What was your first car?

[firedrake1942]

Not idiotic, we have all done things like that. I remember drilling my mind boot for a set of Chrome GB plates. Ouch. I could just as easily have mounted them on a plate on the rear bumper.. Quel espèce de con!

[Dean]

A 1978 Allegro. Contrary to rumours at the time, it was actually a nice comfortable car to drive.

[biomed32uk]

Well my 1st car was a 1977 MK2 Marina 1.3 coupe, MOR701R. For what it was it was OK, got me around and taught me my driving skills properly. I had it for 3 years and sold it on, alothough it was rusty. Really should have kept that car.

From that I went onto having 3 MK2 Cavs, 3 MK3 Cavs and a Citroen Xantia

That led to company cars, VWs and Audis, got bored with my company getting very anal over cars so took the money opt out route and bought my current car, a new C220 Mercedes estate which is my current daily drive.

3.5 years ago I became a Minor owner, a car that ever since I was interested in cars as a child I liked, my father never had one, transport when I was a child was a 105e Anglia, but a couple of his close friends did and I loved a ride in them. The noise they made fascinated me, what we know and love as that Minor fart, and I still drive with the window down to hear it, and have worked out the gear change points so she does a goodun.

For mile munching in quick comfort the Merc is the tool for the job, but any excuse to run round locally in the Minor, loads of fun and smiles.

[irmscher]

Ford popular in 1968 then a Morris Minor I had been doing up since I was 17 and hand painted with tecaloid

[pde2000]

Renault 4tl that my granddad gave me after he couldn't drive anymore. Brilliant little car, but the chassis rusted through and i only had it for a year before having to scrap it.

[Propshaft]

My first car in about 1967/8 was a 1963 two door Morris minor in blue, followed a few years later by a 66 mini

[ManyMinors]

My first car was a 1954 Austin A40 Somerset. It wasn't a very great car and suffered from head gasket failures. I had a much older Austin 7 Ruby afterwards which was much more reliable! I went "upmarket" and bought my first Minor in 1972 and have owned one continually ever since. All sorts of interesting (and not so interesting) cars have also come and gone....

[Shropshiremoggie]

Hi Many Minors --note you had a Ruby . My first car as posted . Loved that car , blow up seats , starting handle that rattled as you went along , leaky sunshine roof and the most wonderful Klaxon horn. Happy days !!!

[GraemeT]

1967 Triumph Vitesse Mk1 saloon - 6 cylinder straight 6, 2.0l, twin carbs (all standard). Had a single transverse leaf spring for rear suspension and would handle 'interestingly' on a wet surface. That was 1982 - been through loads of cars since......

[palacebear]

Great to see these posts. Please keep them coming.

In my original post I neglected to mention ownership of (imho) the most embarrasing car ever. Mid-80s I was living in Sutton Surrey and commuting daily by road to Windsor, Berkshire (70 mile round trip). My Maxi had died of terminal rust and hydrolastic failure. I was given a....

DAF 44 VARIOMATIC.... 1975. 850 aircooled twin.3 position gearchange (drive-neutral-reverse). Engine had to be started in 'drive', with the brake pedal depressed as hard as calf muscles allowed!

But... gave around 45mpg and had the most comfortable seats I've ever experienced.. even my current 'modern' isn't as comfy!

[TDV102]

My beloved 55 SII, TDV102, Clarendon grey 2 door. Now want one just like it!

[rjt1951]

1962 Singer Gazelle. Purchased for £50 in 1968 before passing my test. Clutch was solid and sills gone. New clutch and garage where I worked at weekends did the bodywork. Two tone green and looked fantastic. Passed my test in it even though the glove box lid fell onto the examiners knees during the emergency stop. Think engine was 1725cc or there abouts and went like a dream. Leather seats and polished wood. Sold it about 18 months later for £250. Wish I had kept it along with about 43 other cars I have owned over the years but how to tell what will be fashionable in the future. Probably the worst to let go for silly money was a 1955 Riley 1.5 and a 1968 fully restored MGC roadster, just don't ask how much!

[midget]

Mine was a '37 Ruby saloon at 13 yrs old. used to drive (and keep) it on a disused RAF bomber airfield 1/2 a mile from my home.
Had lots of fun with it until I rolled it with my English teacher in the passenger seat! Did 2 paper rounds per weekday and Butchers bike deliveries Saturday mornings to pay for fuel. This was 57 years ago and brings back happy memories now.

[dalebrignall]

mini 1000 1973 jrx823l in old english white , fantastic car did over 40000 in it in 2 years it leaked oil like no tomorrow but did not burn oil i loved it then got given an allegro which i hated and it was a total piece of rubbish spent more time in the garage than on the road .

[BrianHawley]

3rd hand 998 Mini Cooper.

Loved that car.

[burnham28]

Mine was a 1950 Vauxhall Wyvern. I can remember doing 60 MPH flat out on the Kingston by pass with the valve Motorola radio turned up full volume listening to Telstar by the Tornadoes. After that came a 1950 Morris minor convertible I think the registration number was RFC 3- can't remember the number. Would like to think it survived but I doubt it. There followed many cars too many to mention

[palacebear]

I can remember doing 60 MPH flat out on the Kingston by pass with the valve Motorola radio turned up full volume listening to Telstar by the Tornadoes

I have a photo somewhere - taken pre-1962 with trolleybuses still running. In glowing Eastman colour it shows the A3/Kingston by-pass junction at Shannon Corner, New Malden. Just a chaotic crossroads in the pre-flyover days!

[ampwhu]

Shannon corner is still a nightmare! I live not far from it.

1st car was a 70's mini. horrible rusty thing that was probably a death trap!

[GraemeT]

Always wanted an A30/A35. Never even sat in one but on my bucket list. My BMC/BL phase was broken briefly by owning a truly awful dark green 1975 Hillman Hunter GL. Around that time the Met Police used dark coloured Hunters as unmarked 'Q' cars. My local police station had a maroon one (AYL 85T) and oddly a bright yellow Marina Mk.3 HL with a black vinyl roof (AYL272T). I often found other motorists driving very sedately when they spotted my Hunter in their rearview mirror

That brings back some thoughts - back in the day I was one of the Boys in Blue and the last of the Hunters were just being phased out (1981/82) - we had a yellow Marina too - that was the 'Traffic Warden's Car'. Hunters were replaced by Avenger 1700 automatics (just about everything back then other than a basic 'Panda' car in London was automatic) and I can recall being passenger in one on the A40/M40 Westway as the driver tried to hit 'the ton' on the way in towards Paddington - nothing like running 'em in gently). At least the handbrake on the Avenger was where you'd expect it.

By the 80's there were no Moggies to be seen but some of the 'old timers' would hark back to the 'good old days', Apparently, in the dead of night, you could get a mini down the pedestrian underpasses at Tibbet's Corner but when the Minor tried to follow the 'Police' illuminated box on the roof would prang the ceiling .....

[olderisbetter]

I had a hand me down 1972 1300 twin port Beetle, Drove it everywhere i could go, Camped in it many times with a tent against it, So many good memories.