My dad would never be considered a “car guy,” but he did have appreciation for cars. Was it because of me? I cannot say, but I know I was able to nudge him in a certain direction from time to time. Not all of his car were interesting, but many played a pivotal role for me growing up because visiting new-car dealerships helped shape me as an enthusiast. Happy Father’s Day, Dad!
1967-68 Mercury Cougar XR-7
I’m not sure what year it was (and neither is my dad), but this was the first new car he and my mom bought. They were living in California at the time after immigrating in 1964 for grad school. In 1970, they moved to Delaware, and my first memory was playing with this car. I also remember being run off Route 202 by Mt. Lebanon Road—I recall a bumpy ride for a moment, then the front fender kinking out. My dad stopped, grabbed me, put me on the roof, and asked if I was okay. I was, but I don’t remember anything else after that.
My sitter had a similar car, so I was able to relive the Cougar for several more years until it became just another unreliable old car.
1974 Volvo 164
I don’t remember car-shopping for this one, but I do remember the dealership, which was a small import car facility on Market Street not far from Holiday Lincoln-Mercury. What I do remember is that it was burgundy with a black interior, and my dad never really cared for the car. The strongest memory I have is pretending to drive and moving the automatic gearshift, only to have the car roll backwards down the driveway and narrowly miss my sister on her tricycle.
1976 Lincoln Continental Mark IV
I know this was the fall of ’76 because I remember the Mark Vs on the Holiday lot, so clearly my dad bought a leftover. It was pale yellow with a yellow vinyl roof, matching interior, and full wheelcovers. Of course, I loved the hidden headlights! I recall the Mark being a great highway cruiser, from DC to New York, though Philadelphia was the city most often traveled. One time when it was fresh in our garage and my dad had a business trim, my sister and I begged our mom to take us for a ride, but she was not able to find the emergency brake release so it stayed in the garage—seems this Lincoln’s brake was released once the shifter was moved from Park.
1982 Cadillac Eldorado Touring Coupe
I was in love with Cadillac at the time. I saw a direct lineage from the finned cars from the 1950s to what was being built at that moment. Downsized cars meant nothing to me, though in retrospect they were a big deal at the time. I do recall checking out several other brands including the Seville-inspired Lincoln Continental, Chrysler Imperial (I had begged him to take a look), and Saab. I believe our Touring Coupe was a demonstrator at Delaware Cadillac, so it appeared on our radar due to the test drive and not because my dad was dexterous with the order form. Alas, it was a lemon, so he quickly replaced it.
1984 Cadillac Eldorado
So, we were back. I don’t remember why we bought this and not another brand, though maybe the dealership worked something out to replace the Touring Coupe. Nineteen eighty-four was the first year of the Eldorado Biarritz convertible, but my dad could not afford it (and, in retrospect, it was somewhat ostentatious). What he settled on was a dark blue Eldorado with matching interior, fake tan convertible top, and full wheelcovers. This was an understated car, and it didn’t come off as cheesy as the roof may suggest.
1987 Porsche 928 S4
I caught my first sight of this car at some dealer open house near the Boxwood GM plant. Car was painted Summer Yellow, and I fell in love. Apparently, so did my dad, but he could not afford that kind of car. However, after a lot of dreaming, he bought one, using his inheritance for a no-option 928 S4 in Guards Red. Too bad he opted for the automatic! To tell you the truth, the car was troublesome and the Blaupunkt sucked. (Pssst! Don’t tell anyone but, stupid me, I took it up to 130 mph on Rosedale Road in Princeton, New Jersey, till I ran out of road.)
1975 Cadillac Coupe de Ville
This was on the side of Wilson Road with 12,000 miles on the odometer. I think my dad missed his Lincoln, so he snapped this up for a fair price (and I’m guessing so the Porsche could have a more comfortable place during inclement weather). I managed to take it airborne a few times after we moved to New Jersey. The emissions junk meant the Caddy was never running properly.
1993 Volvo 850 Sedan
I don’t know why he bought this, as I was in college, but it was a great car. He still had the Porsche, but this was the one he could depend on daily. There’s no spectacular stories to tell, but it looked great in Fjord Blue. My mom eventually ended up with one too to replace her 1987 740 wagon, which was the car I learned to drive on after a brief experience with her 1979 Pontiac LeMans Safari (another great experience for a kid going to Union Park Pontiac when the Trans Am was the hottest car in America).
2000 Mercedes S 320
Aside from randomly lusting after a Maserati Quattroporte throughout the 1980s, he really wanted a Mercedes but could never afford one, though I have experience tagging along for several test drives during the same decade. In 1999, he was ready, and Mercedes had just debuted a redesigned S-Class to boot. He went with the S 320 because he couldn’t afford anything fancier though, when he moved to Scottsdale around 2000, it appeared absolutely puny compared to the S 500 and S 600 models that were all around town. It looked great with black cherry paint and oyster interior, but it was not reliable, and it soured my dad on Mercedes.
2002 Volkswagen Passat
Though retired by this time, my dad picked up a contract job and was given a company car. This sedan, which was produced during Audi’s rebirth and featured plenty of elements that had trickled down from the A4, was powered by the VR6 engine. This may have been the most perfect car that he ever owned, full of comfort and power in a package that would suit most people’s needs. In some respects, I feel this era was Volkswagen’s peak.
2006 Infiniti M35
One time when I traveled to Arizona to visit my dad, he picked me up in one of these. It was totally random and, honestly, I am unsure of the model year or whether it could have been an M45, but he liked it. However, it didn’t last long as he pulled out from a shopping center and was T-boned.
2008 Jaguar XJ
I’m not sure when was Dad’s accident, so again I am unsure if 2008 is the proper model year, but he ended up with this Jaguar XJ next. I recall when he tested the classic XJ in the 1980s, but the console took up so much space in the foot well that he hated it. This time, things were different. I think this car was more than satisfactory to him than the Mercedes but, while having his car serviced by the dealership, they convinced him to move into something new.
2019 Jaguar XJ
This is his final car. He still owns it, though he no longer drives. I’ve driven it at length and what’s notable is the sharp steering, but the center-stack interface is woefully outdated by now. Otherwise, this is a pretty neat car that’s not seen on every street corner, though I often wish his swan-song vehicle was something more interesting to me (and with a better resale value).
