Historic 1922 Dodge Touring car finds new life after 45 years in storage

CHELAN - A rare 1922 Dodge Touring Car, once a cherished family heirloom, has been restored to its former glory after decades of careful preservation by the original owner's son.

Don Webb, who grew up on a small farm in California, remembers the "old dirty black car" stored in his family's barn as one of his earliest childhood memories. Each year, his mother would get the vehicle running just long enough to participate in their town's annual Raisin Day parade, filling it with Don and his schoolmates.

"It must have been a wild sight from the sidelines," Webb recalls.

After his father's death, the family sold the farm and moved to town, bringing the vintage Dodge along. When Webb's mother passed away in 1973, he faced a difficult decision about the car's fate.

"That was when I came up with the idea of restoring it and being able to drive it in parades and show it off," Webb said. Despite being a young man with a family and career, Webb and his wife committed to preserving the vehicle until his retirement, when he hoped to restore it.

This decision sparked a 45-year journey, with Webb ensuring each new home had adequate garage space for the antique car. When retirement finally came in 2003, restoration proved more challenging than anticipated. One attempt to drive the vehicle resulted in barely making it around the block before it had to be pushed back into storage.

In 2018, facing his wife's declining health and financial considerations, Webb reluctantly sold the car. "That was a depressing time as I figured I'd seen the last of the old car," he said.

Remarkably, just months later, Webb received an unexpected call. The Dodge had changed hands again and was purchased by Lee, a local resident with the skills to properly restore the vehicle. Through a mutual friend who recognized the car's origin, Lee contacted Webb and invited him to see the restoration progress in Chelan Falls.

Now fully restored, the 1922 Dodge Touring Car regularly appears at local car shows, where Webb often sits beside it, sharing its remarkable history with admiring passersby.

Webb still possesses the original sales receipt, dated March 14, 1922, showing his mother paid $565.60 for the car, plus an additional $4.00 for bumpers.

"I've come to realize 'He' was listening all the time to my wishes to restore Mom's 1922 Dodge Touring Car," Webb reflected. "He just said to me, 'Don, let it happen, but I'll do it My way.'"