Sorry, not in a car, not even involving a stereo. But I'm posting anyway.
My remember-forever moment came at a live listening experience. The Saratoga Performing Arts Center hosted the Philadelphia Orchestra every summer when I was younger and one season, Ormandy scheduled a concert with the group Oregon.
I still remember the band playing "Distant Hills" on stage with the Philadelphians. A beautiful rendition of a composition so well suited for orchestration. And the stunning, open-air acoustics of the SPAC amphitheater also certainly played a part in the quality of the experience.
But my personal key moment came toward the end, as the piece was slowly building to a climax, when a solo trumpet unexpectedly assumed the main melodic line. It’s impossible for a forum posting to truly convey the emotion impact of that moment -- the perfect phrasing and timbre, the expressiveness of the arrangement -- sorry. I still get carried away. I still mourn the fact that these shows were not, to my knowledge, recorded.
Today, even after 35 years, whenever I play Oregon’s "Distant Hills" album on my stupidly expensive stereo, I’m always reminded of that sublime moment. The studio recording is beautiful enough, especially when reproduced on a high-end system. But nothing will ever equal that live experience.