Couldn’t Wally have used the car very shortly? He always wants his license and then a car. I know it would have cost a lot of money to insure the car and Beaver would have gotten a ride or two. I guess on the whole it was best to sell it and Beaver get all the money. Wait didn’t June need a car for all her social events? She should have kept it, I’m sure Ward could have afforded the expenses.

They should have bought the other house so June could have gotten the pickup truck.

They should have bought the other house so June could have gotten the pickup truck.

LOL How about fixing up the 1936 Coupe that Lumpy pushes to the house. A new engine, new interior, paint job and June would have her own car.

Since when can a kid enter a contest when the prize is an automobile?

June driving either of those? Ward could barely get her to sit in Wally's back seat.

They don't, as I recall, say a word about the taxes on a prize like that. And it seems to be over a year before Wally can get his license. So just to think about taxes and comprehensive insurance-- which if they don't buy the entire value could be lost-- during the time the car is not used and taking up Ward's valuable garage space (:crazy: )... yeah, selling it has to be the right decision. If I won a $29,000 'sports car' [that description is a little indefinite] even today, I would sell it, as I have other things I could use about 23K* for, and I've never been very concerned about style in the vehicle I drive. Beaver, instead of whining about having to get rid of his brand new car, should have taken advantage and asked for, in addition to a bicycle, something like a trampoline, skis, scuba diving gear... With the rest of the family all over Ward to help mend Beaver's ego, he would have relented and let him spend considerably more than just the cost of a bicycle.

*this based on http://www.usinflationcalculator.com/ . But I'm not sure how accurate this is-- consider Eddie's job as a garage helper in 1963; according to this, $80 would be $648 today.