This was that car for me:

I spent a lot of time and money on this cruiser.  It was a labor of love.

Yeah…  She set you back in your seat.

Sometime in the early 70s, my dad owned one, and walking up to it one day I just suddenly felt both peace and joy. I asked my dad if I could have it when I became old enough to drive, and he said yes. That was one of the happiest days I could remember.

Of course, that very car was later sold for a more “family friendly” car, and it was long gone by the time I turned 16, but the Mustang had left an unshakeable love in my heart.

Eventually I owned a 1966 Coupe, and then later the car that came closest to the car of my dreams: a 1965 Fastback. My dream car had always been the 1966 Shelby 350H (there’s something magic in that black and gold beauty), but this Fastback became my living, breathing dream.

For 8 wonderful years, whenever I felt down or in any way out of sorts, just sitting in it would bring a smile to my face. Turning over that 302-4bbl beast and roaring it down long flat desert roads made everything bad in the world melt away, even if it was only for a short while. I even realized another dream by getting a picture taken of it posed with a P51-D Mustang… one of the last times before those old planes were moved out of Arizona.

I don’t own that car anymore… it was a show quality street car, and someone else far away now owns it, but I can’t help smiling whenever I see another ‘65 or ‘66 running down these desert roads.

Someday I’ll own another one, but for now, I have my memories and my dreams.

I’m not going to talk about my first car though, because lately that’s not what I think about or miss when I’m thinking about cars now. With the bailouts and reorganizing of the big three in the US my thoughts aren’t on the one car I learned to drive on, but the cars I’ve driven since then. I’ve own a few cars in my life, three of them were Saturns. I owned a ‘91 SL1 that was won at a police auction after being found submerged in sea water. I’ve had a ‘00 SL2 and lastly my ‘03 ION which still drives like a dream and keeps me happy. When people ask me how do I like driving a Saturn I tell them “I Love it!” (yes that was one of the original Saturn slogans, but it’s true) These cars were built for me. They are inexpensive and perfect for my budget, they have enough power to not suck and the maintenance is almost nil. I don’t have to worry about fancy gas or hundred dollar oil changes. Most of my belts are chains and it can take a beating. The Manual shifting is forgiving (can start her up in 3rd for pete’s sake) and its great to use to teach people how to drive stick. Everything is in the right place for me. The head clearance is great, the seats are perfect for my height, the wipers are in the right place, everything is where I want it. Trust me, this is all very important when you generally drive 18+ hour road trips monthly. I don’t care if it’s not someone else’s cup of tea, it fits me.

A year ago I made the decision to keep my current car and not trade up to a new Aura. I could have gotten a good deal and would have had a bit more in the car then I have now. Except here’s the thing, in the last 10 years, 9 of them I have been making car payments. Low, easy to afford but still a monthly payment. I had the opportunity to own my car outright, not having to pay GMAC every month. That was far too tempting to pass up, so I passed on the Aura. Now with the reorganization of GM my beloved Saturn company is getting shut down. The ‘10 or ‘11 will be the last models of Saturn made, after that Saturn dealers will sell other brands and no longer produce. My different kind of car company is dead! I know there was the threat from day one but I never wanted or thought this day would happen. The next time I go to buy a car I don’t know what I’ll want. I’ll never have the “fits me like a glove” feel again. Sure I like other kinds of cars, but they never fit me as well as a Saturn. For 14K I won’t get a car with everything I need, I will either have to settle for something below my standards or have to pay more then I want to for a car. The Saturn brand is dead, or will be in two years and already I am mourning it. I’m sad the experiment didn’t survive this economy, I’m sad GM isn’t even looking to sell the brand like they will with Saab and Range Rover.

I will now be ignored by car makers and told what I want rather then asked what I want. I know it’s silly to get upset over something like this but it’s the same as when Firefly was canceled for reality programing, or when movies are ruined because the studios want to appeal to the 14 year old girls. I’m not the mainstream, or what the big wigs think is mainstream so I am ignored. Meanwhile if those big wigs paid attention to the niche markets and cultivated our interest and loyalty they would always make money. Examples? Look at Hot Topic, also known as the Walmart of alternative fashion, it’s far from main stream but makes money hand over fist. Look at Dr. Horrible, produced for fans and sold more then anyone ever imagined simply to prove a business model. If you make the little people feel important, we will spend our dollars on you.

Rest in Peace my beloved Saturn Company. I will drive this ION till she can’t move anymore.

In college, I was dormbound a lot as I still had no car and didn’t know how to drive. Forget the bus. It took me two hours by bus to get to a mall only ten minutes away. My roommate had a truck and I had friends with cars, so transportation was never an issue. Vanessa’s truck was roomy but cozy and I admired her monogrammed dashboard cover. We listened to a lot of Rascal Flatts. Dakota had a charming bobblehead alligator named Rodrigo on her dashboard and a patch of deer fur stuck in her passenger door from an unfortunate run-in. I believe the deer survived. The passenger door, however, was never the same. Alex’s car overheated a lot, but was always there when we needed to make a trip to Target or the ice cream parlor. Road trips were a novelty for me. It always amazed me that just three hours away was another state. We drove from Texas to Florida one spring break–simply unbelievable to a girl who grew up surrounded by ocean.

Upon graduation, I moved to Los Angeles, a city renowned for its twisty highways and bumper-to-bumper traffic. I knew I needed a car. I had gotten my driver’s license before graduating, so the only problem was the car. My dad flew up with me so that he could help me with apartment and car hunting. He found a car at a used car dealership online. And there she was, a shiny 2000 Toyota Corolla. Even though it was going to be my car, I was so nervous that my dad test drove it. I sat in the passenger seat. Before I knew it, I was writing a check that practically cleared out my savings account and we were off, back to the hotel. Dad took the rental car, which meant I actually had to drive my car now. I was terrified, tailing my dad and driving cautiously on the foreign highways. Our hotel was only 15 minutes away, but the adrenaline was pumping and even though it was daytime, I felt like I was driving with blindfolds on. We stopped at a gas station and I was so proud to be pumping my own gas and paying for it.

That’s how I came to own Kaywinnit. I named her for the cheerful mechanic from “Firefly,” a series I love. Kaylee took pride in Serenity and believed in all the ship could do. Like Serenity, Kaywinnit wasn’t the flashiest car, but she got me where I needed to go. She’s my little engine that could.

The car is falling apart. If I go between 55 and 65 mph the whole thing shakes. Pieces fall off like door handles and the pieces around the doors. The paint looks terrible. I’ve seriously considered spray painting a Superman sheild on the hood. It still runs though, and I used it all the way through college.

It’s been in a couple accidents, but hasn’t been fixed cause it wasn’t worth it. I always say that the dents just give it more character. It’ll be weird when I finally get a new car. I’m sure I’ll be so afraid of scratching it after not caring for so long. It has really been a good, dependable car and I’ll always remember what my first car was.