…that you were in your thirties back in early 1980-85, and had a job that required you to drive about a hundred miles a day, every weekday — let’s go back in time, and imagine that you were what they called back then a “traveling salesman” and had to call on both existing and new customers in a fairly large sales area.
Let’s also stipulate that this job was somewhere that required driving in non-urban traffic (perhaps in the Midwestern states, or maybe the rural Northwest or Northeast), so not in LA, NY, Chicago or any of the other metropolitan cesspits.
Clearly, this would require a car that was reliable, comfortable, could handle hot and cold weather and was large enough to carry samples. So the company accountant took you aside and said, “Here’s $15,000 dollars; go buy yourself a decent car.” (Note that no company accountant was ever going to give you enough for a Merc or the like; you’d probably be stuck with a Murkin car or one of the minor Euro, Japanese or Scandi brands. For reference, a 1984 Olds 98 would run you between $14k and $15k back then.)
So: to which dealer would you be going, and what car would you get for yourself?
Feel free to give reasons (because I know you will).
My choice below the fold.




























