Here is a full episode of one of the Tales of Wells Fargo TV shows
You can find more about Dale Robertson's Film Career HERE
Buick Division of General Motors Corporation sponsored the Tales of Wells Fargo television series and it ran
for six seasons from 1957-1962 with around 200 episodes.
For the 1958 car show circuit Buick built a special 1958 Buick WELLS
FARGO
to promote the show and their sponsorship.
It was a limited production convertible modified for star Dale
Robertson with a western theme.
The interior was and floor were covered in cowhide (fur side up)
A gun rack was fitted between the front seats complete wit a pair of
Winchester Model 94's.
Pistol holders were in the interior door panels and pistol grips as
door handles.
At the end of the show circuit the car was given to Robertson
just in time for it's styling to be eclipsed by the all new 1959 Buick
model line.
This postcard was handed out to people who saw the Buick Wells Fargo at
car shows
Here are a couple of photos of The Italien
that Dale Robertson autographed for me
As I was saying,
although I have not found any documentation to support it,
I believe that Robertson first saw the Italien
at one of the Ford Custom Car Caravan shows
or at the New York Worlds Fair in 1964.
He fell in love with it, as you will if you are fortunate to see it,
and wanted it.
Since the only contact information was the placard from Dearborn Steel
Tubing in the car,
Robertson contacted them.
He offered DST $10,000.00 for the car
and then DST went to work trying to convince Ford to sell them the car
rather than scrap it.
They were successful and as you learned earlier,
they purchased the Italien from Ford for $5,000.00
and immediately sold it to Robertson for $10,000.00.
All in all, DST did well, they got paid $11,000.00 from Ford to build it
and then picked up another $5,000.00 when they sold it to
Robertson.
Robertson drove the Italien regularly around the Los Angeles area
and one enthusiast remembers spotting it on the highway
and following it only to lose it in the hills of Hollywood.
Circa 1965, Robertson let his secretary take the Italien on an errand
and she had a slight mishap. She rear ended another car.
I straightened slight damage on the tray beneath the left hood
latch,
behind the headlight when I restored the car this past year.
To sustain this damage to the underbody, however slight,
would have meant that the headlight bucket, front bumper,
left fender and hood would have been damaged.
They were evidently replaced with new parts at the time
which would have meant cutting the opening in the fender for the vent,
and welding up the holes in the front bumper for for the bumper guard
and re-chroming the bumper as the guard is not used on the Italien.
Fortunately the unique egg crate grill was not damaged.
At this time, Robertson had the car painted the Silver Mink color.
I suspect because of the inability to match the candy apple red
color
without repainting the entire car which would have been very expensive.
It was much less costly to repaint the car another color.
