My Favorite Car: '78 Pontiac Firebird, Perry Foreman, 58, Tampa

'78 Pontiac Firebird

I purchased this car after being transferred from Berlin, Germany, to MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa. I traded a fairly new car for this new Firebird — purchased it from Superior Pontiac on Hillsborough, which is no longer in existence. Everyone knew me and my shiny red car at the time. I washed the car every weekend. One time, I didn't have time, and a stranger came up to me and said, "Your red hot rod is dirty! I never see you with it dirty." I thought it was funny, but it was true. It was always clean. I kept it for over 10 years (and 190,000 miles). I sold it to a young lady in St. Louis, Mo., who is still driving it today.