May 03, 2006
Oh, I suppose because I'm a moron.
How else to explain yet another one of those sudden pangs of longing I occasionally suffer from?
After we got home last night, I got a chance to read my newest issue of AutoWeek. It was doubly good, in that it had a column by my favorite car woman, Denise McCluggage, that was at once melancholy, poignant, exciting, and uplifting. Man alive, she sure can write. And then, there was the weekly feature I really love--what used to be called "Escape Road," and now is simply "Vintage Cars." I enjoy seeing all the cool old stuff that's not quite on the collector market's radar.
This week's article was about the Lotus Elite. Now, I've always like Lotusesesses, but never really paid much attention to the Elite. But my goodness, that one in the picture, with the dark blue body and silver roof, and those spidery chromed wire wheels, well, in just the short read of the article it has replaced my other, long-term, wistfully dreamt-after, someday-maybe-before-I croak car, a Tuxedo Black '67 small block Sting Ray roadster.
Oh, I know--you don't have to tell me about the wispiness of Lotuses. The 'Vette is much more robustly built, and there's a huge cottage industry of spare parts and you can still get it worked on at the Chevy place.
But that Elite--my goodness. That sure is one nice bit of plastic. In white, it reminds me of a pretty girl in a tennis dress.
That is a mighty cute car.
Posted by: Jordana at May 3, 2006 04:01 PMSo is the red one. Since I'm too lazy to do the google, how mucn will those cars set your back?
Posted by: jim at May 3, 2006 04:04 PMAnd since it's old and liable to not work if the weather is damp (or dry, or if it's sunshining, or dark) I wouldn't feel like nearly so much of an aging poof if I was driving one.
Posted by: Terry Oglesby at May 3, 2006 04:04 PMAs for cost, I don't know, Jim, and I dare not dash my dream by actually finding out.
Posted by: Terry Oglesby at May 3, 2006 04:05 PMIf you get a hot babe like Miss Reba to drive around in it with you, you wouldn't look like a poof.
Posted by: Jordana at May 3, 2006 04:24 PMI think that would be les of a poof Jordana.
Posted by: jim at May 3, 2006 04:27 PMMay I amke that less instead of les-- however it reads well either way.
Posted by: jim at May 3, 2006 04:36 PMJim, you can amke anything you want.
But, yes, Miss Reba would look quite nice riding shotgun--and she'd probably be much more willing to ride along in the Lotus than in the Volvo.
Posted by: Terry Oglesby at May 3, 2006 04:44 PManksth
Posted by: jim at May 3, 2006 04:49 PMOn problems.
Posted by: Terry Oglesby at May 3, 2006 04:52 PMEven when I was a younker under the age of 20 Mr Clark didn't make cars for me. 6'1", 195#, a fifty chest and a 36 waist with size 12 clod hoppers just couldn't fit into his cars. I dearly wanted too mind you. I still think the Europa is just wonderful to look at and a marvel of design. Sigh.
Posted by: Tony von Krag at May 3, 2006 09:32 PMThat's one nice thing about being short--in theory, I actually could fit in one. Lengthwise. I share your girthiness, however, so it might be more like a single seater for me.
Posted by: Terry Oglesby at May 4, 2006 07:50 AMIn one of the Rock Hudson & Doris Day films, Rock tries to squeeze into a tiny little car. It makes for good comedy...
Posted by: Jordana at May 4, 2006 08:58 AMAnd I am all about comedy. But Rock was a tall guy, and so even if he didn't get in the car, after he got out, he could go back to being dashingly rakish. Neither of which I could be, no matter the size of the car.
Posted by: Terry Oglesby at May 4, 2006 09:14 AM