Death in the 300 Family

["Moon" <agmoon@xxxx>]

Club member Walter (Wally) Swift passed away suddenly during an auto cross race on March 10, 2002. Among other Chrysler corporate duties, Wally was the former Chrysler Regional Executive for the Washington DC area. He had a 300B which he sold some years ago. He raced Sunbeam Alpine Tigers in autocross racing and won first place for 20 straight years. As a result, race officials presented him the trophy, emeritus, permanently. His wife, Helen, said that he died happy doing what he loved best.

He owned Cordoba's, Mirada's and 300's among other MoPar models. Wally enjoyed telling the story of having a race 300F with the pont-a-mousson four speed transmission. He had to turn it back in to Chrysler because his wife couldn't hold the clutch in and backing down the driveway one day, the F "got loose" and banged into a dirt bank in the neighbor's yard.

He maintained an extensive collection of MoPar model cars in his basement "museum". The collection must be one of the best in the country. It even has turn tables and lights to feature the car of the month!

Over one hundred people from all over the United States attended his funeral. His trailered Tiger was the procession's flower vehicle.

Wally knew everybody. He was Mr. Mopar in the Washington DC area.

He was quite a gentleman and he will be missed by all who had the pleasure of knowing him.






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