First car

[Bealman]

After the mini I got a state-of-the-art Toyota Celica 1978 model which was actually a brilliant car. I wasn't going to add any more to this thread, except for Malc saying that the seat of his Vauxhall fell through the floor reminded me of the Celica.

If the upholstery in the Celica had gotten any worse, I would have had to drive it standing up   

[keithfre]

Mine was an ancient Triumph 2000 in 1976. I brought it with me when I emigrated to Holland that year. It was so rusty that bits kept fallling off, and it needed regular topping up with oil. After a few months I scrapped it and got a sporty but impractical Alfa Romeo GTA 1300 Junior - impractical because commuting caused the plugs to fur up, so the garage mechanic had to be called out regularly to get it started again.

[Claude Dreyfus]

Number one was a 1984 Triumph Acclaim 1.3.

Bits kept falling off, it needed a serious run-up for hills - Telegraph hill in Devon (70-80mph at the bottom would just about get to the top at about 40mph) - and broke down frequently. That said,  it was my first car and racked up 25,000 miles in the year I owned it. It meant freedom.

In fact my next two cars - a 1989 1.3 Vauxhall Astra estate and a 1992 Rover 414 - were both also short-lived (although both were sold on; they just had lot of issues).

My third car - a 1998 Volvo V70 lasted me 12 years and was only moved on at the beginning of this year.



My latest toy is another V70 a 2.5T petrol.

[mk1gtstu]

A 1968 Mk1 Escort, I bought it in 1992 for £100 when I was 16 then spent a couple of years restoring it, then used it daily when I passed my test. I still own it now, other cars have come & gone but still got this one, It  just gets used for shows & on weekends now though.


cheers, Stu.

[Ditape]

My first car was a Triumph Herald 13/60 in 1972, I bought it for a whole £40 and sold it 12months later for £50 when I moved up to a Morris Oxford.Then a Hillman Hunter,Fiat 131 estate, Skoda Rapid, Bedford camper, Renault 6,Suzuki SC100, Fiat X1-9, Skoda rapid special, Fiat X1-9,Fiat X1-9,Datsun Cherry, Fiat Barcetta, Diahatsu Sirion Rally 4, Merecedes SLK 230 and now a Skoda Citigo elegance.

[MalcolmInN]

My first was a 1947 Hillman Minx, interesting side-valve engine, very easy to work on. No danger from timing chains failing with valves hitting piston crowns.
No, I did not buy it from new in case you were all wondering.
Later we ( later I had aquired a wife ! ) had an Austin A40  Farina, it suffered from dreaded rot in the ,, hmm what were they called the newfangled tubular construction that no longer needed a chassis ? Father-in-law replaced them with folded stainless steel ex the TSR2
(not while it was flying ! only after Harold W. scrapped it ! or was it Tony Benn ?)

I can not remember any of the number plates nor all of the other multitudinous vehicles that passed through chez nous although a Kharmann Ghia that we once had in Brazil is memorable, not least because it had its engine in the back and acted like a pendulum on the un-metalled roads we liked to travel

.

[d-a-n]

I bought my first car when I was 19 in August 2003 just before passing my test, an E reg (1987?) Volvo 340 1.7 GLE which had done 150,000 miles on it's second engine. It cost me £70 and £1070 to insure for the year! The upshot of this purchase was that it came with £20 of fuel in the tank and a new MOT as the elderly owner was giving up driving and wanted rid of the rusty old thing. Despite being a GLE with (working) heated seats and electric windows, the top of the rear offside door had rusted through entirely so was fetchingly covered with two widths of gaffer tape although it was surprisingly solid underneath. On it's first outing with me alone behind the wheel for the first time, I tentatively approached my second ever solo roundabout. On shifting down in anticipation of this, the gearknob popped off in my hand!
The dangerous cocktail of budget ditch-seeker tyres meant that the coming winter was spent learning a lot about how a stodgy, cart sprung rear-wheel-drive car handles and prepared me well for my second car bought 6 months after passing my test, an immaculate white E32 BMW 730i which had leather seats, electric everything and was pretty quick.

Although it only did about 16mpg, having a car with such a capacious back seat was very handy and it was cheaper than renting my own flat...

[Sprintex]

. . . an E reg (1987?) Volvo 340 1.7 GLE which had done 150,000 miles on it's second engine . . . the top of the rear offside door had rusted through entirely so was fetchingly covered with two widths of gaffer tape although it was surprisingly solid underneath.

Seems to have been an odd quirk of the 3-series Volvo, rusting from the top down instead of the usual floor-upwards 

My bro-in-law had a 340 GL that looked OK, then one day he opened the tailgate in Tesco's car-park to put the shopping away and the whole tailgate came away in his hand - the hinge-mounting panel had disintegrated into oxide dust!! 


Paul

[Claude Dreyfus]

340s had very heavy doors - particularly the 2-door versions. This meant that the hinges suffered, and the doors did have a reputation of dropping off after a while (rust etc.). Mrs Dreyfus had a 1990 1.4 340 and absolutely loved it - and it never lost any doors.

[Tdm]

Some interesting replies on this thread, but analysing them, what would members say was the "best" car they ever owned, ie. the one that gave them the most satisfaction and pleasure?

In my case I would have to say (apart from my present car) it would have to be the Sunbeam Rapier Mk3A for a number of reasons :-

1) With all the windows wound down it was as good as a convertible (a true Coupe).
2) The wood & leather interior would beat anything produced to-date.
3) I dated 2 girls at the same time when I owned it - partly due to the attraction of it.
4) It took me to France, Belgium, and Holland, and was the car I owned when England
    last (and only time) won the World Cup.

If only they made a a car like that today!?

[Claude Dreyfus]

The best car I owned? So far the S reg V70...quite simply because in the 12 years I had it, it only let me down twice. The previous 3 averaged about 5 RAC call outs a year; the worst being the Rover letting go its oil pump at Scots Gap on the A1; a long way from Sussex!

The Volvo was also the best to drive, being suprisingly nimble for a car of its size. The turning circle on the older V70s was exceptionally good.

That said, I hope it will be bettered by the new version...I have only had it since the beginning of March.

[Oldun]

what would members say was the "best" car they ever owned, ie. the one that gave them the most satisfaction and pleasure?

Not one but two, both of which I would love to own again now:

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My 1955 86" Series 1.

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My 1969 Plymouth Fury 111, all 332 BHP - 6,276 cc. (It was blue & white 2 tone when I had it)

As I said, wish I still had them both

Roger

[marco neri]

My first was a FIAT "Uno" bought in 1983 in co-operation with my brother..
Here in Amsterdam camping near old olympic stadium..
<a href="http://s1369.photobucket.com/user/Marconeri5/media/image.jpg1_zpsr7uubl7a.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1369.photobucket.com/albums/ag227/Marconeri5/image.jpg1_zpsr7uubl7a.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo image.jpg1_zpsr7uubl7a.jpg"/></a>

[Dorsetmike]

I think ones preferences change over the years, what we considered our favourite car in our early driving days, would not appeal when we get older, I loved the last update of the Mk2 Ford Consul375 with the addition of front disc brakes, I then thought the Mk1 Cortina was great, later it was the Mk4 Zephyr 6 2.4L; the Citroen BX19RD was the perfect towing car; The car I kept longest was a 1962 Ford Classic 116E bought in 1993, I had that for 10 years, a "rolling restoration"  used as a daily driver as well as getting us free entry to car shows as an "Exhibitor", I finally gave it up when I turned 70, crawling over and under it became no longer fun.

I've recently  traded my 53reg 104,000 mile Mazda 2 for an 07 reg 40,000 mile Mazda 2 it suits me now and should see me out, I only do about 1000 miles a year now, I used to do 20,000 a year!

[Newportnobby]

Don't really have a 'best' car as I only drive them 'cos I'm physically incapable of riding motorbikes now, but I guess the best of my own vehicles was a Citroen BX14E which, despite the gear lever coming off in my hand once, the clutch cable breaking halfway to Bristol and the damn windscreen wiper freezing up every winter due to the feed pipe running up the single wiper, was a fantastic handling car, extremely well equipped at the time and had a voluminous boot, especially with the rear seats folded down
I've lost count of the mileage I've driven as I used to be a sales rep and have put over 100,000 miles on each of the 5 company cars I had. In effect, I've driven to the moon and back at least once