As a female child of the 60’s, I grew up in New Hampshire when a sports car was just the thing for those super-cool young men or the balding, Aqua-Velva wearing, slightly paunchy, middle-aged Peter Pans out there Women racecar drivers were practically unheard of, and my mother drove a nice, respectable Ford station wagon, while my older sister drove a rather nondescript, beige 1968 Chevy Nova, hardly anything to make my pre-teen peers stop and gaze in awestruck, open-mouthed wonder

The first-generation of Optima was introduced as Kia's first midsize sedan in 2002, but it couldn't promise the refinement, documented reliability and assured resale value of its key Japanese competitors It was originally produced for the Chinese market by the Dongfeng Yueda Kia Automobile Company, as a joint venture with Kia

The Chrysler PT Cruiser is a typically American "retro"-styled station wagon or hatchback built by Chrysler, launched in 2000 as the entry-level Chrysler Still a hot seller in its second season, the PT Cruiser got newly optional flame accent decals for the hood and front fenders