Tuesday, November 25, 2008

Meet Red Chief

I named it Red Chief. This two-seater, a 1989 Chrysler by Maserati (!), is my very first car. Shown here with its hardtop, it's actually a convertible - Benjy loves a drive with his ears flapping in the wind... It's kind of a car for show-offs, which is not very "me", but I guess California's love of bright colors and hedonistic style has gotten to me after all.
I find the design of contemporary cars generally uninspiring and always wanted an older number, tough I was reluctantly talked out of my dreams of 1970's models by reasonable minds.
Do you remember your first car? Any cars you're in love with?

30 comments:

Laura in Paris said...

Congrat .. I love Italian design! When i was young, I loved AlfaRomeo (specially the Giulietta) and later I owned one. Any car designed by Pininfarina suits me ...

Anonymous said...

http://www.murrayco.com/Car_Collection/chrysler_TC_maserati_89_2.html

Solange said...

congratulations on your first car! I drive an Alfa Romeo, but I have always loved the old style Jaguar and big range rovers. They have both such elegant designs.
enjoy your own car, it's wonderful to be so free and independant, as a woman, not all the women in this world have this advantage....

have a great week!
Solange

Mary-Laure said...

WORLD IN A PAN - I remember your wonderful ALfa Romeo as well as your adorable Peugeot convertible... Such beauties!

SOLANGE - Alfa Romeos are my FAVORITE!!! I just love Italian cars for their design and smooth, sporty diving. Jaguars are divine too.
Thanks for reminding us that in so many countries, women are not allowed to drive. Which really reflects that driving means freedom...

Esti said...

Great Car!!!!

Candace said...

Call me a dreamer, but here it is: the Lamborghini LP400 Countach.

I've loved this car ever since I saw one on the freeway years ago.

It still makes my heart flutter!

Anonymous said...

lovely car....and love that it is candy apple red! (no, i don't own a car...i don't even have my driver's license...;)
nancy

My Castle in Spain said...

lovely car and luscious red !

my ex boyfriend had an Austin Healey...i miss the car

Have fun with your new toy !
:-)

MISS GLITZY said...

Lovely colour and great name! Don't have any story about car, I got my driving licence but I never drived. It's odd I know...

Anonymous said...

I had a bright green VW Rabbit and I LOVED it!

Anonymous said...

Que carro hermoso.

Anonymous said...

je crois que ta " redchief" ressemble terriblement a ma derniere Le Baron que tu trouvais si incorfortable en Floride.... a l'arriere.
Maintenant que tu la conduis c'est surement bien plus confortable.
J'imagine Monsieur Benjy a bord...

Joie de vivre said...

Congratulations!

d. moll, l.ac. said...

Enjoy !!! :~)

J Elaine said...

Congratulations! What a gutsy choice! California in style!

Miss Cavendish said...

The only car that's caught my eye (other than your red beauty) is this one:

http://misscavendish.blogspot.com/2008/07/to-catch-convertible.html

You really do have a quintessential California car. It's lovely!

Mary-Laure said...

CANDANCE - I see you too love Italian design; who wouldn't.

NANCY - as a teenager, I was eager to get my license; I am totally into this American idea that a car means freedom... Bad for the environment, I know, but I make up for it in other ways, like being a vegetarian.

MY CASTLE - you miss the car but... not the boyfriend, from what I can read between the lines...?

JL - La Le Baron etait VRAIMENT inconfortable derriere; celle-ci est une 2-places donc ca resoud le probleme!
Benjy est fou de joie.

MISS CAVENDISH - I just checked out your post and am DROOLING. Such a fabulous mint color!
I also read your post and want to say that for me, my car doesn't mean status (it was very cheap, by the way); it's just about clean lines and beauty, like the clothes and shoes I like to wear...

heidi said...

My first car doesn't even hold a candle to yours... mine was a 1996 Ford Focus.:-)

pve design said...

Fond memories of a Studebaker, the windows in the back seat actually had screens. That was when I was a little girl. I have always wanted a "convertible" Spitfire and I think the smart car is zippy.

Mary-Laure said...

PVE - when my grandparents moved back to Uruguay from Texas, they brought back a Studebaker with them! It's part of the family lore.
Ah, Spitfires. Gorgeous.
Triumphs...
MG's...
1970's Mustangs...
It doesn't get much better than that.

Unknown said...

i love your new car! congratulations on your first set of wheels!~

Rebekah said...

I love older cars too and find the newer ones somewhat boring to look at. My first car was an old green Subaru station wagon. It wasn't 'cool' or anything as teenagers usually want, but it got me where I needed to go so I was happy. My husband and I still talk about that car....we dated in it! :)

Unknown said...

I like your car.
My favourite car is an automatic and grey one, as there are so much stolen cars here and grey is the most difficult colour to spot,there are tons of grey cars here now.

Mary-Laure said...

REBEKAH - cute memory! Cars can also be very romantic...

KARINA - ah, Buenos Aires! Tu comentario me hizo reir.

mansuetude said...

no "shooting" snapshots while driving :)

Mary-Laure said...

MANSUETUDE - I'll try to remember that...

Mónica said...

congratulations! it looks much better than mine...

Nikella said...

I really like my husband's Mini. It is fire engine red and even though it isn't the most practial car, it looks so funny it always puts me in a good mood.

Mary-Laure said...

NIKELLA - oh, a Mini! I just love them. They're all the rage here.

Fifi Flowers said...

How FUN! Your first car!
My first car was a convertible volkwagen bug! I wish I still had it... sigh!