So a very strange thing happened to me on the first of the month. I got up, went through my morning routine, went to leave the house, as I turned the corner and looked onto my drive way my M5 wasn’t there. Don’t panic, she’d not been stolen – she was now in storage at our Buntingford site. But it was a rather strange feeling to say the least, she’d been there the past 10 years but now she’s not on the driveway.
I got the car in August 2011. I’d always loved the E39 BMW and the M5 was always a bit of a dream car for me. Not entirely out of my reach, but certainly beyond my finances when it was launched. Instead I lived out my ownership dreams through PlayStation games like Gran Turismo, or Need For Speed. Fast forward to August 2011 and I didn’t need a car to use everyday, so I thought to myself what car do I actually really want….there was only one that came to mind, the E39 M5.
Over the next 10 years it has been an absolute joy to own, not without its frustrations but hey what relationship runs totally smoothly? On the whole she’s been the most reliable car I think I’ve ever owned (frantically looks around for some wood to knock on). She has been my wedding car, been on some fantastic holidays, and bought both my sons home from hospital after they were born. She’s as much a part of the family as I am!
So, this brings me to the point of this piece, she’s now not on the driveway anymore. She is safely stored away from careless neighbours, wayward footballs, and prying eyes. I’d had a few knocks at the door regarding the car, some at a particularly unsociable hours – I didn’t like the attention she seems to encourage, that’s not why I have that car. Storing her at Buntingford is 100% the right decision to make, I still see her most days. However, she’s not on the driveway.
It’s a strange feeling; having met a few of you now, and seen how some of you are when you walk away having dropped them back. It’s sometimes like watching a parent leave their child at nursery for the first time. You know they’re safe, you trust the people looking after them, but you can’t see them 24/7. Rest assured, they are safe, we love looking after them, and we completely understand the relationship we owners have with these inanimate metal boxes.