What’s my all-time favorite automobile?
That depends on what you mean by favorite.

If you mean the car that first stirred something in me, that would be one of my dad’s sports cars. He always loved them. For a long time, it was a pearl-white 300ZX. I loved that car, and I even got to drive it a few times — enough to feel what Dad loved about it. Low, sleek, responsive. It felt alive.

But the car that gave me the most joy in a single ride came later. The last car Dad owned before he died was a navy blue BMW convertible. One day, I got to pick it up in Asheville and drive it back to Highlands. Lizzi was with me, and we took those mountain roads like we were road racers — safely, within the speed limit, but fully present in every curve and climb. Wind in our hair, top down, the engine humming through the hills. That drive is still the most fun I’ve ever had behind the wheel.

Then there’s the Ford Ranchero my stepdad owned when we lived in Sarasota. On its own, it was a sweet ride — quirky, tough, unforgettable. But that car earned its place in our family story on the worst day. It’s the car he drove when my brother Jeff was nearly killed in a motorcycle accident. Dad drove like a madman — sometimes on the road, sometimes on the shoulder — one hand on the wheel, the other pressing on Jeff’s neck to keep him alive. That Ranchero didn’t just get them to the hospital. It helped save my brother’s life.

And then there’s my favorite.

Right now, it’s the car I’m driving today — my Honda CR-V Hybrid. It isn’t flashy. It doesn’t turn heads. But it’s comfortable, quiet, roomy, and steady. It does exactly what it’s supposed to do, every single time. I’ve only owned it for two years, but I trust it.

I’ve owned other great cars. The Mercedes C320 that saved my life when a kid ran a light and broadsided me at an Atlanta intersection will always have my gratitude. But this car? This one just shows up and does its job.

And today, as I point it toward North Carolina, I’m praying it does that job once again.

Maybe that’s the real answer.
My favorite car isn’t about speed or style.
It’s the one that carried me — and the people I love — safely through whatever road we were on at the time.

Copyright © 2025 Doug DeBolt.