Once upon a time many years ago I was on my Honda CBR on an "exploratory" ride. I was alone as I often was on these little Saturday adventures and on a particular straight and long stretch of blacktop my eyes drifted and I caught a glimpse of it, over a hill I saw the distinct pair of doors hanging in the air like a referee signaling a field goal. It was unmistakable and I knew exactly what it was and nothing was going to stop me from getting a closer look.
As I circled around and pulled into a school parking lot I realized that I had stumbled upon a local car show. I had no idea what other cars were there, I was only there to see one....the DeLorean DMC-12, my dream car. I had seen them in magazines, read about all the media coverage, and I even had an advertisement stuck on my bedroom wall that would be the "fireplace mantle" of most 10 year old kid's bedrooms. This prime real estate was normally reserved for magazine clippings of the Lamborghini Countach or even the life size poster of Farrah Fawcett. However, in my room there would be a picture of a well dressed slender man in his 50's with a chiseled chin, wild gray hair and sitting on a sleek stainless steel wedge with sharp edges and doors that rose toward the sky. Now years later I was face to face with my dream car and I was indeed meeting my hero, and nowhere near disappointed.
I poured all over it asking questions "Is this a 81, 82, or 83?" "Is this the original side stripe?" After the first few questions the owner (as I remember quite elderly) said something I will always remember. "Well God bless you! Most kids your age don't even know what this is." I was most definately in some kind of black hole event horizon as time stood still for me for those moments, but in all probability, I was there for the better part of an hour, looking at that one car, the only car that mattered.
While most cars there (and at most car shows in general) the "Look But Don't Touch!" signs are a mainstay, some even discourage pictures, but this kind old man was patient with a kid who was obviously smitten with his car and allowed me to sit in it, start it up, heck I believe he may have even let me drive it if I were to ask. I knew I was overstaying my welcome (although I was probably the only one that felt that way) so I reluctantly decided it was time to get back on the road. I thanked him for his time and his generosity and we said goodbye. I'm sure he thought it was humorous to watch me dig around his car like a kid on Christmas Eve eyeing the presents under the tree, but I will always remember his kindness and openness to share his car, something that was obviously special to him.
Years later when I purchased my own DeLorean, I found myself taking the opposite road. The road that led me to a car show where my "Do Not Touch" sign was proudly displayed and found me hovering over the car glaring at any kid that wasn't wrangled in by his parent before jumping in my car with all the enthusiasm I myself had that faithful day. I didn't see a face filled with wonder, I saw a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, or red clay on the shoes and that just wasn't going to happen to the car I had worked so hard for.
One day I happen to park next to a Ferrari and I was witness to the same thing I was doing, and it was wrong. The Ferrari owner was watching his car with all the tactical obedience of a guard at Area 51. He was obviously not happy and it really didn't seem like he was having a good time at all. Are not cruise in's supposed to be fun? I realized I was just as stressed out as this guy, and guess what? I wasn't having much fun either. I knew what it was, and it was going to change.
Owning a car like this can be a headache or it can be a blessing. I wanted the latter. I was going to make it a point to remember this is just a pile of metal, plastic and rubber...nothing more. If I don't destroy it, the guy that owns it after I'm gone will wreck it, or the Rapture will destroy it. Sooner or later it's toast, so stop treating it like it's some kind of everlasting prize and enjoy it for what it is, just a car. I walked over to my car and took out the specially made "Do Not Touch" badges and let anyone and everyone who wanted a closer peek to make themselves at home.
As the Ferrari owner was dispatching young onlookers away with all the callousness of Luke Skywalker shooing Jawas away from his Landspeeder, I began to let kids sit in my car and have their parents take their picture. Since then, I have probably had well over a hundred curious people stop me at the gas station, parking lot, even follow me home just for a closer look, and almost every one of them were delighted when I told them to sit in it and hand me their phone for a memorable picture. Once at dinner we parked right in front of a window and our waiter was just gushing over it. As we were leaving I invited him outside to take a closer look and tossed him the keys to take it for a spin around the block....he was blown away. I would be lying if I were not at least a little nervous watching my baby get driven by a guy who I just met, or watching over excited kids stand on the seats as they found their way out, but this is what cars like this are really for.
The majority of DeLorean owners seem to embrace this attention, not to boost their egos or draw the limelight to themselves. In fact most owners I know are quite shy and meek around crowds. The car changes that. An owner will gladly deal with being out of their comfort zone because they enjoy sharing the car with people and making others feel like they themselves felt when they first saw one. People may be somewhat timid to bother the rather busy looking Lamborghini owner with a frown on his face as he pumps gas, they are not quite as shy with a DeLorean in their sights. Maybe because it's not a 250k super car, they find it more down to Earth, and therefore the guy driving it is the same, and that's a fair assessment. It could be that to some, a Ferrari or Lamborghini sighting is a once a week occurance, but a Delorean sighting is closer to once in a decade and to see one in person makes one forget about any apprehension they have over bothering the owner, (in my case it did).
When someone stops me I often get asked "I bet you get tired of this every time you go somewhere". DeLorean owners accept that this just goes with the territory and they appreciate they fact that you appreciate it. One of those kids that sat in my car for a picture will someday be looking for thier own dream car, and they will remember their first DeLorean experience as a positive one instead of some grumpy man warning them to stand clear.
Some keep their "dream car" for a few years, then the fun of owning it seems to wear thin for reasons they can't figure why. "It's not quite as special to take her out anymore." "It's not the same as that first month I got her, the novelty has worn off." or "I don't want to deal with the picture takers and onlookers when I leave it parked in public."
I discovered the ownership experience only gets better when you let others experience it too.
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