Bertha gives ride of a lifetime

Ray Hamblin met Bertha in 1983 and it was love at first sight. The two ran away together on a cold night in January from Rapid City, South Dakota, leaving behind a heartbroken Bill Magnusson. On Thursday, Oct. 1, Hamblin sent Bertha back to Bill to fulfill a promise he made more than 32 years ago.Bertha is a seafoam green 1950 Ford coupe. Hamblin found her in the pages of Hemmings Motor News in 1983, offered by Dr. Gordon Magnusson.Like all great car love stories, there’s an undeniable connection between owner and car. In Bertha’s case, there have been two enduring loves in her life.She started life in 1950 with the Magnusson family. Back then Bertha was just a means of transportation.The love affair began when Bill would spend time with Bertha while visiting his grandparents. He was too young to drive her, but old enough to love her.When Gordon’s parents passed Bertha on to him, Bill finally got the opportunity to drive her. While other kids at his high school were driving around in cars from the 1970s, Bill and Bertha stood out as a special couple. Like many high school romances, college separated them.Bill had a sensible and safe car better suited to long drives away from home. Gordon decided Bertha shouldn’t be alone and put her up for sale, listing her in Hemmings Motor News.Hamblin saw Bertha on those very pages and felt an undeniable connection. She was a reminder of his youth and a car his father purchased brand-new in 1950. His father’s Ford was maroon, but Bertha’s lines were exactly the same.Hamblin called Gordon, and asked if the car was truly the way she looked in the picture and was advertised in the magazine. He emphasized the long distance between Tecumseh and Rapid City was not one he wanted to make for a car in less than perfect condition.“It’s everything I’m telling you,” Gordon said.So, Hamblin traveled north to South Dakota to get the coupe. Gordon introduced Hamblin to Bertha, explaining she was named after his mother, and Hamblin loaded her into his transport vehicle.He remembers clearly how Bill stood on the lawn under a tree watching the process. Hamblin heard sniffling sounds, and asked Gordon if his son was upset.Gordon told Hamblin how Bill loved Bertha and was having a hard time with the sale. Hamblin understood completely, and went up to the college sophomore.“I gave him my business card,” Hamblin said “and I told him if I ever decided to sell Bertha you get the first shot.”For more than 30 years, Hamblin and Bertha spent time together. They didn’t drive around much — Hamblin only added 400 miles to Bertha’s odometer.Not a mechanic, Hamblin didn’t make modifications to Bertha to make her faster, louder or fancier. Instead, he polished her, kept her clean and just enjoyed her company.This summer, while on a trip with his son, Hamblin started thinking it might be time to sell Bertha. He remembered his promise to Bill, and with his son’s help, found someone he thought might be Bill living in Denver, Colorado.Hamblin sent an email on a Sunday, and within five minutes had a response. “Ray, you’ve got the right Bill,” the email said.Bill was concerned about Bertha’s condition three decades after he had last seen her. Hamblin assured him Bertha had been well-cared for and loved.Hamblin made a few cosmetic changes, most were done right after he purchased the car. Bertha got a new paint job, an exact match to her original paint color, and a new set of white wall tires from Coker Tire. Coker purchased the original Ford tire molds from Goodyear, so the tires were also a match to Bertha’s original set.It was when Hamblin told Bill a small label maker message reading, “Do not exceed Mach 1 without a parachute,” was still on the dash that Bill believed Bertha was as he remembered her.Bill traveled to Tecumseh this summer to see Bertha in person. After seeing her and taking a 15-minute test drive, Bill bought Bertha from Hamblin.It wasn’t easy for Hamblin to load Bertha on the truck and say goodbye. But his sadness at letting her go was easier knowing he had passed her back to someone from her past who loved her.