i met Don Ricardo in the
i met Don Ricardo in the summer of 1993 at a mexican restaurant in Pasadena near where the 210 freeway begins. I had just walked out of the men's restroom and saw an elderly couple walking toward the front door. I opened the door for them and Mrs. Ricardo smiled and walked past, but Don smiled ear to ear and curtseyed. When he walked out the door, he asked me if I was a musician. At the time I was playing in heavy metal bands and looked like a young Peter Frampton / Ted Nugent hybrid. He asked me what I played. I told him mostly guitar, but bass, drums and piano as well.
He told me that he had owned the first electric guitar and asked me what kind of guitar I played. I told him that I had 50 guitars and he told me that cars were his passion. (Quite the understatement)
He gave me his card and told me to come by and see his collection sometime. The following week I called him and he invited me over and I went and spent a couple hours in the garage being given an indepth education on fine collectible cars.
It was quite a memorable experience and gave me a lot of insight into how collections are built. I have refined my guitar collecting activities based on some of the advice Don gave me, but what impressed me the most about Don was that he was in his mid-80's and was still "So Alive". His car collecting and restoring activities gave him a youthfulness that was incredible. Also, he didn't see a guy with long hair and black leather jacket and just walk by. He engaged me in conversation and when he saw that I was an articulate, sober person, he treated me kindly and after leaving his house that Saturday afternoon, I thought about how most people wouldn't have invited someone who looked like me to check out a 20.6 million dollar collection!! (That's what it was valued at in 1993)
I feel truly honored to have met Don and gained insight into his collection and personality. He was a gentleman and a real joy to talk to. When I built my home near Pismo Beach in 2003, I designed it with a 1236 sq. foot garage and thought that Don would have approved.
Thanks for letting me share some fond memories of Don Ricardo. He lived life in the fast lane literally and figuratively!!
I still don't own a classic car, but my guitar collection has developed very nicely over the years because of some of the advice Don gave me.
Happy Motoring, David "b3" Ingram