Friday, December 18, 2009

A Car Racer’s Badge

What is in Monte Carlo that Chevrolet named one its cars from it? This sounds like a $500,000-question in the famous game show “Who wants to be a millionaire?” Is it the casinos and Europe’s best resorts? Absolutely not. So it must be the Circuit de Monaco, the home of Formula One Grand Prix. One of the longest running and most respected car rallies marking the first event of the season during the World Rally Championship calendar is a regular event in Monte Carlo.

Chevy Monte Carlo has always been a sports car. In 1970, the model started as a two-door coupe resembling Pontiac’s G-body Grand Prix. Upon its retirement in 2007, it evolved as a mid-range two-door sedan. “On Tuesday, June 19, 2007, the last two 2007 Chevrolet Monte Carlo models rolled off the line at the Oshawa Assembly Plant [in Ontario, Canada]….. The two models features the "SS" 5.3L V8 Engine with its "best in class" rated 303 horsepower (226 kW); 18" polished aluminum wheels; heated exterior mirrors; and AM/FM/CD and XM Radio", the GM On-line Auction News announced in August 2007.

The Monte Carlo came out as a two-door, sports car looking model consistently. This is obviously to mark its difference from the Impala, the street variant of Chevy’s mid-sized sedans.

Maybe this Chevy model is already a part of history, but one should not forget its glorious days in National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR) races. Every owner of this racing stock deserves a badge – a Chevy Monte Carlo keychain. These very affordable memorabilia are available in varying elegant designs made of distinct materials, such as leather (silver or gold plated), round Chrome (silver or gold coated), and stainless metal (round or oval) priced modestly at $6.99 a piece.

The name ‘Monte Carlo’ stands out over a black or blue crystallite dome attached to a silver, gold, Chrome or metal plate. In other variants, the old red, white and blue Chevy Logo is placed above the ‘Monte Carlo SS’ insignia. SS stands for the ‘Super Sport’ edition of Chevy models.

You may have won a NASCAR race with your Monte Carlo. You may have not won any official race at all, tried the underground race tracks and nearly got busted. But this faithful roadrunner always took you to work, to the beach or simply back to the comfort of your home.

I am sure you’ll agree with me. You chose Monte Carlo because racing is your first love. You’ve always felt that craving and need for speed, just like racing in that famous computer-simulated game called Need for Speed Series.

Do not hide this truth to your peers and the people around you. In today’s corporate rat race, your personality should be intimidating at times. Let your car do that thing for you. The more “I will not dare to race with this guy” remarks you’ve got, the more chances that lesser people will be joining you in the competition on the way to the top. Hang on to that grand car racer’s badge always.

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