My new ride.
They finally put an manual in it.
The first or second year the Z3 came out, my uncle had a book publishing company call and ask, “Are you ever going to send us that manuscript?”
He had to ask, “What manuscript?”
It had been 15 or so years and my uncle had forgotten. After being reminded, he told the pleasant young employee on the phone, “I told your company YEARS AGO that I don’t write made-up books. I follow the research. Your company didn’t like the book I sent you.”
Eventually, the young employee said, “Well, are you going to return the advance (or whatever money). My uncle said, “Of course, where do I send it and how much?”
“Just the original $15K.”
“With interest?”
“No interest.”
My uncle had a habit of putting money like that into Vanguard S&P Index Fund accounts and then ignoring them.
So, when told “no interest,” he subtracted “$15,000” from the account balance and went and bought a BMW Z3 with cash.
His wife, my aunt (my Dad’s sister), was appalled at what he’d spent ON A CAR.
He then showed her how it wasn’t real money and they were extraordinarily well-off even after frivolously buying the Z3.
He’d gone from a family that was dirt poor and uneducated and he was the first high school graduate in his family, the first college graduate, and the first Ph.D. Then, the longtime Dean of UGA’s School/College of Education.
My aunt quickly came to love that Z3. Hated parting with it when they downsized and had room for only two vehicles.
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