captain aero
04-27-2002, 06:30 AM
I met up with an old work colleague this week; we’re going to be working together on a new project. The last time we saw each other was a number of years ago and we both drove 3 series then, so it was a surprise for Tom to see me in the 93 Aero.
Parked next to his 3 series my Aero looked the dog’s hind quarters and it was getting plenty of praise while Tom strode around the car and stuck his head into the cabin to press a few buttons. Then he reminded me that when we first met in the 1980’s and were working for the same employer Tom dropped out of the company car thing and bought himself a 900 Aero coupe (classic) while the rest of us lemmings took the black GTI/318i route - well it was the eighties. Then we thought Tom a bit odd but I see it all differently now. He’d had a 96 before that car so he was bit of a SAAB officionardo, but now told me that he’d defected from SAAB when GM took over as he thought the cars had become a bit VW. He was now on his third six pot 3 series.
We took my car to the meeting so driving round Birmingham, Tom had chance to experience a GM SAAB. I didn’t become a complete tart and push the gauges up to the red once - just acted all mature keeping to the speed limit.
“Solid feel this - the doors really clunk when they shut” he said, “looks quite ‘SAAB’ - does it go?” - my right foot resisted.
Tom’s head was almost doing 360 degrees inspecting the interior. Even to me the ride seemed smooth and the engine silent - was my car on it’s best behaviour? (see the recent topic “de-rattling the 93”). He went on praising the Aero - I felt a right ponce getting compliments from someone who knew about classic SAABs and now drove the ‘ultimate driving machine’.
Then he asked me the list price. I stuck the knife in and told him. His lips sort of curled. He either had wind or he was doing some tricky mental arithmetic based on BMW figures. Then I twisted the knife by telling him what I actually paid. There was an intake of breath - surely this wasn’t flatulence?
He was an old friend but I didn’t care - I put the boot in... “I’ve got three years free servicing too”. What a [expletive deleted].
Names and places have been changed to protect the innocent.
Parked next to his 3 series my Aero looked the dog’s hind quarters and it was getting plenty of praise while Tom strode around the car and stuck his head into the cabin to press a few buttons. Then he reminded me that when we first met in the 1980’s and were working for the same employer Tom dropped out of the company car thing and bought himself a 900 Aero coupe (classic) while the rest of us lemmings took the black GTI/318i route - well it was the eighties. Then we thought Tom a bit odd but I see it all differently now. He’d had a 96 before that car so he was bit of a SAAB officionardo, but now told me that he’d defected from SAAB when GM took over as he thought the cars had become a bit VW. He was now on his third six pot 3 series.
We took my car to the meeting so driving round Birmingham, Tom had chance to experience a GM SAAB. I didn’t become a complete tart and push the gauges up to the red once - just acted all mature keeping to the speed limit.
“Solid feel this - the doors really clunk when they shut” he said, “looks quite ‘SAAB’ - does it go?” - my right foot resisted.
Tom’s head was almost doing 360 degrees inspecting the interior. Even to me the ride seemed smooth and the engine silent - was my car on it’s best behaviour? (see the recent topic “de-rattling the 93”). He went on praising the Aero - I felt a right ponce getting compliments from someone who knew about classic SAABs and now drove the ‘ultimate driving machine’.
Then he asked me the list price. I stuck the knife in and told him. His lips sort of curled. He either had wind or he was doing some tricky mental arithmetic based on BMW figures. Then I twisted the knife by telling him what I actually paid. There was an intake of breath - surely this wasn’t flatulence?
He was an old friend but I didn’t care - I put the boot in... “I’ve got three years free servicing too”. What a [expletive deleted].
Names and places have been changed to protect the innocent.