Disclaimer: I don't own these characters, and am only writing these stories for my own enjoyment.
Early 1970s
Ben Stone had never owned a car.
Like so many of his fellow citizens, he had received his New York State driver's license at the age of sixteen. He remembered having little interest in learning to drive; after all, he lived in New York City, where taxicabs and the subway were sacrosanct.
But his father had insisted on teaching him, and Ben knew better than to challenge the issue.
It was a matter of family pride. Ben's grandfather had owned one of Henry Ford's very first Model T's, delivered direct from Detroit. Cars were part of the American way of life, and every male Stone since then had possessed a driver's license. There was no way that Ben would be any different, and the lessons had often consisted of Ben's father screaming at him – and other motorists – from the passenger seat.
Just as he had anticipated in his teens, Ben hadn't had much reason to use his license. He depended heavily on public transportation, both as a law student and as a clerk for Judge Harold Schlesinger. But he had just been hired by the New York County District Attorney's Office, and buying a car seemed a smart move; when he made felony assistant, he would need it for trips to prisons upstate.
So now Ben stood on a used car lot in Queens, ready to take possession of his first car – a white 1961 Volkswagen Beetle. It had a bit of rust and a large ding in the left rear fender, but what could he expect for only $500? Besides, the salesman had assured him that despite its age, the car would be reliable and economical.
It was also made in Germany.
For years, Ben had listened to his father rail against foreign-made cars; he viewed them with as much suspicion as he did immigrants fresh off the boat. Only cars made in America – Chevrolets, Chryslers, and Fords – were worthy of being driven by Stones.
Ben couldn't wait to see the look on his father's face. He had tried convincing himself that he was buying this particular car out of frugality, but it was really belated rebellion.
Or something in between.
finis