Karl's Cars

This is a list of the cars I own or have owned, from most recent addition back to my first car. Here are some directions and flags to help you navigate the menagerie (pick one to limit the view, or show all):

Fun cars!

Daily drivers for kids and commutes

My wife's cars (which she lets me drive!)

Cars which have moved on to new garages :-(

Current cars

Country of origin:

2008 Toyota Prius
Kathy's new car, just in time for her birthday. It's more fun than I expected but with its video-game cockpit it still feels like something George Jetson should be driving. Some people will want to know that it's a Package 2 car in Spectra Blue Mica. (Why do Prius fans care?!)
2008 Toyota Prius

2001½ VW Passat Wagon
Kathy and I bought this car in preparation for Libby's arrival. It has the Audi 2.8-litre V6 engine, so it's quite fast and fun to drive. Kathy usually drove it until she got her Prius.

1953 Morgan +4 "The Flying Haggis"
A veteran of the 1988, 1989, and 1990 runs of La Carrera Panamericana, the Mexican Road Race. I bought it in 1999 and hope to do some vintage racing with it.

1997 BMW Z3
Kathy bought her Z3 after years of practical cars, having realized that a fuel-efficient four-seater added little real value for short commutes with no passengers. She soon discovered that convertibles weren't just for sunny days - they're great for enjoying starry nights! This realization played a prominent role in our meeting. While good for solo commuting in California, a Z3 is not good for kids, so Libby's arrival contributed to the Z3's reluctant departure.

1993 Saturn SL2
This was Kathy's practical car, then my daily-driver after she got the Passat. While not the most exciting car, it could actually take nearby freeway ramps faster in it than the Morgan. In traffic, air conditioning and decent tunes were nice, too. With over 107,000 miles, it was finally replaced by Kathy's Prius.

1985 Honda CRX HF
This was Krissie's car. Once, on a trip down US 101 to Los Angeles, we averaged 52 MPG! The Honda became my everyday commute car after Krissie died until I donated it in June 2000.

1979 BMW 323i (For Sale!)
I liked the BMW 320i from the first time I saw one, but they were anemic. The 323i is a European-model, never imported officially to North America, which has a 2.3-liter inline six instead of the 320i's 2.0-liter (1.8 in later years) inline four.

1982 VW Scirocco
This is the only car I bought new for myself -- so I had reliable transportation when I started my first job out of school. Alas, that job was in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, so the car's first few years were pretty rough, and it accumulated many battle scars. For a long time it was a good "take the dog to the beach" car, but I finally found it another home in 2000.

1979 VW Cabriolet (Super Beetle)
My first car, from the last year that the original Beetle was sold in the United States in any form. (The Cabriolet was actually built by Karmann using the Super Beetle from 1971 on.)

More car stuff ...

My automotive wish list
My brother John's cars
My brother Marty's 1975 Lancia Beta Coupe and his 1988 VW Fox Wagon

Karl's Home Page
KLS² Home

Copyright © 1999,2001-2004,2007,2008, Karl L. Swartz. All rights reserved.
All trademarks mentioned herein belong to their respective owners.

Flags courtesy Mooney's MiniFlags.
Road signs courtesy and copyright © .

Karl Swartz <karl@kls2.com>

		2008 Toyota Prius Kathy's new car, just in time for her birthday. It's more fun than I expected but with its video-game cockpit it still feels like something George Jetson should be driving. Some people will want to know that it's a Package 2 car in Spectra Blue Mica. (Why do Prius fans care?!)
		2001½ VW Passat Wagon Kathy and I bought this car in preparation for Libby's arrival. It has the Audi 2.8-litre V6 engine, so it's quite fast and fun to drive. Kathy usually drove it until she got her Prius.
		1953 Morgan +4 "The Flying Haggis" A veteran of the 1988, 1989, and 1990 runs of La Carrera Panamericana, the Mexican Road Race. I bought it in 1999 and hope to do some vintage racing with it.
		1997 BMW Z3 Kathy bought her Z3 after years of practical cars, having realized that a fuel-efficient four-seater added little real value for short commutes with no passengers. She soon discovered that convertibles weren't just for sunny days - they're great for enjoying starry nights! This realization played a prominent role in our meeting. While good for solo commuting in California, a Z3 is not good for kids, so Libby's arrival contributed to the Z3's reluctant departure.
		1993 Saturn SL2 This was Kathy's practical car, then my daily-driver after she got the Passat. While not the most exciting car, it could actually take nearby freeway ramps faster in it than the Morgan. In traffic, air conditioning and decent tunes were nice, too. With over 107,000 miles, it was finally replaced by Kathy's Prius.
		1985 Honda CRX HF This was Krissie's car. Once, on a trip down US 101 to Los Angeles, we averaged 52 MPG! The Honda became my everyday commute car after Krissie died until I donated it in June 2000.
		1979 BMW 323i (For Sale!) I liked the BMW 320i from the first time I saw one, but they were anemic. The 323i is a European-model, never imported officially to North America, which has a 2.3-liter inline six instead of the 320i's 2.0-liter (1.8 in later years) inline four.
		1982 VW Scirocco This is the only car I bought new for myself -- so I had reliable transportation when I started my first job out of school. Alas, that job was in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, so the car's first few years were pretty rough, and it accumulated many battle scars. For a long time it was a good "take the dog to the beach" car, but I finally found it another home in 2000.
		1979 VW Cabriolet (Super Beetle) My first car, from the last year that the original Beetle was sold in the United States in any form. (The Cabriolet was actually built by Karmann using the Super Beetle from 1971 on.)