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when I was parked outside a Seattle
Ferrari dealership in 1990 and a sales-
man walked out and remarked, “
The
most fun for the money you can buy;
less than a nice Toyota
.” That is as
true today as it was then.
With a low frontal area to pene-
trate the atmosphere, light weight,
and a not too over-the-top street/track
motor, I managed more than 24 mpg
on this trip, even with some stop and
go traffic, driving in low gears through
small towns. I also provided entertain-
ment for the nice guys who stopped to
ask about the car and take photos,
when I ran through the gears to red-
line exiting the Wild Horse Monument
pullout. They waved profusely when
they passed by the rest stop a few
miles down the road. I used 15 gallons
of premium fuel on a 365-mile drive.
At under $2.50 a gallon for premium,
it came to $37.50. I can live with that.
It doesn’t sound like a 289 race
car, but neither do I want to spend the
day driving with earplugs or listening
to my ears ringing for a few days after
arriving home. With exhaust pipes ex-
iting ahead of the front wheels, I hear
it well enough and it does bellow when
I step on the gas.
Looking back on all those miles
and all the things I did, I made the
most and did the most I could with
this little car. The paint and interior
are a little rough, but I like it that way
and so do most people who see it. I
don’t show it much, but when I do, it
often collects a “People’s Choice” or
“Participants Choice” awards. I like
that I can take it anywhere, park it
and leave it. I like that it’s economical
enough and comfortable enough to
spend an entire day in it, and not feel
like I spent 12 rounds in a boxing ring,
yet its fast enough to enjoy on a track
day. It isn’t worth a million dollars like
some Cobras now are, but I had a mil-
lion dollars of fun in it, and we’re still
making memories.
The SHELBY AMERICAN
Summer 2016 85