J.C. Penney’s 1947 Cadillac – Pride and Beauty

Have you ever driven such a car as J.C. Penney’s 1947 Cadillac convertible along the streets of a small town? You know> it’s like stepping into a Time Machine. The native town of J.C. Penney’s 1947 Cadillac is Hamilton situated 15 miles east of Cameron.

This beautiful car belongs to Dean Hales and he allowed me to have a drive in his car. We could not pass a hundred meters without someone waving to Dean. It seems that everyone in the town knows him and his glorious vehicle. There is nothing strange about this as Mr. Hales has been living here since 1938 when his father opened a grocery shop in Hamilton. So perhaps decades ago J.C. Penney himself drove along these quite streets in his Cadillac.
On 1960 Hales’ father, Leo, died and Dean in cooperation with Jim Mogg, his brother-in-low, started running the family shop. Later they became owners of Hy Klas market which now belongs to Vicki, Mogg’s daughter and Mark Ward, her husband.
Now Mr. Hales is 76 and he went to retire from the family business. However he has always been a car enthusiast and still remains. His eyes are twinkling when he is recalling his races on the roads around Hamilton.
About 40 years ago Hales got to know that Penney intended to sell his 1947 Cadillac convertible kept near Hamilton on a farm.
So Mr. Hales bought it and delivered to Hamilton. The vehicle is absolutely unrestored. The engine has never been repaired and yet it works like a clock. The odometer shows 53,932 miles. The Cadillac even has one of its original tires.

In 1971 Penney died and after this Hales made up his mind to found in Hamilton J.C. Penney Museum and Memorial Library. His dream came true in 1975.
Hales owned a small gas station located on Interstate 36 on the edge of Hamilton. His new car attracted such a great attention that he had to build a big garage with glass windows near the station. There he has parked his Cadillac so the car has been displayed during last 25 years.

From time to time Mr. Hales takes his Cadillac out of the garage in order to give it some exercises. According to his own words he will never sell his car or give it to someone except his children. He thinks that J.C. Penney’s 1947 Cadillac belongs not only to him and his family. It is a part of Hamilton’s history so it must remain in this town.