Getting a thick wad of cash can change a lot about your day. Maybe you can make some repairs to your car or pay some bills. The cash could go into your savings or perhaps pay for that vacation you’ve been needing for a while. Or, maybe you buy a bunch of dirt-cheap holy grails?
Stellantis brought home the bacon in 2022, scoring a $17.9 billion profit. That lump of Benjamins was a 26 percent rise in profit and revenue jumped 18 percent to $190.9 billion. As our Patrick George wrote in this morning’s news roundup, investors and workers are benefiting, too: “Stellantis is offering a stock buyback of up to $1.6 billion, and a $14,760 bonus to each of its 40,500 employees affiliated with the United Auto Workers union.”
Getting a $14,760 check isn’t the biggest thing in the world, nor is it a special occurrence for these employees. In 2021, the payout was $14,670. However, it isn’t pocket change, either. That kind of cash can go somewhere! For today’s winner 98Z28, the conclusion was obvious:
14k? This is like 30 Jeeps for DT 🙂
Reader 10001010 followed it up with:
And each and every one of them will be some sort of holy grail as well. I look forward to the articles!
Poor David, even though he’s shed most of his rusty weight, he’s still the king of cheap holy grail Jeeps. Though, perhaps the torch is being passed on to other members of the Autopian staff. I have more cheap beaters than anyone on staff and he’s passed the holy grail term onto my series about cheap-ish rare cars.
These comments get me thinking: what would you do with a $14,760 check? I would probably buy a new Indian FTR, or perhaps this Crown bus that a lot of you have been sending me:
I’ve been talking with the seller about it since earlier this month and am looking to get some more details. Of course, you’re going to read about this bus soon! Until then, Autopians, what would you buy with that kind of money?
I’m a weirdo, so I’d buy this and sock away the rest
https://www.rampageforsale.com/1983-manual-in-hamersville-oh/
Well, if €13.942 (today’s exchange rate) popped up in my account out of nowhere, I’d cautiously make sure there wasn’t a mistake before actually believing that was my money. Then, after being totally, 100% sure, I’d definitely buy the 1995 Volvo 940 wagon I’ve been keeping an eye on, and would still be left with €10.942. I guess I’d spend the €942 repainting the roof/hood/fenders on said 940. But that’s a €600 job at most, so the remaining €342 could either go into fixing the bumpers or getting some less dinged ones that can be detailed to look like new. Can I just keep the remaining imaginary €10K? I could really use some imaginary savings right now.
Username disappoints… No Renaults?
Witht that much money I would toss (no, set aside) my wire wheels and have someone else do the rust removal and body work on my ’67 VW squareback, so I can focus on the re-assembly and start driving it again.
A trip to France, snag a 25 year old J’nais se quoi, buy some croissants, check out how the Notre Dame Cathedral is progressing, ship it home. (Maybe find a good shape Peugeot station wagon)
I mean, the Crown, all curved surfaces, huge cargo in the back, and possibly crazy specs, racing pattern 5 speed, turbo & supercharged fuel injected mid engine straight six, what’s not to love? Learned to drive school buses on them just before they went bankrupt.
Getting a healthy bonus from work myself this year, but not that good. However that combined with the tax refund and the fun car fund I’ve been growing has me around that dollar mark now. Going to try and grow it some more before a purchase. I’d like a RWD V8 manual transmission car, but my aversion to getting the simple solution has me looking at the 04-06 Pontiac GTO.
A quick search says I can get a 2006 Quattroporte! (Just kidding. That WOULD be putting the mad in “mad-money”.)
Probably would add it to the resale of my used car and some savings to buy a nicer car. Not sure if we’re ready to spring for an Accord Hybrid or not. (I wanted a Civic Si, but I think I’ll need to wait.)
In the meantime, I’m shopping for seat covers. (How did GM make leather seats feel like vinyl???)
I had a similar modest windfall late in 2021. Since I still have one in college, I couldn’t dream all that big, but I was able to buy both a 1999 Miata and a 1974 CB550. Less than $10k total for both and the kid didn’t have to take out extra loans that year. Costs of ownership on both are very reasonable. Collector plates on both means never paying registration fees again either.
Given new car prices these days, I’d probably make it a sizeable down payment on something so that I can keep my monthly bill about where I want.