T
here are few things as iconically American as the automobile. Sure, it represents the freedom of wideopen roads and the wanderlust spirit that moves us. And, yes, it’s a lasting testament to creative design and virtuoso engineering. But I believe that what really propels cars into the status of nostalgic heirlooms is how we link our key life events to them, such as the front seat of the early 1980s orange Chevy Chevelle station wagon where I first kissed a girl (August 1984), the silver 1992 Mazda pickup upon whose hood I sat and scanned the sky for Halley’s Comet (April 1986), and the seawater blue 1997 Toyota Camry I was driving en route to work at the University of Wisconsin-Madison when I heard 9/11 was happening. Others feel the same way about it. Just ask my buddy Tony about any 1980s song, he recalls the first time he heard it and where he was driving at the time, since the only occasion he listened to the radio was, of course, in his sickly yellow-orange Dodge Omni that he drove all over, often shifting from Drive to Neutral while hauling along because he much preferred a stick shift versus the automatic that it was. Or ask one of the many celebrities who are well known for their distinctive cars or entire car collection. Charlie Sheen and his (several!) black Mercedes S Class cars. Paris Hilton and her Bentley Continental GT Coupe that she had West Coast Customs turn pink in 2008. Brian Johnson (of AC/DC fame, who lives right here in Sarasota) and his 2007 Rolls Royce Phantom drophead coupe. Plus, there’s Jay Leno, whose 150-car collection is one of the most impressive in the world, including such beauties as a powder-blue 1954 Jaguar XK120M Coupe and a black 1994 McLaren F1(worth a cool $12 million). Sarasota, too, has its fair share of collectors who’d give these car enthusiasts a run for their steering wheel when it comes to their passion for and commitment to vintage cars and modern classics.
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SARASOTA SCENE | OCTOBER 2019
COOL