Drive Report: None - this was a planned Cheesy Tourist Day.
We spent the day touring Portsmouth and Newport. I could prattle on for a bit as a form of introduction to the day, but given all that happened it seems that doing so would just delay the reader’s exposure to what was a very interesting day. So let’s get right to it.
The regular reader will know that we overnighted in the parking lot of the Newport Car Museum last night in order to get in as soon as they opened in hopes of beating the crowds. I can't wait - and we already discussed what a gearhead Susan is, she was pinching me to wake me up bright and early this morning. So - we paid our money and in we went.
First thing in the door we come across this - an 1896 Benz Patent Motorwagon. Widely acknowledged as the first motorized car. This is a reproduction made by Mercedes Benz. The original is on display in the Deutsches Museum in Munich, Germany.
They have the museum broken down into different sections. We went into the "World Car" display first. No sooner had we gotten there when Susan started oogling this. I think it's a Lamborghini. As we were looking at it, a docent came up throwing those little bits of colored paper and congratulated Susan for being the 1,000,000 person to buy tickets. The prize was that she got to choose the same number of cars from the museum to take home as tickets she bought. That would be two. Great - now we gotta figure out how to get the Lambo home from Rhode Island. And since she got to choose two cars, she got one for me - a BMW...
...Isetta. She assures me that they're very collectible and the envy of non-accountants everywhere. It looks a little odd here because the front (and only) door is open. Yes - it only has three wheels. Yes - the top speed is 52 mph. Yes - it blows smoke like Cheech and Chong in a bad 70s movie. And finally - yes my knees will touch my chin when I drive it. But hey - it's a Beemer and it's mine. This one we'll ship home via the US Postal Service. They've got that thing where if it fits in one of their boxes it ships for something like $10.99.
This is the back end of VWs new electric/gas hybrid. I tell ya, the back end of this thing is a work of art. Just look at that!
Then we headed over to the 50's era cars. I called it the fin display.
This, readers, would be a 58 Impala. Produced only in 1958. Wow! I love these cars, though my personal taste runs to black hardtop rather than red convertible. The same docent who gave Susan the keys to the Lambo told us that a bunch of older guys came thru not long ago and were admiring this car. They talked about how it looked just like the car that one of their fathers restored years ago. Turns out that was because it WAS the father's car. The owner of the museum had bought it for display. How cool is that? Susan didn't choose this one for me. She chose a red Isetta convertible...
This is a 1970 Plymouth Superbird - made only in 1970 and in very limited numbers. At one time a guy I knew in Ogden, KS who had two of these. Dunno what ever happened to 'em.
The new (left) and the old (right) juxtaposed purple Mopar cars. The cool one on the right is a Barracuda. Those of you who hail from Downs may remember that Ralph Streit had a baby blue one of these.
I am not a Corvette guy, but this is the one model style that I absolutely love. This is a 69 Stingray. Just look at those sexy lines: narrow waisted between the wheels, that big hipped look what with the flared rear fenders. Wow! This thing just screams sleek and fast.
Then we were over to the Shelby area. That would be Carrol Shelby. If ya don't know, he's an automotive legend. This would be the Boss 302 Mustang. A not inexpensive proposition on today's market. I've never seen one of these in person, only in books and magazines.
If the 69 Stingray was sleek and sexy, this thing is brute force immortalized. A Ford Cobra - made for racing but a few were produced to be street legal. If you've been with The Thin Blue Ride since our Texas Test Flight series of posts, you know I have a pic of Delta and me with three of these down in Texas.
This would be Gunther and Maggie - owners of the museum. They were very nice people. We met them on the way out the door and wanted to thank them for letting us park The Rig in their lot overnight. Oh - and for the Lambo. Susan made me thank them for the Isetta. I mean, it's cute and all, but it's not a 58 Impala.
After all that we went back and moved The Rig to the RV Park, made some reservations for tomorrow's activities and then headed down to the Harbor in Newport for some dinner.
This would be Naragansett Bay. Specifically the harbor area. It's been developed with a lot of shops and restaurants, but is still a functional harbor also. There have got to be more sail boats here than I've ever seen in one place at the same time - some of them quite large. The reader may note in the distance the suspension bridge over which we passed yesterday to get to the island.
This would be Susan and me with the Harbor in the background - as taken by a guy at the table next to ours. Speaking of which - we show up and the hostess asks if we want to be inside or outside. What the heck, ya only live once - we'll go with outside. She then seats us right at the water's edge. Gotta love that luck. I soon discovered that it had all been planned by the Accounting Department.
Yup - since she saved so much cash on the Lambo, she had enough to spring for this yacht and the guy who drove it past so she could show it to me.
As proof of which I proffer this pic. The same guy who took the photo of us standing by the table overhead us discussing this yacht and asked, "You want me to take a picture of you with your new yacht?" I said yes and gave him my phone. Note the big smile on the Accounting Department's face. The Accounting Department just loves surprising me - and this explains the Isetta, sort of...
But as with everything in life, there are trade offs. After buying the yacht, we only had enough cash for a lobster roll for me - fish and chips for the Accounting Department.
This is us on a stroll around the harbor after dinner...
...at which time I learned that I would be required to mug for tourists in order to pay for the guy who drove the yacht.
But, there was just enough cash left to buy a chocolate chip cookie.
So - when all was said and done, it was a great day here in Rhode Island.
Till next time.
Awesome write-up of the car museum! Nice meeting you there--best of luck in your travels.
ReplyDeleteIt was great. If this is Gunther, when does the Lambo ship?
DeleteLOL Not Gunther--this is Michael. Sorry.
ReplyDeleteYou were our second guess. This means, of course, that you’ll have to smuggle it out to get it to us... It was great chatting with you.
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