This is not a collection that's going to make Jay Leno, or anybody else, envious.
1. 1978 Chevette (My first car. Later burst into flames at Big Bear Lake in 1982 and had to be sold for scrap)
2. 1982 Sentra (I later gave it to my sister Linda, who once saw gang members using it for cover during a shoot out in Venice. I think my brother Tod may also have owned the car for a while.)
3. 1987 Honda Accord (A fine car. I'd only owned it a few months when I was rear-ended in a traffic jam by a Swedish diplomat without a driver's license or insurance. My front and back end were smashed, since the force of the impact slammed my Accord into the car in front of me. The Swedish guy immediately proclaimed that he had "diplomatic immunity" and was not responsible for the damages. He was right. My insurance company covered the costs).
4. 1988 Corolla FX (my wife's first car in the U.S. She's from France. I learned to drive a stick with this car)
5. 1990 Miata (I still own it. Only 60K miles on the odometer, since we only drive it a few times a month, usually on weekends, when its really nice out. The car looks as good today as it did then. But I just had to replace the transmission, which was inexplicably fried despite the low miles.)
6. 1984 Mercedes SL (I bought this from my grandfather in 1992 with only 30K miles on the odometer. It was a Christmas present for my wife, who coveted my Miata. We still own it and it's in mint condition. Just crossed 100K on the odometer. It's my car now. My accountant would like me to get rid of it…thinks it costs way too much to maintain. But we have a huge sentimental investment in the car)
7. 1995 Volvo 960 Wagon (We bought this when my daughter was born, since all we had were two two-seat convertibles and no place for a third person…)
8. 1999 Mercedes SLK. (…so, naturally, I got another convertible. For a while, we had three convertibles and one station wagon. For a family of three. How dumb is that? It was the most troublesome car I've ever owned. Everything went wrong with that damn car. After three years, I sold it to my sister Karen, who later sold it to her sister-in-law)
9. 2000 Mercedes ML (It replaced the Volvo. We still own it and have 175K on the odometer. Still looks and runs great. This is my wife's car now — by her own choice — and she loves it. I've inherited her SL)
10. 2004 Lexus ES (I leased this for three years so we'd have more than one "family" car instead of an SUV and two 2-seat convertibles. I loved it but it spent more time in the garage than on the road since I was mostly working in Canada and Europe during the lease period, so I let it go).
Our next car will probably be something for my daughter, who turns 16 in July…or we'll give her the ML and buy a new "family car."
Nice taste in cars! Mercedes!— fancy!
In San Diego a person pretty much has to have a car— that was certainly true when I was living there. But up here in Canada, the public transportation, is pretty good. So since the local traffic here in Guelph, Ontario a stressful nuisance, while taking the bus up to the university is relaxing and allows for more time to read, why not? The money saved on parking fees pays for the monthly bus pass.
But I bet the handling of those German precision-engineering vehicles, while cruising down the I-5 as if floating on a cloud, top down, feeling all that freedom in the sky, puts a smile on the face no matter what kind of day a person is having!
People are just happier in Southern California! (At the moment, in Guelph, we’re having a beautiful Southern California summer’s day!)
You had me at Hello, Chevette. Sigh… At least mine didn’t burst into flames.
I’m still at Nissan Sentra, yearning for Volvo or Mercedes. Though, not to jinx it while it’s at the shop, I love my little Nissan!
Husband has very, very fond memories of his Fiat but yearns for a scooter.
Son would like a Miata.
No Ferrari? 🙂 I would think a 250 California would make a great contribution to your two-seater collection.