[Llarry]

Mine originally dates back to 1962-63, when as a callow youth I was exposed to Road & Track magazine. Porsche! Ferrari! Aston-Martin! And this little sort of unassuming German make BMW. That planted the seed.

Fast forward to 1974 and I was stationed in Taiwan by the Navy and could buy a Euro-spec car at duty-free prices. A 2002 at US$5,200 was really too much for a young sailor to afford, but I dreamed.

A series of Japanese-brand cars ensued, culminating in a Acura Legend in 1990 -- what I would describe as my first reasonably upscale car. In 1994 I was about to be remarried to a woman who had a minivan and thought that now is the time to get something sporty. Say, a 300ZX. But BMWs had traction control for better winter capability. I bought a 1994 325is 5-speed with sport package and was hooked. In late 2021 I bought my tenth new BMW, which I love.