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Grand Junction, Colorado |
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Grand Junction, Colorado |
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I've been infatuated with sports cars from an early age. I've had the good fortune to be involved in some form with sports cars throughout my life. When I
was in high school a friend's dad owned a Porsche Carrera Coupe. I guess that was the beginning of my being attracted to Porsches - and yes, that's a
two syllable word: "Por-shuh" - not "PORSH". Nothing sounds worse to a Porsche enthusiast than to hear poor Ferdinand's name mangled. Well, nothing
unless it's hearing a fender on your Porsche get mangled.
Although I have a soft spot for Porsches, that hasn't precluded my enjoying sports cars of many marques over the years. My very first "sports car" (subject
to your interpretation, of course) was a 1957 Volvo PV-444, the 13th one made. One might think that was an unlucky number - and they may well be right.
I didn't care if it looked like a 1947 Dodge, it had dual carburettors and by golly, in my mind it was a sports car. I even won a trophy at a race. I forever
embarassed the soul of this poor car by painting it with my mother's Kirby vacuum cleaner in our back yard. Then I added two black "racing stripes" to finish
it off.
It tried to kill me once, though, when I was driving down Highway 101 in San Luis Obispo, California, and the battery exploded, severing an oil line, sending
fiery sheets of flame behind the car for about 50 feet. A California Highway Patrol officer was just a few cars back, and was astounded that I survived.
The cockpit immediately filled with smoke and I could only guess where "straight ahead" was. As soon as the car came to a stop I jumped out, tossed open
the hood, and threw sand all over the engine to extinguish the flames. Thank goodness the oil had been immediately pumped out of the severed line, and
the oil tank was empty. I began to get the idea that our relationship wasn't on good terms. I was not surprised when one day, it spewed oil all over the
ground and died.
The next adventure I had was the British sports car world of MGs. I purchased this MG Midget after trading in my beautiful '57 Chevy station wagon. Yes
I wish I had the Chevy now. My '57 Chevy was totalled by the company I traded it to for the MG. A mechanic drove it home for lunch and got half a block
away and ran into another car at an intersection. I guess they got even, because the MG's engine blew up about 200 miles later as I was driving home from
college. Adios MG.
My next sports car was still in the British family - I hadn't learned my lesson from the MG. I ended up with a Triumph Spitfire that - being generous -
needed a little "help". Not quite a basket case, it ran and was useful as I went back and forth to my job at Whiteman AFB, MO, where I was a missile launch
officer. That love affair ended one day when the steering wheel simply came off in my hands and the Spitfire drove itself down the road until I could manage
to stop it. Adios Spitfire. Adios British cars....
Power and handling are the essence of sports cars, and my next adventure involved the epitome of power and handling - an original 1964 289 Shelby Cobra.
The car belonged to my brother-in-law who knew I was a sports car nut. He graciously allowed me behind the wheel of his 289 Shelby Cobra to race
in an autocross - he was a brave man. He came in first, and I came in third overall. What a blast! Not only did it accelerate like a scalded skunk, when you
hit the brakes, it felt like you had run into a wall of marshmallows and your eyes popped out of their sockets. I'll never forget the feeling of driving that car.
As you may discern from the photos, the Cobra wasn't the classic then as it is today - my brother-in-law had taken a hacksaw to the fenders so he could
add wider tries. Oh the humanity.....the car today would be worth well over $100,000. If only.........
Porsche Speedster Carrera 1500RS, S/N 80820 One of a kind, unique in the world
My interests drifted back to Porsches. Here is where incredible luck (OK, and some stupidity - read on) entered the picture. I'd seen many a Porsche
Speedster and would have loved to own one. Ironically, as I was taking my sister-in-law to look for a Corvette (I now own a beautiful 2002 Corvette Targa
Coupe), I noticed a 1955 Porsche Speedster being pushed out onto a lot at a local sports car dealer in Colorado Springs, and immediately stopped to talk
about it. That was the least amount of time ANY car has sat on a lot before it was purchased on the spot. Checkbook in hand, I later drove it home.
Please read more about this historically unique Porsche by clicking on this link. It now resides in the newly opened Porsche Museum in Stuttgart, Germany.
Yes, for those paying attention, the slideshow at the top of the page included a picture of my old Toyota Land Cruiser FJ40 - not a sports car by any means, but it sure took me on some great adventures in Alaska in 1974-1975. I loved every minute of that kidney busting ride!
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