My first car was named Little Red.

Little Red was a rite of passage for me. I was ecstatic to finally afford my first car. Little Red was a 1963 Ford Falcon convertible, and I loved its ugly little self. Yes, ugly; by the time I bought this little gem in 1975 for $400, it had seen some years of wear and tear. The convertible top had a big tear, and the floor by the driver’s side was rusting and had a gaping hole where I could see the road. LOL. Like in The Flintstones, I was walking through that gaping hole and running down the road. (Only kidding).

Aerial view of Downtown Hollywood, FL Young Circle circa 1975

Before my first car, transportation was a nightmare

Next, transportation was a nightmare because I was taking the bus to work before Little Red. I lived in North Miami, FL, and worked in Downtown Hollywood, FL, about 20-plus miles away. After a long bus drive, I had to take two buses to work. From North Miami to downtown Miami, I had to get off on Miami Ave and walk across town to the Greyhound bus terminal, where I took the Greyhound bus to downtown Hollywood, Florida. I worked the overnight shift. Thirdly, Can you imagine a 17-year-old female walking alone across downtown Miami at night! It was terrifying.

After getting my first car, I no longer relied on the bus to work. I felt safer. And I saved a lot of travel time.

Little Red was worn and torn, however, he ran like a charm and could easily be repaired by my Uncle Camilo. Like all Cubans of the day, he was a wizard adept at keeping old classics running smoothly.

I had big plans for Little Red, including replacing the top and repairing the gaping hole on the car floor. I also wanted to customize It with red flames on both side panels and doors.