What’s the One That Got Away?

I came so damn close to convincing my father of buying a 72 911S… not like they’re worth anything nowadays 🙁

This past summer I missed out on a very nice driver quality TR3 for a steal. I was caught up with working on another car and hadn’t checked my phone in a while. It was about a 2hr trip to go check out and by the time I found out it was still available it was too late in the day. It was gone the next day. I’m still kicking myself.

1976 White Porsche 912E, my father owned, he sold it to back to the previous owner. Almost immediately the owner left the Porsche on Mullholland Dr. (I’m assuming hoping to get stolen) it was towed and impounded. Turns out the new owner never registered the car and the vehicle was still in my fathers name…. I begged him to pull it outta the tow yard and let me have it… he said no…. and I ended up with a 1984 Volvo GL Tan with Brown interior. Which my first girl friends father told me car looks like it came outta both ends.

I’ve got a few: I had a 1982 280zx that I bought from the original owner when I was in high school. I gave it to my dad when I joined the Navy, it needed some work and I thought I’d be able to buy a Firebird Trans-Am. He totaled the car.

Later on, I had a 2006 Mustang I traded in for a 2010 Civic Si sedan when I became a parent, car seats wouldn’t fit in the ‘Stang. I later gave up the Civic for a larger car that could hold more kids and more baby stuff; I wish I had been able to keep both of those cars.

And now I kick myself for not purchasing a 2010 Subaru Impreza GT from the original owner. I was needing new, reliable reliable car after moving to a new state for a new job and my car blew up (it’s a long story I’d rather not get into). I was so gun-shy about getting into a car that could leave me stranded (I had read about reliability issues on the boxer engines from that time), that I chickened-out on buying a car that looked amazing, drove nice, and had not been modified. It was absolutely perfect and I was scared to buy it.

Back in the late ’60’s, my father bought Grand Sport Corvette number 4 from a car dealer who had been racing the car. My dad knew something about the car and then did some SCCA regionals and nationals himself until John Bishop formed IMSA. He campaigned the car a few times in that series with a 427 big block ( which it wasn’t really designed for) and then stored it for many years. We took the car in, I think, either 85′ or ’86, to Sebring with a fresh coat of white paint, rather poorly applied as I remember, it was all for show, it didn’t even have an engine, for a Grand Sport Reunion with 2 other cars. We had to roll the damn thing around everywhere! The other cars were owned then by Bob Patterson and Bill Tower and the highlight for all was the most famous Corvette designer was invited to speak, Zora Arkus-Duntov! A couple of years later, my dad sold the car, unrestored, to Bob Patterson for $35 grand! A paltry sum, in retrospect, as the last time that I saw a GS trade hands it would be well north of $5 million! It now resides in South Florida in the Collier Collection, in all of it’s Nassau Speed Weeks glory. Oh what a decent end and missed op for me. Dad, what were you thinkin’!

A little over a year ago, I found a 1969 built Datsun 240z (VIN #HLS3000168) with 23k original miles for $1000, all original (albeit in need of comprehensive restoration), and I didn’t buy it. I needed money more than the car at the time, but I think I will always regret not making that purchase, both with how much I love those cars, and with the way they appear to be going in terms of prices.

My late Great-Uncle’s 1978 Mercedes 350SLC. The car that got me into cars. He had been working in Japan from the 1980s up until his retirement due to health matters in the mid 90s. I first saw it the day he rolled up to our house for a barbecue in that car. Soon after he showed up, the party ran out of beer and he volunteered to go get some more; on the way back from the store he let me sit on his lap and steer. On my 5, maybe 6 year old mind there was nothing else like it in the world; the car was amazing and the noise was glorious. Over the following years until I went to boarding school, I would spend weekends at his house wrenching on it with him and my dad, got a few more lap driving experiences, learned more about cars in general, changed my first tyre, my first differential, changed oil for the first time, hurt myself a couple of times and bonded quite a bit with the two biggest gearhead influences all because of that car.

As he grew older and as his health faded, he refused to get rid of the car over the protestations of his wife and his kids; it sat in his garage for about nine years until he died in 2011. This was when I learned that our two sides of the family didn’t get along; he had just been a small pocket of resistance but the feelings of animosity were still alive and well with his kids and grandkids. I tried to get some time alone with his widow a few weeks after his funeral to try to find out what she planned to do with the car but was blocked repeatedly until I was told that it had been sold to a scrapper because no-one had anything to do with it. Ouch. I was 21 so I probably wouldn’t have gotten the car anyway, but i like to imagine it could have been mine and I would have been in it right now doing the same beer run and wrenching on it with my nephew.

Edit: I’ve seen a 350SLC on sale in a garage at the edge of town, it looks almost exactly like my great-uncle’s. It isn’t it though, this one is an ex-UK car imported in the 80s according to the garage owner. I like to think it is the one, it somehow survived the scrapyard and found its way back. That’s not the case, it was probably stripped and crushed or sits somewhere rusting back into the ground. But for me; it’s the one that got away.

I’ve got this hobby down pat. I had to turn down a FREE first year VW Karman Ghia from my wife’s aunt in California because we had no garage. It was subsequently given to a niece who totaled it within weeks. Then, just a few years ago, I managed to sell my Porsche 356 Super 90 coupe right before the bubble started. I thought I was doing OK doubling my money, today that car would be worth five or six times what I paid for it.

Ferrari 355
Not super expensive yet, but definitely appreciating at a faster rate than my savings

In the late 70s I couldn’t talk my dad into buying a Fiat Dino. He still has the 124 he bought instead.
In the late 80s I sold my 124 Coupe, the only car I regret selling.
In the 90s I passed on an Abarth 750 Zagato (unfinished restoration, but body done) for $8000.

I sold my mostly restored1969 911E a few years, just before the early 911 went through the roof. What was I thinking?? There have been several other 356’s, over the years, that were just out of reach but not, had I borrowed a little money. Now I would have to mortgage the house for one. Too bad, my dad picked up his from the factory and I would have loved to had a 356 to remember him by.

1990 – sold my original paint rust free 23 window VW samba for $2500. I was moving and couldn’t take all my vehicles, felt the bus wouldnt appreciate as much as my early bugs…..WRONG!

A 1973 Honda CB350-4… original, 10k mile unrestored. Stock pipes even.

why do we ever tell ourselves “i could see myself owning that one again” as we’re handing over the keys.

Coulda bought 1958 356 Convertible D, motor apart but all there, $500 in 1979, didn’t have the cash… Maybe later.
Sold 1957 Karmann Ghia, Euro delivery model, original 36 horse, nice shape, bought for $800, sold for $1500 in 1990.
And a few others that make me cry when I think about them, like the 73 914 2.0 I foolishly sold, loved that car.

A white ’73 911 Carrera RS I could’ve purchased in the late 80’s for $5k has been known to still keep me up at night.

The one that got away for me was my 1972 BMW 2002 TII inka orange. I was 18 and saved up for that car, and took out a loan for the rest. My father fought with me why I was buying an old car etc. It was the simplest most fun to drive car I’ve ever owned, and I’ve owned many. Sadly it was totaled by a woman in this country illegally without a driver’s license or insurance.

I will never forget in 1999 watching my ’72 Aubergine 911T roll down my driveway with the new owner behind the wheel.

It was spotless.

I remember thinking that “those early cars are everywhere and will always be cheap” as I turned to look at my newly acquired 1980 911SC that I viewed as an upgrade.

For me, it was an all original 1964 1/2 Ford Mustang Convertible. We were helping my uncle clean out his father-in-law’s garage and during the “excavation” process, we stubbled upon his treasure. There it sat, covered up and unassuming. It was in perfect condition; flawless baby blue paint with pristine white interior. I wanted the car right away, but I was 15 at the time and I didn’t have a license, nor did I know how to drive a manual. I practically begged my dad to get it for me, and I even promised that I would get a job to pay him back for it, but he decided not to go for it, to my everlasting regret. I found out later that the gentleman practically gave the car away for $5000 to some used car dealer. Oh how I wish I could just go back in time to purchase the car off him.

there have been a bunch. but the one that sticks out is a 1958 porsche 356 speedster. it was 1981, i was in college, and had a part time job at a little speed and tune shop in santa ana, california. the speedster was a customer’s car. he owned a bar, and was looking to sell it to raise some cash to invest in his business. i was delivering the car to his bar one day and he offered to sell it to me – he wanted $15,000 but he’d take $12,000, since he liked me. i will repeat, $12,000.

Definitely, my 1966 Fiat 1500 Berlina and my 1973 Renault 12 TS. Both cars were amazing to drive, yet underpowered and needed thorough restoration, but still… The Renault was cheap to run, parts available pretty much anywhere in my country, and it was a competent daily driver, though pretty much the slowest thing on the street right in front of a Citroen 3CV and a bicycle… The Fiat was a hoot to drive, not that cheap to run because parts are scarse now, and really cool to look at. I sold them both to buy far newer and reliable cars that were also a lot less rewarding to drive, but made much more sense in those given circunstances. I am definitely getting an old car again any time within the next three years…

Being in the automobile business since 1973, this is a particularly sore subject. Having bought and sold thousands of cars, the list of “shoulda/woulda/coulda/but didn’t” cars is extensive. The first of many , was one that I actually owned without intention to resell; bought brand new, a 1968 L78 Camaro SS/RS. List was around $4100 and I got it for $3800 and change. With $2k down, the payments were around $74 a month. Two years later, sold for $1800. There were a slew of other resold temporary keepers. Who doesn’t buy an 1965 442 with every option available for $900? Although that was a lot of money in 1972.

In 1969 my father bought his second wife a new 442 convertible. In 1985 he gave me the car and title. The maintenance was always done and the car still ran like a bat out of hell; this was the first time I ever drove it (we didn’t like each other very much). Car got flipped for $2K. BTW, if you own this 442 VIN 344679M134397, I have the data plate, owner’s manual and original Bill of Sale.

In 1973, fresh out of college, I became employed as a professional automobile wholesaler, buying cars, immediately reselling them to other dealers, sometimes buying 10-20 cars a day. You name it, we owned it… for a day, perhaps a week at the most if it was a specialty car. You can imagine the number of muscle cars that we bought and sold from 1973 to around 1980 before I got into imports. They were dirt cheap and just pieces of inventory to move in and out; very hard for the love to germinate.

From 1980-1983 I worked for a well known exotic car dealer in Arlington, VA. I’ve got an old price list somewhere I’ll have to dig up, but the pricing was ridiculously low compared to today. 365 GTB/4 in the 40’s, 275 GTB’s – around the same price for a 4 cam. I once bought (for the company) a short nose for $15K and paid the same for a 246 GTS #0448 (I remember the serial number because it was my first career Ferrari purchase). Dozens upon dozens of these cars were bought and sold at now subterranean prices. One memorable purchase was a green 400 SuperAmerica I bought from an estate for $35K. Sold it to two guys who then drove it to California. Around 1987 I’m in the parts department of the Mercedes/Ferrari dealership I then worked for and see the latest Cavallino magazine on the counter with a picture of the SuperAmerica on the cover… with the claim that the car allegedly was Enzo’s personal driver, later verified by various Ferrari historians. Originally 3097SA it was later renumbered as 4031SA. Last price I remember was $391K at Pebble Beach… Fourteen years ago.

Here’s one where you will wish you had Doc Brown’s DeLorean; pick up an old Road & Track and look at the classifieds in the back. Last one I saw was, I believe, from the mid 60’s: 1955 Gullwing, 7K miles for $5500.