What were your first wheels?

I’m about to leave on a road trip back to the University of Arkansas in “Bonnie Blue,” my [1968] Pontiac Lemans, ca. 1973-4.

Road trip back to the University of Arkansas, ca. 1973

Road trip back to the University of Arkansas, ca. 1973 

I hadn’t even asked for a car, so Bonnie Blue was as big a surprise as the advent of Star Channel (later the Movie Channel) at the Delta Gamma house. A huge Diana Ross fan, I watched Lady Sings the Blues so many times I almost wrote the film’s dialogue into Southeast Asia Politics essay test question answers.

I didn’t care Bonnie was used. I didn’t care her blue body had a few minor scratches or that her black vinyl top wasn’t as shiny as it once was. To me Bonnie was perfect. Bonnie had everything I needed to take me anywhere I wanted to go: air conditioning, a radio and a cigarette lighter to light my women’s movement trendy Virginia Slims Menthol Lights. (Wait, I smoked???)

What was your first car? Did you name it?

Bonus: Wanna rock authentic early-1970s “college casual” this Halloween? Groove to Deep Purple’s Smoke on the Water riff wearing a watch with a face so small you can only guess the four numbers by location, non-spandex jeans that fit like a laytex glove everywhere except below the knee, a peasant top, a leather shoulder bag and electric rollers covered with a blue & white bandana (the only item I still own). If you’re conservative you can leave off my 1970s-college-trademark-baboon-butt-blue eye shadow.

Please note: I reserve the right to delete comments that are offensive or off-topic.

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4 thoughts on “What were your first wheels?

  1. You obviously lived dangerously… I never knew 😉 Alas, I also wore bell bottoms and electric curlers once upon a time. Sins against humankind… Can they be forgiven?? 🙂

  2. Love this photo! Brings back a lot of memories of my first (a red 68 Chevy Chevelle with black interior and black landau top — hand me down from my brother, second (a white 68 Mustang with red interior) and third (a silver 68 GTO with white leather interior and Hurst shift that had belonged to a Texas Ranger baseball player! I must have had a thing back then for cars manufactured in 1968. Thanks for posting this, Lynn. Your posts really help with removing the cobwebs from my brain! 🙂