Ed and I go through cars like a ground squirrel in a bucket of tulip bulbs. Together, we put over 50,000 miles on our vehicles each year, and because we're on the go so much, our cars need to be dependable. When they stop being dependable, they're gone. Period. End of story. Here's what I believe to be the comprehensive inventory of vehicles in our history:1. '81 Chevy Caprice Classic Wagon - "Tallulah"
2. Gold VW Golf
3. White VW Golf
4. Red Ford Escort
5. Gray Oldsmobile Achieva
6. Tan Honda Accord
7. Green Saturn
8. Green Jeep Grand Cherokee
9. White Mazda Protege
10. Red Honda Pilot
11. Brown Mazda Tribute
And we've been married 11 years.
I had crushes on the Accord and the Pilot. But the only car I've ever truly loved is Tallulah... my first. I had a surge of affection for her on my way home from work tonight so thought I'd share her story.I inherited Tallulah from my parents - and she had a V8 engine (heart) that could have powered a freight train. 0 to 60 in no time flat (I tested this often). She was so long, she could spit in righteous disdain at the mere mention of a bus. I passed my driver's test with flying colors on the first try despite knocking over a cone during parallel parking - and I had the fat mean tester guy!
Tallulah faithfully transported us (and enough college paraphernalia to overwhelm 5 buses) through 5 years of 11-hour round trips between home and Indiana. Never once did she break down on us - even after the mechanic told us to take her slow over railroad tracks. And she handled treacherous Wisconsin blizzards with the trepidity of a Sherman tank. Her cracked windshield and rusty rump were a tribute to her feisty perseverance. In short: they don't make'em like that anymore.After our wedding, Ed and I began to have cars of our own and, alas, it was time to part with our faithful friend. My little brother, Jeremy, inherited the family jewel... and her heart was true to the very end. As legend has it, Jer was pulling out of a parking lot one day when Tallulah's front half turned - but her back half couldn't follow. And despite the powerful rev of her still-purring V8, it was time for Tallulah to be laid to rest. I like to think she's been reincarnated somehow, her loyal pistons still giving life to some happy, speedster machine.
How 'bout you all? Have you ever really, really ever loved... a car??
10 comments:
Vonda, loved the car blog. I also have a couple of cars whose memories bring warm feelings. Growiing up, we had a large boat cleverly diguised as a car. Her name was Goldie. She was quite competitive and loved to be first out of a red light. She mocked the right lane, rain storms and blizzards. Her interior boasted of an old, cozy couch like comfort and could seat as many as taday's minivans.
Then there was my rust colored Cavalier. She was rust colored because that was basically what she was made of. The only issue I had with her was she could be a bit of an attention hog. She loved to make a grand entrance. When she came down the street, she was loud and proud. I was dating Michael at the time, and he always jokes that he could hear her from I-94. But she was a true and faithful friend. She and I shared a fun time period in my single life, and when I think back to that time, she is always included in those memories.
I hope you have a great rest of the week!!
My current car. I love my VW wagon. My dream car is a VW convertable bug car. A little herbette. I also had a VW golf before the wagon. It was a good little car too.
I love all cars, but my faves that we owned were:
79 Monte Carlo--man that honey honked, and I don't mean the horn.
67 Ford Galaxie--we named her "Pearl"
I loved my van and we now own my dad's van and will drive into the ground. My favorite was Steve's brand new Ford F150, flare side, brand spankin' new 1997 truck that he owned when we started dating. He sold it for Ashley and I so we could have a house instead of live in a truck but someday I will get him a truck.
I remember the station wagon and was sad when it died.
I remember Tallulah, too! That was a pretty sweet ride! I didn't have a car that I loved, but I had a Plymouth Reliant (K car) station wagon I inherited from my parents that got me back and forth between Oregon & MN, Tucson & MN, Michigan & MN on many occasions. When I traveled by myself, I would put my big backpack next to me in the back, lay down next to it with a blanket over "both of us" and sleep at rest stops. I thought someone would think two people were sleeping there instead of one, and it made me feel less vulnerable. Ah the joys of a station wagon! The poor thing was sitting in front of my house in Tucson when two men knocked on the door and offered to buy it. By then it was hardly driveable, but we bargained a bit on the price, and they drove it off. . .the end of an era.
I love my current car--VW Passat--my dream car since I was in highschool.
BUT. I had two cars in highschool that will always have my heart.
A 1985 Accord, Mahonda Ghandi, and a 1983 Volvo 240, Daphne.
Ah...Daphne. I think I might have to write my own blog about a car.
dang! how could i forget tallulah?!?! she carried me back to the twin cities with y'all at least once and probably more...
what fond memories!
Chris
So fun to hear from all of you - thanks for sharing your past loves with me! ;-) For those who remember Tallulah, thanks for commemorating her with me so affectionately... Rach - I remember your old wagon too! ;-) Chris - so fun to hear from you! Tell Jeni I'm working on getting back to her sweet adoption email... y'all make this whole blogging thing REALLY fun!
I am astonished at the fondness people have for their vehicles! I couldn't even tell you what kind of car we own. I know it's a gray hatchback that vibrates too much...
Anyway, Tallulah sounds wonderful, though by the looks of her maybe the kind only a mother could love. :)
ok, I'm way behind reading blogs but I do have to comment anyway. My first car was an Oldsmobile Vista Cruiser. It was a 9 passenger station wagon that could hold more if people stacked like logs in the back. Way too many stories to tell here! But my sister, my matron of honor, at our wedding reception did a story of how a marriage becomes "like a Vista Cruiser wagon." I'll have to look up the words someday.
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