Purchasing a helicopter for personal use was a marketing strategy Hughes Helicopters employed in the 1960s for its 269A model, which retailed for $22,500—“a price substantially below that of many helicopters.” (For comparison, Chevy’s top-of-the- line 1963 Impala SS convertible started at $3,186.) A Silver Spring, Maryland, Chevrolet dealership took the strategy one step further, becoming a Hughes Helicopter sales and service outlet in 1963.