Sunday, January 9, 2011

Obsession

There are people who love cars. You know, the ones who go to car shows and museums (Hi dad) and talk on and on about transmissions and donks?! I'm not usually one of them. Although I have had small love affairs with a few.

My first car was a white Morris 1000 called Horace.

My friend (Dette) had a dark green one called Doris and another friend (Sez) had a Morris 1100 called Boris. So it was Horace, Doris and Boris Morris and their madcap adventures.

Horace was a really uncomplicated old bloke. He had a button you pressed to turn him on and when his fuel line blocked (which was really rather too often) it was really easy to take it apart and blow though it by the side of the freeway and then be on your merry way again nightclubbing. He rattled and squeaked and threatened to shake apart if you went over 80km/hr and I was a little obsessed with him.We had to sell him when it seemed his floor was going to rust away and I was in danger of having to stop him Fred Flintstone style. I was sad.

As endearing as Horace was I don't think I want to be performing emergency maintenance by the side of the road or carrying a brick to chock behind his tire when stopped on a slight incline any longer and so the idea of an old car again is sort of out for me.

But then Dette sent me this link a little while ago and now I'm obsessed again! These beauties aren't old, they're built in 2006 or more recently. Who knew that Brazil never stopped making Kombis (apart from you dad, of course). AND this lovely hire place sells them too (including left hand drive and water cooled ones)...I want one so badly. The Historian is fanning the flames too with all sorts of schemes and plans to get one of our own. Yes, I know they're in London....so there are some obstacles, love is never easy.

I think these curvy characters with sweet old names (Elsie, Flo and Cilla) are in my genes (thanks dad)...In the meantime I'll have to be content with crocheting a granny blanket for her...I may call her Tallulah.

Think I'm joking don't you?

3 comments:

  1. Oh dear! I'm sorry. But it would be quite funny if you got one because Tim and I have one and (Pink and Blue) very old and still drives with a bit of smoke on take off, but calling out for rennovation and conversion. I don't know what it's name would be I suspect it may be a he. Maybe Freddy or George as o me they both have 1920's romantic leading man kind of connotations to me and I have visions of this Kombi sweeping me off on romantic adventures (Kind of a bit grey nomad but with style and flair) And then we would go full circle and have the same type of cars all over again! We could go on long drives and have picincs like we used to do but in far away parks and I have a lovely vintage china picnic set in a case that would sit ever so nicely on a checked table cloth with a crocheted rug draped over the cair back....sigh.
    I cried when I sold Doris because really she was a family heirloom, being Nana's Mum's then mine. And I have fond memories of Horace. The smell of hair product, purfume and cigarette smoke and lots of laughter. Plus the occasional/regular stops to bang on the starter motor or whatever it was that you had to bang on with whatever impliment came to hand! Fun!

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  2. I really should have checked that comment for typos BEFORE I pressed publish!

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  3. Oh that sounds divine! Tallulah and George off into the sunset.

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