Tag: Classic Cars

MG MGB

The presence of the red MG MGB at the Neshanic Station flea market created a focal point for conversations and camaraderie among the attendees and other classic car owners. Strangers struck up conversations, bonding over their love for classic cars and exchanging stories of their own automotive discoveries.

As I strolled to the back of the Neshanic Station flea market, the vibrant hue of the red MG MGB immediately caught my eye. It stood proudly, parked amidst other classic cars, exuding a timeless charm. Like a woman in red, the car's red dress and sleek body pulled me in.

The MG MGB is a symbol of British automotive heritage. Its iconic chrome grille, smooth lines, and elegant curves harkened back to a time when automotive craftsmanship was an art form. The red MG MGB evoked nostalgia for my youth. Dad owned a Mini Cooper, then a more family-oriented Volkswagen Beatle. But my Uncle Clifford owned a Triumph sports convertible. Uncle Clifford would drive around with some of us boys crammed into the back seat.

Approaching the car, I stared at its exquisite details. The well-maintained leather seats exuded an air of luxury, and the polished wooden steering wheel exuded a gentlemanly sophistication. As I ran my fingers along the sleek exterior, I could almost sense the car's history.

MG MGB
MG MGB · Saturday 15 July 2023 · FujiFilm X-T3 · XF16-55mmF2.8 R LM WR

But it wasn't just the car that captured my attention; it was also the passionate owner who stood nearby. With a grinning smile, he eagerly shared anecdotes about the MG MGB's history, regaling curious car enthusiasts with tales of the car's adventures and the joy it had brought him. It was evident that he had poured his heart and soul into preserving this automotive gem, cherishing every moment spent behind the wheel. He told me about the roads he had travelled and his adventures.

MG MGB
MG MGB · Saturday 15 July 2023 · FujiFilm X-T3 · XF16-55mmF2.8 R LM WR

The presence of the red MG MGB at the Neshanic Station flea market created a focal point for conversations and camaraderie among the attendees and other classic car owners. Strangers struck up conversations, bonding over their love for classic cars and exchanging stories of their own automotive discoveries.

MG MGB
MG MGB · Saturday 15 July 2023 · FujiFilm X-T3 · XF16-55mmF2.8 R LM WR

I am a technologist, but in an ever-changing world of fast-paced advancements, there is a timeless appeal in the past's simplicity, elegance, and craftsmanship.

Carspotting

As a boy living on small islands in the British Commonwealth Caribbean in the late 1960-1980s, I was exposed only to cars from Japan and Europe.

My love of cars did not start until after graduate school when Acura released the 1994 Acura Integra GS-R. I couldn't afford one at the time, not with the need to pay off student loans, so I instead bought a fifth-generation Honda Civic. A few years later, after that car was destroyed in an accident, I purchased a pre-owned Acura Integra GS-R, a flick-your-wrist-with-a-wide-grin five-speed manual transmission rush of adrenaline painted in Milano Red. I bought the car in 1996 from a then-middle-aged golfer in New Jersey's well-to-do town of Clinton. In the two years he had owned it, the owner had driven it over 45,000 miles, and I drove it for another 120,000 miles. It wasn’t the fastest or most powerful, but for me, it was the most fun drive I have ever had. I drove it until 2006, when Bhavna insisted I trade in my impractical two-door sports car for a more practical four-door "responsible dad" sedan, e.g., a 2006 Honda Accord EX-L V6.

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Milano Red 1994 Acura Integra GS-R | Pentax P3 | SMC Pentax-A 50mm f/2

The Integra GS-R had a DOHC 1.8-litre VTEC four-cylinder engine providing 170 hp and 128 lb-ft of torque, the highest output-per-litre of any naturally aspirated engine at that time.

As a boy growing up on small islands in the British West Indies in the mid-196os to mid-1980s, I was mainly exposed to cars from Japan and Europe, especially the United Kingdom (UK). At that time, the West Indies was an aftermarket for used (pre-owned?) Japanese and British cars. The Morris, Triumph, Datsun, Toyota, Honda, Isuzu, Daihatsu, Mazda, Mitsubishi, and Suzuki brands are all familiar. Similar to Japan, all of the islands of the former British Commonwealth Caribbean drive on the left side of the road. American car companies didn't (wouldn't) make right-hand drive cars. They were too large and used too much fuel.

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Milano Red 1994 Acura Integra GS-R | Pentax P3 | SMC Pentax-A 50mm f/2

My dad had a Morris Mini, which, when we lived on the island of Bequia, served as the family car until his third son, my youngest brother, was born. While my dad was not a sports car driver, some of his friends took to rally racing Mini Coopers around a course near the Arnos Vale airport in the then British Overseas Territory of St. Vincent & The Grenadines.

Shortly after that, Morris introduced the Mini Moke, a no-door, no side-panel death trap, which one of my uncles thought was the perfect low-maintenance vehicle for puttering around the narrow pot-holed and cliff-lined coastline of Bequia. One uncle owned a Triumph 1300 while another uncle owned a Morris Marina.

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Acura Integra GS-R | Pentax P3 | SMC Pentax-A 50mm f/2

Dad also had a UK version of the Volkswagen Beetle, his last European car purchase. By the early 70s’ cheaper Japanese vehicles had entered the Caribbean market. Mom bought a Toyota Starlet hatchback when she started driving. Dad purchased a Datsun and then a Toyota Carona. Toyota was his brand of choice until Mazda entered the market, but in later years, he drove Hondas.

That was a long-winded way of saying I know a lot about Japanese cars and a little about British cars. I know very little about American cars.