COTTONWOOD – Brad and Donna St. Aubin went extra miles last summer to buy a car, but it was more than just an ordinary car.

They purchased a 1968 Chevy Camaro from a seller in Connecticut. It meant a road trip to the East Coast to get the car.

“It was the adventure of a lifetime,” Donna said. “We just drove and drove and drove. Sometimes when you want something enough, you have to make an extra effort.”

They found the Camaro while looking at online car listings. They liked its orange color and the fact that it’s a convertible. They were also impressed by its condition.

“It’s in perfect shape, Brad said. “The previous owner put a lot of work into it. He was surprised that we were interested. He didn’t expect that people would drive all the way from Minnesota just to buy his car.”

He said he might have passed on the deal because of the driving distance, but that Donna’s encouragement motivated him to pursue it.

He wanted a Camaro because he previously owned a 1980 model. They currently also own a 1965 Ford Mustang, a 1952 GMC pick-up, and a 1972 Ford Tourino.

Brad first drove a car on his family’s farm at the age of 10. He rebuilt the engine on his first car, a Plymouth Volare, as a teenager. He also previously owned a Dodge Dart in addition to the Volare and 1980 Camaro.

The Ford Tourino has a special meaning to the family since Donna has owned it since she was 16. Her father, who was an auto mechanic, found it in a catalog and bought it for her 16th birthday.

“The Tourino is the only car that’s been with us since we were kids,” Donna said. “It’s very special to me because of my dad. We’ll always keep it.”

She said the Tourino still has all of its original parts. With only about 21,000 miles on it, it should last for a lifetime.

The Mustang was purchased 20 years ago from a seller in Watertown, South Dakota. Brad did some finishing work on it, but it was mostly in excellent condition.

They both graduated from Marshall High School, Brad in 1986 and Donna in 1987. They’ve lived in Cottonwood since 1994. They have two sons, Brady and Cody, and two grandchildren.

Donna works at Avera in Marshall, while Brad works for Knockenmus (formerly Ralco). They spent most of their careers at the Schwan Food Company.

They said cars have been a family activity. Cody took them to both of his high school proms. He took the Tourino one year and the Mustang the other.

“The boys both like cars,” Brad said. “I’m sure the cars will stay in the family for at least one more generation.”

He said cars have sustained his interest because of their designs, engines and importance to society in the 20th and 21st centuries.

“I just like old vehicles,” he said. “I especially like the muscle cars from the 1960s and 1970s. Ford, Chevy and the other manufacturers were competing with each other. It was a good era for cars.”

Donna said the muscle cars are part of a previous era, one that’s well remembered by people old enough to have driven one or at least rode in one as a passenger.

‘They’re fast and loud,” she said. ‘They have an interesting history. They don’t make cars like them anymore.”

Brad and Donna joined the Shades of the Past car club of Marshall last year. They expect that cars and activities for collectors will be an important part of their lives in the future.

“It will be our most important hobby when we retire,” Donna said. “We enjoy the car shows and cruises. It’s a great way to meet other car collectors.”