Introducing Mattie, Grace and Etta

One of the main topics of this blog is driving, day trips, and car enthusiast content.

To kick this off, here is an introduction to the cars we love the most, from the newest to the oldest.

Mattie is a 2016 4th-generation Mazda Miata. She is the most petite and most agile. She is the first Miata we bought new and the only one to avoid having a working life. You can usually find her out on club tours enjoying a vigorous drive.

Grace is a 1996 Jaguar Vanden Plas. Outside of North America, she would have been called a Daimler, and she features the trim level and features of that heritage. Grace is the perfect car if one wanted to go for a long drive in relaxed luxury. Grace has enjoyed tours with the Ottawa Jaguar Club (OJC) and the Ontario Jaguar Owners Association (OJOA). She even earned a second-place award at the 2022 concourse.

Etta is an E-Type series two fixed-head coupe. She was built in 1969 and registered in Canada in 1970.

I bought Etta in 1975 as my daily driver: work, pleasure, summer, winter. I could not part with her, so in 1980 she was garaged. The last five years have been spent in restoration. She will emerge as a completely rebuilt car intended for spirited driving and a vehicle to compete in the Jaguar Clubs of North America (JCNA) S2MOD class competition. The gallery below is from her old days. 2024 will feature the reborn Etta. Until then, some blog entries about her restoration are overdue.