Indian Hill
May 24, 2011

Tyler Winslow in a Mercedes 6.3 SLS AMG owned by Dr. Robin Cotton

Even though the price of gas has risen over a dollar in less than a year, there are still times when the quality of the car outweighs the MPG. That was the case at Motors & Music (an event to benefit the May Festival) where Indian Hill’s finest paraded their respective status symbols at the home of Jack and Barbara Hahn. The Hahn residence garage was candied with a variety of shapes and sizes – lipstick red Ferraris (including 360 Spiders and 430 Scuderias) along with amber Maseratis. The coral color bouquet of Italian metal was almost overwhelming to my regrettably undergraduate tastes.

1967 Pontiac Prescott Bigelow

I sipped champagne and traded witty banter with the best of them, but in embarrassing confession, before the event, the closest I came to touching a Ferrari had come in a box marked Hot Wheels or a bag marked Happy Meals and accompanied a relatively unimportant chapter of my childhood development.

And while the thought of dominating my placid, little suburbia behind the wheel of a Ferrari 380 Spider conjures visions of success I haven’t enjoyed since the climax of my college commencement speech, it remains a popular materialistic fantasy for the young and restless as justification for higher education.

Ferrari 430 Sculderia

2003 Ferrari 360 Spider owned by Dave Hall

Everyone in attendance received a complimentary gift basket with a thick brimmed Maserati cap, a beach towel and a fancy lunch (i.e. Ever heard of gourmet fried chicken? It does exist). Bar maidens from the Hofbrauhuas were there to provide glasses of sparkling champagne and all manner of luxury alcohol to all the auto-aficionados in attendance. Because after all, if there is one thing Germany is known for more making than cars, it’s making beer.

Jerry Freed, Jack Hahn, Spiros Sarakatsannis, and Alex Smith

The sight of so many colorful shiny toys made me want to believe in things like manifest destiny, the future is beautiful and all good things are waiting ahead. Work hard, sacrifice the long hours and someday you’ll have a sports car for every day of the week.

Don’t call this the American Dream — that would mean someday you might wake up.

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