The Saturday Morning Post - Pandavagon

My father hated convertibles.  His dislike was always very rational, convertibles are noisy, they leak, they have less backseat and or trunk space, they cost more, they have more moving parts so more maintenance issues. He could go on, those are the highlights. 

I remember the first time I drove one, an MGB. How do I describe who owned it.  A couple I had sold a house to.  The wife took me out to lunch, had me drive her car, she was trying to seduce me.  If Shirley is still alive she is 85 - ah yes the older woman - and I was young and fit.  Their marriage didn't last long, he couldn't keep up with her.  

Back to the MGB, we put the top down and drove down the beach in Daytona, I was in love (with the car at least.) 

Over the years I talked about owning a convertible.  Common sense, or the need for something practical always seemed to get in the way - with my father's laundry list of why it was a bad idea ringing in my head. 

Three years ago in January, I took my practical Mazda 3 hatchback into the dealer for service and the annual inspections.  While waiting, I wandered around the lot and they had a BMW convertible on the used car line.  It was older and had way too many miles on it, but I saw the price and thought, I have that much extra in my checking account.  I could do this.  

I started looking, mostly online.  I visited a couple of dealers, drove a couple of cars. Then I saw this online, it was a few years old (it is a 2008) and had just about 44,000 miles.  I exchanged emails, set a time to see it, drive it, and fell in love with it.  I made them an offer, the salesman said, "oh they would never do that" I said "well ask," he did, I watched the sales manager smile, and approve it. 

I kept the sensible Mazda hatchback.  It was newer, I had owned it since new.  It was extremely practical.  I figured I would drive the convertible for a couple of summers, then sell it.  I even plotted where it would sell for the most money and thought about driving it across country selling it and taking the train back.  A very practical plan. 

Mr. Panda was sitting in a chair just outside my bedroom door, he had been there for a couple of years.  We put him in the back seat and took him for a ride, he liked it, he has been there pretty much ever since.  Just the other day I was driving home from the office, stuck in traffic with the top down, and the woman in the car next to me, shouted, "what's with the panda?"  I replied "he likes it there." He has squishy legs so he actually fits in the back seat.  

Last fall I realized that I had only driven the sensible Mazda about 400 miles in 10 months.  And used car prices are unusually high.  I took it back the dealer I had bought it from, and sold it back to them. They resold it the following week.  It only had about 40,000 miles on it and was nearly 10 years old.