The One That Got Away

[jkernitzki]

We've all got one. A car/truck/bike that for reasons of timing, price, other obligations, etc., we just missed out on. I'm not talking about a Veyron here, just that one that was almost in reach, but didn't happen and you still think of wistfully to this day.

In my case, it was a '61 MGA I came across in '72 or '73. Other than the steering box being a bit sloppy, it otherwise was a little creampuff. Problem was, I had no way to come up with the princely sum of $600 for it. Sigh...

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[CancunBadlands]

I feel ya! For me, the 2001 VW Beetle RSI... I got the VW Beetle GLS with the 2.0l instead, I don't even could get the S with the 1.8Turbo at that time! ?

 

[Warped9]

I always wanted a ‘79 Volkswagen Scirocco. In ‘79 I bought a new Volkswagen Rabbit L 2dr. with 4spd. manual in Diamond Silver Metallic. I really wanted a Scirocco and could have had one if I’d spent about $1000 more. But I was trying to be more responsible by spending less. Mind you I really liked my Rabbit and it was a great car, but to this day I would still like a ‘79 Scirocco. Even by today’s standards I think it’s a great looking car. Hell, I think it’s far better looking than the vast majority of what is on the road today.

 

[davidg4781]

One of my cousins had a Scirocco in the mid to late 90s. It was a pretty neat car. I wanted a Corrado but not bad enough to really look for one.

Now, the ones that got away. I grew up with my family buying mostly used and sensible cars. And back in the late 90s, I was looking for my first car. I ended up with a 1989 Nissan Pulsar NX but there were two others I really wanted that I wasn't able to buy.

First up is a 1989 Honda Accord LX-i. The one I was looking at was MT and had white louvers and white BBS style wheels. It was at a used car lot down the street from where I lived so I saw it every day until it was gone.

I ended up getting the Pulsar NX and drove that for a couple of years until I was going to college and wanted something newer.

There was an early 90s Nissan Hardbody SE-V6. I test drove it and while it was a little on the high side of my budget, it looked like such a fun truck. But it was sold before I could get back to the lot. I ended up buying a brand new 1999 Ford Escort ZX-2 Hot.

 

[BLUEOVALRACER]

I really wanted a 85 Mustang GT with the 5 Speed, Holley 4 barrel and Factory Shorty Headers back in the late 80's but it was right after i got out of High School and had no credit at the time to get a Loan.

 

[Robins21]

For me it was in the late 70's, it was a 1969 Mercury Cougar, white exterior w/a black interior, it had a 351W & a 4spd. My oldest brother & I went to look at it & the battery was dead & it needed a l/s door. The door was not a problem since there was a large wrecking yard within a 15-minute drive of our house. I was afraid they were selling the car because it had electrical problems killing the battery, not even thinking it was just a bad battery. I did not buy it & have regretted it ever since.

 

[MAJB Retired]

1965 Mustang, bought it for $500 as a second car while assigned to Ft Bragg, NC. When I received orders for Germany I sold it for $1,200since I couldn't take it with me. Really wish I had kept it.

P.S. Not rust above the windshield, just a spot on the photo.

 

[Dannyp56]

That looks just like the 65 I had, bought in Lompoc, CA for 3500 bucks. Wish I had kept it.

 

[BLUEOVALRACER]

For me it was in the late 70's, it was a 1969 Mercury Cougar, white exterior w/a black interior, it had a 351W & a 4spd. My oldest brother & I went to look at it & the battery was dead & it needed a l/s door. The door was not a problem since there was a large wrecking yard within a 15-minute drive of our house. I was afraid they were selling the car because it had electrical problems killing the battery, not even thinking it was just a bad battery. I did not buy it & have regretted it ever since.

I know a guy with a 69 or 70 Cougar about that same color. The 69-70 Cougars are Very Nice Looking Cars IMO the 69-70's Look better than the 67 and 68's.This 69 Cougar is the May 2025 Feature Car on the American Muscle Cars 2025 Calendar .

 

[Sojourner]

Laugh all you want (and no doubt will), but I still wish I had bought that '85 Chevrolet Citation X11. That and the '84 Toyota Celica GTS.

(I have no affiliation with either photo; just two I downloaded off the interwebz to show which autos I'm still jonesing over.)

 

[davidg4781]

That Celica looks fun!

 

[The Shark]

We've all got one. A car/truck/bike that for reasons of timing, price, other obligations, etc., we just missed out on. I'm not talking about a Veyron here, just that one that was almost in reach, but didn't happen and you still think of wistfully to this day.

In my case, it was a '61 MGA I came across in '72 or '73. Other than the steering box being a bit sloppy, it otherwise was a little creampuff. Problem was, I had no way to come up with the princely sum of $600 for it. Sigh...

I had a '58 MGA in the middle '70's. It had a bad case of tin worm.

 

[The Shark]

I always wanted a ‘79 Volkswagen Scirocco. In ‘79 I bought a new Volkswagen Rabbit L 2dr. with 4spd. manual in Diamond Silver Metallic. I really wanted a Scirocco and could have had one if I’d spent about $1000 more. But I was trying to be more responsible by spending less. Mind you I really liked my Rabbit and it was a great car, but to this day I would still like a ‘79 Scirocco. Even by today’s standards I think it’s a great looking car. Hell, I think it’s far better looking than the vast majority of what is on the road today.

I hear you, I always wanted one too, when I bought my '82 Jetta I was lusting after the Scirocco on the showroom floor, just didn't have enough $$.

 

[Sojourner]

That Celica looks fun!

We had an '84 Celica GT. Bought from the Canadian Exchange in Baden right before we PCS'd back home to the US from (West) Germany. Really wanted the GTS as it added the Supra look without the Supra cost. But they didn't have anymore in stock and we were leaving before new ones were set to arrive.

The GT was a great car and was really well-made (especially in comparison to US manufacturers at the time which makes my love of the Citation X11 all the more - what's the word? - insane). But it was the GTS I really had my sights on.

Again, not my car (ours was a beautiful light blue), but you can see how the GTS was a much better looking Celica than the GT below.

 

[Sojourner]

I hear you, I always wanted one too, when I bought my '82 Jetta I was lusting after the Scirocco on the showroom floor, just didn't have enough $$.

That 81/82 Jetta was the rage of all the West Point new lieutenants when they showed up for the Armor Basic Course at Fort Knox. Local dealership couldn't keep 'em in stock! I, being a poor ROTC lieutenant, was jealous, but being poor thus had to settle for a plain ole Citation (which culminated in my love for the X11!).

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