school and had a good job working for the Union Pacific Railroad. At the time he had a 1947 Ford 2door and I was driving a 1942 Ford 2door. Both cars got traded in on a brand new pink and black 1955 Ford Victoria. It was my brother’s car, but since my car got traded in on it, I was granted occasional driving privileges when he was home from his job. In 1955 as a junior in high school, I was in hog heaven driving that beautiful pink and black Victoria. After graduating from high school my first good car was a low mileage 1949 Ford Tudor... Black with a white top. Lordy, that was a beautiful car. But, due to youthful delusions of immortality combined with reckless driving, I destroyed the car on the 18th of August, 1956 in an ungodly crash. Due to some sort of miracle, none of the six of us in the car were hurt. The car rolled several times. All of the windows were smashed and the doors could not be closed. This was the first time that I realized that I must have a guardian angel watching over me. It can’t be explained any other way. Just before moving to Spokane, I purchased a four year old 1953 Mercury Monterey Sport Coupe. I really liked that car... it was quiet and luxurious. But before long my brother Del and I had matching twin 1956 Fords. Both were the same color of light green. During the middle sixties, I bought two new Volkswagen beetles. When I met Barbara, she also was driving a new VW beetle. Shortly after we were married, we bought an almost new VW Westphalia camper van. During the next few years we had three different VW campers. I am sure that I have driven several hundred thousand miles in VWs. They were economical and fun to drive, but a death trap if you were to get into a crash.  In the 1970’s my brother bought first, a Model A Ford coupe and then a 1936 Ford convertible. This was about the time that both of us began lusting after old cars. We acquired a collection of middle fifties Fords. At one time the collection included - two 1955 Ford Crown Victorias plus two 1955 Ford Crown Victorias with the glass roof - A yellow 1955 Ford Convertible - a 1954 Ford Skyliner - 1956 Ford Victoria - 4 Door Victoria - and Parkland station wagon. Two matching 1954 Mercury Sun Valleys plus one yellow 1954 Sun Valley - A show quality 1952 Lincoln Capri. In the seventies, Barbara also got into the old cars when she purchased a beautiful 1963 Studebaker Avanti and a 1958 Chevrolet Bel Aire. But, as time passed and interests changed, most of these older cars were sold off to a collector in Pomery, WA, or Kelona BC, or through Silvers car auctions. When the eighties and nineties came around, we began getting back into the older collectible cars. At one time my brother and I had matching twin 1962 White Thunderbirds with red interior. Our strategy for buying collectible cars is simple. Buy something that is either low miles or otherwise in beautiful condition, that is about 15 to 20 years old. That is when it will most likely be at the bottom of the depreciation curve. After twenty years the collectible cars tend to self-select out into two categories: Show car and Parts car, with little in between. As time passes, it’s value will either go up, or at least remain stable. This lesson can be learned by having sold a car for $3,000 some time ago, that is now selling for $30,000. I have done that more than once!  Before I sat down to write this, I was
doing a little figuring, and found that since I was 16, I have
had 92 cars registered in my name. (Not to include those that
were titled in my brother's name only) Over time I also find
that the most fascinating cars seem to change. For example, right
now I am into muscle cars and Corvettes. I seem to be losing
interest in the Cadillacs and Lincolns. I suggest that the primary purpose of collecting cars, old or new, is to have fun with them, and also, hopefully to avoid losing money. Collectibles are a good place to park money, as the supply is decreasing and the demand is steadily increasing. One of the sadist things that I can think of is... and elderly gentleman on his death bed, in a croaky voice, saying: “I should have bought that Corvette.” Will Murray |
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