My Father Loved Cars...

This is a picture of my mother and my brother... He was almost a year old, and could already drive... or not, I don't remember, I wasn't there.

My father loved cars. Now that may be the only understatement I make on these little missives... My father LOVED cars. His only 'extravagance' in life was to have new cars whenever he could. As he grew more successful, the cars were better. He was, at his essence, a salesman. He knew that part of what he was selling was himself... Hell, it was most of what he sold. He had new cars often. He reasoned that the more successful he looked, the more successful he would be.

and he was right...

As he got older, the cars became Cadillacs. I don't know if he loved them as much as this red delight, but he still worked on them whenever he could, and washed them himself even when he could afford to have it done by someone else. That's how I met Steve McQueen, but that's another story for another time. He kept every part he removed from an automobile jussst in case he might need to... I don't know, put it BACK sometime? I have no idea. He was a child of the depression, and never forgot.

When my father semi-retired, he bought a porsche. He finally decided that he didn't have to make an impression on anyone anymore. All for him... He didn't fit in it very well, it was low down and small, and he was not flexible, but he loved it. He had to get rid of it because my mother couldn't drive it, and there were times when she might have to, so he got a Datsun 280ZXGL... he called it his 'old people's car'.

I just called my sister to ask her what kind of Datsun my father had, as cars have never been my thing. I've driven a van since 1976, when I swiped my dad's OLD delivery truck. It was a 1969 Ford, and I kept it running and traveling until 1985. Not a bad feat, but certainly not conducive to harboring a love for vehicles... My current van is the 6th or 7th vehicle I've ever had.. in more than 45 years of driving. The last two lasted a total of 32 years. Anyway, my sister started on all the cars my father owned. All of them... years, colors, models.. things of which I have NO memory. I especially don't remember any bi colored vehicles...

Where was I at the time?

it really must be all about me...