Back to the future

I've always felt a little guilty about the fact the '49 Plymouth is a gas hog. About 15 mpg roaring up and down the canyons here in Malibu, maybe 18 or 20 out on the freeway. (Don't laugh, it's got the original flathead six and that thing rules the 10.) So when the Chevy pickup started to show its age (278,000 miles) and it became clear I needed a new car, I thought about a hybrid.