Today marks my second wedding anniversary. If you were to ask my wife Eli what it’s like to live with me, she’d probably tell you I can relate anything – no matter how random – to cars in some way. I don’t have to try hard to do that with our history together because we’ve spent so much time in various cars, trucks, and SUVs. Through those experiences, I’ve learned the following lessons:
Things Have Changed
The week of my first date with my wife, I was testing a Nissan Titan XD with the 5.0-liter Cummins turbodiesel V8. Eager to impress her, I told her I had a new pickup that I was reviewing and that I could pick her up in it. She gave me the address of her apartment complex and the rest is history.
At the time, I thought nothing of meeting her there, but that was nearly a decade ago. These days, it seems women are less comfortable with giving out their address on the first date and many opt to just meet a date at a bar or restaurant. I don’t blame them because they’re essentially rolling the dice on a complete stranger and getting in a car with them. Anyway, the idea of meeting a woman at her place and taking her out for a nice evening in your car that you washed and shined up just for the occasion now seems old-fashioned.
The Right Combination
Within the first few months of dating my wife, I got a Scion FR-S with a manual transmission as a press car. I knew how to drive stick, but I hadn’t gone significant distances while doing it, especially under stressful circumstances. That changed when we decided to go from Austin to San Antonio, Texas for Fiesta, a celebration of the city’s “rich and diverse cultures.” Neither one of us knew our way around the city and traffic was heavy, but I managed to keep my cool and Eli was my level-headed navigator. That day I learned that we work well together. Fortunately, that hasn’t changed over the past several years. We make a great team. I like driving, but I’m bad with directions; my wife enjoys being a passenger more, but she’s a terrific co-pilot.
The Difference
I learned this when I had my 2008 Ford Mustang Bullitt. My wife thought it was a cool car and liked the way I looked in it. However, she didn’t enjoy being in it with me because it was low to the ground and had a stiff suspension. Even though it had a pair of cup holders, we couldn’t bring drinks that were over a certain height (such as her massive Stanley tumbler) because they’d get in the way of me shifting. Big trucks and SUVs are the sweet spot: She likes seeing me in them and riding shotgun next to me because they’re roomy and comfortable.
Required Listening
Before we moved to the Phoenix area, my wife and I went on several road trips from Austin to El Paso in a variety of media loaners, including a Ford F-150 Raptor, a Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Sahara EcoDiesel, and a GMC Yukon XL Denali. We listened to a mix of modern and older music during those long drives, but the Eagles was a part of each one. Now, it’s not officially a road trip without hearing “Take It to the Limit” at least once (and “one more time”).
It Takes the Right Car
My wife is not a car enthusiast. They’re just not her thing, just as reality TV is not mine. But I’ve learned that the right car can turn anyone’s head. Last year, she and I went to the Barrett-Jackson 2023 Scottsdale Auction. At first, I was getting the most out of it because I was next to my favorite person and surrounded by gorgeous vintage cars and modern exotics. But it wasn’t that long until my wife started pointing out vehicles that caught her eye. She loved the looks of the Bronco builds from Maxlider Brothers Customs and the colors and craftsmanship of the C1 Corvette restomods. I was even more stunned when she let me know she was digging the EarthRoamer expedition vehicles.
Expressions of Love
I’m a traditional guy, so I believe anniversaries and birthdays are special occasions to be celebrated with dinner and gifts. But there are so many times in between those significant dates in which I can show my wife how much I care. It can be as simple as pumping her gas for her, helping her vacuum the interior of her Mazda at the neighborhood car wash, or topping off the air in her tires.
I know many of you out there have been married a lot longer than me, so please share what your marriage has taught you about cars in the comments section below.
Source: www.classiccars.com