Do you remember the first time you fell in love? You took one look at that girl and decided that there had never been anything like her on the planet, at least not in your time. And it wasn't just the way she looked. You were smitten by everything about her. You liked the sound of her voice and the way she walked. Or maybe it was the way she tilted her head a little when she smiled.

Back during the 1950's, a very similar thing happened between young men and automobiles. It happened to many a teenaged boy the first time he saw a '55 Chevrolet. It was a thing of beauty to be sure, but it wasn't just the way it looked. He loved to hear the purr of that big V-8 engine. He loved sitting under the wheel and looking at that big, expansive dashboard. And for those who were lucky enough to actually drive one, they loved the feel of their head snapping back when they tromped down on the accelerator.

For most West Virginia teenagers, the Chevys were out of reach unless they could talk their dad into buying one. But dads tended to go for the four door sedans rather than those sleek looking two-door hardtops. Yet, just like the girls, who many times were out of their reach, the boys loved the Chevys just the same. And, it wasn't just Chevys. Other boys fell for Fords, Dodges, and Cadillacs. For me, it was Buicks.

Experts who study human emotions contend that men never really get over their first love. They tell us that even though we often fail to win our first love and walk through the world with another, those feelings will always be there. I don't know about that, but I do know that men never get over the love of cars. How do I know? Take a walk through the many car shows that go on around fairs and festivals during the West Virginia summer and autumn. Take a look at the drooling men as they walk through the rows of old cars.

Most teenaged boys could not have that dream car which might have had a price tag of three to five thousand dollars during the 1950's. But now they will pay four or five times the original price just to have it sit in their garage so they can take it out and show it off four or five times a year. The classic example is the '53 Buick Skylark. Few could afford one when they hit the market at about $6000 in 1953. If you want one now, you will have to come up with a quarter-of-a-million. There are men who will pay that. That's true love.

What about that girl you fell in love with when you were 16? What would she be worth today? Well, if you did not get her, she is still probably out of your range. But if you did actually win and marry her….she is priceless!

Mack Samples is a regional writer who lives on 55 acres in Clay County. He is also a musician who tours with the Samples Brothers Band. Visit his website at www.macksamples.com