1950 Ford Customline. Source: Supplied
It's back. It's big. It's Barossa Pearl.
There was a time when it was cool to be a car lover. No one called you an environmental vandal, noise polluter, a threat to cyclists, pedestrians and the planet. A big night out was a hot car, a hot date, meeting up with other motoring sophisticates at hot drive-in spots like Henry's Foot Long (.3408m) Hot Dogs with, of course, an icy cold bottle of Barossa Pearl.
It was the elixir of love, the ultimate cougar juice, and always set the right tone for an evening of romance.
To start the night you bought two foot longs with a large serving of rich red Fountain brand tomato sauce. Or, if you were more patriotic, two savoury appetiser snacks more commonly known as Chiko Rolls. Then it was off to inspect the cars. No need for meaningless conversation as you and your romantic interest peered under the hoods of everything from E-Types to Morris Minors with MGB engines to Falcon GTs, all the time sipping from enamel mugs filled to the brim with Pearl.
With the relaunch of BP you younger readers and kiddies of older readers have an opportunity to live the dolce vita again. But these days Henry and his foot longs have long gone, Chikos have departed to an American owner and it's cheaper to buy a Ferrari than any of the original Ford GT range.