People always ask me why I like to write about cars, and some even ask why I’m so passionate about them. The answer is simple, I’ve grown up in a car family, and as a kid fascinated by anything that moved, it was somewhat inevitable, right? Not really, actually. I always thought, because of my background in music, that I’d be working in that field, either as a producer, studio musician, famous musician, etc. I never believed, that at 25, car companies would be sending me press cars, and at times, eagerly awaiting my feelings on said vehicle.
Someone said to me the other day that my writing skills had grown over the years, and that for them, I was someone they enjoyed reading. Now as fulfilling as it is to hear anyone tell you that really do love what you do, it got me thinking about why I actually do write about cars with such a verve that I often argue with people about them for no apparent reason.
After a few minutes of thinking, it hit me. My senior year in high school… that was the exact culprit. I remember a story in the school newspaper by a junior at our school regarding the cars we students drove, or, as he was actually trying to say, the cars that our rich mommies and daddies chose to spoil us with.
But let me lay this out for you.
I went to a Catholic high school, one that had a rather affluent student body. You know, the kids who thought that poverty was the guy on the street who didn’t have a job because he didn’t want a job. But we prayed for him, though… Yep, I was one of those piss-ants.
When I turned 17, my parents offered to let me get my license and buy me any car I wanted up to $20,000. But they wouldn’t let me get the C4 Corvette I wanted, so as a sly FU, or so I thought, I chose to not get my license until I was 18. A whole year later. BAM! Take that mom and dad! Thank God I didn’t continue on this sly trend, otherwise I’d be in NY probably not showering for weeks, occupying a park that we’ve nicknamed Wall Street.
But most of this is neither here nor there. Anyway, so my senior year was rather entertaining. I bummed rides from friends to lunch, houses, school, home, whatever. I remember shortly before our graduation, the school newspaper featured an editorial by one student talking about the classlessness of our school’s students for driving cars made by Mercedes-Benz, BMW, Chevrolet, Lincoln, Cadillac, GMC, etc. and the like. He was mostly talking about the single used 1997 Benz CLK 320 that one girl drove, as well as the used 328i BMW another girl had, the rather uglified 330Ci one guy had, a girl who had a 2003 Corvette convertible, possibly the kid who drove the 1997 Lincoln Mark VIII, but also the two guys with an Escalade and GMC Yukon Denali. The Lincoln was said to be able to beat anyone, but could, in actuality, barely get out of its on way. The owner didn’t listen to me when I told him that, either. He found out the hard way, by drag racing the girl in the Corvette. I don’t condone public street racing, but this was one of the few ways he could find out his car was in fact slower than molasses going up hill.
The writer didn’t mention, however, that most of the students who had a car actually drove old Volvo wagons, sedans, old Buicks, and beat up Jeep Wranglers (one belonging to a close friend of mine). The photograph for the editorial also included some incriminating evidence… that he was an absolute moron. He photo’d a faculty member’s base 2002 BMW 325i sedan and used it as the basis for his scathing piece about our idiot parents who bought us nothing but ridiculously expensive cars. He then went on to publicize that a parent’s job is to teach their kids values through money principles, moral standards, and that to buy them a gaudy car was to show them that being given lavish things had no consequences in life. I can’t say I disagree, for the most part. However, it was what he said after that laments the article as something I’ll never forget: his parents bought him a brand new Honda Accord V6 Coupe, and that at roughly $20 grand, it was the perfect car to teach young students about fiscal responsibilities in life. He said that it was good on gas, easy to maintain, of course a Honda, fast, and cheap… A near-identical car to his is pictured below.
a $20,000-or so car in 2004 wasn’t cheap, mind you. Most of the Catholic school teachers couldn’t even afford that nice of a car.
It was also when said writer tried to street race my 1996 BMW 328iS when I was 18 that really stands out as something moronic. Here I was with a cheap BMW, one that I loved, and it was slower than his Honda… But yet, because it was a BMW, regardless of its age and price, my parents were irresponsible. No word on what that guy’s doing today. Although I hope he’s doing well for himself. My love for nice cars created me a job, has taught me a lot about fiscal responsibilities in the world of the automobile, and my parents buying me a cheap BMW hasn’t made me any more of a douche bag than I was destined to become. So, actually, thanks mom and dad for not buying me an old Corvette. I would have most certainly turned into a potentially bigger ass, drag racing people, and possibly killing myself in the process.
So that, kids, is the single biggest reason why I write about cars. To help people gain proper knowledge, but more than that, to be one of the few that will set the record straight about all things automotive.
