Official "Child at Heart" Car

What car will make it for the official “Child at Heart” car? The Pixar movie Cars made the auto pretty fun and funny. How do real cars stack up?

Any vehicle that can get you smiling whenever you get in it certainly qualifies as Child at Heart material. Of course, if the vehicle becomes a burden financially you may not be able to smile every time you get into it. In that case, it may be time for a change. Even an older car can make you laugh. One of my best friends had what we affectionately called a “boat” in high school. I was one of the first teens in my grade to have my own car. Unfortunately, we spent a lot of time pushing it in the snow when it failed to start…but we had fun!

It is a requirement that whatever the car you have, must have a sunroof or moonroof so you can always look up to get the bigger picture of the sky (preferably not while you’re driving). Convertibles really win in this category. What is a moon roof anyway? A sun roof at night? According to sunroofs.com, “Sunroof is the generic term used to describe an operable panel in a vehicle roof which can let in light and/or air. “Moonroof” is a term created by Ford in the 70s, yet is now used generically to describe glass panel inbuilt electric sunroofs.” So all moonroofs are sunroofs but not all sunroofs are moonroofs. But I digress.

In another high school car expirence, my friend had a purple AMC Gremlin. (It was marginally better than a Pacer or Pinto at the time.) It was raining and pulled up to a corner with a big puddle. Suddenly, water rushed through the floor and all over me. I thought “Why am I all wet? I’m inside a car!” Evidently, in this car, the floor mat was not optional equipment. The floor was completely rusted through kind like a Fred Flintstone’s car. If I ran, we might even have gone faster. If I lifted up the mat on the highway, I could see the pavement going by at 65 mph!

For a great Child at Heart experience…go out test driving cars for an afternoon. Put some fun ones on the list even if you don’t plan on purchasing. With the economy down, car salesmen probably have less to do. Help keep them busy.

Don’t like cars? Listen to the Car Talk podcast available via iTunes. I’m not even that into cars, but I love to listen to Car Talk. “Click and Clack” (brothers Tom and Ray Magliozzi) are some of the funniest radio personalities around. Listeners call in with questions about their cars and get some pretty funny and surprisingly accurate answers. Did you know that motorists in North America spend about 6 months of their lives waiting at red lights? (Ripley’s Believe it or Not). You might as well make good use of that time. Enjoy a good podcast, laugh, and learn. One time a lady called in proclaiming she was in love with her Jeep Liberty because it represented adventure and fun. She wanted to name it “Patrick Henry” for his speech “Give me Liberty or give me death!”

I believe Mazda wins the Child at Heart award for this company philosophy displayed on their window sticker: “All children instinctively know it. A few adults still remember it. One unique car company refuses to outgrow it. In grown-up language, it means the exhilaration and liberation that comes from experiencing sheer motion. But as usual, children put it much better and simply call it ‘Zoom-Zoom’. We practice it every day. It’s why we build the kind of cars we do. Mazda. Always the soul of a sports car.” Consequently, I had to have a Mazda. I got the more family practical Mazda 5 but the Mazda RX8 sports car looks pretty good from this description: “The RX-8 feels like wings bolted right to your arms.” — MotorTrend 09.2008 (America’s Best Handling Car: Track Testing)

Here are some runners up Child at Heart car ideas:
* The Mini Cooper
* VW Beetle – Who doesn’t like Herbie?

Fox News (Sunday, June 07, 2009) reported that The Little Tikes Cozy Coupe was the best selling car in 2008 with 457,000 units. Who said America can’t build a popular small car? This classic toy car was inducted into an auto museum in Cleveland! The Little Tikes Cozy Coupe is also likely the most affordable car in America. You can get one for around $50. Now they even have a Princess Cozy Coupe
I think little electric cars that kids drive around are ridiculous. What? They can’t ride a bike or produce their own motor power with their legs? No wonder the percentage of overweight kids is growing. Get moving.

Do you have any votes for your “Child at Heart” car? Leave your stories and opinions here.