Shot Story: Model Citizens

How a Morgan, a Cadillac, a vintage promotional truck, a Porsche, and scotch bring three unlikely folk together.

1. It was the weekend back in the 1930s. Saturday was to begin with Morgan Motor Company​'s exhaust pipe organs...

2. ...but this one sat silent and blue in the midday sun.

3. The owner took it remarkably well though, as I snapped for no particular reason. But maybe I should have kept it in check.

4. Because Al Capone somehow heard the shots and dropped by No. 4, Misty Mountain, in his '53 Cadillac​ Series 62.

5. I tried not to look at the sawed-off he kept waving around, and asked whether it was a nightmare to keep the sheepskin interior clean, given bloody gangster livin'...

6. "Shut up, shoot, or get shot."

7. "Now that's chromeyum!," I said aloud. But picturing someone putting a baseball cap on Capone inside.

8. I continued taking pictures, and his 1950s Flying Lady hood ornament was the next object of my lens' desire.

9. The baddie with the Caddy then proceeded to invite me to his estate for a get together, but warned, "You Can Call Me Shallow Al, because I can't handle more than two rounds."

10. "Al right. Can I get back to the car?"

11. "One more pic, then we drink."

12. "What if I say I don't during the day?"

13. "Johnnie Walker​'s taken the trouble to drive all this way, and not to worry, you'll get away scotch free after."

14. And so Al, Johnnie, and I drank, and it turned out J was taking the promotional truck to Germany the next morning for Oktoberfest. I asked if I could tag along, to which Walker, Scottish Driver, replied, "Hop in!"

15. We left America in the late 1930s, and only made it for Oktoberfest 2010, more than 75 years later. The scotch in the back had certainly aged better than us, but I was understandably well sick of the spirits. "Ein bier, bitte, mit einem strohhalm."

16. Cars look very different in 2010, and my tripod doubles up as a walker, but thankfully wheels still go round and round.

17. Wasn't she something - the 2010 Porsche​ GT3 RS, with that delicious orange peel...

18. Most cars were automatics now, but the RS still featured a manual box. Ol' Johnnie thought it was not a Walker in the car park to drive.

19. We had heard music evolve on the radio over all those years on the road, but agreed with Sir Mix-A-Lot's taste eventually. This Baby Got Back.

20. We must have been the oldest guys in the world to drive a Porsche for the first time...

21. ...but it didn't stop me from taking her up to 8,000 rpm.

22. But then somebody called 911, because this shawty was flame throwing with the gas on the floor.

23. Ant then?

24. No ant then. Just when.