Nelson
Jedi Warrior
Offline
On this date back in 1962 a fellow airman drove me from my Air Force base in England to a place called The Cape in Warwick. He dropped me off at the door of Donald Healey's car dealership. I went inside to sign the final papers and take delivery of my new Mark 2 Sprite. While I was waiting to get the car I watched a mechanic assemble my license plates. He inserted the plastic numbers and letters into the metal plates and secured them by using a soldering iron to melt the tabs sticking out the back of the plate. When everything was ready to go I drove happily away. As a 24 year old this was my first brand new car and I was really excited. The happiness didn't last. About half way back to my base the car started slowing down until it just stopped running. It didn't take long to realize that my "petrol" tank was on empty. A passing motorist saw me standing next to the car and he pulled over. He was kind enough to drive me ten miles to the nearest town and then back with a can of fuel. When I took the car back for the 500 mile check the folks at Healey's gave me the full tank that they had neglected to give me initially. I drove my Sprite for almost a year in England and then Donald Healey's place arranged the shipping of it to the States. When I picked it up in Philadelphia I quickly found out that I was no longer in England. As I drove off, the first car I encountered was driving straight at me. Driving on the left side of the road had become automatic after having done it for three years.
Now I'm going go raise a glass of Guiness as a toast to a car I had never intended to own this long.
Now I'm going go raise a glass of Guiness as a toast to a car I had never intended to own this long.