Rick Broome – Car Saleman
Like many members of the Class of 1975, I had already decided, long before two-degree year, what kind of car I wanted. I suspect most of us who planned to buy a new car had already figured out the make, model, color, engine, transmission, and options well in advance.
In my case, there wasn’t much left to decide. The first car I would ever own was going to be a Chevy Corvette. The only problem was finding somebody willing to sell me one.
During the fall of 1973, rumors were going around that Williams Chevrolet, which had traditionally sold Corvettes to Academy cadets, was no longer able to get them or make the kind of deals they had in the past. I went to Williams and came away disappointed—no Corvette orders here.
So, on Saturday, December 8, 1973, I decided to try Daniel’s Chevrolet in downtown Colorado Springs. I didn’t have much hope because the rumor was that Daniel’s wasn’t dealing on Corvettes either.
I walked into the dealership that afternoon and was met by a young salesman in a sports coat who didn’t seem a whole lot older than me. His name was Rick Broome. He was about 26.
I told Rick I wanted to order a Corvette. He said he would have to check with his boss and disappeared for a few minutes. When he returned, he had good news—they could sell me one. Out came the order form.
I knew exactly what I wanted: a 1974 Corvette coupe, medium blue with a medium saddle interior, 350 cubic-inch V-8, four-speed transmission, AM/FM stereo, power steering, cast aluminum wheels and a few other options. The invoice, which amazingly I still have more than 50 years later, shows a list price of $6,674.30. Rick knocked $974.30 off the price. My new Corvette was going to cost $5,700.
Several banks offered cadet car loans of $4,000. I borrowed another $1,000 from my sister and somehow came up with the remaining $700. I wrote Daniel’s a $100 check that afternoon and Rick and I signed the purchase agreement. I left Daniel’s a very excited future Corvette owner.
A few months later Rick called to tell me the Corvette had arrived and looked great. The problem was that I couldn’t have it yet.
Finals Week 1974 had a special meaning for all of us waiting to pick up our new cars. After completing our last final, Second Classmen could finally take possession of them. Finals began Monday with two periods a day, but some of us suspected that the Academy leadership was in cahoots when it came to scheduling them. You might finish most of your finals early in the week and then discover one lonely final sitting there late Friday afternoon—between you and your new car. That’s where mine was.
When my last final exam was finally over Friday afternoon, I was ready to get off the Hill and beat feet for Daniel’s Chevrolet, where Rick was waiting for me. Upon arriving, he told me they would bring the car around to the front while he finished the paperwork. Then it appeared.
I remember cautiously walking around that new blue Corvette, almost afraid to touch it. In a few minutes this thing was actually going to belong to me. Definitely an awe-struck moment for a 20-year-old American male!
Rick came back, we finished the paperwork, I gave him the check, and he handed me the keys. As I was leaving, Rick told me something unexpected. This was one of the last cars he was going to sell. He was leaving Daniel’s. “Why? What are you going to do?” “Painting,” he said.
That seemed a little strange to me. Why would a young guy give up selling cars to go paint houses? But what did I know? More importantly, there was a brand-new Corvette sitting outside with my name on it. So I 
didn’t give Rick’s career change another thought. I climbed into my Corvette and drove away. (September 2026)
