This a our first airplane, a Grumman AA-1C T-Cat we  in Houston, Texas. The Battle of Britain paint scheme was a factory offering  complete with invasion stripes. It worked too well, nobody could see us from below (sky blue underside) or low on the hills in a traffic pattern. Not ideal with today’s General Aviation traffic!

Fixed that! Our highly visible, new paint scheme was designed after another Grumman original.  See more pics of our T-Cat by clicking a pic.

Two fuel stops and 6 hours to get to Tucson from Monterey, in the T-Cat, we thought we needed something bigger, faster and more expensive. Okay, a Grumman Tiger should do. Check that. A wonderfully restored 1979 Grumman Tiger.

I suppose the R8 was too similar to an airplane. Too fast for Tucson and it ate us out of house and home. BMW’s new 2011 335is seemed like a reasonable alternative. Besides. we were very familiar with BMW’s  “s” line. 

So after Ruby came home, I kinda thought it would be fun to find a big brother for her, a BMW E30 M3 from the late 1980s. While following up on a car for sale in Burlingame, I was made aware of our next BMW, a 1990 M3. Black Beauty has only covered 46K miles and is in great shape for her age. Sadly, the 335is had to go. A fitting trade though!  

So now we go back in time, to our first BMW, and BMW’s last year of production for the 1983 320is. Edelweiss was too cool after our Honda Accord & Civics.

Never mind the girl, it’s a 1969 AMC AMX 500 Special you’re looking at (and poor driving judgment that necessitated a tow)! Yes, the stripes are missing because it was just out from being re-sprayed. The pics are of a 500 Special that was for sale recently. Only difference was mine had no side pipes.  

How about a 1994 Mercedes Benz E500? This was the last year of production, for a while. Built by MBZ, and completed by Porsche, it was and still is an automotive icon. 

Edelweiss II we called her. An Alpine White BMW M3 from 1995. The first and best year of the E36 M3s due to the less restrictive OBD I smog control. This car had all the bells and whistles and man did it run.  

This was my second 1970 Porsche 914/6 . Undoubtedly the scariest car ever. It can hold it’s own against the R8 but there is a world of difference between the confidence levels (PF - pucker factor). The mid-engine, 2.0L 6 cyl. is an awesome combination.

The 2004 Porsche Boxster S. Last year of the 958 style, no frills like Navigation or PDC. Pure driving bliss. Mary misses this car but knows she eventually would have been “in trouble.”

The 2004 Audi S4 Avant. V8, Tiptronic, a real sleeper that could haul an entire drum kit.  

This was a classy coupe. A 1992 Mercedes Benz 300CE. I wish they would have put the 5.0L V8 in like the earlier SEC models. Would have been awesome. 

A experience is this 2008 Porsche Cayman S. Last year of the generation 1 987 style. Again, a no frills driving experience like non other. Much more solid and quiet than the Boxster.

The iconic, 1st generation 1996 Toyota RAV4. A great car from NM with only 58K miles. A supremely functional daily driver and with positraction, a very capable little SUV.  

And the most recent acquisition, a BMW E39 M5. This is a great 47K mi example , a former EAG car. 395 HP simple melts the highway miles. The original Autobahn cruiser.    

2000 Mercedes Benz C230 Kompressor Purchased from the estate of my neighbor who was an avid Mercedes-Beenz collector. Former Starmark Certified Pre-Owned California car in Brilliant Silver exterior with black leather sport seats. C6 Sports Package; sport tuned suspension, 7"X16" 6-Spoke Wheels, Leather Upholstery, Front Sport Seats. Sport Exterior/Interior carbon fiber trim & Badging. C2 Electrically Adjustable Passenger Seat, Split Fold Down Rear Seat, Glass Sunroof 810 Bose Premium Sound System.

Found this 2011 2.0T Titanium Quattro A3 Sportline at Rusnak in Pasadena. A low mileage CPO car. Great on  the highway but that panorama sunroof will melt you in the AZ sun. Alcantara interior was exceptional! Last of the truly great A3s, until the S3, of course.

And the Grand Finale - an AWD 2017 VW Golf R in Qryx White.  My first and only other VW was a 1967 Squareback and man have these changed! I bypassed a few generations and with 292 HP, it runs like a scalded rabbit. This 2.0T came from Phoenix and has Nav, Dynamic Chassis Control and a DSG double clutch automatic. Can’t wait for that APR tune!