My new memoir, "Journey to Friendship," covers my adventures across many miles of the Midwest. Featured prominently in this tale from 1976 is the first new car I had ever owned. She was a show-stopping orange, Buick Apollo, with a cream interior.
Jan and I had agreed that my well-worn 1970 Ford Maverick had seen better days. It featured an underpowered engine that could barely run the air conditioner and a rough, noisy ride. One day in June of 1974, I polished the old jalopy and drove her to the Buick dealer in Shawnee, Oklahoma. The salesman said he was so impressed and could give me a great dealer on a new model that had just appeared on the floor room. I took the bait and in a few days I escorted Jan from the door of the apartment to take her first ride in the new beauty. I admit, she paused a bit when she turned the corner and saw our new ride glistening bright orange in the sunlight!
I learned a lesson about the importance of making big decisions together. I also learned how good it is to have a solid, safe car when hundreds of miles lie ahead. I hope you’ll get a copy of the memoir to see how this unique auto carried us to new adventures.