The Car Lover
Saturday, 7. June 2008, 07:45:59
I always loved a good ride.
From my earliest years I was in love with practically everything on wheels. My old, wooden truck with white rubber wheels. My bicycle which was shining in red and chrome. The trains rattling along on the tracks very close to our house when I was a kid. Too close in somebody's opinion - but not in my opinion.
At the age of fifteen I had my own motorized mean of transportation and fun. A small motorcycle, which was altered so that it couldn't go faster than a certain speed - according to Danish law because of my young age. Need I mention that I was always handy with a tool when needed?
But all the time I longed for the day I would turn 18. At that time I would be able to drive for real. Big, warm wheels, powerful engines, highway.
My father had this great car that I loved as if it was my own. A car he willingly shared with me almost as much as I wanted. I just had to pay for my own gas plus half of the insurance - and everything was just set and dandy.
On the above photo (sorry about the lousy quality) you'll have the privilege (as if!) to see me with the great, old Volvo Amazon at four o'clock in the morning just before driving to Milano. My girlfriend at the time took the photo, after which she jumped in the car and we set off happily as only kids in love can be. I was 20 and she was 16. *sigh*
That was to be the first of several times that I crossed the Alps in that car.
Thanks to Nicolas who asked me for a photo of the car in this post. He is the one to hold responsible for getting me started on old memories this time.
From my earliest years I was in love with practically everything on wheels. My old, wooden truck with white rubber wheels. My bicycle which was shining in red and chrome. The trains rattling along on the tracks very close to our house when I was a kid. Too close in somebody's opinion - but not in my opinion.
At the age of fifteen I had my own motorized mean of transportation and fun. A small motorcycle, which was altered so that it couldn't go faster than a certain speed - according to Danish law because of my young age. Need I mention that I was always handy with a tool when needed?
But all the time I longed for the day I would turn 18. At that time I would be able to drive for real. Big, warm wheels, powerful engines, highway.
My father had this great car that I loved as if it was my own. A car he willingly shared with me almost as much as I wanted. I just had to pay for my own gas plus half of the insurance - and everything was just set and dandy.
On the above photo (sorry about the lousy quality) you'll have the privilege (as if!) to see me with the great, old Volvo Amazon at four o'clock in the morning just before driving to Milano. My girlfriend at the time took the photo, after which she jumped in the car and we set off happily as only kids in love can be. I was 20 and she was 16. *sigh*
That was to be the first of several times that I crossed the Alps in that car.
Thanks to Nicolas who asked me for a photo of the car in this post. He is the one to hold responsible for getting me started on old memories this time.
I remember about having the car. The girl thing was much easier when you had it
I still remember the smell of my fathers cigars, in my first car. A VW 1600 he gave me, when he moved abroad
By nopanic, # 7. June 2008, 08:52:27
By cakkleberrylane, # 7. June 2008, 11:06:57
By nopanic, # 7. June 2008, 11:14:20
By Cynthia23, # 7. June 2008, 11:48:18
By cakkleberrylane, # 7. June 2008, 12:29:40
Why men love cars so much? Is it because of the sensation of freedom? Or the sensation to be bad? Vruummmm Vrummmmm...
By b_laudanum, # 7. June 2008, 13:09:55
On behalf of myself - and probably also Nicolas - thank you for the compliment, Cynthia
A V8 Camaro. Oooh, sweet. But impossible with today's prices on gas, right?
Why do men love cars? Not for any reason but the cars themselves, I think.. Cars are attractive - their shapes, their smell, their appeal. I'll imagine the same way as women fancy shoes. You girls could wear old, worn out sneakers like I do, but no, you have dozens of way too expensive ones. Haven't you? That's ok. In both cases.
By ricewood, # 7. June 2008, 13:19:20
By b_laudanum, # 7. June 2008, 13:33:08
We're really not that different, are we
By ricewood, # 7. June 2008, 13:42:07
By b_laudanum, # 7. June 2008, 13:50:17
Growing up there was never a car in the house. A small city with regular buses there didn't seem to be a need for a car.
By sprogger, # 7. June 2008, 13:59:15
On the other hand, we do have the family Toyota and I do almost all the driving on our long vacation trips - and they are long, thousands of miles - and I love it!
By musickna, # 7. June 2008, 14:20:36
my first car in 1975 was a 1969 mercury cougar. i almost bought a volvo station wagon a few years back, but settled on my oldsmobile -- she's a gas hound with her 8 cylinders, so i bought a toyota pick up.
what do you drive now allan?
By 1bluebox, # 7. June 2008, 15:08:49
By gdare, # 7. June 2008, 15:18:16
Richard, "my" car is a family car too. That's the way things go
Silver Bullet, I drive a Toyota, too. Not a pickup, though. This one:
http://my.opera.com/ricewood/blog/show.dml/1867280
Darko, that looks a lot like a Fiat 500 - except from the brand on the front. Is it just that? I love that one - my parents had a Fiat 500 when I was 5 - a mint green. Cute!
By ricewood, # 7. June 2008, 16:17:40
Very rare today. My friend has bought one for 300 eur and repaired so it is now as a new one.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zastava_750
By gdare, # 7. June 2008, 16:25:41
I remember Zastava. We had some of those driving around here, too - looking like the Fiat 127 and 128.
By ricewood, # 7. June 2008, 16:44:46
Oh, I remember the Volvo. We had quite a few rides in that.
Actually, whenever someone says the name Volvo, I always instantly comes to think of the Amazon.
Not particularly Your fathers Amazon, more like any Amazon.
Like if that model is the synonym for Volvo.
for me, that is.
By anonymous user, # 8. June 2008, 17:55:51
Hi Allan!
nice seeing a youth-portrait of you.....and the car, which I remember very well.....it was a time when cars looked different from each other...I could recognize a lot of cars...but today, all the cars (almost) look the same......but I might tell more about me and cars than about the cars....
By anonymous user, # 8. June 2008, 19:50:17
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Volvox
Anita - I think it says something about you, or your gender. I can recognize practically any car on it's shadow. Almost.
By ricewood, # 9. June 2008, 19:04:50
By edwardpiercy, # 9. June 2008, 19:17:33
And you're welcome.
By ricewood, # 10. June 2008, 22:17:47
By nopanic, # 12. June 2008, 11:24:49
I love looking at men at the waiting area....
Their faces have an expression of anxiety about their car,
it is the same like the men at a Hospital Delivery area.
Both babies are so precious to them...
I always loved my first Volvo.
I never got to be passionate about cars as I am very passionate about jewelery.
shoes are too inexpensive to worth collecting and the styles changes.
I am sure the ladies will agree on this
This is a very fine post Allan !!
By ellinidata, # 15. June 2008, 17:50:40
1980 Toyota Corolla, BTW.
By Mickeyjoe_irl, # 27. June 2008, 18:48:56