MGs aren't the best road-trip cars, and other musings from the highway

The car road trip is part of Americana. Ours is a huge country of car owners who like to travel. My family and I have put hundreds of thousands of miles on trips over the years, traveling much of the United States and parts of Canada all by car. Sure, I'd pack up my MG and head out at the drop of a hat if it weren't for a few nagging problems in the plan. First is the fact that MGs have NEVER been known for their reliability, and, while I know quite a bit about cars, I'm not the world's greatest mechanic. Second is the problem with where to put the kids. When the girls were little, I threatened to get a luggage rack to mount their car seats, but they're quickly growing large enough to unbalance the MG if they were strapped to the trunk. Third is my wife's desire to be "comfortable" and "climate controlled" during the trip.

Families and their demands!

Better late than never, Editorial Director Rich Truesdell explains the delay in posting part two of his Seattle to SoCal adventure.

If you've been returning here looking for the follow-up to my Corvair road trip, you've probably noticed that it's been delayed. A family issue intervened on August the 3rd that required that I leave the Corvair behind in Portland to return home to New Jersey. It was the call that I'm sure that many of you dread or have already faced; a gravely ill parent. In my case it was my Dad, someone who had been a huge influence on me and my love of automobiles.

It started when I was just nine years old. While I was in the hospital after suffering a compound fracture of my left elbow, he brought me an issue of Motor Trend, a copy of which I still have. The following summer we watched the start and finish of the 24 Hours of Le Mans as it was broadcast live on ABC's Wide World of Sports. Forty-one years later, after driving a new Ford GT at Le Mans, the first thing I did was to call my Dad from the pits. I think he was as excited as I was even though he was more than 3,000 miles away. I still remember going into New York City with him to see the Auto Show when it was held at the Coliseum on Columbus Circle, where I added to my literature each April. In recent years, when covering the New York Auto Show at the Javits Center, I often thought of him.

With the aid of a very understanding Continental ticket agent and that of my friends in Chrysler's public relations department--who helped me find a place to store the Corvair in Portland and had a Jeep Compass waiting for me when I landed six hours later in Newark's Liberty International Airport--I made it back home in time to say goodbye to my Dad. He passed away the following day after a 30-year struggle with heart disease.

My Dad had a tremendous influence on me both personally and professionally. He was never too busy to talk whether it was about baseball--his passion--cars, my passion, or anything in between, He was there to share my successes in life as well as helping me work through many of life's inevitable failures, and I know that I will miss him greatly. For those of you who have lost parents, I imagine you know how I feel. For those of you who still have your parents, my suggestion is to let them know you're thinking about them and give them a call whenever you have the chance.

With that being said, I'm dedicating these words to his memory and hope you understand.