Albert Traversa drove his new, light blue Ford C-MAX Hybrid off the lot Monday afternoon completely free of charge.
The 85-year-old Gainesville resident and his wife, Mary Hausler, won the car in Ford’s National Gas and Go Further Facebook Sweepstakes, which was held last year.
“It’s just like winning the lotto,” Traversa said.
Southern Ford Dealers funded the sweepstakes, said spokeswoman Blakeley Ainsworth. The company consists of 93 Ford dealerships within Florida, Alabama and Georgia.
Traversa was the first winner to come out of the region, she said.
Hausler said her husband entered numerous online contests and sweepstakes before, but this was the first time he won.
“I got a phone call, and I remember the person calling said, ‘Are you sitting down?’ I said, ‘Well, I am now,’” she said.
Traversa and Hausler said they got to pick from a group of cars. The model they agreed on was the C-MAX Hybrid because it was similar to the Toyota Prius they already owned.
When asked who picked the car color, Traversa said he let his wife make the decision.
“But I like it,” he said.
[A version of this story ran on page 8 on 2/25/2014 under the headline “Local couple drives off in free Ford"]
Michael Grimaldi, General Sales Manager of Parks Ford Lincoln of Gainesville, hands the keys to a 2014 Ford C-MAX Hybrid to Albert Traversa and his wife Mary Hausler.
