In Capriciation (was: 4kq parts and an explination)

[Phil Rose <pjrose@servtech.com>]

>Date: Tue, 23 Jun 1998 14:12:42 PST
>From: Andrew Buc <abuc@ibm.net>
>Subject: RE: 4kq parts and an explination
>
>Addressed to: Ed Kellock <EKELLOCK@ECS-INC.com>
>              "'quattro@coimbra.ans.net'" <quattro@coimbra.ans.net>
>
>** Reply to note from Ed Kellock <EKELLOCK@ECS-INC.com> Tue, 23 Jun 1998
>09:49:25 -0400
>>
>> Have you ever seen the trunk of a Miata, a Mustang convertible, a LeBaron,
>> convertible, any F body GM car (seats up, sunshade in place, of course, for
>> proper comparison conditions), a Cavalier convertible, a VW Rabbit
>> Conv/Cabriolet
>
>_Road & Track_ once said the Mercury Capri was a good car for a person who
>thinks an extra shirt is a month's luggage!

Phooey on R&T. How about 6 weeks in a Capri with a family of four?

Way back in early 1973, our family was planning its first European trip.
The expense of nearly 6 weeks of car rental was formidable. However, we
were in the market for a new car, and I was very much taken with Mercury's
new, so-called "Sexy European". I convinced my wife that we should look
into purchase of the new V6 Capri--with intention to pick it up in Cologne.

But could it accommodate our family of four (me, wife, two kids, ages 6 and
11)? Well, we _already_ had decided what luggage we'd want to take on the
6-week jaunt, so off we went to our local Mercury dealer with the empty
bags.

It went something like this:

Me: "I'd like to test-pack one of your Capri demos, please"

Salesman: "Ah, you'd like a test-drive in the Capri?"

Me: No, I've already driven it, I'd like to have a go at fitting some
luggage into the trunk."

Salesman: "Hmmm, That's a new one. Sure, why not."

So out we went, and after some fiddlin' and faddlin', that teeny Capri
trunk proved it indeed _was_ capable of holding our four bags. Suitcases.
We called 'em "suitcases" in those days. Mostly hard-sided. No backpacks.
No duffel bags.

We picked the car up in Cologne the day after we arrived in Frankfort. What
a blast! The car was a dream. Lots of startled looks from Europeans who
walked past us as we waited at stoplights. Why was that, I wondered? Our
new '73 model didn't look _that_ different. Much later it ocurred to me
that they had quickly spotted our weird, bulky-looking US DOT-spec
plastic-covered 5 mph bumpers! Pretty novel in those days.

There was only one miscalculation in our tightly packed planning. We bought
a Bernina sewing machine while in Switzerland (ah, 1973 was a _great_ time
for the US dollar), and it had to be placed on the back seat. For two weeks
it functioned nicely as a demiliterized zone between our two children.

Sorry for the WOB, but I thought this bit of nostalgia might offer
encouragement for potential owners of Audi coupes.

Phil

Phil Rose		Rochester, NY
'89 100
'91 200q		pjrose@servtech.com