Woman of the Year

To many a disgruntled used-car buyer around the country, Mrs. Marcella Norman of Houston last week became the woman of the year. Mrs. Norman, a comely, 31-year-old divorced waitress who supports her four children, went to Houston's Metro Lincoln-Mercury Motor Co. a month ago to trade in her 1955 Ford for a newer car. She bought a 1957 blue Chevrolet sedan, thought she had signed a contract to pay $57.10 a month for 18 months. But when she checked the contract a few days later, she discovered that she would have to pay for 30 months.

She hustled back to the dealer, said she wanted to get her old car back, tear up the contract and "forget the whole deal." The company said "nothing doing"; she had initialed the contract in 14 places.

Marcella Norman went back time and again with the same request. Always the answer was no. Finally, unable to stand it any longer, she phoned the dealer a warning: "If you don't take back that car, I'll drive it back--through your show window."

The dealer still said no. So Marcella alerted the Houston Post to send over a photographer, then drove to the auto showroom. There she rammed her Chevy through a 3-by-10-foot plate-glass window and right into the side of a shiny black $6,000 Lincoln Continental. Damages: $2,300 to the building and the Continental, $1,000 to the Chevy, a cut lip for Mrs. Norman. The enraged company manager signed a complaint charging Mrs. Norman with malicious mischief. She posted $400 bail, airily said Metro could "go ahead, sue, I'm broke," and went back to work. First contributors to a Norman legal-defense fund: a group of anonymous "auto salesmen" who sent $15, hoped it would help Mrs. Norman "in your problems with a certain automobile salesman."

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