by Ally Blake, author of The Rules of Engagement (Harlequin Presents Extra, December 2012)
Growing up my parents drove classic cars. We had a dinky, red and white 1968 Mini – picture 2 adults, 2 kids, luggage and a dog crammed inside for every family beach holiday! And we also had a sublime midnight-blue 1962 Jaguar MK II – I remember being a little kid, sitting in the front seat, playing chauffeur, even then instinctively appreciating the specialness of the elegant curves, the wood dash, leather seats and push button start.
Those two disparate images are probably why one of the things I love best about writing my books is picking which cars the hero and heroine drive.
a) The car a character drives can say a lot about them in a single snapshot.
b) I often use family cars as a bit of an in joke 
.
c) And I get to drool over the kinds of cars I’d indulge in if I won the lotto!
When Caitlyn,
the heroine in THE RULES OF ENGAGEMENT, turned out to be in charge of PR for Pegasus Motors, a luxury car brand about to launch a new sport car onto the market, I had an absolute ball deciding just what that car would be like.
When she — twitchy hands encased in white gloves — circles the first car off the production line, she describes it thus: “Like something out of an original James Bond movie the Z9 was all soft leather interior, glinting spoked wheels, warm deep-set headlights, and curves luscious enough to take on the most buxom cheesecake pin-up
of the same era. It was beautiful, brilliant and built to last, just as anything well-designed ought to be.”
So, googling, imagining, picturing myself – I mean Caitlyn! – taking one out for a spin, this is the picture that made me go “oh yeah”.
In the real world it’s a one-of-a-kind concept vehicle designed and hand built by The Creative Workshop. Gorgeous huh? (Any and all donations to my “Get Ally a Sports Speciale” find gladly accepted.)
Turns out Caitlyn has a type. Her hero, Dax Bainbridge, turns out to be beautiful, brilliant, and built to last too .
If you won a billion dollars tomorrow and could buy any car, now or from yesteryear, what would it be?
Image credit: © The Creative Workshop. Used with permission.
A Bugatti Veyron, Allie. I think there are about eight of them available (or not) in the world.
I once chose a car for a hero, not realising that the car had three front seats. I think it was a McLaren. Driver in the middle front and two passenger seats – one on either side, set slightly back. Think I renamed that story Sebastian and the Barbie Twins… and never got any further than that. Car choice matters.
Best wishes for Caitlyn and Dax.
Yeh….so not a car person. If money wasn’t an object I just wouldn’t spend it on cars. But I would get myself a brand spanking new mini convertible because they’re just so gosh darned cute.
A mini Was also the car my hubby drove when we were first going out. He’d bought it for $200, stripped it right down, rebuilt the engine, did up the body including carpet on the ceiling. It was goddamn beautiful. Of course it rarely actually went…..but who needs a car that goes, right?
I totally agree though, choice of vehicle for the h and h is crucial! Can’t wait to read Caitlyn and Dax!
I’d love one of those old American classics, low to the ground, with the fancy wings at the back and the shiny chrome work. I worked one year in Houston Texas and a friend of mine had an old black Buick. It rolled and bounced over every crack in the road and had a front seat like a sofa! Still think you could do a lot in a front seat like that!
Ally, the new book sounds awesome–know what’s going on my kindle next! But for the question. Hmmm, if I had a billion dollars and HAD to spend it on a new car, I’d by some sleek little itty bitty two seater with no room for the kids and I’d spin around town in it when I was out running errands alone. Wait…the groceries won’t fit in the back. Shoot…Okay, I’ll take it when I get my hair done. But that’s only once every three months…
Gahh, okay, if I win a billion dollars I’m really going to have to start getting out more!
Hi Ally!
I’m not a car person but my husband is. He has a DeTomaso Pantera- a 1970′s sports car. I have to wear a neck brace if I get in it! It has some serious grunt.
But for me, give me one of those old 1930′s movie star cars, a Daimler or a Dodge with a running board. Glamour and grunt-perfect!
Your Z9 reminds me of Penelope Pitstop. Ally, I can just imagine your gorgeous mane half contained beneath a fuchsia colored helmet as you zipped around the countryside!
I do like cars. If I were a gazzilionaire, I’d purchase a latest model Aston Martin. The exterior would be a gleaming, very-fast red. Daniel Craig would come as part of the package =)
Kelly, I’ve googled your Bugatti Veyron…and my husband just leant over my shoulder and said “You gonna get me one of those for Xmas?” Bwahahaha!
Ally
Amy, love the mini!!! Such great memories of ours. Red with a white roof. No carpet on the ceiling though
.
Ally
Heidi, my first ever dream car was a vibrant sky blue Chevy – refurbed to the max – that sat on the roadside on the way between home and work. I’d slow down and droll every time I drove past. This was fifteen odd years ago and I still remember the number plate!!!
Go the American classic!
Ally
Mira, perhaps you need a limo…and driver
Hope you enjoy Caitlyn and Dax!
I’m loving Waking Up Married!!!
Ally
Hey Melanie!
Googled your DeTomaso Pantera – fun! It looks like it has grunt, for sure. The back lifted and all hunched over the front, like it just wants to be on the move. Awesome! Mr Melanie will have to promise me a spin when I next head down your way!
Ally
Hey Robbie
Ooooh to be Penelope Pitstop! “He-elp He-elp!”
I do love the Sports Speciale’s particular brand of red, though. I even got onto the makers raving to them about it and begging they let me talk it up everywhere! Delicious thing that it is.
Ally
Ally, I adore Caitlyn and Dax’s frothy, exuberant, romantic tale! Caitlyn has a great eye for cars and an even better one for heavenly, sexy heroes!
I can see the intoxication of cars. I used to dream of driving a wild little sporty number and cutting the same sort of dash Audrey Hepburn did in How To Steal a Million. Some cars later now, I’m not sure that’s ever likely to happen!
Hope sqillions of your lovely readers enjoy The Rules Of Engagement as much as I did!
x
I do mean squillions there. It got away from me.
The book sounds awesome, Ally. And I LOVE muscle cars. I have fond memories of my brother picking me up from school in my father’s restored 1966 Mustang. Ahhh, she was a beauty.
Ta Anna! And OMG How to Steal a Million is my FAVE Audrey Hepburn film. It was the first time I saw Peter O’Toole. Sigh…
Ally
Thanks Aimee.
So jealous of the Mustang! I have one in a story I’ve started, did much research on them as I was first writing. Great fun!