My Cars and My Life

Since he was 14 years old, Phil Leopold has owned, driven, and loved cars. Now, he's sharing that love with you. This humorous and reflective memoir walks readers through each of the 30 cars Phil has owned in his 78 years, from a Model A Ford that required 16 steps to start the engine to an Acura SUV that doesn't even need a key. Phil discusses the details of each car, the adventures they allowed him to take, and how his relationship with his cars has changed with the addition of new technology.

From age 14, Phil Leopold has owned, driven, and loved cars. Now, he's sharing that love with you. This humorous and reflective memoir walks readers through each of the 30 cars Phil has owned in his 78 years, from a Model A Ford that required 16 steps to start the engine to an Acura SUV that doesn't even need a key. Phil discusses the details of each car, the adventures they allowed him to take, and how his relationship with his cars has changed with the addition of new technology. Since Phil grew up in western Nebraska on a farm, there wasn't much to do other than work. When cars broke down out in the pasture, the farmer just left them where they died. Phil and two friends would resurrect old vehicles to get it running and play with them. This provided a lot of entertainment and learning about how a car or pickup works. Unfortunately most of them stayed dead. Growing up on the farm meant I drove a tractor, pickup, and truck from age 12. My first job was plowing a field for a neighbor with a John Deer tractor at age 12 1/2 for 25 cents an hour. A school permit for driving to and from school was available at 14 1/2 years old. The day I got my first car gave me freedom.

Phil Leopold is a mechanical engineer educated at the University of Nebraska. His career revolved around new product development and management at companies that combined different materials to achieve high performance improvements. Examples include the first carbon composite tennis racket, chemical valves from composites, and most recently medical devices. Phil and his two sons own and manage Medical Murray, Inc., a medical device development and manufacturing company with operations in Chicago, Illinois, and Charlotte, North Carolina. Phil and his wife now live in Windermere, Florida, and continue to be active in their business, church, Rotary, and countless hobbies.