While reorganizing the bookshelves at home, I pulled out an old favorite title that I hadn’t read in some years – Tom Couch’s U-R What You Drive.
I got this book when it was brand new, in 1987, and although I have no memory of what else I may have received that year, this gift definitely became one of my all-time favorite birthday presents.
Being just 13, I was a few years away from driving, myself, but I still resonated with Mr. Couch’s introduction, as I then spent countless hours dreaming about what cars I would drive (and still do today!):
Buying a car is an exercise in soul-searching.
When you’ve picked out what you think you want, and you’ve answered all the questions, such as, ‘What kind of mileage does it get’ or ‘Is there enough room for my golf clubs,’ you’re still left with the tough question: Is it you?’
As an already full-fledged car geek, I howled in laughter at the stereotypes that the author so wonderfully played up in this 96-page softcover. No matter if the cars were domestic or imported, none of them – or their owners – was safe. Each vehicle and owner was humorously illustrated with Michael Cardacino’s hand-colored photography.
For example, the Yuppie dream, circa 1987:
And its (stereo)typical drivers:
And how about this delightful slice of Americana:
And tell me you didn’t see them coming:
No one is immune to ridicule, from the Ford Country Squire family to the Custom Van dude, the Mercedes 380 SL couple (“Clifford and Christina”), the Corvette lady and Super Camper retirees (“Vance and Dot”).
It seems that U-R What You Drive has been out of print for some time, but if you want to laugh like a 13-year-old at the the pop psychology of connecting cars and their drivers, the book can still be purchased through Amazon.com.