RIP Pinky Randall, Chevrolet Collector Extraordinaire

John Gunnell

17 Jan 2022

Click Here to Begin Slideshow One of the best-known Chevrolet collectors in the world passed away on Jan 9 in Pensacola, Fla. M.G. “Pinky” Randall was 94 and was a lifetime resident of Houghton Lake, Mich. Randall owned about 200 cars in his lifetime and about 180 were Chevrolets. Randall loved to tell people how he started collecting “Bow-Tie” cars in 1948 when he purchased a 1932 Chevrolet coupe for $30, which he borrowed and took a year to pay back. It was the same car he’d passed on his way to school when he was four years old in 1932. He fell in love with it, never forgot it and eventually started his collection with it. Pinky and Joyce Randall began collecting anything to do with Chevrolet ranging from cars to toys to memorabilia. Pinky scanned the classified ads in many newspapers for Chevy items. If he saw a Chevrolet yardstick, cap, pencil, factory badge or nameplate, he bought it. The basement of his home started looking like a Chevrolet history museum. At its peak, Randall’s collection had about 53 cars with Chevrolet links including a very rare 1912 Little Roadster. In 1910, General Motors founder W.C. Durant had been forced out of the corporation (he later bought it back). Durant bought the Little, Republic and Mason car companies. Randall’s Little Roadster was the only car the Chevrolet-Little-Republic consortium sold in 1912. The car wound up in the Alfred P. Sloane Museum. Randall owned a grocery store and later worked as a grocery sales representative. He served as President of The Antique Automobile Club of America (AACA) in 1985. He was an AACA National Director from 1980 to 1994 and a Director of the AACA Library & Research Center from 1988-1992. Randall was well known at Chevrolet headquarters. In 1996, Randall arranged with Chevrolet to buy the last Impala SS ever made. At that time “Mr. Chevy’s” collection had 46 vehicles including a 1914 Baby Grand touring sedan, a rare 1930 roadster pickup truck and a green 1969 Corvair convertible that was one of the last eight Corvairs made. Chevrolet Motor Division eventually bought the bulk of the collection. In 2020, Randall was able to buy the last regular Impala ever made, although he couldn’t take possession of it until 2021 due to the COVID-19 Pandemic. Click Here to Begin Slideshow

RIP Pinky Randall, Chevrolet Collector Extraordinaire — Click Here to Begin Slideshow One of the best-known Chevrolet collectors in the world passed away on Jan 9 in Pensacola, Fla. M.G. “Pinky” Randall was 94 and was a lifetime resident of Houghton Lake, Mich. Randall owned about 200 cars in his lifetime and about 180 were Chevrolets. Randall loved to tell people how he started collecting “Bow-Tie” cars in 1948 when he purchased a 1932 Chevrolet coupe for $30, which he borrowed and took a year to pay back. It was the same car he’d passed on his way to school when he was four years old in 1932. He fell in love with it, never forgot it and eventually started his collection with it. Pinky and Joyce Randall began collecting anything to do with Chevrolet ranging from cars to toys to memorabilia. Pinky scanned the classified ads in many newspapers for Chevy items. If he saw a Chevrolet yardstick, cap, pencil, factory badge or nameplate, he bought it. The basement of his home started looking like a Chevrolet history museum. At its peak, Randall’s collection had about 53 cars with Chevrolet links including a very rare 1912 Little Roadster. In 1910, General Motors founder W.C. Durant had been forced out of the corporation (he later bought it back). Durant bought the Little, Republic and Mason car companies. Randall’s Little Roadster was the only car the Chevrolet-Little-Republic consortium sold in 1912. The car wound up in the Alfred P. Sloane Museum. Randall owned a grocery store and later worked as a grocery sales representative. He served as President of The Antique Automobile Club of America (AACA) in 1985. He was an AACA National Director from 1980 to 1994 and a Director of the AACA Library & Research Center from 1988-1992. Randall was well known at Chevrolet headquarters. In 1996, Randall arranged with Chevrolet to buy the last Impala SS ever made. At that time “Mr. Chevy’s” collection had 46 vehicles including a 1914 Baby Grand touring sedan, a rare 1930 roadster pickup truck and a green 1969 Corvair convertible that was one of the last eight Corvairs made. Chevrolet Motor Division eventually bought the bulk of the collection. In 2020, Randall was able to buy the last regular Impala ever made, although he couldn’t take possession of it until 2021 due to the COVID-19 Pandemic. Click Here to Begin Slideshow

Pinky and Automotive Writer Linda Clark 06-21-2001

Pinky 06-21-2001

Pinky giving a talk at Chevrolet's Arlington, Tex. plant.

Pinky picks up his 1996 Impala SS.

Pinky's Chevrolet Superior roadster at St Ignace 2001.

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