Thus far in the COJL series I’ve profiled a selection of mostly ‘fun cars’ which my spouse John had for the time we were together. However, during that time he also had one everyday vehicle which served him well for all the unglamorous tasks of everyday life for more than a decade. That was his 2005 Smart ForTwo Passion.
Being a car guy like me, John knew a bit about the Smart’s rather convoluted road from idea to concept to market. For those who don’t know, here’s the 10-cent version as I’ve been told it:
In the middle 1990s, Swiss watch maker Swatch and Mercedes-Benz teamed up to collaborate on a small city car – Mercedes was supposed to take care of the mechanical/engineering side and Swatch the design side. At some point, Swatch realized that the investment of creating a new car from scratch was WAY more expensive than it thought it would be, so Mercedes became the majority shareholder in the company.
A special purpose-built complex was built in France to make nothing but Smarts, and after changing the original design a number of times, the new two-seater city car named Smart ForTwo started to be sold in the European marketplace in 1998.
By the early 2000s, Mercedes-Benz Canada started to make noise about wanting to sell the Smart ForTwo in the great white north. I’m not totally sure why, but I seem to remember some Canadian automotive journalists saying that BMW’s successful release of the MINI brand in 2002 had something to do with it. As well, even though Canada has a car market about one-tenth the size of the American one, small cars are more popular here than stateside. Mercedes had already decided to sell its B-class here in 2005, so I guess the decision was made to bring their smallest product to our shores.
The Smart ForTwo caused quite a sensation when it was first announced it would be coming to Canada. John decided he had to have one.
We went up to Star Motors in Ottawa (one of two Mercedes dealers in the city, and the first one which would offer the Smart ForTwo) for a test drive as soon as testers reached Canada in March 2005. As I recall, the tester was a Smart ForTwo Pure (base model) with the 0.8 litre three-cylinder diesel engine.
A twin to the one we test drove. Lime green as a car colour has since grown on me a bit.
I sure didn’t love it. The outside was finished in lime green, and the interior with lime green fabric on the seats and dashboard. Funky the interior was, but the quality seemed no better than on my Suzuki Sidekick of the time, with hard plastic and exposed screws.
And then there was how it drove. The automated manual transmission had six speeds and no clutch to push, but it shifted jerkily, like a real manual transmission did. And as for power, well, there wasn’t much. I was quite underwhelmed, but John said he absolutely loved it, and ordered a 2005 Smart ForTwo Passion (nicer trim with heated leather seats, a tachometer, air conditioning) from France.
The minimalist centre stack. Any resemblance to a Fisher Price toy is purely coincidental.
He chose the ivory and black colour scheme, but also reasoned that he could chose a different colour for the body panels if he ever got sick of white as they were all interchangeable. And plastic.
And once it arrived, his enthusiasm didn’t dampen one bit. I think part of the cars initial charm for him was its novelty as it was the first Smart in our hometown. One time he told me that it wasn’t good to be doing anything inappropriate in (for example, picking ones nose) while driving since everybody would be looking at you! I hoped he was joking.
The Smart ForTwo initially proved pretty popular in the great white north, it wasn’t long until there were at least a half-dozen examples in our small hometown. Soon, John became a member of a ‘Smart ForTwo’ fan club based in Ottawa, we even held a couple of the get-together events at our home.
Whatever I saw its shortcomings to be (lack of space, slow acceleration, herky-jerky transmission, vulnerability to getting blown around when a Cadillac passes you), John’s enthusiasm for the Smart continued for many years.
Over time, I got to appreciate its good bits too (the fuel economy really was terrific, as I discovered when I drove the car to Uxbridge and back for less than $20 for a family wedding), and it handled fine for such a small vehicle. The cheap interior was at least cheerful looking, and the Harmon-Kardon stereo and speakers sounded great. And you really could fit more stuff inside it than was immediately obvious.
The view from the drivers seat.
But the Smart was really John’s pal, not mine. He didn’t mind that the transmission shifts pitched you forward and back in your seat, and he didn’t care that the acceleration was leisurely and the interior quality was iffy. If it was teutonic perfection that he wanted, he would just drive one of his Mercedes.
The smart trunk with window up and hatch down. You could fit a few grocery bags or a case of beer in this space.
He found the Smart adorable and fun. He also liked that he could add little features to it a-la-carte, like the cupholders, the under-seat storage drawer and fold-down armrest. After much online searching, he even found a kit to add cruise control to make long-distance driving a bit more bearable.
John kept the Smart car for ten years. For all of his day-to-day driving it was perfectly adequate. About the time that the warranty ran out (2009 I believe), he talked about getting one of the new Smarts. However, after doing a bit of research he found out the diesel ones were no longer being imported, so he decided to hang onto his.
He would probably still be driving it today had fate not intervened. After being blessed with great health for most of his life, in mid-2014 it became apparent that something wasn’t right with him health-wise. He was losing weight for no apparent reason, and he commented that he sometimes felt a bit ‘peaked’.
Although he’d always been fine with driving anywhere, he started asking me to drive him in the Smart to different medical appointments, where we hoped that someone would be able to tell us what was wrong, and what could be done to fix it.
But even as he started to feel more and more poorly, if he had to go somewhere by himself he would drive – and the Smart would take him there. Maybe not quickly, and maybe not in the lap of luxury, but it would take him where he needed to go.
After several months of having medical professionals tell him that they couldn’t find anything wrong, his GP suggested what he thought was causing John’s issues. ALS, or Lou Gehrig’s Disease.
I still remember when John told me. I felt like throwing up, and I knew there was nothing that could be done about it. I cried a bit and was upset but John was a bit more philosophical. “You know, I’ve had a good life, I’ve done lots of interesting things, gone interesting places, had a great career.” he said . “I’ve driven some great cars and had lots of fun. And I had you with me for some of the best parts of it. I think I’m ready.”
John died on December 29, 2014. He passed away more suddenly than most people with ALS do, which really was a blessing given the hell many long-term sufferers with the disease go through. I found him passed away in his bed in the home we shared. If one has to die (and we all do), I think that’s the best way to go.
He left all of his cars to me. Unfortunately, I had no need for the Smart so I decided to sell it to a longtime friend of ours; the contractor who has done most of the work on the 1830s stone house we shared and where I still live. I am glad it has a good home.
While the passing of my best friend ever created a void that’s almost impossible to fill, I’m glad I got to spend the time with John that I did. I do think it’s going to be almost impossible to find someone else whose love for cars is as great as mine. But, you never know.
John and I at the 2012 Brockville pride parade. I’ve lost about 50 pounds since then. Its one of our few pictures together (we both hated getting our photo taken).
One of the things I’m especially grateful for is that I had an opportunity to experience all of the great vehicles that graced our garage during the 14 years we were together. It was him who really took my love of cars out of the pages of car magazines and internet sites into real life. And for that, John, I will be forever thankful.
I did not see that coming, I was reading this article, poised to write a comment about how I’ve never cared for the Smart ForTwo (although I can see their purpose in narrow street-filled, old European cities). And then you mentioned his illness and it took me by surprise. I am so sorry for your loss. To lose the love of your life is a pain that must tear your heart and soul asunder.
The flaws you pointed out about the ForTwo are the same criticisms I have. But it’s interesting that John had such an affection for this little car. Some people have different priorities and likes in a car, and clearly the little Smart was brimming with enough character to make up for that awful transmission.
You’ve done John proud, writing about his automotive history. Thank you for sharing your stories about John and his cars.
This is why I come here to read while I wake up each morning. I enjoyed your whole series but wasn’t expecting the ending at all. Thanks for sharing your and Johns stories here. I can only imagine your pain in losing him.
I once dated a girl whose mother had ALS. Horrible disease to deal with. I have nothing but sympathy for those it affects, and respect for the strength of those that live with it.
As for the smart, never was a fan of the car in general, though I am fond of the packaging in idea only. And what I remember about the many examples I drove in my years in rental cars is the interior smell. Like high end plastics and vinyl. Very specific, attractive smell.
We used to rent some with the Brabus trim level, and people would constantly steal the Brabus emblems off of them. And the rear tires are expensive and only available from the OE manufacturer-Dunlop, I think.
Since you mentioned Brabus, here’s one I saw in Brisbane a few years back.
We’ve both been down the same road, in the case of my wife it was Progressive Supranuclear Palsy (PSP). Not much needs to be said other than the stark realization that it’s amazing what you’re capable of when the situation forces you to deal with it. Even if six months before, you couldn’t visualize in the slightest being able to deal with it. Or how you’d do it.
I have yet to drive a Smart, from all the reports I’ve ever read there’s nothing wrong with this car that a good, three-pedal manual wouldn’t take care of. Unfortunately, we live in an era where a manual is considered retrogressive, and completely unacceptable for urban driving. But they’ve always fascinated me.
Nowadays, in my mind, the Smart has been replaced by a plug-in battery electric for commuting duties, so I’ll most likely never own one.
Sounds like the perfect use for a Smart in Canada. You could enjoy it’s good qualities when you wanted, and had other cars for a backup if you wanted something it couldn’t do well.
I only drove one once, but found the transmission very weird, figured an owner would learn to anticipate the shifts and get used to it.
Too bad about the loss of John, one of our co workers had ALS and carried on as long as he could but it must have been very hard.
I’m very sorry for your loss. It’s heartening to hear how much you enjoyed your car hobby and life together, though, and thanks for sharing your story.
So sorry to hear of your partner’s passing from ALS. I’ve known people with the disease and it’s quite devastating. May he rest in peace.
My former pastor’s wife had a Smart FourTwo, he would occasionally drive it to church on Sundays. I rode with him somewhere in it, theirs was gasoline powered. I remember the herky jerky trans, thinking there was something wrong with the car. The pastor, being an old farm boy, noticed my concern and told me “they all do that”. We had a good laugh after that. He and I shared a passion for Mopars; it was something we’d heard a lot from service advisors over the years.
Here’s my idea of an ideal lime green runabout…
Coming from someone who’s had to deal with a loved one’s passing as well, in this case, my mom’s sudden resurgence of her 8 year struggle with Stage 4 Melanoma. I can relate all too well. It’s always hard to deal with this shock, and to accept and deal with the inevitability of what will eventually happen. Speaking truthfully, it’s impossible to fill the void they leave behind, try as some people might. The hole in your heart doesn’t go away, it just gets smaller and time really doesn’t heal the wound, so much as numb it for the most part.
For what it’s worth, I’m glad his final car went to loving hands who can easily treat it with respect. My personal feelings on the Smart Car aside, I understand wanting to make sure that the possessions of loved ones go to people who can take care of them right. It may not be all important to them, but they can see how important it is to you, and if they’re respectful enough, they will do their best to make sure that it gets treated right.
I enjoyed this series, John certainly had a pretty unique and cool selection of cars, so it was fun to see everything he owned. Thanks for sharing his cars with us.
That’s one hell of a life story. ALS also killed Portuguese singer Zeca Afonso, one of the major symbols of the April 25th, 1974 the day when my country got rid of a dictatorship and became a free country.
Glad you wrote his automotive story, Saabaru, and I’m sure John would be very proud of the awesome articles you did on his cars.
I’m very sorry for your loss, but thank you for this COAL series. I’m sure John would be very proud of your homage to his passion for cars.
I am so sorry for your loss. Thanks for sharing……I will never look at a Smart Car the same. Stories like these are why I come back to CC every day.
My condolences. And at least he had some nice cars along the way!
So sorry for your loss. We had a close family friend with ALS and it was a very difficult road for him and his family.
I just drove past our local Smart dealer the other day – there was but a single Smart parked around the side. The midwestern US is not a very good market for Smart, especially during a time of low fuel prices. I am surprised that the dealer is still hanging on – albeit with a lot of late model used cars of other makes in front of its showroom.
I’d forgotten that the center stack design of these was so, um, distinctive. I wonder how the stylists pitched this: “I call it ‘Angry Frog! or Astonished Robot!'”
“Beautiful! Go for it! In fact, spend the money we were going to use to smooth out the transmission as well!”
All kidding aside, I’m glad Smart Cars are around for variety, and that they bring joy to their owners. Nothing better you can say about a car than that.
Every car has a story, as does every life. Thank you for sharing yours and John’s.
The ending surprised and saddened me, I’m sorry for your loss. Life is far too short.
I get John’s affection for this goofy little car, having had plenty of such automotive crushes myself. It doesn’t make any sense, the car is deeply flawed, but the heart overrides the head and away we go. Makes life fun I think.
Someone in the comments said they’d never look at a Smart car the same after reading this, and nor will I. Thanks for sharing your tale.
It is wonderful that you shared this passion for cars and you had such great cars to share it with. This makes for great memories. My dad died about 13 years ago and I haven’t had a day without thinking about him. These are warm and beautiful memories. I think you will experience the same about John.
Nice.
John had an eclectic taste in vehicles, which means he was an interesting dude. Thank you for sharing his story with us.
Very interesting and moving story. I’m very sorry about your loss. How are you doing nowadays?
I’m doing ok thanks. The first year was very tough, the second was less tough.
Sorry for your loss.
A couple weeks ago, Mercedes announced they will no longer offer the gas powered Smart in the US after the 17 model year, though the electric version will carry on.
I was at a local Mercedes store recently to look at a Fiat 500 (my own funky car obsession) on their used lot and noticed they had two or three Smarts in the showroom.
http://www.usatoday.com/story/money/cars/2017/02/13/mercedes-stop-selling-gas-powered-smart-car-us/97873940/
Go with the Fiat. You won’t regret it.
Go with the Fiat. You won’t regret it.
The used 500 at the Merc dealer is a Lounge with an opening glass roof. Unfortunately the mechanism for the opening roof steals too much headroom.
The dealer in Bloomfield Hills has a 17 black on black Pop Cabrio on his lot. The biggest issue is I have a one car garage, the VW has dibs on that, and I’m not crazy about parking a new car out in Michigan weather all year. I’ll look to see if Fiat puts a *lot* of money on the hood for March, though 500s are now moving a lot better than they did last year, because they cut the sticker price by a bunch.
Came close a couple weeks ago. The dealer in Toledo had a new 2015 Cabrio on his lot, red with black top and black interior for $13,500, but they sold it just as I discovered they had it.
Biggest automotive mistake I’ve ever made was in September 2013. Sis and I drove past a Fiat studio so I told her “lets go in and look” since I love the 500. We did, and on the showroom floor was a manual black Pop model with red cloth (no longer an option) and the optional chrome mirror housings. It was perfect. Discounted down to $10,199… I could have bought that car on the spot in cash, but I had just spent $3k on townhouse upgrades and was wary of being so thin on reserve savings. Dumb dumb dumb. I’ve yet to see them drop below 12k since :/
…on the showroom floor was a manual black Pop model with red cloth (no longer an option) and the optional chrome mirror housings. It was perfect. Discounted down to $10,199…
The dealer in Ann Arbor had a new 2015 black on black Pop hatchback with a stick discounted to 10,533 last November. I wasn’t crazy about how the locks worked (push the door latch handle toward the door, rather than a switch on the armrest or console) nor the power window switches (on the console on either side of the shifter), nor the way the door wire harness went straight from the door jamb to the door, without a loop of slack in it (MkV Jettas had that straight across wire harness, which broke quite often). The deal killer was the clutch travel. With the seat positioned for the wheel, my short legs couldn’t push the clutch all the way in. Adjust the seat for the clutch and I was kissing the wheel.
Turns out there was a recall on the 5 speed’s clutch mechanism last summer. A spring was breaking in the clutch which made it impossible to engage or disengage the clutch, I forget which. The fix was to install a bracket to limit the clutch pedal travel. That 15 had not had the limiter put in. I tried a 17 at the auto show and the clutch now hits a hard stop an inch or more before it gets to the floor, which also brings it close enough for my short legs to work it.
..with red cloth (no longer an option)
That red upholstery/armrest treatment was a bit much for me. Now you can get black with red piping and red headrests, which I like a lot better.
My sympathies for your loss; life is sometimes cruel and words are often inadequate to describe how one feels. Thank you for sharing this story, I hope that you can find peace as time goes on.
My mother, a person who died suddenly and much too young, always told me not to say anything about something if you couldn’t say something good. So, no comments from me today about the Smart.
Like many others reading about John’s cars, I was not expecting it to end for him the way it did, so quickly and with such finality.
There is something wonderful about a person who takes the imperfections and oddball manners of such a vehicle as the Smart ForTwo and makes them all part of a joyful trip through life.
Thank you for this COJL.
I too did not see that coming and I’m so sorry. It has been a pleasure reading about your life together and coming from a family that has seen great personal tragedy I can only empathize and wish you all good things. Here’s to cars, the people who love them, and the relationships we build with each other. Sometimes we get lucky and fall in love with each other, too. It is obvious that yours was one of the very lucky ones. Thank you for sharing this portrait of your life together with us. ❤?
The smart electric is the real smart, as it has none of the “problems“ that the gas smart is riddled with. I’ve been driving an electric since 2014 and the every-day driving experience is pure bliss. Extremely powerful, absolutely smooth, jerk-free, and instant acceleration anywhere from 0 to 79 mph (its top speed).
I can’t imagine ever driving a combustion engine again for my commute. I could not tolerate the smart gas loaner my dealer gave me when my electric was in for service. So, after the second loaner I asked them to not give me one any more. They are now giving me a Mercedes.
Now that the gas smart will no longer be sold in North America come the end of this (model) year, it’ll be electrics available only after that.
Of course, the limited range of 70-80 miles per battery charge does not work for everyone, and the fact that the fast charge option is not being made available on this side of the Atlantic, contrary to Europe, makes this car truly only suitable for the short-range commuter or city-dweller. *
But the fun one has driving it is unmatched by any gasser.
—
* 0 to 100% battery charge time is ~14 hours on a 120V outlet, 5.5 hours on a level 2 charger (2.5 hrs for the new 453 model due out by this summer), and about 1 hour on a fast charger, the latter only being available in Europe.
In my small town in BC Canada the city just put in a fast charger (440 volt I think). It seems really popular with the tesla owners. The majority of electric cars on my town seem to be Nissan leafs and are using the level 2 chargers. My friend bought a lease back Nissan Leaf about a year ago and claims the city chargers are free to use at this point. Making for a really cheap commute. He figures it is somewhere around 50 cents a 100 kilometres to charge at the 11 cents a kWh we pay for BC hydro.
I too was caught by surprise when you got to the part relating to John’s illness. ALS is a terrible thing. Sorry for your loss.
The Smart? Well I used to live in Vienna where these things are in their element but I was always astonished they sold at all in the North America. But I suppose a city in Canada or the US presents the same challenges as a European one so that it makes sense. Sort of.
So sorry to hear of your loss. Didn’t see that coming until the end.
Thank you for sharing a very heartfelt and difficult story. I’m grateful for your contributions- cars aren’t just about transportation or a big complex machine – they are intertwined with our lives.
Very touching story. Sorry for your loss. My father passed away quickly from a heart attack so I understand the grace of a quick passing even if it is still devestating. At least it wasn’t prolonged as you say.
Nice to know at least one Smart owner kept their car for a long 10 years. I drive ForTwos on occasion under Vancouver’s (British Columbia) car2go car sharing program when my car is in for service or have promotional time to use up etc. and I have to say these little cars are underwhelming. I can get past the automated manual transmission quirkiness and the triangular rear view mirror, but the feel of the creaky and cracking plastic fantastic interior is what really defined the driving experiences as forgettable. Even the small gas 3 cylinder has some get-go if I stomped on it which makes it more than capable on the freeway; sounds like a small V6 too which is a tiny bonus. The upside of the Smart experience is how it makes my regular car feel so good — which is by no means a Mercedes. Also, of course, the maneuverability is excellent and tiny size comes in handy when it comes time to park and “log-off” in the cramped West End.
Thanks again for the article.
I am so sorry to read about John’s passing, glad it was so blessedly fast. There are few things more exhausting emotionally than the drawn-out death of someone you care for.
Re: Smarts – I managed to get in on one of the Fall 2007 press tours leading up the the Smart cars’ US introduction, a two-day visit to Silicon Valley. If only they’d just tossed us the keys and said “Be back for dinner,” I’d have had a much better chance to feel ours out, since I remember most of the good roads around the SF peninsula, but our GPS units dutifully took us down all the boring ones. Over copious drinks that night (Hallowe’en, appropriately enough), we all mostly agreed that the cars were quicker and better-handling than we’d expected, that there was an impressive amount of room and comfortable seats, and that whoever designed that transmission should be shot. Or at least fired. My co-driver and I did figure out how to make it work, by keeping it in Manual mode, ignoring the shift points and wrapping it to 2500, and then lifting off for a second while snapping the shift, like dry-shifting a motorcycle. Satisfactory, but tiresome as a regular practice. We noticed later that all of the factory people were happy to talk about anything else, but criticism of that item somehow got deflected and ignored.
I have since driven a more recent electric one, which yields a much better driving experience. I think the decision to offer only that version is a good one, and expect that we’ll see some improvement in battery range, though 80+ miles seems plenty given the car’s principal role as a grocery-getter/commuter.
I’m sorry for your loss of John…you’ve got many great memories. Cherish them. I lost my partner on December 24, 2016. His health started declining and he decided to give up driving…it just wasn’t safe for him, or other drivers, any more. We sold his car, a ’13 Mazda 5 to my former sister-in-law. As luck would have it, he made enough progress to be able to drive safely, so we bought an ’05 Subaru Forester with 194k miles on it. He loved that thing from the word go and drove for about two months, mostly to the store and for coffee…although he was never truly comfortable as before he got sick. He again hung up his keys and ended up in the hospital with kidney failure. Now that he’s gone, I’m not sure what to do with the Subie…I drive it once a week, and a tank of gas lasts about four to six weeks. I don’t want to sell it, but I don’t want it to waste away in the garage either. Best of luck to you…David
My sympathies for the loss of your life partner
Sorry for your loss.
One of my coworkers has a diesel smart car. He likes to brag about the fuel economy. And has had pretty good luck mechanically speaking. Although the battery and headlights are a major pain to replace. I never really understood the dropping of the diesel and poor fuel economy of the gas replacement other than Americans don’t like diesels. I hear the new models are based on the Renault twingo and that you can actually get them with a manual transmission. Thanks for the glimpse of some interesting vehicles.
When the Smart car was introduced in the US as a gas only car, Canada had the Diesel discontinued at the same time and only got gas cars after this. A Canadian Mercedes employee I knew said it was tough to sell the gas version, fuel mileage was no better then some small cars that came with a back seat, so what was the point? I think he said the Diesel Smart was good for 60+MPG.
Sad to hear of your loss, it’s probably best your partner passed quickly avoiding the sad progression of ALS. I lost a sister (age 44) in 1996 from AIDS, we found out about her illness Christmas 1993. She donated her body to AIDS research and was using some trial drugs. Had it been around 10 years later she may still alive today with the advances and drugs such as AZT.
Sorry for your loss. This was a wonderful series and thank you for sharing the memories with all of us.
Wishing you the best Saabaru. John no doubt would be proud of you to share this with all of us.
Sorry for your loss, Saabaru. I could not even begin to imagine the pain of loosing someone to ALS.
This was a really nice COAL (COJL) series. I really enjoyed reading it.
This caption on the 4th picture down was priceless….
“The minimalist centre stack. Any resemblance to a Fisher Price toy is purely coincidental.”
Great to see you have a good sense of humor about the car.
So, can someone explain to me what “COAL (COJL)” means?
As the occasional visitor who has been alerted to this post by Google Now because of my interest in the smart, I’m not a regular on this blog, so I don’t know.
car of a life time – car of John’s lifetime
I know this was sort of about the smart but for so many of us, this is about love and being together and absorbing someone else’s taste because it’s filtered through the lens of our loved ones. Thanks for being out, being honest, being an amazing support to John and being a beautiful person. My lover/partner/mate share love for cars and I still assume I’m just about the only gay person who’s into these four-wheeled weirdnesses. Community, in all ways connects us all. In support and with great appreciation, hoping the world smiles on you and healing is swift and memories remind of a great life.
You’re not the only one….. there’s me. 🙂 My husband isn’t a car geek – he asked me why I needed to haul my collection of every issue of Collectible Automobile ever published with us when we moved from DC to Seattle. But he did promise me that once in Seattle I could buy an old car, since we now have a garage. And our three schnauzers in 40+ years together have been named Packard Patrician, Bentley Continental, and Nash Metropolitan. That tells you something.
It’s so funny, I regularly have to explain to surprised straight and gay friends alike that there is a whole world of gay car enthusiasts out there. I didn’t actually realise until I found Curbside Classic just how many there were!
From one fellow Canuck to another, my sympathies.
Being from the Peterborough area, I was familiar with a lot of the locales your car driving adventures took you and John.
My uncle died in the 80’s from ALS. His was long and drawn out and for what comfort it gives you, you are right.John having a quick passing was a blessing.
Please continue and to write some more car adventures. I am sure your time with John must have rubbed off. There HAS to be some more COALS in your future!
Bill
I’m very sorry to hear of John’s passing. I’ve really enjoyed your COJL series – thank you very much for sharing, especially this personal and painful episode. You have an enjoyable and eminently readable writing style, so I hope to read some more COALs from you on future.
On the subject of the Smart, my brother has owned one for a few years, a roadster, and I’ve driven it a couple of times. The coupe is a bit quicker (it certainly seemed to have more than adequate acceleration), and the handling was very tidy, but you’re right, that transmission really lets it down in a big way. Apparently you get used to its foibles, as my brother still enjoys driving his daily!
I’ve so loved your series of COJL – thanks for sharing them! I was so unprepared for the ending of the series. Please accept our condolences for your loss. I hope you keep writing about cars – you’re a wonderful scribe.
You’re lucky your spouse shared your love of cars. Alas, I’m in a mixed marriage – I’m a car geek and Rick is a stereo/sound/music nerd. He doesn’t get my fascination with vintage iron, though he did agree to our naming our dogs Packard, Bentley, and Nash.
I love those dog names!
Actually, they were Packard Patrician, Bentley Continental, and Nash Metropolitan. We’re thinking of getting Nash a little brother, and if we do we’re naming him Tucker Torpedo.
Wow. Every car has a story. And every car owner has a story. Thanks for sharing your stories with us! Love and best wishes as you soldier on without your partner and best friend!
Thank you for sharing your challenging Life Story with us on Curbeside Classic. I was very moved by it, and greatly respect the strength in you, that it took to do so. I am also happy to see the touching responses you have received from your fellow car-buffs. It brought a tear to my eye. Your Partner was one very smart individual; in that, he was sensitive to YOUR feelings, regarding the acceptance of his diagnosis, and how it affected your Relationship. Wishing you all the best in your future….M.
I’m just now getting to read this (catching up on back CC posts over the past several months), but I wanted to say thank you for sharing the story of your life with John through the lens of his many interesting cars, and I’m so sorry for your loss. How wonderful, though, to be able to spend the time together that you did, and a bonus that you shared a common interest that he was able to provide more firsthand experience with. Your writing is excellent and I hope we do get to hear more from you in the future.