No Color, No Car

It occurs to me, I've never bought a new car that wasn't a color.


My first car was a hand-me-down. It was a grey Chevy Citation.


My second car was the the first new car that I paid for. It was a Regatta Red Nissan Pulsar NX.


My third car was a used car. I had to buy it because my, then 8 year old Nissan had suffered a financially untenable mechanical failure. I needed a car ASAP and needed it for less than the repair-costs of the Nissan. I ended up with a Charcoal Honda Civic.


My next car was a "by choice" purchase. Another Honda Civic, I selected a pearlescent Aztec Green for its color.


Thanksgiving of 1997, I was visiting family in Pennsylvania. At the time, my father was looking to get himself a new car. We stopped by a VW dealership ...that shared space with a BMW dealership. I happened to notice a Z3 in the show room. Hadn't been intending to buy a car - wasn't really even looking for one, but the color caught me. Asked to take it for a test drive. Ended up returning to DC with a (limited edition - one of 300 made globally) Dakar Yellow Z3.


When time came to replace the Z3, I decided I needed something notionally more practical. Of the many cars I tried, none really felt right ...until I took a ride in a co-worker's brand new e46 (2000 model year). He let me take it for a drive and I really liked it. I still wanted a convertible, though, but orders for such were no longer available on the 2000 model year. Put deposit down and ordered a 2001 convertible in "Techno Violet Metallic". Nine months later, it showed up and I traded in the Z3.

Six months later (and just two weeks after 9/11), it was stolen. Was able to order a replacement, but it was a 2002 model year. It arrived in late December of 2001. That's the car I'm still driving, today.


While I've purchased two other vehicles, since then - both for my wife - only one has been a non-color. She insisted on black (she's a goth and generally color-shy) for the first vehicle that we'd hoped would end up being a sprogling-hauler. At least it had (aftermarket) purple and black seats.

When it started to die in 2012, we bought a Mini. Wife, again, wanted a non-color vehicle, but I vetoed. We ended up with Chili Red (but with black "rally" stripes).