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Car Lust Begins at Home
When the cars themselves become objects of desire, it's easy to forget that behind every exotic, sports compact, or jalopy is a driver and their story. With the Monterey Edition Light Blue 2003 Murcielago we're profiling today, the story is about 49 year old car collector Roy Cats, a Seattle, WA, native who's been obsessing about cars since before it was legal for him to drive. "As a kid growing up in Seattle I was always drawn to the fast '70s muscle cars," Cats told me over email. "When I was 15 years old, I bought my first car. It was a 1957 Chevrolet two-door no post. I paid $450.00 for it. I had to hide it around the corner from my house so my parents would not find it. I did not have a drivers license either so it was kind of like a challenge every day to get it to school and back."
1957 Chevy Bel-Air 2-Door (Photo by Ron Miller)
"One day as I was on my way back from school my dad passed me. I thought he did not see me, but when I got home, he asked me where the car was. I took him to it. We got in it, he drove it down to the local Goodwill Store, donated it to them right then and there. May not seem like much now, but back then $450.00 for a 15 year old was a hell of a lot of money. I also was not allowed to go to Drivers Education till I was 16."
After finally getting his driver's license, Cats' appetite for fast autos hadn't waned. Even at a young age, he began going through a laundry list of American classics: Mustangs, Cougars, Chargers, you name it. Cats' social circle consisted mostly of drag racers who battled in the Ballard area of Seattle. But his stint as a young rabble rouser was cut short once again when he got busted by the cops for drag racing, prompting his Cats' father to sell, once again, the car he had worked so hard to obtain. Additionally, he had his licensed revoked for six months.
More bad timing at the age of 19 when Cats finally bought his first "real" car: a white 1970 Chevy Corvette. As much as he adored that car, fate would force him to part with it due to Cats' being too young to own insurance on this vehicle at the time. Then Cats' story took another turn in the early '80s. "I became a police officer in 1980 and stayed with it through 1990. The best part was the pursuits, the speed, and wrecking cars that were not mine. The whole time I was still in the Corvette Car Clubs -- I went through at least 10 different Corvettes during this time."
Buy this 1970 convertible Corvette today!
After a decade in law enforcement, Cats left the police department to form his own Fire and Security Alarm Company. Like any entrepreneurship, Cats was unsure about his new venture and went through rocky times before stabilizing his company and then propelling it to profitability. After much hard work, Cats was finally able to enjoy his success; one of his first indulgences was none other than the purchase of his first European car: a Ferrari.
"My first Ferrari was a Mondial and over the years I have had 308, 328, 348 355 and 360 Spyders with F-1 transmission," says Cats. "Then in 2002 I had a Ferrari that had failed me numerous times. Having lost the lust for the brand of car I set out to look for another. A friend of mine suggested a Lamborghini! I, like most, thought they were not allowed in the USA, but I was wrong."
Having located a couple Lamborghini dealerships in America, Cats and a buddy traveled to Salt Lake City, UT, to visit the car he was looking for. "When we arrived, there were only 2 cars for sale. It really did not matter because all I wanted was the first one I saw: a 2001 Maroone Lamborghini Diablo 6.0 SE, #19 of only 20 built. I paid cash for it right there and drove it out off the lot, all the way back to Seattle. It was one of the best road trips I have ever had. It was the first time in my life I actually topped the 200 MPH barrier in this amazing machine, which I still own today and have logged over 25,000 miles on it."
Now, Cats' personal collection has ballooned to 7 Lamborghinis in his garage, including
- 2001 6.0 SE Diablo Maroone (19 of 20)
- 1999 Alpine VT (3 0f 12)
- 2003 Murcielago Monterey Edition Light blue
- 1999 Diablo Roadster Titanium
- 1996 Diablo SV-R race car (24 of 32)
- 2006 Gallardo E-Gear Pearl Yellow
- 2005 Murcielago Roadster, Pearl Orange
"These are now the loves of my life. I can not imagine driving any other car. I drive most of my cars almost every day, even in the rain. I have said before and will say again: "If you want to look at [a Lamborghini], buy a poster. Otherwise, drive them like they were meant to be driven."
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