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

grrl

Diamond Member
Jun 21, 2001
6,204
1
0
He's already put 1,800 miles on it. :)

http://wheels.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/11/18/101-year-old-man-buys-a-426-hp-camaro/?hpw

November 18, 2009, 11:54 am
101-Year-Old Man Buys a 426-Horsepower Camaro
By NICK BUNKLEY

Virgil Coffman met with Ed Welburn on Tuesday. “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.”
 

techs

Lifer
Sep 26, 2000
28,559
4
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What do you call a 101-Year-Old Man who Buys a 426-Horsepower Camaro and a case of condoms?




An optimist.
 

squirrel dog

Diamond Member
Oct 10, 1999
5,564
48
91
100 is the new 80 !!! That guy looks incredible for someone that old.Now he needs to find him a new squeeze !!!
 

God Mode

Platinum Member
Jul 2, 2005
2,903
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71
He has the secret to long life. Capture him and do medical experiments!
 

brxndxn

Diamond Member
Apr 3, 2001
8,475
0
76
This is awesome. I'll probably buy a Camaro next year when they come out with the convertible..
 

lokiju

Lifer
May 29, 2003
18,526
5
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It's crazy how age takes it toll so differently on different people.

When my Grandpa died he wasn't even 80 yet and looked older than this guy :(
 

cardiac

Platinum Member
Oct 9, 1999
2,082
14
81
lol, also: what could be more annoying than being stuck behind this guy on the interstate, going 45mph in a 426 horsepower sports car?

Seeing him getting his knob polished by a 20 something hottie while he goes 45.....
 

BabaBooey

Lifer
Jan 21, 2001
10,476
0
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That is awesome.


This.


Go grandpa go !!!!

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