101-Year-Old Man Buys a 426-Horsepower Camaro

This you Mike :-)

101-Year-Old Man Buys a 426-Horsepower Camaro
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?I wanted a sportscar,? said Virgil Coffman, pictured left, who turns 102 in January. Mr. Coffman met with Ed Welburn, vice president of global design for General Motors, on Tuesday.

Eight months older than General Motors, Virgil Coffman clearly is not whom Chevrolet had in mind when it decided to bring back the Camaro.

But a bright yellow, 426-horsepower Camaro SS is exactly what Mr. Coffman, who turns 102 in January, wanted when he went to a Chevy dealership near his home in Decatur, Ill., in September. He ordered a ?Transformers? special edition model, which is adorned with black stripes to resemble the character Bumblebee from the blockbuster movie.

Mr. Coffman hasn?t seen ?Transformers.? He said he just liked how the special-edition Camaro looked ? and that only 1,500 are to be produced. He traded in a Chevy Monte Carlo for the new car. ?Driving by myself, I didn?t need one of those big cars anymore.? he said. ?I wanted a sportscar.?

After learning of Mr. Coffman?s purchase, G.M. flew him to Detroit this week to show him around a design studio and its Heritage Center, a museum filled with hundreds of cars it has built during his lifetime ? and, of course, get a little publicity for one of the company?s hottest-selling cars.

Mr. Coffman worked for G.M. from 1950 until 1973, first making bumpers for Cadillacs and later as a chemist. He has owned 35 to 40 different vehicles ? mostly G.M., none foreign ? starting with a ?1920-something? two-door Chevy coupe. This is his first Camaro, and he says he likes it the best.

?The way it looks and the way it handles ? you can?t beat it,? he said. ?People you don?t even know come up and talk to you in a parking lot.?

Bob Lamb, a nephew who accompanied Mr. Coffman on his visit, said the sales staff at Miles Chevrolet was a bit skeptical of a 101-year-old man who came in looking for the $38,000 Camaro but more than happy to make the deal when they realized he was serious. ?He told me, ?If I keep that

10 or 12 years, it will be worth about $100,000,?? Mr. Lamb said. ?He?s very optimistic.?

Since September, Mr. Coffman, who has outlived his wife and three children, has put about 1,800 miles on his new car, though he has yet to take it more than about 50 miles outside of Decatur. And while he loves the powerful V-8 engine, he keeps his speed down ? most of the time.

?Once in a while I like to kick it up,? he said. ?But I?m afraid to drive too fast and get a ticket, and then they might take my license away.?

Reply to
Jim_Higgins
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About 2 1/2 years ago(I think) I was doing some a/c work for an elderly couple. The man used a walker and could barely get around with that, and didn't drive any more. The wife was in pretty good shape-- said she was

80 and that she did all the driving. There were two cars in the driveway under car covers, and I had to ask her what they were. She said they were both Cougars, I think about 92 and 97 or so. She started telling me all about them-- what engines they had, and that the 92 actually ran, and shifted better, etc.. She said she still had her first new car out in the garage-- a 73 Charger with a 318, and about 50K on it. When I was finished with my work, she asked if I wanted to see her Charger. Of course I did, so she took me to the garage, and peeled back the cover on it. It was green, and looked like new. But sitting beside it in the garage was--- her black 2005 CORVETTE!! -- a convertable no less. She said she had always wanted one, and finally got one-- bought it new. I asked her how fast she'd had it up to. She gave me a sheepish grin, and said "a hundred". You're only as old as you feel, I guess. I thought it was great that someone that age, and especially a woman, was that interested in cars, and able , physically, mentally, and financially, to get something like the Vette that she had always wanted. Larry
Reply to
Lp1331 1p1331

It has long been known that you can sell an old man a young man's car, but you cant sell a young man an old man's car.

I'm 68, and just bought myself a new convertible a couple of months ago. I had intended to buy a Porsche, but backed off because I didnt like the ride characteristics.

Reply to
hls

Sounds like you bought the old man's car, so I guess you do not consider yourself a young man huh, hahaha?

Reply to
Happy Trails

No, I guess I dont. But the convertible is fine for a mature man.

Reply to
hls

I own a 2009 Mustang GT convertible. It is my sixth, Mustang GT convertible in a row. I had a 1999, 2001, 2003, 2005, 2007, as well.

I also have a 2010 Lincoln MKZ for when I need more room and I'm pushing 84.

The first time I bought a Mustang V8 convertible was back in 1954, I still have in my collection ;)

Reply to
Mike Hunter

Maybe you are pushing 84 a little too hard - the first year that Ford made a Mustang was 1964, hahahahaha!

Reply to
Happy Trails

Fat fingers?

Reply to
Mike Hunter

Proof read?

Reply to
Happy Trails

At 83, what makes you think I have time to proof read?

Besides there is ALWAYS somebody in the NGs, you who apparently has plenty of free time to hang our in the NGs, who is more than happy to report others misspelling LOL

Reply to
Mike Hunter

Your mistake was not a spelling mistake. Besides at 83 you have all the time in the world - you have the rest of your life, hahahahaha!

Reply to
Happy Trails

I know it, that is why I don't waist any of it an I planning to spend my last dollar the day I die.

Reply to
Mike Hunter

Well excuse the suggestion, but it seems you are wasting ALL of it from the sheer number of somewhat useless posts seen here!

Reply to
Happy Trails

Just try to see how many times someone like you will reply to all those useless posts, while I'm waiting for an important down load to finish. ;)

Reply to
Mike Hunter

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