That New Car Smell

 I hope in your lifetime you have the opportunity to enjoy the smell of a new car, there's nothing quite like it.   I've had the good fortune through hard work  and smart choices, to have experienced it five time in my life.  My father gave me my first real car as a high school graduation gift, a 1970 bright yellow Chevy Nova with black vinyl seats which he presented to me the day of my graduation.   Previously I had been driving a former car of his - a 1963 Chevy Impala which was huge like an armor tank.   But the Nova was mine and even though it wasn't brand new with that special smell, it was new to me just the same.   I got his money's worth out of that car and was so grateful for his gift.   With that car I entered the work force and never looked back.  I found that working hard ( a work ethic I learned from my father ) got me the nice things in life that I desired.   And so, after a few years I wanted to pick out my own car which my father counselled me on and co-signed my first car loan for a 1976 Buick Skyhawk hatchback which I totally adored.   Again, it was not brand spanking new and didn't have that "new car smell" but it was new to me and I worked hard to diligently pay that car loan and make my Dad proud.   When I paid that off and proved to him I was trustworthy and responsible, he agreed to come look at new cars with me and helped me purchase a 1985 1/2 - yes Ford called it a 1985 AND A HALF Ford Escort.   Brand new, baby blue with you guessed it!   That brand new car smell.   Oh, God there was nothing like it.  I wanted it to last forever which it didn't.   But I took great care of that car and made my payments on time faithfully and the man I married got me and that car in the bargain.  A couple years after we married and started a side business selling at arts and crafts shows, we needed larger transportation and traded his Toyota in for a brand spanking new 1989 Plymouth Voyager mini van, fully loaded with all the bells and whistles and the "new car smell".   We definitely got our moneys worth out of that car.   Soon after that, we started talking about me getting a convertible, so on June 28, 1996 ( my fortieth birthday ) we drove off Chrysler's lot with a spanking new candy apple red Sebring convertible after trading in my beloved Escort.   I enjoyed that "new car smell" any time I happened to have the top up.   That car served us well as my work car and our weekend driving around fun car.  After ten years it started showing its age even though we pampered it, so we traded it in for wah - lah, my VW Beetle convertible with the leather heated seats and that "new car smell".   Again, I enjoyed that whenever I happened to have the top up.   Well, my partner in crime never did warm up to that "girlie car" as he called it.   Well, that was one of the nicer phrases he used to describe it - I won't mention the other words he used.   While I drove the Beetle, my husband had his Toyota RAV4 which I referenced a few days ago.   The car was totally destroyed in a car accident but it saved our lives because the door kept the other car from coming right at me.   We decided then and there that our convertible days were over and since we were both home, why have two cars and two insurance payments?  We rarely drove the Beetle and the new car smell of both cars was long gone.  So, we decided to trade in my beloved Beetle and get a brand spanking new 2013 Toyota RAV4 in Barcelona Red, with all the bells and whistles, heated seats, you name it AND that "new car smell".
I can only add that I hope you all someday have the chance to experience the "smell" even if it means visiting a showroom and sitting in a new car just for the experience.   We have been fortunate enough to have worked hard, made good choices and have enjoyed our car experiences.   This will probably be our last new car purchase and I'll enjoy the experience and smell of the car while it lasts which I hope will be for a very, very long time.