If memory serves me right, the year 1965 was memorable for several reasons. During lunch in high school I ate, what I believed to be, marijuana brownies. This was before the 1968 film I Love You, Alice B. Toklas, popularized the splendid deserts. Nothing much happened. The classes were boring, but maybe they dragged a little more than usual. I don't think I tried them (the special brownies) again for a few years. Cheap wine was my drug of choice.
Founded in 1873, Boone's Farm made wine that us kids liked. Some people say Strawberry Hill was the very first flavor distributed by Boone's. Actually, Boone's Farm Apple Wine was the first flavor. I used to drink it back in the late 1960s. I may have also tried the Strawberry Hill, but Apple Wine was my standard. Rather than sell their wines at large, commercial wine-houses and restaurants, they distribute mainly to fine gas stations and convenience stores around the world. Boone's Farm is widely enjoyed by a higher class of teenagers looking for an ultimate drunken state. Some flavors require vigorous shaking before refrigeration, even before opening. Those that do generally have a better flavor and sediment distribution than those left unshaken. "Shaken, not stirred!" as the man in the movies said.
Also during that year Toyota introduced the Corona in the U.S. It listed for less than $ 2,000. Consumer Reports tested a Corona the next year and gave it a favorable review, particularly its "special virtues for long-distance driving." In the tests, it surpassed the Volkswagen "Beetle," but not the Opal Kadett. 1965 is the same year that Ralph Nader wrote "Unsafe at Any Speed." The book detailed resistance by car manufacturers to the introduction of safety features, like seat belts, and their general reluctance to spend money on improving safety. It was a pioneering work of consumer advocacy.
I gave up booze, drugs and driving cars in 1990. The final step of this dramatic life change was giving away (I think I may have received $ 200- $ 300) my beloved Toyota Tercel. In 1987, the Tercel had received a severe cosmetic makeover and cargo-space boost. The engine was moved up to 78 horsepower to compensate for competitors' horsepower gains (by this time, for example, Plymouth was up to 93 horsepower in its base models, which, to be fair, were far heavier). Even with the horsepower boost, the automatic Tercel was fairly slow to accelerate, though the manual transmission (which I had) was satisfactory. Cornering was fairly good for the class, thanks to a fully independent suspension, rack and pinion steering, and the transverse mounted engine. The interior space was not bad, though rear seat legroom was naturally short (very, very short). The storage space was quite good with fold-flat rear seats.
What made this car perfect for someone like me was the gas mileage. Now today I don't have a car, or a driver's license for that matter. However I appreciate quality for my transportation needs. I still use my Klein mountain bike for winter transportation. It was run over by a large truck; a truck carrying two snowmobiles! It still keeps on rolling! During the spring, summer and fall I ride my road bike. And, if I ever get ambitious I have a Trek mountain bike with front and rear suspension. These are three bikes made by three good companies. They are not their top of the line bikes. Current versions would probably cost $ 1,500 each.
For fifty years Toyota, then Trek, Klein and Bianchi were names that, for me, stood for reliable tools of transportation. Sadly, one appears to be no longer reliable. I feel sorry for those who have nightmares that tomorrow, or the next day, their gas peddle may stick while approaching an intersection, a pedestrian, or me, on my bicycle. Although, the make and nationality of the vehicle may be different, and the drink of choice is not Apple Wine, the sentiment in this song works for me. It is a sad day. I toast the passing with a cup of Celestial Seasonings herbal tea (Tropic of Strawberry...not shaken, and not stirred):
So bye-bye, miss american pie.
May I offer for you reading pleasure: I am still chunky, hefty; maybe even still obese
You may also enjoy reading: Can gentle relaxed people be super achievers?
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