Some fall for the model; some fall for the engine power.
I fell for the color of that car.
My name is Gilles, and I drive a 1972 Touring BMW New Class.
I became a car enthusiast at a very young age,
since I was a few days old when I rode in a Panhard Junior
that belonged to my mother.
She drove me home in that car with no side windows; it was a roadster.
And it probably took a toll on my body.
I experienced health problems really young, and I couldn't play that much,
so I took refuge in models,
and that's how I developed a passion for cars,
just like I did with my parents' cars.
I was raised with my dad's Audis and Porsches
and my mom's Golf GTIs.
So, this is the background I grew up with.
The whole family would go to rallies,
and that's what I did, until I could get my driver's license.
I longed for that moment for many years,
and I was finally fulfilled when I received the famous driving permit.
Once I got my license,
I bought a regular car for daily rides, like everyone else,
but deep down, I had to pay tribute to my grandfather,
who had worked at Panhard,
so when I was about 20, I purchased
a Panhard coupé 24 CT that I still have.
After that, I had a PL 17, a Dyna,
and I had up to a dozen Panhards, right up until a Monomill.
A D.B. with a Panhard engine for quite a bit of hill climb racing.
The barn housed more and more models, just like the shed,
to suit bargains, opportunities, and to suit my passion,
and of course to suit particular heart-stoppers.
One of those heart-stoppers is the BMW Touring.
I completely fell for its color.
On race tracks, I met a few friends who drove a BMW New Class,
and I would regularly join them in the Parisian region
to attend Club Horizon 2002 cocktail parties.
That is where I came across this famous Colorado Orange Touring
and fell in love immediately.
Not for the model or the engine power, but really for the color.
So, I bought the auto and joined the club to be among my friends.
It took us on long journeys.
I had it for a few weeks,
when we drove across France towards Vendée
and participated in a national outing with the club.
Actually, I had a problem, because it had very low mileage.
It was what you call a "barn find."
On the way back, near Poitiers,
the temperature started rising significantly,
and the engine coolant I had just replaced
had turned into mud.
All the mud that had gathered in the crankcase
over the years of inactivity had peeled off,
so I had to flush the radiator by the side of the road
and look for a fountain to add water every 200 miles or so.
But we still managed to get back home from this first big outing with my Touring.
Given its great reliability,
I mainly use this car for long-distance trips.
Apart from this Touring,
I went back to my first loves also with a Golf GTI--
a black one, of course.
And very recently, a Scirocco GLS.
And last but not least, a Porsche S 2.7L.
So, today, I have over 12 vehicles at my house.
I think the story will go on.
My love is insatiable.
Unfortunately, I cannot help myself when an interesting product meets my eye,
particularly when I have a history with a specific car.