“Son, in this life, you never pass up an opportunity to talk to a woman in a red dress.” - Buck O'Neil
Buck O'Neil was the legendary KC Monarchs player/manager who willed the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum into existence. He once said the best day of his life was one he hit for the cycle and met his wife, who was supposedly wearing a red dress. This story and the woman in a red dress is referenced many times in Joe Posnanski's excellent book about Buck O'Neil. She is both real and a metaphor - a reminder to never pass up an opportunity in life.
If I had to name my woman in a red dress, other than my beautiful wife Nicole, it would be taking a convertible for a drive on a warm fall day. I've owned two convertibles in my life, and just bought my third.
(Photo: Bring a Trailer)
My first convertible was a 1973 VW Thing purchased on a warm fall day in November. I was 19. Terrible at doing car things, it made a good back road companion. The air cooled 4 cylinder engine sounded like a sewing machine and chugged along happily at about 45-50 mph. Slow, drafty and cold, the Thing did not endear itself to anyone I dated.
(Photo: American Cars for Sale)
The second convertible was a 1991 LeBaron I owned when I was 23. The beefed up K-car platform was overmatched by the Mitsubishi 3.0 V-6. Compared to its contemporaries, the Fox body Mustang and Mercury Capri, it was heavy with ponderous handling. But it made up for those drawbacks with a comfortable, quiet ride. It was nothing to hop in the LeBaron with 2-3 friends and drive two hours for a ball game or grab a pizza.
And now I have a third convertible, a 2000 Mercedes Benz CLK 430. Like the LeBaron, the Mercedes has a comfortable, quiet ride and is easy to drive long distances. Unlike the LeBaron, the 4.3 liter V-8 is well matched to the chassis and is a genuinely fast grand touring car. I've spent the past week driving it with the top down. And while winter is coming, you can be sure that I'll have the top down any chance I get.
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