Isler Makes His Mark as Car Salesman

Stars & Stripes navigator Peter Isler thought he was going to have a problem when it was time to go home: how to dispose of his car.

“I bought a ’75 Ford Falcon when we got here last September and figured I’d just have to take a loss on it when we left,” he said.

But then Isler had an inspiration. Noticing the constant crowd of fans around the front gate of the compound, he had Dennis Conner and members of the crew autograph the car with a laundry marker. Even Edsel Ford II, representing one of the sponsors, signed when he dropped by one day.

“He just signed Edsel and II around the Ford emblem,” Isler said.

Then Isler went to the gate and asked if anyone was interested. A used card dealer from Bunbury offered $1,700.

“I paid only $1,200 for it,” Isler said.