Dezo’s Cars

A Motoring Chronicle: From Ventura to Edge

My journey behind the wheel began in the summer of 1991—a time when cassette tapes ruled, gas was cheap, and a teenager’s rite of passage was marked by the keys to freedom. I was among those eager young souls who simply couldn’t wait. I enrolled in driver’s education that very summer, strategically plotting my course so that by the time I turned 16 in September, all that stood between me and the open road were a few in-car driving sessions. By October’s end, I proudly held a driver’s license—my golden ticket to the highways of America.

The chariot of my early days? My father’s workhorse: a 1975 Pontiac Ventura. Modest by modern standards, its lone AM radio offered little in the way of entertainment, but to me, it was a vessel of independence. On special days, I was fortunate enough to take the wheel of the family’s 1985 Buick Regal. Compared to the Ventura, the Regal was a symphony of luxury with its four-speaker AM/FM stereo—a mobile concert hall that quickly made it my preferred ride.

In 1993, fate smiled upon me, and the Buick Regal became mine. That stately machine was my first car, and even now—twenty vehicles and three decades later—it remains the one I miss most. Though I only ever owned two General Motors cars, they were but the prologue to a long series of Dodges, which eventually gave way to what would become my automotive allegiance: Ford.

Over the span of 30+ years on the road, Ford has been the most frequent nameplate in my driveway. This month’s “Extra” is a tribute to that winding road—a showcase of brochures from every vehicle I’ve owned, with asterisks marking those I still proudly drive.

Among them, only two were factory-fresh when they came into my life. One was the 2012 Ford Fusion—purchased with a mere six miles on the odometer. That car was my steadfast companion for eight years and 132,000 miles. Today, my trusted steed is a 2015 Ford Edge, acquired in 2020 with 37,000 miles. It remains in my stable, now galloping past 129,000 miles, and I fully intend to drive it until its final breath.

So pour yourself a cup of nostalgia and enjoy this month’s Extra—a glimpse into the brochure-covered chapters of a life well-driven.