By Jeff Stork

A couple of weeks ago, a friend sent me a link to a New York Times article called “Betty White and a Cadillac called ‘Parakeet'”.
It was the story of Betty’s beloved Seamist Green 1977 Seville, which she called “Parakeet”. The car had been given to her as a surprise gift by her late husband Allen
Ludden. It was intact and original, with just over 18,000 miles, and it had
been donated to the AACA Museum in Hershey, PA by its owner in Texas.
Years earlier, Betty herself had donated the car to the
Humane Society when she decided she could no longer care for it
appropriately. And I am the missing link.

Sometimes you have
half of a puzzle. When I worked in the wholesale auto industry, one of
my clients was Martin Cadillac in West Los Angeles. On occasion, I would
have to walk through the service department, and I always kept my eye open
for an interesting Cadillac. One day I spotted a pale green and white
Seville in a service bay. It was very well polished and clearly loved,
showing just 18,000 miles on the odometer and sporting a first-generation AT&T car phone and a dash plaque that read “Betty”. I
made a mental note of what a nice car it was, but thought nothing more
of it.

About a year later I went to see a first generation
Seville for sale at a charity lot in North Hollywood. It was white with
blue, had some sunfade on the interior and a generous share of dents
and dings. Just a bit too rough for me, I said to the attendant. “Well,
you should go see the one at our Oxnard location”, he replied, “It only
has 18,000 miles”. I picked up my cell phone and dialed the number he
gave me, and asked about the Seville. “It’s a beauty”, was the reply,
“and it was owned by Betty White”. She wasn’t as red hot then, but I
was still a life long fan. I drove directly to the Oxnard location,
pausing only to pick up my neighbor in case I needed a second driver.

When
I
got to their location, I recognized it instantly — the little Seamist
gem from Martin Cadillac was Betty White’s car! They showed me the
original title in her name. It was just as nice as I had remembered,
with the cell phone and “Betty” dash plaque still in place. Of course,
it needed a little dialing in, and I treated Parakeet to some glamorous
new correct tires and some NOS chrome, replaced the rear bumper trim
and made repairs to the a/c and fuel systems. I then enjoyed showing
the little car for a season before I sold it to a collector in Texas —
the same gentleman who donated her to the AACA Museum. What a fine
gesture he made, and what a lovely little car that was. I was very
pleased to see her featured in the New York Times.

Now I wonder
what happened to her yellow Eldorado called Canary…