My Mount Rushmore

Mount Rushmore: four American presidents etched into the Black Hills of South Dakota for all to see. Gazing up at this incredible feat of sculpting, it’s natural to imagine your own monument to cars you’d like to own (or maybe that’s just me).

If money were no object, we’d be free to chase our automotive dreams and enjoy each car’s party trick without having to worry about its costly flaws. Just imagine the possibilities created by a winning lottery ticket and an empty garage.

The Road Tripper

(Aston Martin illustration)

If I won the lottery, I’d spend a lot of time traveling. I’d want to visit all the national parks, sample all the craft breweries, and see all the long-lost friends. My pick for road trips is the Aston Martin Vantage–in Satin Aston Martin Racing Green, of course. It offers comfort, speed, style, and represents discerning taste. What a way to pass time on the highway or shimmy down a curvy back road. It would be even more fun than getting lost in Aston Martin’s configurator.

When it comes to GT cars, you’d have an awfully hard time convincing me there’s a cooler choice than an Aston. With endless stretches of fast, straight roads crisscrossing the United States, dedicated sports cars look less appealing by the mile. If there’s one thing I learned during the great Colorado motorbike adventure of 2020, it’s that looking cool does indeed get uncomfortable after about an hour.

The only discernable downside would be having the James Bond theme song stuck in my head every time I drove it. At least I’d get to say “let’s take the Aston.”

The Pretty One

(Alfaholics photo)

Obviously, there is an Italian on the list. It’s hard to choose just one. My love for the Lancia Delta Integrale I experienced a few years back is well known and has even begun to afflict my wife. A recent track experience in Las Vegas left my mind blown by the perfection that is dancing around corners with a Ferarri 488 GTB. Ultimately, this car would only exist to be fun. It wouldn’t need to be fast, comfortable, or practical.

For me, the redheaded mistress would arrive in the sultry form of Alfaholics’ GTA-R. This would be the analog, experiential pick in my post-lottery garage. Like a Porsche 911 by Singer for Alfa Romeo fans, this car is perfection improved. It’s light, quick, looking for an excuse to slide the back out, and worthy of hours spent in the garage contemplating every gorgeous detail over a glass of wine (or two). My goodness gracious. Just look at it.

The Gaijin

(VeilSide photo)

If you thought I was going to get through this list without a movie star or some JDM flavor, you’ve got another thing coming. I’m checking both boxes with one of my favorite cars from one of my favorite childhood movies: Han’s VeilSide Mazda RX-7 from the Fast and the Furious franchise.

Though Han was one of the series’ most level-headed characters, his car of choice does nothing but break rules, and it would be my late-night go-to for disturbing the peace. Right-hand drive–check. Fire-spitting rotary engine–check. Big old wing–definitely check. This car would be a physical incarnation of disregard for posted speed limits and public decency at large.

I wouldn’t even bother with license plates.

The Ski Bum

(Subaru photo)

My post-lottery home will be strategically located to maximize powder days, and I’m not about to miss first tracks because I can’t get to the mountain. Sure, the trusty, rusty, Dodge could do the job, but extra cash would put that old truck back on a lift for even more unwise upgrading (Baja-ready suspension, at the very least).

My ski day mindset is centered around having fun, first and foremost, so why constrain the party to the slopes? I’d take a Subaru Brat with the wildest graphics I could find.

I just can’t get over the fact that a room full of executives looked at the Brat and said: “pickup bed, rear-facing seats, no seatbelts but that’s ok because there are flimsy handles… I don’t see how this could go wrong. Let’s get it to production.”

Bonus: The Track Rat

In my case, track rat duty has to go to a bike. Any of the cars on this list would be a blast on a closed circuit, but for dedicated clowning around I’d only need two wheels. As tempting as it is to take imaginary money straight to a Ducati Desmosedici RR, I know I’d only be holding it back. The comprehensive list of people who can tame that bike goes as follows: Casey Stoner. That’s it.

Besides, experience has taught me that there is nothing like the uncontrollable laughter that comes from whacking a two-stroke to wide-open throttle. The track bike would have to be an Aprilia RS 250 like the one featured on Rare Sportbikes for Sale. Essentially a pair of Suzuki 125cc dirt bike engines draped in race fairings, this hooligan makes up for a wonky power band with a race-bred chassis and a cloud of intoxicating blue smoke.

What’s your Mount Rushmore of cars? Share a list of your own!

Scott is a lover of motorized fun, whether on four wheels or two. A child of the ’90s, he has a particular soft spot for hatchbacks and believes all aging cars deserve a second chance at life. If he’s not behind a camera or a computer, he’s probably chasing down new coffee shops with his wife or throwing a frisbee for his dog.

The views and opinions expressed here are his own and may not align with the founders of Everyday Driver.