Meet The ‘Guess The Car’ Champ: Don Maloney

[Counterman]

Counterman’s “

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” contest challenges our readers to solve an automotive riddle, for a chance to win $100. And each month, we receive hundreds of responses from aftermarket professionals trying to guess the model of the vehicle depicted.

The correct answer for the August/September contest is the Honda Clarity. The winner is Don Maloney, store manager at Carquest in Muscle Shoals, Alabama.

Now, let’s get to know the “Guess the Car” champion.

CM: How long have you been working in the auto parts business?

DM: About 15 years or so.

CM: What do you like most about your job?

DM: Talking to people about vehicles and helping them solve their problems – that’s usually the most fun. And you get to meet some very interesting people and hear some interesting analysis.

CM: What’s the strangest question a customer has asked you?

DM: What I like is the customer who comes in and buys oil and an oil filter and says, “OK, where do I pull the car around to get this done?” That’s probably the best question we get asked. We even get that question with belts and alternators and starters.

CM: What’s the coolest car you’ve ever owned or worked on?

DM: The coolest car I ever owned was a 1986 Mercedes 190E Cosworth. It was a four-door sedan with a Cosworth-built engine. It came standard with Recaro seats and a dogleg five-speed transmission. It was what they call a homologation car, which means that Mercedes had to build a certain number of these cars [for street use] and put them on the market for sale to qualify for a race series.

CM: Do you have any interesting hobbies? What do you do for fun?

DM:  When you have seven grandkids, you pretty much have your days off occupied. That is my hobby, pretty much.

CM: What’s your dream car?

DM: My dream car would be a Mercedes 190E Evolution. There may be a few floating around the United States, but way beyond anything I could ever afford.

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