Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2008/09/20
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]Stasys, Sory to have waited so long for a reply. The story of my 1957 1500 Carrera GT is an involved one: Summer 1957 I was happily racing an AC Bristol when the Navajo Missile program was canceled and thousands of engineers were laid off. A racing buddy who owned a Porsche dealership in Long Island called me to tell me of a forfeited deposit on a Factory delivered 1500 Carrera coupe. That I could have for the price of an "ordinary" Super coupe. But--- I had to pick it up at the factory in September, with CASH. In a week I sold my AC Bristol, plus my Buick tow car (a story in itself, the Buick came from the 1953 GM Futurama, a Riviera show car) Sold all my cameras except a IIIf plus wide and 135mm lenses, my gun collection etc etc. Bought airline tickets to Stuttgart for girl friend and me. Got passport in record time. Constellation flight had engine trouble and was diverted to Iceland. 3 fun days in Iceland,-- The most beautiful women in the world, but I could do nowt!. ( the expression "brought sandwiches to a banquet" comes to mind) Got to Stuttgart and picked up car-- Ruby Red with tan leather-- Fantastic- Got apartment in Paris, but spent most time touring Europe for five weeks, spending all our money. Found a job in US with ABMA, flew back , had car shipped. All went OK- Quit job because of snow, Took job in Cape Canaveral Florida-- Porsche was flawless. Transferred to San Diego--Drove Porsche from Florida to New York to California. Flawless, except for encounter with a cock pheasant and windshield in west Texas 115 mph, Temp over 100 degrees. It made a one inch hole in windshield with all of the pheasant homogenized inside the car. With a duct tape patch, and an interior cleaning, I made it to La Jolla, where I have stayed for 50 years. Best regards Jerry Stasys Petravicius wrote: > Jerry- I didn't know you were such a car guy! Those Carreras are > worth more than a big collection of M cameras and lenses! Stasys > On Sep 13, 2008, at 2:30 PM, Jerry Lehrer wrote: > >> Alastair, >> >> In 1957, as soon as we drove into Paris , where I was going to live >> for a while, I did not trust my brand new Porsche 1500 Carrera (the 4 >> cam one) to >> be parked in the streets. I took it in to the Porsche dealer with a >> long list of phony complaints I rented a 2 CV which had 2 doors and >> was shorter than >> the ones I have seen in pics here.. We parked it at right angles to >> the kerb! It was adequate for Paris. >> >> Jerry >>