‘In the Day’

This post is again drifting away from my main theme. However, I feel compelled to discuss this subject. My true passion is anything cars, mainly ’50s  and ’60s to be exact.

What brought me to write this was watching the classic car auctions on TV and having seen them in person in Monterey. I suppose my main point here is the comparison between the deep pockets of folks trying to set new records for cars maybe not worth it and the folks, like me who remember the way it was back ‘In the Day’.

So, what does that all mean? There are many theories on what drives people to collect expensive cars. Most of the time I feel these people have made their fortune and want to be recognized for something other than just overly wealthy. Then again there are the older folks trying to bring part of their past back to life. Make no mistake, this is not ‘mid-life crisis’ slop that gets thrown around. That is a totally different part of the brain I shall leave alone.

Where, you might ask, do I fit into this? Well, I am another species of  ‘car guy’. I grew up during the wonderful days when these cars were just cars. Some, of course, were always special. I remember when it was easy to tell the make and model of any car on the road. Now, sadly, the average car on the road looks like a Honda whether it is or not. Am I whining? Absolutely.

I won’t list all of the makes that I have owned as ‘daily drivers’. But I will mention an actual experience from 1967. I went into a Ford dealer in San Francisco and on the showroom floor was a Shelby Cobra 427. Sticker price was $7500 and was worth every penny. As I was closely examining this vehicle, the salesman said “Hey, you with hair, get away from da ca. It has an aluminum body ya know”. Thanks clown, I never knew! I was paraphrasing just a little there.

So, if money was no object, what would I like to own? That is simple, it would be a 1967 Chev Corvette, 427/4 speed, triple black roadster. See picture at top.

Leave a comment as to what you might want to own. I am curious.