Jackie Williams with her 2003 BMW 330 convertible. Young male drivers expect to see someone different in the driver's seat, she says. The Enquirer/TONY JONES First car: A new, dark blue 1964 Opel. "It only started in warm, dry weather. It was so bad I just couldn't plan to go anywhere if there was a cloud in the sky." Dream car: Her BMW. Tell us what you are driving Tempo/What Are You Driving? The Cincinnati Enquirer 312 Elm St. Cincinnati 45202 Fax: 768-8495 E-mail mfuqua@enquirer.com

Last year, Jackie and Tom Williams of Fairfield decided it was time for a convertible.

They were empty-nesters and Jackie was retired from her job as an administrator for the Princeton City School District. They previously had a 1998 Audi A4, but it became expensive to maintain, Jackie says.

So they set off in search of a car that was reliable to suit Jackie's top criterion, and had performance and style to meet Tom's. They went to look at a 2003 BMW series 330 convertible first, and didn't look back.

"I looked at the BMW and it was like the chandelier came down and the curtains parted and the music played," Jackie says. "That was it."

They got rid of the Audi, but transferred the license plates that said "Chik Car" ("Chick Car" was already taken) to the black BMW. The inspiration for the plates came from her cell phone, which says "Chik Phone" on the display (her husband's doing).

Sometimes people smile and nod when they see the license plate, she says. Other times, young male drivers expect to see someone different in the driver's seat.

"They turn around and see I'm 61," she says. "Then they're crestfallen, and then away I go right past them."

The plates have another benefit: They tend to dissuade her grown sons from wanting to drive the Bimmer when they come home to visit.

"They just think it's funny," she says. "They say, 'Well, that's just Mom.' "

Lauren Bishop