Classic car buyer reunites man and machine after 46 years

Gerry Mandel knows what it's like to have loved and lost. We're not referring to his wife, to whom Gerry has been married for 46 years, but to the 1965 Oldsmobile Jetstar 88 convertible the pair drove away from their wedding all those years ago. The moment was documented in a photograph (shown above, right). We don't know much about the car after that, except that decades later, it would wind up in the hands of a young man named Shawn.

The Olds was a dust-covered barn find. Shawn brought it back to life, installing a rebuilt 425-horsepower Delta 88 motor and reviving the paintwork's shine. Shawn was curious about the Olds' history, so he sought out the original owner and eventually wound up on the phone with Mr. Mandel.

Shawn told Gerry he wanted to show him the car. Forty-six years after saying "I do" to his wife, Gerry said "Okay" to Shawn. After being reunited with the Olds, Gerry and his wife even posed for a recreation of their wedding-day photo (shown above left). In the end, everyone walked away with a great story to tell, and new images that will last long after the memories themselves begin to fade.

For more on this Oldsmobile owners' reunion, head over to the forum where the story unfolded.