Chet Parsons, Car Guy

It's been almost 25 years since I got my first car.  I've had over 20 cars since then, but I have two favorites.  The old Toyota 4Runner I have now is like the old family dog.  It's aging and it sort of lumbers along, but it's loyal and it's charming, and I can't bring myself to part with it.  As attached as I have become to the Toyota, though, my 1987 M3 will always be my absolute favorite, and it converted me into a full-on BMW M-car fan-boy. Since the introduction of the E92 M3, and maybe the E60 M5, fan-boys like me have cried and whined and moaned that M-cars aren't what they used to be.  Rants of BMW losing its way can be found all over the forums and enthusiast blogs, berating BMW for building overweight, overly complex, bloated machines to cater to the people who are actually buying them (gasp!) I'll admit that I hopped on the bandwagon.  I am a self-proclaimed automotive idealist, dreaming of pure drivers' cars with high-revving, nat...

The 24 Hours of Lemons race series is, according to some guy named Jay, the fastest growing form of motorsport in the United States.  While I can neither confirm nor deny its empirical growth,  I can tell you that it is perhaps the best motor racing value in the country.  Endurance races featuring $500.00 cars, thematic team liveries and costumes, and a judging system to keep things safe and sportsmanlike on the track all add up to a weekend of fun racing with other people just as crazy as you.  The nature of the cars and the reasonable entry fees keep costs more realistic, and attract a broader audience.  To quote the 24 Hours of Lemons website, "It's not just for rich idiots.  It's for all idiots." Speedy Monzales To say there is a fair amount of theater involved would be fair, but it is also serious racing.  Safety is the top priority, because a serious accident would be a serious buzz kill.  Winning is, of course, one objective, but mo...

There are always certain owner stereotypes associated with certain brands of automobiles.  Some of these stereotypes have evolved over the years as their respective brands have done the same.  The typical Porsche owner of the 1980s is a far cry from today's school-running soccer moms (and dads) in their Cayennes and Panameras.  Ferrari owners have lost their gold chains in favor of oversized timepieces, and Range Rover owners are more likely to be wearing haute couture than a Barbour coat. I spent last weekend with a group that seems to defy any stereotypes, bonding through their shared enthusiasm for one particular flavor of sports car.  When the vehicles present for the event range from an iconic '60s sex-symbol to an ultra-modern hypercar, the variety of owners comes as no surprise.  The presence of a man who has been an integral part of the brand for over 40 of its 50 years in business only added to the mix. Valentino Balboni is Mr. Lamborghini. ...

The best car I've ever had.  I miss this one the most. 1988 BMW M3 As a component of my attempts at personal growth and self-promotion, I took it upon myself to establish a personal mission statement.  This required a little retrospection, and turned into this biographical statement about how I got here and how that has shaped my goals as a writer.  So here it is: A future automotive idealist, taken home from a New Orleans hospital in a silver Volkswagen 411 sedan, my automotive obsession was but a glimmer in my tiny newborn eyes.  A few years later, per my mother’s frequent re-telling of the story, from my car seat in the back of that VW, I was recognizing far off in the distance a car that I knew to be a Mercedes Benz.  Precious, but she pointed out that I couldn’t possibly recognize even the three-pointed star from that distance.  Oh, but I could.  And I had, and it was.  The first treasured moment in the life of a true car geek. My ...

I took a few minutes this evening and scrolled back in time to read some of my earlier posts on this here blog.  Only after this trip down memory lane did I notice that that the fifth anniversary of my writing endeavor was on January 1st of this year. I can't believe I've been plugging away at this for five years now.  And by plugging away, I mean occasionally remembering that I have this blog and adding a little something to it. Thanks to all my readers.  I think I'm up to 10 now!  Happy Anniversary and Happy New Year!

Thomas Edison may or may not have been misquoted, but the sentiment of his alleged statement about failure rings true no matter the situation.  It is often necessary to find the method, material, or path that does not work in order to find that which does. Alternately, this post could be titled "Well, That Didn't Last Long, Now Did It?" Only ninety days after starting a new chapter in my career, and I am on to the next chapter.  It seems I have changed, in ways which made my chosen course of action one which did not work.  My nearly mutually agreed upon, but definitely not planned, departure leaves me with great opportunities to find that which does work for me. Wish me luck.

I said in no uncertain terms, and on many occasions, that I would never get back into the car business.  Apparently, I was wrong. After a four year absence, I gave in to the dark side and started selling cars again.  The business was just fine without me.  Nothing has changed.  I am interacting with many of the same people I knew before.  The mechanics of selling a car are still the same.  I want to say that the only thing that has changed is me, but aside from being older and marginally wiser, I can't say that I have. I'm still an idealist when it comes to cars, but I'm practical when it comes to real life.  So here I am, doing again what I've done well for almost 20 years.  My blog will remain, but if I scribble anything about a new Aston Martin, be aware that I may be doing so with employment tinted glasses. Happy New Year to the handful of you who might actually read this.