101-Year-Old Man Buys a 426-Horsepower Camaro
Jim_Higgins
101-Year-Old Man Buys a 426-Horsepower Camaro
http://tinyurl.com/y94zlxn
�I wanted a sportscar,� said Virgil Coffman, pictured left, who turns
102 in January. Mr. Coffman met with Ed Welburn, vice president of
global design for General Motors, on Tuesday.
Eight months older than General Motors, Virgil Coffman clearly is not
whom Chevrolet had in mind when it decided to bring back the Camaro.
But a bright yellow, 426-horsepower Camaro SS is exactly what Mr.
Coffman, who turns 102 in January, wanted when he went to a Chevy
dealership near his home in Decatur, Ill., in September. He ordered a
�Transformers� special edition model, which is adorned with black
stripes to resemble the character Bumblebee from the blockbuster movie.
Mr. Coffman hasn�t seen �Transformers.� He said he just liked how the
special-edition Camaro looked � and that only 1,500 are to be produced.
He traded in a Chevy Monte Carlo for the new car. �Driving by myself, I
didn�t need one of those big cars anymore.� he said. �I wanted a sportscar.�
After learning of Mr. Coffman�s purchase, G.M. flew him to Detroit this
week to show him around a design studio and its Heritage Center, a
museum filled with hundreds of cars it has built during his lifetime �
and, of course, get a little publicity for one of the company�s
hottest-selling cars.
Mr. Coffman worked for G.M. from 1950 until 1973, first making bumpers
for Cadillacs and later as a chemist. He has owned 35 to 40 different
vehicles � mostly G.M., none foreign � starting with a �1920-something�
two-door Chevy coupe. This is his first Camaro, and he says he likes it
the best.
�The way it looks and the way it handles � you can�t beat it,� he said.
�People you don�t even know come up and talk to you in a parking lot.�
Bob Lamb, a nephew who accompanied Mr. Coffman on his visit, said the
sales staff at Miles Chevrolet was a bit skeptical of a 101-year-old man
who came in looking for the $38,000 Camaro but more than happy to make
the deal when they realized he was serious. �He told me, �If I keep that
10 or 12 years, it will be worth about $100,000,�� Mr. Lamb said. �He�s
very optimistic.�
Since September, Mr. Coffman, who has outlived his wife and three
children, has put about 1,800 miles on his new car, though he has yet to
take it more than about 50 miles outside of Decatur. And while he loves
the powerful V-8 engine, he keeps his speed down � most of the time.
�Once in a while I like to kick it up,� he said. �But I�m afraid to
drive too fast and get a ticket, and then they might take my license away.�
Lp1331 1p1331
couple. The man used a walker and could barely get around with that, and
didn't drive any more. The wife was in pretty good shape-- said she was
80 and that she did all the driving. There were two cars in the driveway
under car covers, and I had to ask her what they were. She said they
were both Cougars, I think about 92 and 97 or so. She started telling me
all about them-- what engines they had, and that the 92 actually ran,
and shifted better, etc.. She said she still had her first new car out
in the garage-- a 73 Charger with a 318, and about 50K on it. When I was
finished with my work, she asked if I wanted to see her Charger. Of
course I did, so she took me to the garage, and peeled back the cover on
it. It was green, and looked like new. But sitting beside it in the
garage was--- her black 2005 CORVETTE!! -- a convertable no less. She
said she had always wanted one, and finally got one-- bought it new. I
asked her how fast she'd had it up to. She gave me a sheepish grin, and
said "a hundred". You're only as old as you feel, I guess. I thought it
was great that someone that age, and especially a woman, was that
interested in cars, and able , physically, mentally, and financially, to
get something like the Vette that she had always wanted. Larry
hls
"Lp1331 1p1331" <lp1...@webtv.net> wrote in message news:15294-4B0622BC-
> was great that someone that age, and especially a woman, was that
> interested in cars, and able , physically, mentally, and financially, to
> get something like the Vette that she had always wanted. Larry
>
you cant
sell a young man an old man's car.
I'm 68, and just bought myself a new convertible a couple of months ago. I
had intended
to buy a Porsche, but backed off because I didnt like the ride
characteristics.
Happy Trails
>It has long been known that you can sell an old man a young man's car, but
>you cant
>sell a young man an old man's car.
>
>I'm 68, and just bought myself a new convertible a couple of months ago. I
>had intended
>to buy a Porsche, but backed off because I didnt like the ride
>characteristics.
Sounds like you bought the old man's car, so I guess you do not
consider yourself a young man huh, hahaha?
hls
"Happy Trails" <nom...@myplace.com> wrote in message
news:mbfdg51i6cdvrg2kq...@4ax.com...
No, I guess I dont. But the convertible is fine for a mature man.
Mike Hunter
in a row. I had a 1999, 2001, 2003, 2005, 2007, as well.
I also have a 2010 Lincoln MKZ for when I need more room and I'm pushing 84.
The first time I bought a Mustang V8 convertible was back in 1954, I still
have in my collection ;)
"hls" <h...@nospam.nix> wrote in message
news:8OqdnRxb8_trnZrW...@giganews.com...
Happy Trails
<Mikehunt2@lycos,com> wrote:
>I also have a 2010 Lincoln MKZ for when I need more room and I'm pushing 84.
>The first time I bought a Mustang V8 convertible was back in 1954
Maybe you are pushing 84 a little too hard - the first year that Ford
made a Mustang was 1964, hahahahaha!
Mike Hunter
"Happy Trails" <nom...@myplace.com> wrote in message
news:ih6eg59fl047v50qs...@4ax.com...
Happy Trails
<Mikehunt2@lycos,com> wrote:
>Fat fingers?
Proof read?
Mike Hunter
Besides there is ALWAYS somebody in the NGs, you who apparently has plenty
of free time to hang our in the NGs, who is more than happy to report others
misspelling LOL
"Happy Trails" <nom...@myplace.com> wrote in message
news:vtieg5hl0qljehhne...@4ax.com...
Happy Trails
Your mistake was not a spelling mistake. Besides at 83 you have all
the time in the world - you have the rest of your life, hahahahaha!
Mike Hunter
last dollar the day I die.
"Happy Trails" <nom...@myplace.com> wrote in message
news:s54hg5l3qm26a9m86...@4ax.com...
Happy Trails
<Mikehunt2@lycos,com> wrote:
>I know it, that is why I don't waist any of it an I planning to spend my
>last dollar the day I die.
Well excuse the suggestion, but it seems you are wasting ALL of it
from the sheer number of somewhat useless posts seen here!
Mike Hunter
useless posts, while I'm waiting for an important down load to finish. ;)
"Happy Trails" <nom...@myplace.com> wrote in message
news:ifvkg597btmv9dd79...@4ax.com...