Taking the Long View of the M Coupe’s Departure

The author reflects on the sale of his 1999 BMW M Coupe, nicknamed the “clown shoe,” in what he describes as a long-view follow-up. After his son Ethan asked for one final drive before the buyer took delivery, the author agreed and asked him to drive carefully on lightly trafficked roads. With little need to “manufacture” an ending—having driven the car sparingly for the previous five years—he let the coupe remain in the garage. On pickup day, the new owner and his wife traveled from Albany, New York, to collect the car. The handover included passing papers, loading spare parts, and photos taken behind the car before the owner drove away.