CM is the oldest car he's ever owned, but over the years King has had quite a stable of rolling stock. "I've had 50's era Chevies, a '59 Rambler station wagon, '64 Rambler American, '64 and '65 Chevelle sports coupes, '66 Pontiac GTO, '69 Road Runner and Dodge Charger, '63 Corvair turbo-charged Spyder, two Porsche 911s and 944s. I've had more than that but can't remember them all," the Wilt Chamberlain of automobiles said. His current daily ride is a 2002 Harley-Davidson Deuce motorcycle. "The new 2009 Dodge Challenger is my current dream car. That is a wicked, wicked automobile," he said.

"People talk about the Forties, Fifties and Sixties being the golden age of cars. They might have been bigger and more stylish but modern cars have them beat hands down," King said. "Back then people didn't expect to get more than 100,000 miles out of a car. Now the technology is so much better and vehicles can last over 300,000 miles and still run good."

He cited better fuel economy, more power, improved safety systems and comfortable ride from today's vehicles.

Although CM doesn't have seat belts, her interior is a spacious, comfortable cavern. Done up in a crushed red velvet throughout, the feeling is like sitting in grandma's parlor on soft, thick bench seats. The chrome dash and amber instrument panel trim has crisp deco lines with vermilion accents. As with most cars before the advent of power-assist, the steering wheel is enormous. There's no air conditioning but she has side vent windows and a scoop that opens in front of the windshield to bring in extra breeze. Christine's Momma is a sweet ride. She may not be the most beautiful car in town, but I wouldn't let her hear you say that. Those headlamps might glow an envious green and there's no telling what she's capable of.

Have you seen a cool vehicle around town? Writer Doug Hill's always on the lookout for future Dig My Ride columns the first Saturday of every month. E-mail him at hillreviews@hotmail.com.