By Sue Moore
“I’m running out of cars to bring to the Old Car Festival,” said Larry Gardon. He has featured his Studebaker – he has nine, his 1960 Pontiac convertible and his 1954 DIVCO milk truck at various Vicksburg Old Car Festivals.
The milk truck was purchased five years ago. Gardon did a complete restoration on what was known as a multi-stop vehicle, meaning it could go door to door. It was made in Warren, Michigan by the Detroit Industrial Vehicle Company, thus the acronym DIVCO. “There are probably 15,000 to 20,000 still in existence because it was so popular and unique. People who got their milk delivered at home have fond memories of this truck.”
For the last few years, Gardon and his wife have formed a team that buys and sells cars as he is retired and living in Quincy. “She buys them, I do the mechanical work and then she sells them. We split the profits.”