My love affair with import and sports cars began in 1964 with the purchase of a black 1958 Volvo 444 sedan. This was back in the “Drive’em like you hate’em” days and before Volvos became luxury cars. You should have seen my father’s expression when I brought the Volvo home. He was a staunch union man, a steelworker and it was inconceivable to him that anybody would buy anything but an American Car. He was upset about it for a long time but gradually became interested in the imported cars I drove.
Next, I went through a series of uninteresting and interesting automobiles including 914 and 912 Porsches and two different Fiat 850’s. When I tell people about the Fiats most always ask “How could you have bought a second Fiat?” The truth is that my red 1968 850 Coupe was a great car. The successor to that car, a pumpkin colored 850 Spyder, was the one of the worst chars I’ve ever owned. It was after that experience that I switched to Porsches and bought a new 1971 914. After a drunk driver totaled it while it was parked in front of my house, my Irish Green 914 was replaced with a blue 1968 912 that I miss to this day. My 1977 Euro-spec 924 was a great looking but mostly undependable drive that, I’m guessing, had a hard life become coming into my garage. Like my wife’s VW Cabriolet, it was a money pit. Nevertheless, she loved that car too.
One of the most interesting cars in my life was a 1961 Arnolt-Bristol. (I’m the guy at left in the photo.) The chassis and engines—a straight six with three carbs ala Jaguar—were built by Bristol cars in England and shipped to Turin Italy, where Pininfarina fashioned the body before shipping to Warsaw Indiana, home of Arnolt Enterprises, where the cars were painted and delivered to customers. From the beginning, it was Arnolt’s idea to deliver the car in a ready-to-race version; therefore the car came in two models. The Bolide with competition windscreen and seat belts and the Custom, a street version with a standard windshield, bumpers, and a plusher, if any Arnolt could ever be called plush, interior. My car ultimately found it’s way into the hands of an accomplished vintage racer who sold it to a collector in the UK who is currently restoring it…again.
My Arnolt-Bristol was originally a Bolide but went through a frame on restoration that converted it into a Custom by the addition of a real windshield, front and rear bumpers, and convertible top. I did, however, follow the Arnolt factory racing team paint scheme using the official American racing colors of white with a wide blue racing stripe.
Along the way, I have owned and driven lots of different cars including some Detroit Iron and you will be able to see some (in the Fond Memories gallery) and read about them on this site. My daily driver is a 2011 Mini Cooper Clubman S but I always wonder what my next car project will be.
