16 Turbine Car. Photos: Williamsberg Marquis & Our 383 Dodge Charger. Song: “Born to Be Wild”

Photos, Marquis Ramada Inn, and my dad’s Charger with me, and my all A’s honor student high school girlfriend.

Between 1963 and 1969, my father had a special deal to lease new Chrysler-made cars. He leased one for himself every three months, and one every year for our mother if she wanted. Starting in 1966, he started leasing third cars, one of which he allowed me to drive in Ohio. I learned in later years that he had 3 (three) life insurance policies on me during my teenage years. One of his leased cars was a 440 horse power Dodge Super Bee! It sounded like a lion growling while idling, and the front wheels seemed to jump, and leap forward lifting right off the ground, just goosing the gas a little.

After we moved to Ohio, our father leased a GTX Dodge Hemi called a “Road Runner” with a 425hp engine. When I floored my father’s “Road Runner”, the G-force pushed my body into the seat, and my head into head rest so much, that I could see in the rear view mirror that it contorted my face. It made me imagine how the astronauts felt upon lift-off. I was very fortunate to have never been involved in a serious car accident.

While we still lived in Grosse Pointe MI, my dad brought home the experimental Turbine Car. When we idled by the neighbor’s kids who were playing tag football in the street, the car made all the leaves on the street fishtail straight up into the air 20-30 feet, all in perfect uniformity. I remember looking back and seeing them looking up in awe, while standing with their arms outstretched, as all the leaves came floating down on them. Good Grosse Pointe memories.

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