One warm night last fall, I was driving my BJ8 (top down, of course) in
Chicago on my way home.
With no other traffic around, I noticed a car in the adjacent lane
"shadowing" me. I sensed that the other driver was checking the AH out.
When we got to the next light, my feelings were confirmed when an
attractive early 20's female driver rolled down the passenger window and
asked what kind of car it was.
When I replied, her response, just before the light changed, was, "That
is the most BEAUTIFUL car that I have ever seen!". As we both pulled
away, I thanked her, with a broad grin on my face.
By the way, Alan, Vallejo, CA, used to be home turf, and I can affirm
that some of the residents there are lucky to have seen anything other
than Detroit iron. I do however have fond memories of looking in the
windows of the small BMC dealer on Sonoma Blvd. They had brand new Jags,
and MG's, some forgettable Austin Americas and a BRG BJ8! The most
memorable car that I spotted on their used car lot was a red 300SL gull
wing Mercedes, with a Chevy small block transplant. Actually, having
learned to drive on an automatic transmission car, a friend took me out
in his VW Bug for about a 10 minute lesson in shifting a stick. Thus
began the series of rounds of the used car dealers in town, test driving
VW Bugs, then VW fastbacks and working up to a Sunbeam Alpine and a TR4A
that the local Volvo dealer had. Early on, the challenge was to just
get the car off the lot and around the corner before revealing my
novice-shifter status.
I also drooled on the window glass of the palatial new and used car
showrooms of BMC of San Francisco, on Van Ness Ave. The usual inventory
was maintained in the new car showroom. The really interesting cars
showed up in the used car showroom further north on Van Ness, on the
west side of the street. Among other cars, I recall seeing Gov.
Winthrop Rockefeller's Tucker for sale there during the summer of '68.
Oh, John, Napa State Mental Hospital was on Imola Ave. and was one of
the first victims of, then Gov., Reagan's social services budget cuts
which resulted in essentially "mainstreaming" most mental health
patients. Other states soon followed California's example. Our church
youth group used to go sing Christmas carols at Napa State. It was not
a fun place to visit.
Bob
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