And at what price would you sell your beloved car?
Several years ago during Minis on the Dragon (MOTD), at a time when second-generation Minis were new, a fellow Mini owner made me an offer on my R53. At first the offer shocked me, since I did not anticipate a casual conversation about Minis transitioning to purchasing my car. But he mentioned the great physical condition of the car and all the modifications, he really seemed to like it.
I politely declined the offer, but then a higher offer furthered the conversation. I declined that one too. After that, he told me that if I ever sold my R53, he wanted to buy it. I cannot envision someone else driving away in my R53; to sell that car would mean parting with a treasure trove of memories and experiences.
This marks my twentieth year of ownership. In my twenties, I purchased the car new and used it as my daily driver. I got to know it during my commute, and then even better when I’d take it autocrossing on the weekend.
Then I went through a divorce. Like most huge, life-changing events, it impacted my financial situation. I made a lot of changes in order to save money, and among those changes, I debated selling the R53. However, the car meant so much to me that I sacrificed, scrimped, and ate way more prepackaged Ramen than I should have to ensure it’d always have a place in my garage.
I may have scaled back on the performance events with the R53, but at least I still owned the car.
This disrupted time of my life helped to define who I am, and I know that my car—or at least that one special car—is part of that. I could never sell it; it had once been a tangible goal in a world of intangible uncertainties, the incentive to endure this part of my life and motivate myself. I knew then that I could never part with my R53. What price tag could I ever apply to this car?
I know that my fellow CCA members also value their vehicles as something more than basic transportation. I know that I am not alone in spending hours researching parts and modifications, special touches to make our cars even better. And I’m sure that most of make investments in maintenance, new parts, modifications, and detailing to keep our cars at their best for as long as we own them.
We do these things to make our cars unique, personalizing them and forming an even deeper attachment. A plain, stock example of a car may be easier to sell, but one that you spent time and money to make truly your own is something even more special. Sure, I could sell the R53 and have extra cash in my pocket, but I’d be more focused on what I lost if it ever left my garage.
This car—like so many members’ cars—has become an integral part of my life. Over all these years, the R53 has become my refuge, my motivation, my bright light in darkness, and my springboard to finding love again. What the car represents to me cannot be purchased, and that’s the most important thing.
