Well, you were about to catch a flight out of St. Louis after having sold your company to a bunch of Missouri bankers, but Al Qa’eda / ISIS / Hamas blew up the airport, fortunately before you got there.
With the concomitant chaos, you figure that your best bet to get home is to drive there, wherever “home” is. But you’ve got a large check in your briefcase, and as it happens, you come across Daniel Schmitt & Co, a purveyor of fine cars to the discerning customer — so you think to yourself, “What Would Kim Do?”, and of course, Kim would take some of that money and buy a decent car for the drive home. Especially when Messrs. Schmitt & Cie. have things like this available:
Assume, for the sake of it, that all the cars in their showroom would be reliable enough to get you home (even the British and Italian ones).
So browse among them, and pick the ONE you would dump the dough on, start up and set off in. And let me know in Comments which one, and why.
It may take you a while…
Easy choice. If they will all get me home, I choose the ’61 Pontiac Catalina. The cheapest car on the lot and still a beauty. If we’re at the blowin’ up the airport stage of this thing, I’m saving the rest of my money for more important things, like hookers and blow.
The one that strikes my fancy for the drive home to Minnesota would be the 1965 Porsche 356C. The scenic route up the river, partly on Hwy 61, partly on smaller roads would be quite nice. If I really have the cash to drop on such a vehicle, it might even be something I would keep for a while.
Going for luxury, class and comfort here.
The 1987 Rolls Royce Corniche in Pearl White.
A steal at $89,900.00.
My dad didn’t do debt. Ever. Always had enough cash on hand to take care of his modest needs.
In 1976 he flew from our home in Fort Myers, FL to Harrisburg, PA to attend his mothers funeral. At the airport they refused to rent him a car because he didn’t have a credit card. But he had about $2000 in cash on him. Took a taxi to a local used car dealer and bought a car with cash. Went to the funeral, drove the car back to Fort Myers and sold it later for a little profit. Fuk debt.
Nice story, but irrelevant.
The Shelby GT, drive to TX like a bat out of hell then sell it locally for a 25% profit.
1965 Rolls Royce Silver Cloud III and I’d hire Oddjob to dive.
Going with your scenario, I’d choose the Mangusto to drive back to Boston. Then. as long as i’m in their showroom, I’m also buying the XJ220, The SLR, the F355 spyder and GT 350 and arranging for enclosed transport for them. That will fill the truck.
What would actually happen……… First, amounts that large are wire transferred now, I’m not accepting a Paper check that size. I once carried a check for $6 Million made out from the State of New York to the Consulting Engineering Company I work for, From NYC to Boston, But that was in 1972 and a very different time. Also, If Pete Bumfuck had yet to get around to issuing a wide spread ground stop, I’d be calling Net Jet and arrangeing for a flight back to Hanscomb from some other local airport.
Basically, only your first paragraph is relevant to the topic.
Ok, point taken. Now as to why that choice. If I’m driving back to Boston, doing 800 mile days, I want an enclosed GT Car, not a convertible. It’s a mid-engine Italian ( ish ) exotic , but it’s powered by a Ford 302 so I’m going to get home no matter what the conditions are. Even it if does have some issues along the way, Parts and help will be available. The 70’s Climate controls probably even function reasonably well.
Plus with only 250 known examples still around it’s bound to hold or grow in value.
As a long time Ferrari aficionado, and past-owner, the 355 Spider would be my choice; though I doubt whether it will sell anywhere near the asking.
For me, the 1970 Mercedes 280 SL wins the “take home and keep” prize.
If I were going to drive it home and then sell it, the 1960 Corvette, because it’s an easy sale in Texas.
it basically boils down to the 57 Bel Air and the 67 Vette. Probably the Bel Air, just cause it’s about the coolest car ever made. Sorry I had to look thru all the euro-trash stuff just to see a couple of real American cars.
LOL Don. And it’s a pity I had to do vice-versa.
Have always liked the 450 sel and 560 sel, so I would take the 560 sel they have and probably never go home.
’77 450SEL.
I am more of a truck person than a car person, so this would be my choice.
.
Comfort and sunroof while wandering those thousands of miles on random two-lane scenic routes during the months it takes me to get home, plus protection for crashing through barricades and over AntiFa idjits.
And on my telephone, that lovely teal goes with my eyes.
.
I’m all about the accessorizing.
Heck, in the trunk/boot, I would install a 12vdc fridge filled with beverages and snacks for picnics and occasional stops to savor the view.
Months.
.
.
(We full-time live-aboard the ExpeditionVehicle I built in 2003.
Our fridge is a SnoMaster 61qt/liter/litre, engineered for extended expeditions through remote regions.)
.
However, as long as I am bailing on San Louie, I would prefer to swing by Global Expedition Vehicles in Springfield.
I would snag one of these in 6×6:
http://www.globalxvehicles.com/pages/skylounge
.
If you follow the link, please note the bumper.
On the way out of town, I would cruise through Ferguson.
I hear nice things about the area…
I was all in on the global x vehicle right up to the point where I read “cassette toilet”. Yeah, no.
1967 Shelby GT350 Fastback
Although the 1957 Chevy Bel Air is a sentimental favorite, my dad having owned one in the late 1960s, I would have to go with the 1960 Corvette because I’ve always like the lines of that car.
I’ll go with the Rolls Royce Silver cloud III. That’s when a Roll Royce looked like a fine limousine – those lines, and curves.
Alas all I could ever afford was the Matchbox car version. But if I had the money…
And I wouldn’t need to hire Oddjob. Already got a bowler.
1977 Mercedes-Benz 450SEL 6.9 Sedan, assuming all is first class maintained and up to snuff.
Doesn’t scream “look at me” in a tense time with terrorists out and about, with those wonderful MB seats and AC, a comfortable 1,500 mile ride home, a sleeper 4 door sedan with plenty of power to outrun others if needed, great visibility all around, room for my stuff and friends if need be, an easy ride height with plenty of headroom to get in and out of for an old guy like me and my friends, a simple analog dash, with no distracting cheap silver plastic trim stuck all over the place, no solid state all singing and dancing doodads to learn and maintain.
Only downside is those awful hogjaw bumpers, which can be converted at my leisure to euro bumpers after I get home. That beauty is a keeper!
The Corvette. I have the split tail C3 Stingray sitting in the garage with the low end 350 engine. That hood tells me there is a big block in the engine bay. The 356 would be the second choice. I dated a girl that had a 356 coupe in college. They are very spartan and underpowered but handle great.
Nice toy, but a big block, esp that 427/435 very conservative horsepower, is too much engine for a stock C3 chassis and suspension. The car’s tires are way skinny, the engine has too small 3/8″ rod bolts, too small rods, too thin pushrods, and too weak valve springs. I’ve had three of the things, and burned off all four of those skinny tires within 8,000 miles, broken valve springs, bent pushrods, spun rod bearings and blown up one of those engines so bad, only the intake manifold and carbs (a pain in the butt leaky, balky, sometimes wouldn’t shut off triple 2 barrel carb setup they called TriPower) and the water pump survived the blow up. Even the heads were cracked from the pistons slamming into them after the rods let go. Chevy finally fixed all that except the %^$#*&^ TriPower in 1969 with beefier everything.
Now, give me that 1967 Vette with a small block and AC, and you you’d have to fight me for it. That’s what I finally ended up with for my 6th Corvette, and it was pure joy to drive and maintain.
As a teenager with a big block Mopar, I burned up a set of tires in less than a month. Then realized how much tires cost and that I’d be paying for them. I squeaked around on 4 bald tires and mowed yards, hauled trash, trimmed trees, etc. every possible hour of sunlight after school until dark-30 trying to get enough money for new tires. After that, I learned to launch correctly with zero tire spin.
Ooooh…. tough call.
I’d probably end up going with the ’57 Bel Air. Much as I lust after Ferraris, Porsches, and that Detomaso Mangusta, I’ve always had a soft spot for the Bel Air. And it’s probably a more comfortable highway cruiser and has more luggage space. The Rolls’… you don’t drive your own Rolls. I’d have to hire a chauffer.
Plus, to quote (or paraphrase) Jay Leno, “It’s a Chevy. You can fix it with a hammer.”
So with my luck guess who is fleeing the airport and runs into me ? None other than Monica Bellucci. She sees me debating various auto models. Wispers in my ear that if I drive her to her house in any car she will spend the night with me. Just cut the BS and let’s get started ! So being quite practical I go over to the ride pickup area and buy a limo from some immigrant guy. Monica is now hanging on to me like I’m the only guy in her life. In the morning we share a light breakfast and drink. Something out of a Kim photo. After some questions about the Matrix plot, we part. She still sends me Chistmas cards.
If they had a ’96 Buick Estate Roadmaster wagon, I’d go with that, as it was named the best long range road trip vehicle for comfort and reliability(Don’t have source, sorry.)
If not, then any Benz on the lot. I have mucho faith in German engineering.
Stay safe.
One of the 280 SLs. Why? Because I’ve always wanted one.
To quote a friend (who actually collects sports cars): “By the time they got to the 280, they’d figured it all out.”
Chaser:
“…then they changed the body shape with the 350 and had to start all over again.”
That red Corvete you pictured because I’ve always liked that one.
If not that, as someone above said, a 280.
To be practical, though, if things really have gone all to hell, I’d want a real Q-ship to get me home, Something unassumingly white bread, a beater on the outside but the running gear absolutely GT and road worthy and reliable as possible.
A real travel-under-the-radar road car. I’d also want a complete outfit to wear while driving, bought from Salvation Army including the shoes, so I’d look like a low value target. A pull-into-the-gas-station-and-they-ask-me-to-pay-in- advance car and clothing.
I guess it would depend. 57 Chevy would be first choice followed by the corvette. But if I had by druthers one of the Mercedes would do the job. Depends on how bad conditions for the drive might be.
57 Bel Air would handle corners like a big old pig and get terrible mileage but it would be my first pick, tooling along in a Detroit classic, 45 MPH all the way to enjoy the scenery and the wind through my hair. The only thing missing would be a lady friend to share the huge bench seat!