Author & Photography: Charlotte Vowden
There are certain sacrifices, I’ve been told, that as a parent you have to make, but I don’t subscribe to the idea that life has to be the complete opposite of what it was before. The freedom, the selfish abandon, and a decent nights sleep, sure, it’s sayonara to all that. I’m under no illusion that a whole lot of compromise and change is coming my way – and I can’t wait to meet the little person that it’s all going to be for – but one of the things I’m not prepared to mourn is the loss of my “impractical” two-seater cars.
Keeping the MGA is easy to justify; it’s a family heirloom that will be with me until the end of my days. The MX-5? Well, that’s a tad trickier. Purchased a year ago for a bit of fun, it is the definition of a carpe diem car. Setting the bar high for gung-ho adventuring in the early days of ownership, my husband and I drove from London to Edinburgh mid-blizzard in November last year. Leaving a soiree in the city at midnight, dressed in black tie, I was still wearing my sequin-covered ballgown at breakfast the following morning. Was a low-slung rear-wheel roadster the most sensible choice? Of course not! But we only had ourselves to worry about, and hot diggity did we had a good time. A bonkers journey made entirely on our own terms, you can read all about it, here.
Fitting a luggage rack the following month was a game changer, (the spare wheel hogs a lot of space in the boot), and on the 26th December, we made a Boxing Day escape. Our destination? Entirely unknown. By first light on the 27th, we’d secured a one-way ticket to France, and after sailing across the English Channel, we simply decided to turn right. At dawn on New Year’s day we were driving with the roof down in the La Bardena Blanca desert. An outlying Spanish scrubland where tarmac turns to rough track and territorial wild cats lurk, we felt like we were the only two people who existed in the world.
In February, we introduced the Mazda to north Wales; a destination that for us has become an old friend. From weekends away during our early days of dating, to getting engaged and tying the knot, it’s been the setting for many of our happiest milestones. A visit feels like coming home.
Astonishing roads lead to astonishing mountains, we’ve experienced such awe just getting from A to B. But as much as we love the comfort and intimacy of familiarity, we’re always keen to explore pastures new. During that introductory trip for the MX-5, I plotted a route using postcards featuring places we’d never been, nor seen. Being guided by pocket-sized rectangles of cardboard rather than a SAT-NAV was a novelty, and I recommend you give it a try. I’ve put together a list of other creative road trip ideas, here, too.
With less chill in the air as spring turned to summer, we languished the longer evenings. Then morning sickness struck. Suffering around the clock, I exhausted all traditional remedies so when my husband prescribed a drop-top drive in the MX-5, I agreed to give it a try. Dubious but desperate, I buckled up and sat back. I didn’t find a cure in that short, sundown pootle, but I did experience some relief. Whether it was the distraction, the motion or the breeze, the queasiness did, if only for a little while, mercifully, ease. Midwives, GPs and mothers, as well as fathers, to-be take note.
It’s a been blast, these past twelve months and to say we contemplated the Mazda’s future would be a stretch; without a doubt, it’s earned its place in this next chapter of our lives. From the inaugural HDC tour in the Lakes and Dales, to the Hagerty Hill Climb at Shelsley Walsh, the MX-5 has proved great and reliable company on solo trips. And as the third wheel to the two of us, we’re yet to receive a complaint. Carrying precious cargo, including our soon-to-be-born baby and a homemade 100th birthday cake for a friend, it has put in the miles nobly, with demand for minimal TLC in return. Long may that low-maintenance attribute continue when our high-maintenance bundle of joy arrives. Until then, we’ll treasure the time we have to enjoy the MX-5. Though, I might start needing a winch to help me get in and out. It’s school run mum here I come! Albeit, in a good few years.
Is there a car you regret getting rid of? Tell us about your one that got away in the comments below.
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