i'm kinda, sorta, almost thinking about getting a new car. and maybe actually selling one.

for those of you who don't know the family history, we're not the type of people to sell or trade cars. we tend to hang on to them until they die, or pass them on to someone else in the family. or keep them.

currently, i've got four cars registered in my name--a 1997 toyota 4-runner (currently vehicle du jour), a 1993 dodge ram pick up truck (must have for hauling typhoon debris--for that alone i shall have it for a long time), a 1992 miata convertible (now the company car!), and the beloved 1993 volvo 240dl station wagon, aka "the james bond ikea car".

my dad's hunk-o-junk cressida that only goes 40 miles per hour at top speed, may be on the way out, so i was planning on giving him the 4-runner and getting a hybrid vehicle. however, my dad's none too keen on driving a big car, so he's been looking at cars on the sly. i think he's looking at scion. i think we're both sweet on the xb--really, a bread box on wheels. the island's suddenly had a scion spore explosion, there are xb's everywhere. my mom hates them, thinks they look like someone cut it in half.

the good thing is she's partial to the mini. i think i swooned when i saw that mini cooper display at the tokyo auto show--i was giddy. theodore and i used to see the same one in la all the time. theodore's only comment was that he would like to see a mini in an accident on the freeway, then see how many clowns came out. anyway, now it looks like dad's looking into getting a mini cooper. although he still calls it an austin cooper (bless).

maybe. a mini-maybe.


a paul smith limited edition mini!

the car that may be, maybe, on the auction block (so to speak), is the--ergh, i can't even say it--volvo. yesssss, i know, my beloved, lovely icebox white-in almost pristine condition-had famous people innit-has just over 50,000 miles on it-volvo 240dl. i love it, i love it large, but it just *sits* in los angeles, unused for about 10 months out of the year. for the past couple of years it has cost me a couple of $ks to keep it up, which is a lot for a car i see once a year. i'm not sure if it's worth the upkeep, it might be (just slightly) cheaper to rent a car when i'm in town.

i don't know. maybe if i find someone who'll love it. maybe i'll just have a teenager masquerade as its owner and have mtv pimp my ride. i'd like it aya takano'd out maybe even takashi murakami'd. not louis vuitton'd out. well, maybe a few cherry blossoms. oh heck, why not. take that j.lo! think your soooo 2003 eyeball pouchette's hot now?


takashi murakami

maybe i can get murakami-san to design it himself. i'd get it all tricked out by west coast customs to his exact specifications, hire pr to get the car in select media, have the perfect sound bite ready ("it's like having the biggest vuitton bag in the world!") then be the opportunistic cow and sell it on ebay like this girl. or this guy.


2004 aya takano/kaikai kiki co., ltd.