A Decade (Make that FIFTEEN Years!) With An MX-5

My, how time flies.  It seems like maybe two years have passed since I found this little gem in a Used Cars Classifieds section.  But today, August 15, 2016 2021, marks ten fifteen years, and I’m glad to report that I’m just as happy with this 2001 MX-5 Miata SE now as I was the day I got it home.

The car was about five years old when it found me, and I paid less than half of what it cost new (Roughly $28,000 back then).  And while not perfect, it was in as good condition as most any other 2001 Miata I found at the time.  The miles were low, the clutch worked well, the A/C was cold, and the radio worked, so I bought it after a quick test drive and the usual negotiations.

They Called It “The Hutch.”

This may have been the simplest form of an RV ever sold.  Just take a hatchback, snap on a custom-fit tent option called “The Hutch,” and voilá!, you have a camper.  And by simple, there was no kitchen, bath, fireplace, slide-out, or remote controlled awning.  You know… Simple!

And though The Hutch did everything it promised, there was one major drawback… the cars were just too darn small.

What if Maserati made a Motorcycle? Oh, Wait… They Did!

A few years ago, I was “strolling” Miller Motorcars in Greenwich, Connecticut.  This establishment used to be called “Chinetti Motors,” and was operated by Mr. Luigi Chinetti.  Yes, that Mr. Luigi Chinetti.

It was and is the first Ferrari dealership in North America, but at its second building… the first was in downtown Manhattan.  Now, can you picture a worse place for a Ferrari dealership and test drive location than downtown Manhattan?

And today, they also feature Aston Martin, Alfa Romeo, Bentley, Bugatti, Maserati, McLaren, Pagani, and Rolls-Royce sports saloons, coupes, and convertibles.  A true feast for the eyes, ears, and nose awaits every motorhead who enters here.

Pontiac Astre “Li’l Wide Track”

In our never-ending documentations of “The Little Car That Does Everything Well,” we occasionally find variants worth noting.  And by variants, here we are talking about the late great Pontiac’s version of the GM H-Body, known better as the Astre (French for “star”), shown here, built for the Canadian market (please note the shiny headlight rings) in 1973 and ’74, then sold to us here in the USA in 1975, ’76, and ’77.

‽ (What Tha…!?) 😲

Let’s face it, we’re emotional when it comes to vehicles… that’s why we’re here!  Usually positive yet sometimes not, but we definitely have feelings about them.  So, what about that moment when we’re caught off guard and so surprised (maybe even shocked) when we see something on the road that grabs our attention.

The initial surprise is soon taken over with either happiness, gloom, or hate… or all three.  Maybe the vehicle has wings.  Or gull-wing doors.  Or suicide doors.  Or sliding doors.  Or no doors at all.  But for whatever reason(s), it has a certain something that gets one’s attention.