Back in 1996, our daughter drove our Camry to university and was frighteningly involved in an accident. Because she survived with just a bump on the head even though the car looked awful, we decided to get another Camry.
We went to the showroom, looked at some paint swatches and decided on a silver car.
After a short while, Art called me from the Toyota dealer. He said he had good and bad news. "The good news," he said, "is that our car is here early."
There was a pause.
"The bad news," he continued, "is that it's purple."
"Purple? Purple?" I was incredulous.
Art then related how he told the salesperson he didn't order a purple car. They went back to the order and looked at the paint swatch. Yes, it looked silver in the swatch, but the car itself was purple.
So that's how we got that car color. Since I was the one who drove it to school, Art was resigned to it. The other teachers laughingly called it my Easter egg car.
I was OK with it. I like purple.
When it was time for us to move to Hawaii, we decided to give the Camry to our son. He was very happy to get the car but really unhappy about the color. He was a firefighter at the time and all his buddies seemed to be driving manly black trucks. For a while he said he would park his car a distance from the fire station.
And yet, that Camry was extremely reliable despite the workout our son and then our daughter-in-law gave it. OK... yes, the moonroof did start to leak and the air conditioning was iffy.
Therefore, after 23 years, and someone forgetting to put oil in the car, the purple Camry gave up its last breath.
We saw it on this last trip and said goodbye to my Easter egg car.
I don't know if they'll donate the car or take it to a junkyard, but it does have a lot of memories packed into its trunk.
We went to the showroom, looked at some paint swatches and decided on a silver car.
After a short while, Art called me from the Toyota dealer. He said he had good and bad news. "The good news," he said, "is that our car is here early."
There was a pause.
"The bad news," he continued, "is that it's purple."
"Purple? Purple?" I was incredulous.
Art then related how he told the salesperson he didn't order a purple car. They went back to the order and looked at the paint swatch. Yes, it looked silver in the swatch, but the car itself was purple.
So that's how we got that car color. Since I was the one who drove it to school, Art was resigned to it. The other teachers laughingly called it my Easter egg car.
I was OK with it. I like purple.
And yet, that Camry was extremely reliable despite the workout our son and then our daughter-in-law gave it. OK... yes, the moonroof did start to leak and the air conditioning was iffy.
Therefore, after 23 years, and someone forgetting to put oil in the car, the purple Camry gave up its last breath.
We saw it on this last trip and said goodbye to my Easter egg car.
I don't know if they'll donate the car or take it to a junkyard, but it does have a lot of memories packed into its trunk.
Personally, I quite like the colour!
ReplyDeleteWe had Fiat car for 38 years. I wrote these posts about her in 2010. It was like family.
ReplyDeletehttps://kaimhanta.blogspot.com/2010/12/return-of-fighting-fiat.html
And then this in 2008:
https://kaimhanta.blogspot.com/2008/11/driving-through-life.html
Thought you might enjoy the above posts. I think people are the same regardless of country!!
These Toyotas can last very long.
ReplyDeleteToyotas are very reliable. I have a 2008 Honda Civic and it too has been a jewel. When I was selling cars, there was a sign on the wall with a dozen or so people's names and they had driven their Toyota over 300,000 miles.
ReplyDeleteActually until the Japanese started building and selling cars that lasted almost forever, the American makers just built in obsolescence so people would trade every few years. Finally the Americans car makers had to do a better job to compete with the Japanese. However they still make an inferior product.
ReplyDeleteThat was a great car!!! They do hold so many memories - I cried when my last car was written off as totaled. A car becomes part of the family! I hope your replacement gives you as many good years! I kind of like the color too but my parents had a pink car at one time so don't rust my judgement! HA!
ReplyDeleteBlessings....
ReplyDeleteIt served its purpose.
Goodbyes are a part of life. The memories you get to keep.
Have a blessed day.
We had a Corolla which was a pretty good car. I thought the next one would be a Camry but we ended up with a Honda CRV.
ReplyDeleteIt's funny how we get emotionally attached to our cars, esp. if we've had them for a while. We had a 1985 Camry that worked out quite well for us. However, I don't know why, but we never got another Toyota.
ReplyDeleteAround 2000 my oldest daughter was in an accident in her Honda Accord. She walked away unharmed and the car was so crushed that I couldn't breathe for a few minutes when I first saw it. It is good to have a safe car. I love my Subaru Outback for the same reason. And I really like the color of that Camry.
ReplyDeleteAnother memory of that accident is that Alice told me when the policeman asked to see the driver's license of the other driver, the boy said he didn't have it because his drug counselor took it away! You may be a great driver, but not everyone is!
Aww I hope it goes to a good home. That is a light purple and it has really held up. I have a 2004 Toyota with 174000 miles on it and it has never been in the shop except for routine maintenance. I just knocked on wood.
ReplyDeleteAnytime you can get 23 years out of a driving machine, you are blessed! I rarely care about the color of my cars At least with purple I could find it in the parking lot!
ReplyDeleteGood story. 23 years is a long time for a car.
ReplyDeleteDoesn't look purple to me.
ReplyDeleteTerry is still driving his 1991 Mazda and plans to as long as it keeps going.
If I was your son, I would have had it painted.
ReplyDeleteAs hard as I try, I cannot see purple. It looks gray/silver to me.
ReplyDeleteWe do have a purple mini van that is 22 years old. It looks like fine wine and has aged well.
I love the color but would have called it... lavender (even worse for some people). It sure is a pretty color. Congratulations on having enjoyed your ride for so long. :-)
ReplyDeleteI hope everyone has a purple car in their life.
ReplyDeleteInteresting the memories your cars hold. My first car was after I graduated from college. i rode a bike in college or borrowed my mom's car to get around...
ReplyDeleteSounds like it's been a good car! I got my son a used Saturn from my best friend, a one-owner car with higher miles, but it was an excellent teenager car. (The kid paid me $55.55 per month for a year as his learning curve about car payments.) It had a purple hue to the silver, but that was okay around KC because purple is the Kansas State University color, where he aimed for college.
ReplyDeleteI named my first car, a '63 VW bus, Buster Blue Bus. Vowed never to name a car again.
Linda in Kansas
Glad it served so well. . . all for the want of some oil!
ReplyDelete23 years! That is a good car.
ReplyDelete