When I bought my VX in May 2001, Don's Isuzu on Rt 22 in NJ almost wouldn't let me leave the lot until I agreed to buy it. It was listed at $31.5 and I actually argued with the sales guy that I didn't want it 'cause it was yellow and an automatic. The manager finally said "how much would you pay for it." After seeing the invoice, which was $28K and change, I said $24.6, with tags, taxes, a zero interest loan and my 1993 Escort GT as a trade.

I am the crappiest wheeler dealer in the world and I tend to get ripped off all the time. So, you know...Don's Isuzu was trying to unload the VX on me at any reasonable price. I think I saw the sales manager jumping up and down for joy when I driving it off the lot 3 hours later. He probably got a $50 commission on the deal. Wow, looking at the used prices they're going for now, I was so fortunate (which I'm usually not) to have purchased it new.

Driving home down Rt 22, the very first comment I got about VX was from a guy in a car yelling out his window... "that's the ugliest THING I've ever seen." Oh great, I thought. I bought a vehicle with fangs and it's not a cookie cutter yuppie SUV to go with my stupid corporate management job.

Bing! Right then and there I knew I loved that little VX! I hope I don't ever have to sell it. As the years go by, I tend to be more protective of it because it draws a lot of attention and there are some wacky people out there that have no respect for other people's property. Last May I officially retired the little proton as my secondary vehicle and got a Wrangler as my daily driver. So it sits in the garage until the weekend. My favorite thing to do is to take my dog Suede (a dog, part Basenji, that sat in a kennel for 3 years and no one wanted until I adopted her from North Carolina) for a ride to the park. I guess I have a tendency to collect things that no one wants.

Oh well, that's my short story. Thank you to all the folks that make this web site happen. It's great reading about all your VX experiences.

Bumblebee