[DeTomaso] Cars that got away

[Patrick Bouzaglou]

So, the whole family is checking out Marina del Rey in the mid seventies.
We are walking around looking at the boats and yachts, great weather. <Me?
I am checking out the parking lots for sports cars. Around a corner we go
and there is a Mangusta ! The wheels are white with salt corrosion, the
dash is bleached white from the sun exposure, not to mention the paint.
OMG ! this could be my opportunity to get this Italian exotic on my post
high school work budget. No one in near by businesses knows anything about
the car , except that its been there for a long time.
At that time $2.00 got you a dmv search for the registered owner's address.
I call the business up, that is on the title, and finally get through to
Chuck, the car's owner. "Er... Hi, i saw your Mangusta in the Marina"
Chuck: Yes, What about it ? in an annoyed tone. "Uh... would the car be for
sale?" Chuck, more annoyed: Absolutely not !! The conversation ended
shortly with Chuck being too busy to give me a reason or a price.
My growing up in the L.A car scene got me to some guys that knew Chuck.
Apparently when he wanted to sell the car, a few buyers came out and he
felt insulted at their offers. So to spite them (argh!) he decided to let
the car rot and leave all of us undeserving cheap  buyers eat our hearts
out.
So not exactly one that got away, but one that rotted to death without
redemption\

Dave
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   So, the whole family is checking out Marina del Rey in the mid
   seventies. We are walking around looking at the boats and yachts, great
   weather. <Me? I am checking out the parking lots for sports cars.
   Around a corner we go and there is a Mangusta ! The wheels are white
   with salt corrosion, the dash is bleached white from the sun exposure,
   not to mention the paint.
   OMG ! this could be my opportunity to get this Italian exotic on my
   post high school work budget. No one in near by businesses knows
   anything about the car , except that its been there for a long time.
   At that time $2.00 got you a dmv search for the registered owner's
   address. I call the business up, that is on the title, and finally get
   through toA  Chuck, the car's owner. "Er... Hi, i saw your Mangusta in
   the Marina"A  Chuck: Yes, What about it ? in an annoyed tone. "Uh...
   would the car be for sale?" Chuck, more annoyed: Absolutely not !! The
   conversation ended shortly with Chuck being too busy to give me a
   reason or a price.
   My growing up in the L.A car scene got me to some guys that knew Chuck.
   Apparently when he wanted to sell the car, a few buyers came out and he
   felt insulted at their offers. So to spite them (argh!) he decided to
   let the car rot and leave all of us undeserving cheapA  buyers eat our
   hearts out.
   So not exactly one that got away, but one that rotted to death without
   redemption\
   Dave