My friends all have names. My car is my friend. Therefore, I figured my car should have a name too. My dream car is my 1963 Ford Galaxie 500 XL. The name "Bess" fit, so it stuck. I know it's a cliche and many old cars and trucks are named Bess, but she seemed to like it. She sits in my son's garage now awaiting further restoration.

I never felt like naming another car after that. That is, until I bought my 2006 Ford Fusion SE. She's black. Funny, I always said I'd never own another black car because of the time it takes to keep them looking nice, but when I test-drove her, I knew she was mine.

My husband thinks I'm strange because I named my Fusion "Black Beauty". She really is a beauty too. Sleek and black with a chrome grill, she is stunning and quick. I really didn't expect the tires to holler like that from a dead stop, but she did it when I pulled into a short break in a long line of traffic. They didn't just holler, they screamed. No wimpy chirp either, this was a bona fide racetrack-worthy holler. I felt a chill down my back and I yelled, "ATTA GIRL!" I'm glad I had the windows closed at the time or I would surely have been hauled in as a nut case. I'm afraid to do it again. It's addicting.

I keep a chamois and a soft cloth and spray wax in the truck for quick touch-ups after the weekly touchless carwashes. I also commandeered the carport for parking, so my husband must park his car in the driveway or on the street.

As much as he rolled his eyes at my naming my car, he named his 2005 Toyota Prius Hybrid "The Geekmobile". It has a great read-out so you can see how the power is generated or spent, and shows how the battery is charging. It also has a light, which tells you if it is cold enough outside for the roads to be icy, and has so many compartments for things, you could lose a small dog in there.

The reason it's important to name your car, is that you form more of a companionship with it. You treat your car better and respect it more than if it were just "the Chevy" or even just "the car". I noticed that since I traded my truck for the Black Beauty. I had a 2000 Ford Explorer XLS, which I loved, or thought I did, but though I mostly parked it where no one would bump it with a car door, that was about all I did for it. When it rained, that's when it was washed. When it broke, that's when it was serviced. By contrast, both the Geekmobile and Black Beauty have service plans and we are following them. I wash Beauty at least once a week at the touchless carwash.

I love my car.

Learn more about this author, Liane Laskoske.
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