When Joseph Witzgall went to purchase his first sports car in 1994, he suffered the typical plight of a recent college graduate. Jobless and without credit or savings, he was a red flag to any reputable financial lending institution. Sparing himself the groveling it would take to convince a wary loan official to cut him a break, he opted to fall on the mercies of his grandmother, who conceded to a five-year small interest loan.