Colby Finally Claims His Aztec
Credit: ED BARK / The Dallas Morning News
Still scurrying around the country on a busy public-appearance schedule, Survivor II star Colby Donaldson finally found time Monday afternoon to claim the Pontiac Aztek he won on the show.
The 27-year-old custom auto designer from Christoval, Texas, congenially slid into the driver's seat, started the ignition and posed for pictures with Pontiac representatives gathered at the David McDavid dealership.
Not that he plans to drive his new Maple Red Metallic toy happily ever after. Or even keep it for very long. Mr. Donaldson may not yet be a man who has everything. But he does have ample transportation, including four motorcycles and two self- customized muscle cars.
"Right now when I compare it to the other vehicles I have, it's way too practical," Mr. Donaldson said of the Aztek. "It gets way too good gas mileage to go in my stable. I say that jokingly. But I love cars. I love hot rods. And the Aztek is not a hot rod. But win, lose or draw, it's got a $31,900 sticker price on it. So if you sell the thing you come out on top. To be honest with you, I'll probably stick it on eBay. I certainly don't want to hurt anyone's feelings at Pontiac, but I just don't need another vehicle. I need to liquidate, because I'm moving."
Mr. Donaldson said he'll be relocating to Los Angeles next month after the lease expires on his Dallas apartment. He has the vaunted William Morris Agency backing his efforts to become a successful film actor. And he looked the part Monday in cuffed cream slacks, a baby-blue ribbed crewneck, tinted shades and dark-brown sandals.
No entourage, though. Mr. Donaldson drove himself to the dealership in an imposing, black 1997 Chevy Tahoe outfitted with gleaming silver shocks and mammoth Mud Terrain brand tires. It was only his fifth day in Texas, he said, since placing runner-up to Tina Wesson in the May 3 Survivor II finale. On Tuesday he's scheduled to be in Austin. Beyond that is too deep into the future.
"Man," he said, "it's rockin' and rollin' every day. Sometimes I'm the last person to know where I'll be."
He does know that his eventual trek out West will be both Aztek- and Tahoe-less. The latter instead is falling into the hands of a very fortunate 16-year-old son of one of Mr. Donaldson's close friends. With the proviso that "when he's tired of it, I want first crack at buying it back."
Mr. Donaldson does plan to take one of his rolling thunders to L.A. ? a gas- inhaling Chevy Suburban. "It's huge," he enthused. "It makes the Tahoe look like a Tinker Toy."
There. Maybe that will make the Aztek feel a bit better.
