We Asked, You Answered: Tell Us a Fond Memory of the Car You Drove in College

As freshmen, neither myself nor my best friend from high school, the late Bruce Cook ’64, had a car. So, in our Serge Butt year in 1963, we went to the Memorial Student Center loan desk where at that time you could borrow $100 unsecured. We then hitchhiked into Bryan after Saturday drill and bought a 1950 Chrysler Imperial from a car lot for $90.

It was enormous—6,500 pounds of steel—and it had funeral home flip-up seats in the rear, where we knocked a hole in the floor to drain the water from the beer we iced down. A lot of guys from our Corps of Cadets outfits drove it. When we graduated and left for service in Vietnam, we drove to a backstreet in Bryan and left it there. I went back there several years later and found that a homeless man had made it into a house!

George Eeds ’64
Lago Vista, Texas

In fall 1964, I bought a Jaguar XK120 from a fellow student for $630. It was the first production car designed to go more than 120 mph. I drove mine to see what it could do one time and slowed down after I hit 132! I remember thinking, “You’ve only got cheap pickup tires on this thing and probably wouldn’t survive the crash at this speed.” But it was beautiful, and I dated my future wife and the mother of my sons in that car before selling it to another Aggie in 1966. I have at times lusted for another one of those cars but can’t bring myself to pay what that model sells for today!

Dr. Mitty Plummer ’65
Denton, Texas

My first car at Texas A&M University was an Austin-Healey Sprite. I think it was the only car of its kind on campus then. It certainly turned heads, but it had issues. 

I didn’t have much confidence in the cloth convertible roof during several hailstorms, but we made it! Mileage was great, but the gas tank was small. The filling station in College Station advertised free car washes with a fill-up of $2, but at 19 cents a gallon back then, I couldn’t even squeeze that much gas into the tank!

Kathleen (Lafler) Bird ’73 
Smithville, Missouri

During the 1966 or 1967 Bonfire, I had a 1950s Chevrolet sedan with a leaking heater core, so being an Aggie engineer, I took off the hoses and bypassed it. There was no more antifreeze dripping but no heater either. I had a blind date from Sam Houston State University that night, and about the time I picked her up and headed back to College Station, a blue norther blew in. We both had frostbite by the time I got her back home, but yes, I did see her again!

Dr. Thomas “Tommy” Edgar ’67
Whitney, Texas

As a freshman, I inherited my grandparents’ 1966 Oldsmobile 98, which I drove from my hometown of Amarillo, Texas, to College Station at the start of the fall semester. I was headed west on Texas Avenue and had just pulled into the turn lane to go left on University Drive. I was rolling to a halt when I suddenly came to an abrupt stop, and the front left side of the car dropped. I got out to find that my front left wheel had completely broken off the control arm and my car was now sitting on top of that wheel. I got a tow and eventually got it fixed, but after reflecting on the situation, I figured out just how blessed I was. I had just driven that car over 500 miles from Amarillo at highway speeds. If that had happened while driving 65 mph, I would’ve no doubt rolled the car and who knows what else?  Thank goodness it happened when I was only going 5 mph!

Todd Swank ’82
Littleton, Colorado

When I began in fall 1964, we had over 50 fish in our squadron, but only two cars—both were junkers, and one was a two-seater sports car. If you wanted to go anywhere, especially to an off-campus football, basketball or baseball game, you had to either bum a ride or hitchhike. I did this for most of my fish year until I came home at Easter in 1965 to find that my parents surprised me with a new 1965 Plymouth Valiant as a reward for my good grades that fall.

My favorite story about that car is from February 1966. Three classmates were going to New Orleans the weekend before Mardi Gras. At the last minute, however, the car they planned to use conked out, so they approached me, hats in hand, to drive them. I really didn’t want to do it, because my grades by that time weren’t all that good, and I needed to spend the weekend cracking the books. But they made me an offer I couldn’t refuse. They would pay for all the gas, we would stay at the home of the mother of one of them, and she would probably feed us most of the time. It was too good an opportunity to pass up. 

So, we left on a Friday and headed for New Orleans, arriving there just before midnight. The cadet’s mother turned out to be a “live wire,” and she escorted us to Bourbon Street, via a city bus, to see the sights. As a young man from the Bible Belt in North Texas, I had never seen such drunkenness, depravity and debauchery as I saw that evening. But boy, was it interesting! 

We returned the next afternoon and spent the whole day in the French Quarter, including most of the evening at the famous Pat O’Brien’s drinking establishment. We even met some tourists who graciously paid for most of our drinks.

When we returned late Sunday night, I assessed my situation. I had left with $16 cash in my wallet. When I returned, I had $13 in cash, a souvenir Pat O’Brien’s hurricane drink glass, a photo of us and our drink-buying benefactors, and a lifetime of memories. Had I stayed on campus, I probably would have spent more money at Leslie’s Chicken Shack and the Circle Drive-In.

I eventually put 76,000 miles on that Valiant until spring 1970 when, as a young Air Force second lieutenant, I bought a new 1970 Dodge Challenger with all the bells and whistles.

Michael Hoffman ’68
Windcrest, Texas

In August 1978, my best friend, Sue McNeill Ward ’82, and I were leaving College Station after a great week at Fish Camp. We’d been high school best friends and couldn’t wait to room together as freshmen Fowler Hall Foxes.

We were cruising out of town on the three-hour drive back to Dallas in my 1969 Buick Skylark when red lights started popping up angrily on the dash. I called for help on my trusty CB radio.

A nearby trucker pulled his rig over to take a look. He said we needed to get the car right back to town and followed us to make sure we didn’t break down. We found a garage just about to close, and the mechanic said he could fix us up in the morning.

Now here we are at 8 p.m. on a Sunday night. We’re at a closed garage near College Station with no transportation and no place to stay overnight. What to do?

So, we climbed back into the big rig with the super nice trucker, me in the passenger seat and Sue in the sleeper cab, both of us nervous and excited at the same time, knowing we were having an adventure. The gentleman took us out to dinner, drove us in his huge rig on to campus and dropped us off at the new north side dorms.

Still with no real plan, we pounded on doors until we found a resident advisor who took pity on us and unlocked a room in the empty dorm for us to sleep in. No pillows, no sheets, air conditioner blasting and a huge cockroach in the corner.

Yes, we did call our parents, who, surprisingly, did not ream us out. I think they were glad we were alive and didn’t have to make the 200-mile trip to bail us out.

Next morning, we bummed a ride to the garage, collected the car, and made our way back home to Dallas.

If one of my three daughters did something harebrained like this…

Sherry Evans Kimbell ’82
Pinehurst, North Carolina

I drove a white 1973 Chevrolet Custom 10 Stepside truck. I lived in The Commons, and my room in Mosher Hall overlooked the parking lot. If you were lucky, you could park there. If you were really lucky, you could get a spot on the street beside Mosher Hall.

I’d often look out my window and see an open space, then run out and try to move my truck closer. I once nabbed a spot right below my window, and I refused to move my truck for months! Oh, the effort I put into trying to get a good spot! I loved my truck—it was a three-speed standard on the column with no air conditioning and just an AM radio. My family still has it today!

Joni (Lutz) DeLosSantos ’88
Seabrook, Texas

I drove a 1980 Honda Civic Hatchback. The funny part is that I’m 6 feet, 5 inches tall and the Civics back then were very small, so I had to fold up pretty good to fit. One day, we heard that McDonald’s had a special on Big Macs, so five guys, all over 6 feet, piled into my car, and we drove to the McDonald’s on University Drive to get the special and then to the one on Southwest Parkway. In the drive-through, the guys thought it would be funny to rock the car back and forth. Our weight was well beyond what the shocks could handle, so the car was really rocking when I pulled up to the window to get our food. As I struggled to grab the sack, the worker was just shocked by the sight of us!

Mike Wilhite ’86
Cypress, Texas

I was without wheels my first two years, but when my junior year rolled around, I was killing it in a gently used, two-door, white 1974 Chevrolet Monte Carlo. It had a lime green landau roof and bucket seats that swiveled 90 degrees for exiting that mean machine with grace. 

That baby had cruise control, a stereo AM/FM radio and an 8-track tape deck. Under the hood was a powerful 454-cubic-inch V-8 engine paired with a four-barrel carburetor. I never saw better than 8 miles to the gallon. But gas was well under a dollar a gallon in the late 1970s, and I was making $119 every two weeks as a resident advisor in Aston Hall. I could handle it. It was the best automobile I ever drove!

Gene Fisseler ’79
Houston, Texas

I’ve always been a “car guy,” and after graduating from Texas A&M University, I went to work for Ford Motor Co. As a child, I was interested in anything with an engine that you could drive, ride or fly. It all started with go-karts leading to my first car, a 1969 Mustang which spent a few semesters in the Dunn Hall parking lot.

At Texas A&M, I was in clubs related to sports cars, flying and skiing, which unfortunately left no time for studying and resulted in me having to leave the university temporarily. After a year at Schreiner College, I got back into Texas A&M and exceeded the newly elevated minimum GPA imposed on me. After a year back, I needed a new car, and my ever-generous parents, who were more than thrilled that I had gotten my academic life back on track, rewarded me with my dream car—a Pantera GTS. It sure made the occasional drives to my hometown of Laredo go quicker!

It was also fun competing in driving events hosted by the Texas A&M Sports Car Club at what was then Texas World Speedway and participating in car shows on campus. I still drive the car today, proudly displaying my membership in The Association of Former Students’ Century Club.

Since graduating, I’ve returned to College Station in the Pantera a few times to attend track events when the speedway was still there. On one occasion, the Pantera Owners Club of America held its annual rally at an Italian-themed resort in the Conroe, Texas, area attended by Pantera owners from all over the world, including the car’s Italian designer. One of the events was a tour of the George H.W. Bush Presidential Library and Museum followed by a drive around Texas A&M before heading out to the track. I couldn’t help but be grateful my study days were over, and I could just enjoy the drive!

Richard Greenblum ’77
Austin, Texas

I had a baby blue 1946 Kaiser with all sorts of bad characteristics. It featured a hole around the clutch petal, meaning the driver could see the pavement. The lever on the steering column would vibrate down and touch the positive pole on the starter, causing sparks to shoot up through the hole toward the driver’s crotch. That was guaranteed to put a female date on the other side of the car! However, the worst thing was that the gear shift could stick in first and second gear and the car wouldn’t go anywhere. A few friends borrowed the car. Very few borrowed it more than once!

Lt. Col. Charles Edward “Charlie” Brame ’61, USAF (Ret.)
Shavano Park, Texas

During summer 1974, I was returning to school at Texas A&M University at Galveston from my parents’ home in Longview, Texas. I was riding my Suzuki TS185cc motorcycle down U.S. Highway 59 when I was stopped by a highway patrol officer. He asked me if anything was wrong because I was doing the speed limit (newly instituted nationwide) of 55 mph. I assured him that all was well and went on my way. Shortly thereafter, I stopped for gas, and a van stopped near me to ask why I had been stopped as they were ready to testify that I was doing nothing wrong. I thanked them and told them all was well and continued my trip (another 270 miles) to Galveston. At the time, I was the only female motorcyclist at the school!

Cindy Morrow ’77
Reston, Virginia

I have many fond memories with the car I drove from Chicago to Texas A&M University. It was a gold Infiniti I30 and was my dream car. I listened to self-improvement tapes while driving to and from class as well as to the Rec Center to work out—not to mention to Northgate for social time, including cocktails and dancing. So many magical memories with that car! I miss it.

Michael Herlache ’11
Scottsdale, Arizona

I didn’t have a car, but my buddy from Long Island, New York, had a 1964 Pontiac GTO 350-horsepower powder blue convertible with Goodyear redline tires—plus a built-in siren under the hood! Who needed a car?! I snuck into the Aggieland drive-in more than once in the trunk!

Col. Rick Fitzhugh Jr. ’70, USAF (Ret.)
Fairhope, Alabama

A baby blue 1966 Mustang was my favorite college ride, around campus and back and forth to West Texas, usually with a few fellow students from San Angelo. I recall one especially eventful Sunday afternoon and evening trip on a sheet of ice for most of the way. No power brakes, but good tires (thanks, Dad!).

Dr. Tommy “Tom” Hoes ’76 
Garland, Texas

I had a 1986 Chevrolet Camaro! It wasn’t the greatest-looking car, but it was mine.

Tony Castro ’98
Boerne, Texas

I had a bright yellow 1977 Dodge Dart Swinger. I once had a flat tire in the dorm parking lot, and a kind fellow student helped me change it. On a side note, my parents told me that if I went above
65 mph, the car would stop working. I believed them for many years! Hey, I never got a speeding ticket!

Valerie (Eubank) Peck ’91
Colorado Springs, Colorado

In 1968, one of our classmates had a new Mustang. As we were leaving campus for a weekend trip, we crossed the railroad tracks maybe a little bit too fast, and the bump caused the carburetor to stall out. We waited on the side of the road for about 15 minutes until we could get going again. Thank goodness that carburetors have been replaced with fuel injection!

Wayne “Tommy” Nelson ’68
San Antonio, Texas

I met my future husband, Gene ’82, because we had identical 1978 Ford Thunderbirds in midnight blue with dove grey interiors. We both lived in The Commons and knew the other existed because our door keys would open the door of the other car, but the ignition key didn’t start the car. It took some years for love to result from our first meeting in the parking lot, but we’ve been married 40 years now. 

Dr. Mary (Long) Alford ’82
Houston, Texas

I had a 1960 Ford Galaxie—we called her the white tornado!

Armando Velarde ’68
Cordova, Tennessee

My sophomore year, I had my grandparents’ 1990 Dodge Grand Caravan LE. Life was simpler in the van. It was white with wood panels, lacked air conditioning, fit up to 13 people (once), and we called her Vanna White. Great times!

Blake Parrish ’05
College Station, Texas

During my last few years on campus, my vehicle was a 1970 Chevrolet Nova that was purchased for $150 literally from “a little old lady who only drove it to church on Sundays.” What made my car different was that it had an emergency light bar and siren, as I was a volunteer firefighter in Klein, Texas—where my family lived—and in Brazos County while a student.  

I was also the ambulance captain with Texas A&M University’s Emergency Care Team, the student volunteer group that staffed and operated the university’s ambulance service. At that time, the university had not yet provided a supervisor’s vehicle to the team, so my car became the emergency vehicle used by the duty officer to respond to emergencies with the ambulance or separately if multiple simultaneous calls occurred. Most of the team’s command staff lived together in a house just off the campus golf course, so my car became well known to College Station police and university police. In fact, the University Police Department soon issued a dashboard plaque for my car that allowed us to park in any parking spot on campus while in class or on an emergency.

The car followed me and my wife, Stacey ’86, to Maryland where I worked for and led an emergency response team for NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center. Before we moved back to Texas in 1990, we donated the car to a local fire department to use for extrication training. We were told that the Nova put up a heck of a fight as the students attempted to remove her doors and roof with rescue tools!

Reverend Dr. John Frey ’84
The Woodlands, Texas

During spring break 1996, five friends and I crammed into a Toyota 4Runner to embark on a 24-hour drive to Las Vegas. Let me tell you, six people in a 4Runner back then was not comfortable—we were sardines! I remember a few U-turns in West Texas because we didn’t have enough gas to get to the next gas station. After a short departure to Tombstone, Arizona, we were determined to get to Las Vegas at night to see the city lights. I will never forget coming over the mountains and seeing the bright lights of the city! I have been married to the driver for 25 years, while the co-driver walked me down the aisle! 

Charity (Madigan) Autry ’99
Houston, Texas