635AC4FF-986E-47F5-ACC7-3FF940BF6F64.jpeg Bennie ZimmermanThumbnailsEddie SewellBennie ZimmermanThumbnailsEddie Sewell
This article is an excerpt from the July 2010 "Bowtie Bulletin"

Huston Shelton is Known for Swap Meets and Old Chevys

On August 25, 1971, Huston Shelton was hurrying home from a trip to another antique car outing in Graham, TX that was called "Graham Spring Fever Days". He had been on this tour with another car club that he belonged to, but he knew there was going to be a meeting to form a vintage Chevy club and he didn't want to miss it. Huston joined the Lone Star Region that day at the very first meeting, becoming a charter member, and has been a faithful member ever since.

Like a lot of Lone Star Region club members, Huston liked old cars as a teenager and his first car was a 1931 Model A Ford. At the time he joined the club, he owned a 1941 Chevrolet 2 Door Sedan that he had purchased from a General Motors co-worker named Lloyd Nicholson. Lloyd Nicholson also became one of the Lone Star Region's charter members.

The first national VCCA anniversary meet that Huston and his wife Betty attended was the 15th in 1976 in Colorado Springs, CO and they have attended every one since then. By that time, he owned a 1938 Coupe that he took to the meet and won a 2nd place award. This was the first of several other VCCA awards that Huston has received at the anniversary meets.

Huston's favorite car of all those that he has owned over the years was a 1955 Convertible, red and cream color. It was used one year on a float that was sponsored by the Lone Star Region in the Arlington Fourth of July parade. He no longer has that convertible, but he does still have a 1965 Malibu that he bought new. At the present time, Huston has the 1965 Malibu 2 Door Hardtop, three 1954s and a 1967 El Camino.

One thing that goes hand in hand with antique cars is swap meets and old car parts, and Huston has been very involved with both. When the Lone Star Region had the opportunity to begin a swap meet at Traders Village in Grand Prairie, TX, in 1976, Huston joined in with several other members in the club who were working to get it started. Due to the efforts of that group of people, the club still has a swap meet that is a source of income for its many activities. The first swap meet that Huston began selling at as a vendor was the widely known "Pate Swap Meet", and it is still his favorite swap meet. However, he has only missed going to the Petit Jean Arkansas swap meet one time and that was last year. And of course, he is always at the Lone Star Swap Meet in Grand Prairie. When car lovers in this area need a part for their old car, they know to check with Huston because he may just happen to have what they need. Huston says that the source of a lot of the items that he sells is flea markets, trade days or other swap meets.

It would be hard to say how many cars that Huston has bought and sold over the years. He said, "Since the late 60's, I have had over 70 Model A's". Wouldn't that make Henry Ford proud? That doesn't even take into account all of the Chevrolets that he has owned and sold.

Betty and Huston have two daughters and five grandsons that all live in this area, and are very close to them. When you see Huston at a swap meet, it is not unusual at all to see some of his family there giving him a hand.
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