Goodbye Delango

Russ and I are much better at buying cars than we are at selling cars.  This morning when I woke up we had a 1964 Morris Minor woody station wagon and a Smart car in the garage.  They are our smallest cars thus allowing us to have a garage packed with lots of other stuff but giving us the illusion that it is actually OK since we can still fit two cars in it at the same time.

Out in the driveway were the big cars, the 2000 Land Cruiser the fairly new Ford C-max and the 1999 Dodge Delango.  What, you’ve never heard of a Delango?  Well it is quite a special model.  The Christmas Carter was born my Dad stole Russ’ seven year old Ford Taurus station wagon and traded it in and gave him this White Dodge Durango he had renamed and rebadged as a Delango model.

In the early days of our marriage my father thought Russ was actually not of German decent, but of Italian because of his love of all things red sauce.  The nickname of Roussilini Delango was the one my father called him.  So when Russ started eyeing the new SUV from Dodge my father, who’s favorite pastime is buying cars, jumped the gun and got him one.

Not only did my father surprise Russ with the car on Christmas morning, but also the regular “Durango” silver letters on the side of the car had been removed and in the exact same typeface the new ones spelling out “Delango” were in their place.

The Delango served Russ well.  He drove it back and forth to the airport at least seven hundred and thirty two times.  When we went to buy the C-max last fall I asked Russ if we could trade in his old car.  Why did two drivers need five cars?  For whatever sentimental reason he said no, but the Delango sat idle in the driveway all year.  Finally on my fix it day this week I decided it was time to sell that car.

I had to wait until Russ was home so we could drive two cars to the dealer and leave the Delango there and come home to a driveway with only two cars in it.  The old car came into our life at the same time our only baby did.  It is hard to admit that soon she will be gone too.  Until that time comes she has to get her drivers license and the good news is the old Land Cruiser is the perfect first car for a kid.  At least it won’t be so ridiculous to have four cars and three drivers.