Favourite car your dad had
Discussion
Grew up with Dad owning a Mk2 Cortina 1500GT, I actually went with him to pick it up in 1971.
He kept it for 13 or so years, remember at least 2 engine rebuilds (and it going bang).
One memory was waiting to be picked up from Cubs, could hear a car pull away hard from the crossroads down the road, max revs through the gears with the intake being audiable from where we stood. Me & several others were looking around the parked cars to see what performance car was hiding behind the hi-beams & spotlights for the car to stop being my old man - I was so proud. The fact he was doing this in a 20 mph zone, early evening next to a park knowing several excited cubs were going home probably explains a lot I've learn't since.
Same as this, replaced by a 1979 VW Passat 1600LS which was miles faster & handled better!!
It was a Detroit engined one of these that got him banned from driving (when lorries could break the 60mph limit).
He kept it for 13 or so years, remember at least 2 engine rebuilds (and it going bang).
One memory was waiting to be picked up from Cubs, could hear a car pull away hard from the crossroads down the road, max revs through the gears with the intake being audiable from where we stood. Me & several others were looking around the parked cars to see what performance car was hiding behind the hi-beams & spotlights for the car to stop being my old man - I was so proud. The fact he was doing this in a 20 mph zone, early evening next to a park knowing several excited cubs were going home probably explains a lot I've learn't since.
Same as this, replaced by a 1979 VW Passat 1600LS which was miles faster & handled better!!
It was a Detroit engined one of these that got him banned from driving (when lorries could break the 60mph limit).
Vauxhall Cavalier Commander!
I had an uphill struggle on my hands in the mid-80s trying to win the primary school playground "My Dad's car is better than your Dad's car" argument when my mate's Dad had a new BMW 318i. But being a kid and naturally wanting to defend my Dad's honour, I gave it my best shot. In hindsight I probably overplayed the significance of the black wheels and side stripes.
I had an uphill struggle on my hands in the mid-80s trying to win the primary school playground "My Dad's car is better than your Dad's car" argument when my mate's Dad had a new BMW 318i. But being a kid and naturally wanting to defend my Dad's honour, I gave it my best shot. In hindsight I probably overplayed the significance of the black wheels and side stripes.
Most memorable has to be the new VW Devon bay-window Dad bought in 1976. One happy family holiday in France and he sold it shortly afterwards when it was 6 months old, much to his eternal regret.
A Renault 16 replaced that and then another 16 many years after that. Beautiful cars, although I was heavily derided at primary school for Dad owning them as most of my friends' Dads owned the Maxi.
It's the VW and Renault that I would want to buy versions of for myself.
Dad has never been into his cars that much.
A Renault 16 replaced that and then another 16 many years after that. Beautiful cars, although I was heavily derided at primary school for Dad owning them as most of my friends' Dads owned the Maxi.
It's the VW and Renault that I would want to buy versions of for myself.
Dad has never been into his cars that much.
A Volvo 480ES, in recession white before it was cool. I seem to remember something always being wrong with it, my favourite fault being its habit for driving along with only one pop-up headlamp raised...
The head gasket eventually went and we got rid, the heated seats always worked fantastically though
The head gasket eventually went and we got rid, the heated seats always worked fantastically though
It would have to be the Austin Cambridge. It was blue and had a white stripe down each side.
From the back seats, you could see the rear indicators flashing.
The indicator stalk had a green light which flashed in time with the indicators.
If you lifted up the mat in the front passenger footwell then you could see the road. This may have been specific to my Dad's car.
From the back seats, you could see the rear indicators flashing.
The indicator stalk had a green light which flashed in time with the indicators.
If you lifted up the mat in the front passenger footwell then you could see the road. This may have been specific to my Dad's car.
My dad only ever bought a car for the winter when I was young, it was motorbikes the rest of the year and the cars he bought were usually bangers! I do have fond memories of a Gold MkII Granada 2.8, apart from when I lost a Matchbox car somewhere inside it!
My mum had a white Sierra XR4x4 in the early 90s, that always seemed a cool car at the time.
My mum had a white Sierra XR4x4 in the early 90s, that always seemed a cool car at the time.
My dad used to have a really beaten up joyridden LWB series 2a land rover. We used to wave at other land rovers and they'd wave back, as did Range Rovers, not sure if that would happen today! 
I remember us all going to the Land Rover showroom with all of the swanky 90 County's with their carpets and headrests while my Dad was looking at a SIII Safari SWB. Too bad we couldn't afford it.
Couple of weeks later I remember my dad picking me and Mum up from the train station and me running up and down the street all confused because I couldn't find our Land Rover, only this really shiny SIII with windows but that wasn't ours.
Turns out it was. Mum wasn't pleased.
We still have it, but it could do with a lot of work.
We also had a 4WS Prelude turbo which was really cool but was at that age where it was just old, not retro.
I remember us all going to the Land Rover showroom with all of the swanky 90 County's with their carpets and headrests while my Dad was looking at a SIII Safari SWB. Too bad we couldn't afford it.Couple of weeks later I remember my dad picking me and Mum up from the train station and me running up and down the street all confused because I couldn't find our Land Rover, only this really shiny SIII with windows but that wasn't ours.
Turns out it was. Mum wasn't pleased.
We still have it, but it could do with a lot of work.
We also had a 4WS Prelude turbo which was really cool but was at that age where it was just old, not retro.
Edited by glazbagun on Wednesday 25th March 13:32
My parents had three different E30 325i Coupes at different stages of my childhood, my favourite was the black one.
They also had a 3.0 Senator, Legnum VR4, Celica GT-Four and for a short while a Pajero Evolution! The 2.9 Granada though, in grandad browny burgundy received unbelievable amounts of abuse and survived the lot.
They also had a 3.0 Senator, Legnum VR4, Celica GT-Four and for a short while a Pajero Evolution! The 2.9 Granada though, in grandad browny burgundy received unbelievable amounts of abuse and survived the lot.
Favourite of my Dad's cars has to be the Sierra XR4x4 2.8. He had it for several years in the early-mid 90s, and living in the countryside I got huge bragging rights with my mates at school every time it snowed. I was also sick in the back on at least two occasions... Sadly I believe E244 FRY is long gone now 
Second favourite would be the E30 M3 with AC Schnitzer goodies. He sold it ~10 years ago to a guy from Finland, for about £6k IIRC. I remind him of this constantly
...and yes, I know the M3 is a vastly superior car to the Sierra and blah blah blah, but growing up with the Sierra meant it made a much stronger impression on me
Second favourite would be the E30 M3 with AC Schnitzer goodies. He sold it ~10 years ago to a guy from Finland, for about £6k IIRC. I remind him of this constantly
...and yes, I know the M3 is a vastly superior car to the Sierra and blah blah blah, but growing up with the Sierra meant it made a much stronger impression on me
My dad had a metallic green Austin Princess. It was stolen when it was at a garage (had been there a lot!) and was returned a couple of weeks later by the police.
He had a lot of cars, but it was always that one I recall. I also seem to remember, for a short while, him having a red car with a hatchback that was "sort of" in the style of the Princess ... Ambassador? Didn't last very long, he was back into a company car soon, I believe it was a Granada estate.
He had a lot of cars, but it was always that one I recall. I also seem to remember, for a short while, him having a red car with a hatchback that was "sort of" in the style of the Princess ... Ambassador? Didn't last very long, he was back into a company car soon, I believe it was a Granada estate.
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