Carriage House alumni

From my first car -- a  1967 Volvo 122S -- to my current stable -- which includes an identical twin of that 122S -- I have owned per my latest count 64 automobiles. 

Some have only been in my care for a month or two. Many have stuck around for years. The longest for any single  vehicle is my 1979 VW Bus, which I bought in early 2008 -- so 12+ years. Among types of car, the longest I have owned types  is Volvo 122S, 13 years and counting; and Alfa Romeo Series 3 & 4 Spider, almost continuously  and frequently in multiples for the past 24 years. A number of my cars -- including two Alfa Spiders currently in my collection -- are cars I have owned more than once. My 1988 Spider Graduate I first owned from 1996-99, and it returned to me in 2015, so I have known it almost a quarter century. 

To the reader most of the cars on this list are simply years and models, but to me, each was an important part of my automotive history. I had some adventures in each. I had joy and heartache in most. One of them, my 1967 Mercedes 250SE, is immortalized in my friend Lisa Brunette's book Cat in the Flock. A number of the others have been featured in magazine articles, while my '61 Alfa made the cover of the International Auto Parts catalog. The '58 Chevy Brookwood was in the movie Goodfellas, but that was before I owned it.

Alfa Romeo is the most represented marque, with a remarkable 24 entries.  When it comes to corporate loyalty, 3 Fiats bring my Fiat/Alfa number to 27. I have had 10 GM products (4 Chevrolet, 4 Cadillac, and 2 Pontiac). My other leading brands with 8 each are Mercedes-Benz and Volvo.

Early on I owned one or at most two cars at a time. Resources and increased space have allowed that to grow to the present ridiculous dozen.  Presently owned cars are in italics in the list below.

Brewster Thackeray Automotive Curriculum Vitae, 1985 to 2021

Alfa Romeo

1961 Giulietta Spider

1963 Giulia Spider

1981 Spider Veloce [2]

1983 Spider Veloce

1984 Spider Veloce

1986 Spider Veloce

1986 Spider Quadrifoglio

1987 Spider Graduate 

1987 Spider Quadrifoglio

1988 Spider Graduate [2]

1988 Spider Quadrifoglio [2]

1991 Spider [2]

1991 Spider Veloce [4]

1991 164L

1991 164S

1992 Spider Veloce

2017 Giulia TI

[24]

Austin Healey

1967 3000 Mark 3 BJ8

[1]

Cadillac

1976 Sedan DeVille

1984 Seville

1991 Brougham

1992 Brougham stretch limousine

[4]

Chevrolet

1958 Brookwood station wagon

1984 Cavalier hatchback

1986 Cavalier V6 convertible

1988 Corvette 35th Anniversary Edition

[4]

Fiat

2012 500 Prima Edizione

2013 500 Abarth

2017 124 Spider Abarth

[3]

Jeep

1979 Wagoneer

[1]

Pontiac

1985 Fiero

1985 Firebird

[2]

Mazda

2004 RX8

[1]

Mercedes-Benz

1967 250SE 

1982 300D

1985 500SEL

1988 300CE Brabus

1990 300SL

1991 560SEL

1995 E320 cabriolet

2002 C240

[8]

Porsche

1968 912

[1]

Smart

2008 Smart 

[1]

Toyota

1983 Tercel

2007 Prius

[2]

Volkswagen

1979 Westfalia camper bus

1981 Rabbit Cabriolet

1982 Scirocco

1982 Quantum 

[4]

Volvo

1967 122S [2]

1967 P1800S

1968 144S

1975 245 DL

1983 Turbo 245 wagon

1988 240 wagon

2004 C70 convertible

[8]

[60+ total]