As a man, David E. Davis was a rapscallion, a rascal, a rogue; in general a knave. As a raconteur and automotive journalist he had few peers. The quote below pretty much sums up my feeling about cars, and even a little about my politics.
"We drive cars because they make us free. With cars, we need not wait in airline terminal or travel only where the railroad tracks go. Governments detest our cars; they give us too much freedom. How do you control people who can climb into a car at any hour of the day or night and drive to who know where? An open car gives us another dimension of freedom. In an open car we enjoy the heightened freedom of the coursing hound, racing across the land with only the wind for clothing. It is the freedom of wild ducks, shining in their colorful plumage, flying at impossible speeds through the treetop to impress the duck women they love. In an open car on an open road, we can feel what that man felt eons ago, when he first managed to grab a horse's mane, throw himself on its back, and feel himself transported at unthinkable speed into mankind's next stage of development."
So, the Thunderbird will get done and I'll drive it with the top down whenever possible; maybe even when it seems foolish to others. I'll have the top down and a jacket on, maybe even a scarf around my neck. I'll wear a hat to keep the sun at bay, but the top will be down. I'll also pursue the purchase of a British or Italian sports car. I'll do it because of the fun I envision there being, and the freedom the cars allow me to have. I crave the open road. I crave it for the things to see, the conversations with passengers and the joy of the solitude when traveling alone. I also crave it for the freedom and knowing that it's my choice to travel where I want and when I want. A right turn or a left turn is my choice. I'll know that even when asleep, if I choose to, I can get up get dressed and go for a ride. That ride is more pleasant in an open car. I have the luxury of having a closed car for the times when it's absolutely necessary to be practical. And I have the opportunity to have an open car for the times when practicality be damned, I'll drive what I want and go where I want. I'll travel by air when necessary and by rail when it's fun, but I'll put the top down on a convertible whenever I can. Lela and Mary Lynne, if you read this use the following as part of my will: Forget the hearse; make my last ride sitting up in the back of a convertible with the top down.
