Homage to Mukuefchen!

It’s just a car!

What is this about old little cars? I’m going to pick up my new one today. My brand new, huge, teal – oh, how do I love this colour – Vectra! I should be excited, buzzing from expectation; the moment I get the key, the prospect of trips with the ladies in a decent car, with a decent shopping trunk and a decent aircon.

And what happens? Since a few days I’m grumpy and somewhat agitated. Well, I had to do a lot of things work wise and with the website; that doesn’t necessarily lift the spirits – but there was something else, an uneasiness deep down in the area where the stomach sits.

This morning I knew! Detlef had cleaned out the old car yesterday, so it still didn’t occur to me then – and looking back I’m grateful that he did it. This morning we took a last picture with me and the red little Punto, off I left to go for work and there I was: Waterworks opening big time.

So: What IS it about old little cars?

Leaving the driveway with my beloved smelly, bashed up and paint fainted little car, all the emotions I ever felt in there came gushing back to me.

When we decided to get it 13 years ago it was standing in a show room all new and shiny, and when we picked it up - the same emotions were overwhelming when we gave away our previous car, the good old Citroen 2cv6 dolly called ‘Schnattchen’. And then our trips to England and the eventual move here, packed up to the sky including our finches, and Detlef’s sneaky face asking if I would like to keep it as my own instead of exchanging it for the Volvo, 3 years ago.

Yay! That feeling of freedom! Having my own car entirely changed my life. Going to the gym whenever I liked, doing the shopping when it suited me best,… thousand little things it gave me peace of mind of.

And I liked its style. With a suspension like a board and only 55 horse powers one develops a rather sportive style of driving. The steering wheel on the wrong side gave a bit of an edge to the appearance, and if it wouldn’t have developed the one or the other illness which now is starting to get a bit expensive – well, I might have kept to it for another couple of years.

But now the deal is done. Basically since last Sunday I don’t own it anymore. £100 was the outcome of the evaluation – I didn’t tell her, she might get upset in the end. And today is the day: I will pick up the new one. It won’t have a name. Like the Volvo is ‘The Volvo’ this one will be ‘The Vectra’.

So one last drive to the dealer and it will be 'Farewell' to a car that is very special to me: The last one with a name!