The other day on our walk we took an alley instead of a street. The older parts of Eugene are riddled with alleys and there are usually unexpected things to see, like little cottages, wild gardens, old hippie buses, and…a Tracker wedged into a parking spot that just about no other car sold in America would fit into. Which of course raise the old chicken and egg question: which came first; the tiny parking spot or the Tracker?
Her’s the Tracker from another angle.
Alleys are often interesting because people aren’t worried about curb appeal from that end, so they tend to let it hang out. I think that’s why Hank Hill and his buddies drank their beers in the alley. Just a more casual atmosphere.
Several years ago, friends took jobs in American Samoa. They bought a Geo Tracker because it would fit in the 20-foot shipping container they were using to ship their household goods.
The Geo Metro probably would have fit. As far as modern cars, the Smart car and maybe a 2 door Toyota Yaris or Scion IQ are ones that could fit.
3/5 door Yaris hatchbacks are the same length. Don’t forget the Chevy Spark and Mitsubishi Mirage too.
I miss alleys. I used to rent some garage space that accessed from the alley. It was a precision operation parking a 64 Imperial there. Of course, my garage that sat sideways on a 40 foot wide lot was no easier.
This scene is the opposite of one from my childhood, where an old man lived in a teeny little house that could not have been 500 square feet. Outside (no garage) he parked his ratty looking 63 Cadillac, that was nearly as big as his house.
I love that generation of Tracker. A lot of folks derided the thing but it was a very capable off road vehicle.
Several of these Trackers, and the equivalent generation Suzuki Sidekick, in my high school parking lot. Cheap open-top motoring with a modicum of off-road ability, and far less expensive to buy and insure than a Jeep. Some new ones from families who were well-off enough to buy their child a new car at 16 but not so well-off that the car could be pricey, and some used ones from kids of more moderate means.
I’d argue they have more than a ‘modicum’ of capability! Excellent approach/departure angles and a short wheelbase, with a solid rear axle and surprisingly good aftermarket support (Calmini, Old Man Emu).
I’m more curious about how they managed to build a garage that was guaranteed from the start to destroy the older garage. “Hey, Jim, is it okay if I make your garage unpaintable and certain to rot, and then push my roof into the wall?” “Sure, no problem.”
Looks like that garage was built when Model T’s ruled the road.
Suzuki Escudo, they are small enough to park anywhere.
The perfect weekend getaway machine (for two). I’ve come close to buying a later Suzuki Jimny/Sierra several times. I love the little things. I did used to own a 1998 Suzuki Grand Vitara with the lovely 2.5l V6 and 5 speed. It was a great little 4×4 and achieved good gas milage, comparatively speaking.
I’m writing this on the train, and I just looked up to see a practically identical Suzuki Vitara in the station parking lot just outside my window. How’s that for CC effect?
Only thing I think of when it comes to a Tracker was a guy I knew in high school drove one. Me and some other guys would stand all around it and start rocking it. Kind of scary how easy and how much you could rock one of those. All the while he was inside yelling at us not to flip it.
I drove down this particular alley today, but the Transit Connect and 2015 F-150 Crew Cab were not to be found shoehorned into their respective spots. Nice photo with the Tracker.