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| Words and photo by F LoBuono |
It's called The Box for obvious reasons. There is nothing flashy about it at all. Some even call it downright ugly. But, beauty can be in the eye of the beholder. Stella always says that somethings are so ugly that they become kinda' beautiful. Be that as it may, it's still the most damned efficient multi-purpose vehicle on the road. A bit dinged with a few creases, it has logged 213,684 miles in its lifetime. Like a Timex, The Box takes a lickin' and keeps on tickin'. Change the oil, tune it up once every 100,000 miles, rotate the tires, put the key in the ignition, fire it up, and GO! There was 212,000 on the original clutch before it had to be replaced. Until then, it was virtually repair free from the day it was made. All wheel drive, The Box has never failed to get its cargo (people or otherwise) to where it needed to go. And, because of its very shape (a box) it can haul just about anything. In the rain, in the snow, in the heat, it's the mailman of the auto industry - never failing to make its appointed rounds. The miles-per-gallon isn't the greatest, but, hey, it ain't the worst either. Because it is a "high profile" vehicle, its taller than a normal passenger car giving greater visibility of the road. You can see well in advance of where you are headed. It has a five speed manual transmission, so you have to actually drive this vehicle. It has few amenities besides the AC and radio - no GPS, no heated seats, no additional wrinkles. In other words, it's old fashioned.
No, The Box may not be very exciting to look at or drive but, damn, it sure is fun. Its part truck, part car and all square (in every sense of the word). It really is everything a vehicle should be; safe, efficient, and, yes, even a bit different.
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