ex(PR)essed

I was sad to hear the news that GM was going to eliminate the Pontiac brand in its efforts to reduce costs. My first two cars were Pontiacs, and if they held their value better, Jeff and I would be driving a Vibe now instead of a Honda Civic.

When I got my license, I was the fourth Bertram to sit behind the wheel of a 1985 (or was it an 86?) Pontiac Firebird. The car had been my Aunt Susan’s, and when she was killed suddenly in a car accident, my grandparents gave the car to my brother. He drove it throughout his time at Nyack College, and then got a new car –another Pontiac, by the way! By then, all of us were pretty attached to this car and the sentimental value of it having belonged to my aunt, so my dad started driving around town. When I got my license (after learning to drive on my mom’s Pontiac Grand Prix), I learned to drive a stick, and then I, too, drove (and loved) the Firebird until I got a new car — a 1996 (or was it a 97?) Pontiac Sunfire.

I loved my Sunfire. I cried, literally, when I traded it in for a Honda CRV. The people at the car dealership certainly thought I was a ridiculous, overly emotional girl. But, in the Bertram family, you love and cherish your cars. You don’t eat in them; you wash them on Sundays; and you care for them in ways that most people would never dream of. Therefore, after pouring all that time and attention into your vehicle, you tend to get a little attached!

It’s funny though — I never got attached to my CRV, and when I traded it in, I didn’t even look back. I guess there’s just something about Pontiacs.