By luck I was onshore in the Stavanger office (I averaged 23 days offshore per month) when news circulated that an engineer transferred from Aberdeen was arriving by car at any moment. As we were each allocated a company car this meant he must have something interesting, to bring it all the way to Norway. Porsche, Mercedes, Ferrari?
In egalitarian, socialist Norway. Good one.
The high revving wail got louder and louder then turned into our drive. Across the car park just stopping in time below our first floor office windows. A completely unnecessary high engine rev to clear the spark plugs and then silence.
A brand-new Ferrari 308 GTB in Ferrari red of course. Mega cool.
But what’s this at the front? A huge sticker covering the entire bonnet – Snoopy, no less. Us guys were very nonplussed but the secretaries, on the ground floor, loved it. A sports car does not impress girls but a sports car with an adorable dog, real or otherwise, oh yes.
Alan, the Scottish engineer, was married to one of the secretaries within the year and as far as I know still lives in Norway.
The prancing stallion met his match.