Wendy Wortham on Fast Cars, Rock n Roll, Sexy Black Cadillacs and Speedways
My fascination with cars began at a young age, the ability to burn rubber and run away from my young life while listening to classic rock was a fantasy that would evade me for many years.
Luckily, hardship licenses for children who needed to work gave me a window of opportunity to escape my home life and leave briefly while en route to work listening to Rush, Boston, Leonard Skynard, Cher, Foghat, Styx, Quiet Riot, Johnny Cash, Donna Summers and more took not only me, but also my sister to “sing outs” cruising down the highway.
Cindy Daniel, my twin, had no desire to be the driver and, waiting until she was 21 to get a license which is the reason I’m almost always, the driver.
Our childhood vehicles were as far from sleek and sexy as you might expect. The brown Pinto, the silver Maverick, the Dodge Dart were not what one would hope for to be a “cool” kid.
My father gave us a beautiful two door silver with white interior LTD that was the first (for me) elegant automobile I owned. Sadly, I was separated from my sister in Samson Park by a violent predator when he asked if I’d like to see his puppy and quickly “snatched” from my sister who desperately attempted to follow me although she had no idea how to drive and accidentally hit the gas rather than the brake and cut a two lamp city owned lamp pole completely in half.
Luckily, she was very shaken but, Thank God, unhurt. Sadly, the beautiful sleek Silver Bullet died a crumpled and horrific death saving my sister. Had she been driving the awful Pinto, I’m certain I might have lost my other half that fateful night in Fort Worth!
Road trips have been a part of my life as long as I can remember. Driving from Texas to California and back again for nearly 30 years has had some hilarious incidents for both my sister and myself.
Humor keeps us from crying and, the Tiny Texas Twins, Maryssa and Makenna Mahaney came along during a painful divorce when I believed my niece, Stephaney Rene Mahaney had food poisoning. In fact, she was pregnant with twins at 15 years old.
My twins husband had been laid off from Albertsons and was forced to take a position as a Hazmat Driver at Camp Anaconda. We both thought it best to wait until he returned home (twice a year) to “spring the news!”
I was earning a good income and, made a commitment to my sister the day we learned of this pregnancy to help her financially and physically care for these Gifts from God that we never expected at our age.
If you had asked me as a child if I had planned to sell luxury vehicles, I would have said no. A private detective? Vet? Nurse? News Reporter? Yes.
You see, I had learned that luxury car salesmen had the fringe benefit most important to me- a demo!
Leaving an affluent marriage of first class flights and hotel accommodations might be a difficult decision for many- not for me. You see, I was leaving this marriage with country clubs and vacation homes to save myself from an abusive marriage and, more importantly, my son.
In an attempt to control my decision, my husband (although we had several vehicles) refused to provide a car for me after giving the car I had saved my own wages to buy, to his nephew.
To get myself “on the road” I showed up at a Cadillac Dealership and did what I do best, gave the manager all the reasons a female could excel on a sales floor of only males, and was hired.
GM requires all salespeople to attend Ride and Drives with professional race car drivers. I’m not afraid of speed because I know how to handle a vehicle. Failure has never been an option, I needed that demo! How to surpass the sakes of my make counter parts? Hire a photographer and work out a payment plan with the same country clubs I used to be a member at for ads featuring me with a different vehicle. This was very effective and, carried me through my divorce where my birthday gift from my new husband was a sleek, black Crossfire.
Certainly not a family car, but since I couldn’t afford my dream car, a black Cadillac XLR, it was everything a survivor from a bad marriage could ever want and, it was mine!
My husband met me after buying two vehicles from me, the first was an SRX and he hated it. One year later, he returned and said he wanted a white Escalade. I told him “why? That’s a girl car kid.” Besides, he was upside down and, financially he would be making a huge mistake.
Insistent on getting “out of this shoe box” I found an XLT Escalade Truck (black) that I was able to discount enough to make the pinch less painful on the trade in.
All of my customers are my friends, I’m fairly blunt, opinionated and honest. In my office, he said “I bet your husband is really proud of you. You’re funny, you’re sexy, you’re honest and you’re successful.” I immediately burst out crying in my office!
You see, to the world I was all of these things in order to protect myself from predators. If people knew what hell I had been through, even at a few points in my life considering suicide, they would use this knowledge to hurt me- something I had learned at a very young age. Act as if you don’t have a care in the world- others admire your self esteem (even if you don’t have any.)
My new husband then asked if our day after the divorce “I might take you out for a steak” the rest is history!
The tiny Twins ride in the Escalade Truck and later, I would get a family SUV, leaving behind the sexy black two door.
Do I miss it ? Oh yes, I often find myself daydreaming at red lights admiring the lines of the cars around me. Would it fit into my life to have a sportscar? No, I’m in the events industry now and must have an SUV along with my sister to transport wedding supplies, furniture and funeral flowers.
Ahhhh, but one day, one day again I will find another sleek black sporty vehicle and, bring along with me my favorite Sirius 70s and 80s tunes as I hit the road!
