It was by chance that I discovered this 80s beauty. More on the car later. Let me first share a short but fascinating story about Corollas, Puerto Rico and Puerto Ricans in mainland US.
Back in 70s and 80s, when muscle cars were the rage in US, Puerto Rico fell in love with Japanese cars, especially Corollas. They were fun, cheap, super reliable, easy to modify and provided tons of fun. The melting pot that Puerto Rico is, the Japanese compacts blended right in. They brought this love over to the mainland forming clubs that would race the compacts against the muscle cars, often surprising them.
You will ask, how I learned all this? Well, one fall afternoon while talking with a friend in his neighborhood, this shining 1981 Corolla rolls up. I run up to the driver complementing him for his amazing ride. While talking to him, my eyes wander to notice how clean the car is. The seats are original and as clean as new. This car is in showroom condition. We chat for a while when he shares the story. Later he sends me this video that captures the story very well.
He agrees to my request for a future meeting where we can talk more about the car. His name is Ed Marquez, he is from Puerto Rico and he passionately loves his car.
A few weeks later, we meet on a Sunday afternoon. It is a sunny day after a long wet spell. I am offered a ride in the car that I happily accept. Once inside, it is immediately obvious how well he has maintained the car. I cannot avoid the nostalgia of roll-up windows. It does have a heater and A/C.
Tank needs gas so we have to drive to a specific station that still sells non-ethanol fuel (it has a carburetor)
Over to the park, we slowly drive past the running tracks. Ed has a background in advertising so he suggests driving over into the grass for better pics. Well, the ground is wet and we get stuck in the mud. Car isn’t moving so I climb out and almost instinctively look under the front wheels. Hmm… everything looks OK here. In a state of confusion I turn towards the rear wheel and almost scream in surprise. THIS 1.8 LITER COMPACT IS RWD (rear-wheel drive). That probably makes getting out of the mud a little bit difficult but we decide to shoot pics first and worry about the mud later.
I ask him why this car?
His father had one and took it on his honeymoon. There is just one pic remaining of that but for Ed, the car ‘s connection to his family and Puerto Rico has a special place in his heart. He had a beat up example back in high school so once he was better settled, the dormant love was revived. After a 12 year search for the perfect one, Ed found this car at a New Jersey dealership 3 years back. His wife encouraged him to get it for his birthday so he rushes up to NJ, buys the car and gets is to Charlotte.
Rollout - Transformers connection
So as it happens, Ed is also a big Transformers fan. It is not just evident on the license plate but has been well absorbed in the family. He tells me a really cute story. Whenever the family needs to go somewhere, he just says “Marquezes — Rollout!!” and the kids start filing out the house. It has become the family’s call to action.
The car is not just a reminder of his roots, it is a great way for his kids to learn and love Puerto Rico and its culture. He says his daughter loves it more that his son. No one else in the family gets to drive it. This isn’t his daily ride. It mostly is taken to car shows where it receives a lot of admiration. While we were shooting, several folks stopped by to admire and complement. I couldn’t help noticing the genuine smile that brought to his face.
As you would expect, many people have asked Ed what would it take for him to sell the car. As you would also expect, he has politely declined every one of those offers. This car is his love and very obvious in the way he treats it.
Photo shoot is done and the car needs to be pulled out of the mud. We gather twigs from the bushes nearby and place them under the rear wheels. Ed gets in the car but takes his shoes off to keep the floor clean. I push from the front and after several attempts we get the car out in reverse. I do my best to wash the mud off my shoes but Ed still places an old tee in the passenger foot well. He places his own shows on a rug in the trunk and drives back just in his socks.
As soon as we arrive, he takes the car to a washing station to get the mud off. I thank Ed for the great afternoon and head home. His story isn’t just his own but of so many folks from Puerto Rico who love and passionately preserve their culture for the future generations.