Do you remember the first time....
Discussion
... you ever laid eyes on the car that would become your dream car. The one car that you vowed YOU WILL HAVE no matter what it takes.
I remember the first time I ever laid on the Lotus Esprit. From that point on it seriously became an obsession to me.
I was 13.5 years old. I was in the car with my mom on the way to the food store on a saturday morning. It was a gorgeous day. There was (and still is) an exotic car repair shop on the way that has been there for ages. They always have Ferraris and sometimes Lamborghini Countach's and Miuras. But mostly Ferraris and old Porsches. And everytime we passed it I would always scower the premises until it was out of my sight, trying to catch a glimpse of anything. At the time all I knew was the sight and name of the big three: Lamborghini, Ferrari and Porsche. Like most young boys that was the epitome of dreams. A Lambo Countach, a Ferrari F40 or 348. I even had the posters on my wall of a black Ferrari 308? or 328?
As we passed the shop this time my eyes caught what I thought was the flattest most wedge shaped thing I have ever seen. I couldnt believe how sleek the front of this mystery car was. When we got to the food store I told my mom I was going to my friends Brians house (he lived right behind the food store) I went to his house and told him I had to go see what that car was. We grabbed our bikes and biked to the car shop. The man was nice enough to let us through gates and take a peek. And that was the first time I ever laid eyes on what would become my goal in life, a 1990 Lotus Esprit Turbo in a gorgeous white! I literally molested that car with my eyes, getting on my knees and bending down in front of it as to catch the greatest view. So sleek, so amazing looking! I must have asked a million questions that day to that man.
Then, about half a year later, when I was 14 years old, I was back at the food store with my mom. On the way out I asked her if I can run into the old 5 and dime store. It was a sort of ritual that I would go in there just about everytime we went food shopping, she would hand me a few dollars and I would come out with some toy, a cap gun, anything like that. This time however as I walked in I scanned the auto mags and BAM there it was like deja vu all over again. It was the January edition of Sports Car International, and on the cover was a yellow Esprit with the head line: The All new Lotus Esprit S4 turbo; The Esprit for Adults. (whatever that meant)
From that day on it has been a mass collection of anything Lotus ever since. I literally have boxes upon boxes of literature, models, paintings, posters, letters to the Norwich factory, etc.
And I have not lost the feeling of butterflies I get in my stomach everytime I see one.
Long live the Esprit!!
If do ever get one, at this point I would like to see myself in an S4(s). The SE is beautiful but a bit too long in the tooth at this point.
So, whats your story?
I remember the first time I ever laid on the Lotus Esprit. From that point on it seriously became an obsession to me.
I was 13.5 years old. I was in the car with my mom on the way to the food store on a saturday morning. It was a gorgeous day. There was (and still is) an exotic car repair shop on the way that has been there for ages. They always have Ferraris and sometimes Lamborghini Countach's and Miuras. But mostly Ferraris and old Porsches. And everytime we passed it I would always scower the premises until it was out of my sight, trying to catch a glimpse of anything. At the time all I knew was the sight and name of the big three: Lamborghini, Ferrari and Porsche. Like most young boys that was the epitome of dreams. A Lambo Countach, a Ferrari F40 or 348. I even had the posters on my wall of a black Ferrari 308? or 328?
As we passed the shop this time my eyes caught what I thought was the flattest most wedge shaped thing I have ever seen. I couldnt believe how sleek the front of this mystery car was. When we got to the food store I told my mom I was going to my friends Brians house (he lived right behind the food store) I went to his house and told him I had to go see what that car was. We grabbed our bikes and biked to the car shop. The man was nice enough to let us through gates and take a peek. And that was the first time I ever laid eyes on what would become my goal in life, a 1990 Lotus Esprit Turbo in a gorgeous white! I literally molested that car with my eyes, getting on my knees and bending down in front of it as to catch the greatest view. So sleek, so amazing looking! I must have asked a million questions that day to that man.
Then, about half a year later, when I was 14 years old, I was back at the food store with my mom. On the way out I asked her if I can run into the old 5 and dime store. It was a sort of ritual that I would go in there just about everytime we went food shopping, she would hand me a few dollars and I would come out with some toy, a cap gun, anything like that. This time however as I walked in I scanned the auto mags and BAM there it was like deja vu all over again. It was the January edition of Sports Car International, and on the cover was a yellow Esprit with the head line: The All new Lotus Esprit S4 turbo; The Esprit for Adults. (whatever that meant)
From that day on it has been a mass collection of anything Lotus ever since. I literally have boxes upon boxes of literature, models, paintings, posters, letters to the Norwich factory, etc.
And I have not lost the feeling of butterflies I get in my stomach everytime I see one.
Long live the Esprit!!
If do ever get one, at this point I would like to see myself in an S4(s). The SE is beautiful but a bit too long in the tooth at this point.
So, whats your story?
Very much remember it. Went to the British motorshow with my dad when I was 16 and was transfixed by the Caterhams 
Such purity of purpose, classic looks, supercar destroying performance and relative simplicity. Just wonderful.
Scroll on 7 years and I've done my A-levels, got a degree and post-grad and done a year or so of work as an (very) junior IT consultant in London. Just renting, relatively well paid so saved a bit of cash and went cap-in-hand to the bank who were offering me graduate loans. Cobbled together £13,000 (half savings, half loan) and bought a Caterham.
Bright yellow, 1.6 K-series engine, 115bhp, 30,000 miles, heaven. Since then (Feb 2000) I've covered another 70,000 miles or so in it, rebuilt it from the ground up and replaced the engine for a 1.8 (160bhp). Great fun.
Dreams are attainable, work hard, make the relevant sacrifices and it can happen.
Such purity of purpose, classic looks, supercar destroying performance and relative simplicity. Just wonderful.Scroll on 7 years and I've done my A-levels, got a degree and post-grad and done a year or so of work as an (very) junior IT consultant in London. Just renting, relatively well paid so saved a bit of cash and went cap-in-hand to the bank who were offering me graduate loans. Cobbled together £13,000 (half savings, half loan) and bought a Caterham.
Bright yellow, 1.6 K-series engine, 115bhp, 30,000 miles, heaven. Since then (Feb 2000) I've covered another 70,000 miles or so in it, rebuilt it from the ground up and replaced the engine for a 1.8 (160bhp). Great fun.
Dreams are attainable, work hard, make the relevant sacrifices and it can happen.
ewenm said:
Very much remember it. Went to the British motorshow with my dad when I was 16 and was transfixed by the Caterhams Such purity of purpose, classic looks, supercar destroying performance and relative simplicity. Just wonderful.
Scroll on 7 years and I've done my A-levels, got a degree and post-grad and done a year or so of work as an (very) junior IT consultant in London. Just renting, relatively well paid so saved a bit of cash and went cap-in-hand to the bank who were offering me graduate loans. Cobbled together £13,000 (half savings, half loan) and bought a Caterham.
Bright yellow, 1.6 K-series engine, 115bhp, 30,000 miles, heaven. Since then (Feb 2000) I've covered another 70,000 miles or so in it, rebuilt it from the ground up and replaced the engine for a 1.8 (160bhp). Great fun.
Dreams are attainable, work hard, make the relevant sacrifices and it can happen.
Congrats my man! The car looks amazing! Such purity of purpose, classic looks, supercar destroying performance and relative simplicity. Just wonderful.Scroll on 7 years and I've done my A-levels, got a degree and post-grad and done a year or so of work as an (very) junior IT consultant in London. Just renting, relatively well paid so saved a bit of cash and went cap-in-hand to the bank who were offering me graduate loans. Cobbled together £13,000 (half savings, half loan) and bought a Caterham.
Bright yellow, 1.6 K-series engine, 115bhp, 30,000 miles, heaven. Since then (Feb 2000) I've covered another 70,000 miles or so in it, rebuilt it from the ground up and replaced the engine for a 1.8 (160bhp). Great fun.
Dreams are attainable, work hard, make the relevant sacrifices and it can happen.
LotusACBC said:
... you ever laid eyes on the car that would become your dream car. The one car that you vowed YOU WILL HAVE no matter what it takes.
I remember the first time I ever laid on the Lotus Esprit. From that point on it seriously became an obsession to me.
I was 13.5 years old. I was in the car with my mom on the way to the food store on a saturday morning. It was a gorgeous day. There was (and still is) an exotic car repair shop on the way that has been there for ages. They always have Ferraris and sometimes Lamborghini Countach's and Miuras. But mostly Ferraris and old Porsches. And everytime we passed it I would always scower the premises until it was out of my sight, trying to catch a glimpse of anything. At the time all I knew was the sight and name of the big three: Lamborghini, Ferrari and Porsche. Like most young boys that was the epitome of dreams. A Lambo Countach, a Ferrari F40 or 348. I even had the posters on my wall of a black Ferrari 308? or 328?
As we passed the shop this time my eyes caught what I thought was the flattest most wedge shaped thing I have ever seen. I couldnt believe how sleek the front of this mystery car was. When we got to the food store I told my mom I was going to my friends Brians house (he lived right behind the food store) I went to his house and told him I had to go see what that car was. We grabbed our bikes and biked to the car shop. The man was nice enough to let us through gates and take a peek. And that was the first time I ever laid eyes on what would become my goal in life, a 1990 Lotus Esprit Turbo in a gorgeous white! I literally molested that car with my eyes, getting on my knees and bending down in front of it as to catch the greatest view. So sleek, so amazing looking! I must have asked a million questions that day to that man.
Then, about half a year later, when I was 14 years old, I was back at the food store with my mom. On the way out I asked her if I can run into the old 5 and dime store. It was a sort of ritual that I would go in there just about everytime we went food shopping, she would hand me a few dollars and I would come out with some toy, a cap gun, anything like that. This time however as I walked in I scanned the auto mags and BAM there it was like deja vu all over again. It was the January edition of Sports Car International, and on the cover was a yellow Esprit with the head line: The All new Lotus Esprit S4 turbo; The Esprit for Adults. (whatever that meant)
From that day on it has been a mass collection of anything Lotus ever since. I literally have boxes upon boxes of literature, models, paintings, posters, letters to the Norwich factory, etc.
And I have not lost the feeling of butterflies I get in my stomach everytime I see one.
Long live the Esprit!!
If do ever get one, at this point I would like to see myself in an S4(s). The SE is beautiful but a bit too long in the tooth at this point.
So, whats your story?
Do you remember the test of the white one in 'Motor' when it first came out? I think John Miles did the write-up and commented on the roof mounted Panasonic(?) hi-fi unit being 'impressive to listen to but ergonomically unsound' I remember the first time I ever laid on the Lotus Esprit. From that point on it seriously became an obsession to me.
I was 13.5 years old. I was in the car with my mom on the way to the food store on a saturday morning. It was a gorgeous day. There was (and still is) an exotic car repair shop on the way that has been there for ages. They always have Ferraris and sometimes Lamborghini Countach's and Miuras. But mostly Ferraris and old Porsches. And everytime we passed it I would always scower the premises until it was out of my sight, trying to catch a glimpse of anything. At the time all I knew was the sight and name of the big three: Lamborghini, Ferrari and Porsche. Like most young boys that was the epitome of dreams. A Lambo Countach, a Ferrari F40 or 348. I even had the posters on my wall of a black Ferrari 308? or 328?
As we passed the shop this time my eyes caught what I thought was the flattest most wedge shaped thing I have ever seen. I couldnt believe how sleek the front of this mystery car was. When we got to the food store I told my mom I was going to my friends Brians house (he lived right behind the food store) I went to his house and told him I had to go see what that car was. We grabbed our bikes and biked to the car shop. The man was nice enough to let us through gates and take a peek. And that was the first time I ever laid eyes on what would become my goal in life, a 1990 Lotus Esprit Turbo in a gorgeous white! I literally molested that car with my eyes, getting on my knees and bending down in front of it as to catch the greatest view. So sleek, so amazing looking! I must have asked a million questions that day to that man.
Then, about half a year later, when I was 14 years old, I was back at the food store with my mom. On the way out I asked her if I can run into the old 5 and dime store. It was a sort of ritual that I would go in there just about everytime we went food shopping, she would hand me a few dollars and I would come out with some toy, a cap gun, anything like that. This time however as I walked in I scanned the auto mags and BAM there it was like deja vu all over again. It was the January edition of Sports Car International, and on the cover was a yellow Esprit with the head line: The All new Lotus Esprit S4 turbo; The Esprit for Adults. (whatever that meant)
From that day on it has been a mass collection of anything Lotus ever since. I literally have boxes upon boxes of literature, models, paintings, posters, letters to the Norwich factory, etc.
And I have not lost the feeling of butterflies I get in my stomach everytime I see one.
Long live the Esprit!!
If do ever get one, at this point I would like to see myself in an S4(s). The SE is beautiful but a bit too long in the tooth at this point.
So, whats your story?
.What really got me about the Esprit though was when it was featured in 'For your Eyes Only' with Blazer and Slacks driving it at that ski resort. It was in a lovely ( for the nineteen eighties ) copper metallic colour.
I went to Goodwood Fos this year and there, on display, was the very car. I could have broken down like a gibbering wreck in front of it BUT
, the more I looked at it the more I realised how dated the design had become and how my dream was very quickly fading away.Those louvres made a cool place to put your skis, though
.Edited by enioldjoe on Saturday 16th August 19:40
The first time that I saw a photo of a Lancia Stratos' I was completely smitten. I was 13. I just could not believe that something that beautiful could just appear from nowhere. On top of that, it was absolutely brilliant at what it was designed to do. That was to win rallies. So, not just apretty face, but functional too. I determined then and there that one day I would own one.
I have failed upto now.
Unfortunately, original Strato's are as rare as hen's teeth and so I have had to settle for a Hawk replica. I had to wait 35 years to get hold of one. But, now she's mine and whenever I look at her I get the same tingling sensation down my spine as the day I first saw that photo.
(Gratuitous picture of my car. )
I have failed upto now.
Unfortunately, original Strato's are as rare as hen's teeth and so I have had to settle for a Hawk replica. I had to wait 35 years to get hold of one. But, now she's mine and whenever I look at her I get the same tingling sensation down my spine as the day I first saw that photo.
(Gratuitous picture of my car.
)My first time was at Donnington. My Dad's mate Roger had taken us for practice on the Saturday, I was about 12, then asked one of the drivers to take me for a spin around the track.
Purple Mazda RX7 Turbo was just awesome (in the real way, not the yankee way) very light, very revvy. What a memory. No helmet, head banging off the window, HUGE silly grin for about a week.
Hooked for ever, even though we had 3 Alfas at the time, thats the one that got me.
Purple Mazda RX7 Turbo was just awesome (in the real way, not the yankee way) very light, very revvy. What a memory. No helmet, head banging off the window, HUGE silly grin for about a week.
Hooked for ever, even though we had 3 Alfas at the time, thats the one that got me.
Can't put up pics at all, much less the equal of the 3 cars so far; lovely examples, all of them.
I think I already knew of the integrale but the point that I knew I had to have one was reading the Autocar Testarossa vs Integrale match up. Made for heavenly reading and I was completely smitten.
Although my first one is currently off the road it still makes me grin like a loon when I see it.
Thinking about it, the first I probably knew of the 'grale was the "it ruled the earth" ads...or the First Drive features in the car mags that were completely blown away by its abilities.
I think I already knew of the integrale but the point that I knew I had to have one was reading the Autocar Testarossa vs Integrale match up. Made for heavenly reading and I was completely smitten.
Although my first one is currently off the road it still makes me grin like a loon when I see it.
Thinking about it, the first I probably knew of the 'grale was the "it ruled the earth" ads...or the First Drive features in the car mags that were completely blown away by its abilities.
Edited by DrTre on Saturday 16th August 18:21
When I was 10, this funny Australian bloke moved next door to us. He worked for Ford, and used to come home in a funny racing car from time to time. He used to take the kids that were interested in a burn up up the M4
The funny car was a Le Mans development GT40, and there weren't speed limits then. Sitting in an extremely noisy car, skinny (they weren't then)wire wheels, with your arse 2" off the ground doing 150+ MPH. What more could a 10 year old want.
GT40, wire wheels and no speed limits. Just once more please
The funny car was a Le Mans development GT40, and there weren't speed limits then. Sitting in an extremely noisy car, skinny (they weren't then)wire wheels, with your arse 2" off the ground doing 150+ MPH. What more could a 10 year old want.
GT40, wire wheels and no speed limits. Just once more please
The first time I saw a TVR Cerbera was on the road. I had absolutely no idea what it was, so the GF and I followed it for miles, loving the unusual and aggressive exhaust note, marveling at the unique but lovely curves of the beast. It was vastly different from anything I'd considered putting on the 'dream wish list' before, I didnt even own a car, but I knew I wanted a Cerbera one day more than anything else. The more research I did, the more I knew I wanted one, and not a day went by that I didnt think about or long for a Cerb of my own.
Many years later, 6 months after buying my first car, I'll never forget what it was like to actually get into the driving seat of a Cerbera, a novel experience which felt most bizarre yet incredibly thrilling. The next most bizarre event was driving it off the dealer forecourt to take home - that experience was one of the happiest and most surreal of my life. It was like piloting some kind of low slung space ship on wheels, looking out of a weird letterbox windscreen, a transmission tunnel so high I felt I was standing at the bar with my elbow resting on it, with incredible looks and enough power to rip the tarmac out from under me. The thrill of the first drive home was completely indescribable!
Part of me was still getting used to owning/driving a car through traffic and whatnot, the other getting used to piloting this new toy which (so it seemed at the time) was more fun than your own private theme park. Happy days
The only other car I ever Really wanted was a Lamborghini. Maybe one day eh, they say if you want something badly enough...
Many years later, 6 months after buying my first car, I'll never forget what it was like to actually get into the driving seat of a Cerbera, a novel experience which felt most bizarre yet incredibly thrilling. The next most bizarre event was driving it off the dealer forecourt to take home - that experience was one of the happiest and most surreal of my life. It was like piloting some kind of low slung space ship on wheels, looking out of a weird letterbox windscreen, a transmission tunnel so high I felt I was standing at the bar with my elbow resting on it, with incredible looks and enough power to rip the tarmac out from under me. The thrill of the first drive home was completely indescribable!
Part of me was still getting used to owning/driving a car through traffic and whatnot, the other getting used to piloting this new toy which (so it seemed at the time) was more fun than your own private theme park. Happy days
The only other car I ever Really wanted was a Lamborghini. Maybe one day eh, they say if you want something badly enough...I'm still a young'un by most peoples standards, so I still get smitten quite regularly. But in the context of this thread, the strongest 'wow, one day I HAVE to own one of those' moment that I can remember was when I was about 4 years old, and I was going on a day out with the folks, I saw, gliding down the road in the opposite direction, a bright red Ferrari F40. I knew what it was, as I was a slightly obsessed child and knew what everything was, but I had never seen one in person, and I just knew there and then that I was seeing something special. Strangely though, today I don't hanker for one in the same way I hanker after a classic Jag, probably because the Ferrari is a dream that I will probably never realise, and if I had the right amount of cash for an F40, I'd buy a load of classics instead. But still, at the time, I was in love.
I've also loved classic Mustangs ever since my uncle took me out in his '72 convertible, with a 302 V8 and a very, VERY loud exhaust. The best part was my dad following us in our very s
tty Mk2 Cavalier, which subsequently broke down, and me screaming over the V8, 'faster, FASTER', and ever since then I have wanted a 'Stang.
I've also loved classic Mustangs ever since my uncle took me out in his '72 convertible, with a 302 V8 and a very, VERY loud exhaust. The best part was my dad following us in our very s
tty Mk2 Cavalier, which subsequently broke down, and me screaming over the V8, 'faster, FASTER', and ever since then I have wanted a 'Stang. My first Classic car mag in 1977 had a Citroen Traction Avant & and an MGBGTV8 on the cover. Owned an MGBGTV8, always hankered after a Traction, and came close to buying one in 1992.
But what stuck in my mind in that 1977 mag was a 1960 Facel Vega HK500 for £1200 in the classifieds that needed a bit of bodywork and an exhuast.
Always loved them, and managed to get one for a wedding car when I got married in '98.
But what stuck in my mind in that 1977 mag was a 1960 Facel Vega HK500 for £1200 in the classifieds that needed a bit of bodywork and an exhuast.
Always loved them, and managed to get one for a wedding car when I got married in '98.
Before I discovered PH (since when I've lusted after a Tuscan, a Gallardo and a Vantage) my "realism" wish list consisted of one car - the S2000. I bought one 3 years ago and had 2 years of fun with it, chucking it around the Highlands and the south of France and the like. So, , while I've a ways to go to get my "dream car", I've had enromous fun in the meantime.
Blib said:
The first time that I saw a photo of a Lancia Stratos' I was completely smitten. I was 13. I just could not believe that something that beautiful could just appear from nowhere. On top of that, it was absolutely brilliant at what it was designed to do. That was to win rallies. So, not just apretty face, but functional too. I determined then and there that one day I would own one.
I have failed upto now.
Unfortunately, original Strato's are as rare as hen's teeth and so I have had to settle for a Hawk replica. I had to wait 35 years to get hold of one. But, now she's mine and whenever I look at her I get the same tingling sensation down my spine as the day I first saw that photo.
(Gratuitous picture of my car. )
that is one awesome looking car!I have failed upto now.
Unfortunately, original Strato's are as rare as hen's teeth and so I have had to settle for a Hawk replica. I had to wait 35 years to get hold of one. But, now she's mine and whenever I look at her I get the same tingling sensation down my spine as the day I first saw that photo.
(Gratuitous picture of my car.
)I could bring a long list of "dream garage" cars to the thread, but that's not the question!
The three "WOW" cars that made my eyes pop were ...
1. Ferrari 250 GTO in the Observers Book of Cars 1962 which I was given at Christmas in 62. It was in a totally different class to anything else in the book. No surprises, I didn't ever get one (but I have had a ride in Nick Masons!)
2. I would have been 10 when we stopped in a petrol station hear Hampton Court and there was this low and fantastic looking sports car that turned out to be a Marcos. Made everything else around there look 20 years out of date.
3. The Motor Show TVR Griffith, that I declared the best looking car since the GTO, and for the last four years one has been in my garage, I hope to keep it and drive it and enjoy it for a long time to come...
The three "WOW" cars that made my eyes pop were ...
1. Ferrari 250 GTO in the Observers Book of Cars 1962 which I was given at Christmas in 62. It was in a totally different class to anything else in the book. No surprises, I didn't ever get one (but I have had a ride in Nick Masons!)
2. I would have been 10 when we stopped in a petrol station hear Hampton Court and there was this low and fantastic looking sports car that turned out to be a Marcos. Made everything else around there look 20 years out of date.
3. The Motor Show TVR Griffith, that I declared the best looking car since the GTO, and for the last four years one has been in my garage, I hope to keep it and drive it and enjoy it for a long time to come...
LotusACBC said:
Blib said:
The first time that I saw a photo of a Lancia Stratos' I was completely smitten. I was 13. I just could not believe that something that beautiful could just appear from nowhere. On top of that, it was absolutely brilliant at what it was designed to do. That was to win rallies. So, not just apretty face, but functional too. I determined then and there that one day I would own one.
I have failed upto now.
Unfortunately, original Strato's are as rare as hen's teeth and so I have had to settle for a Hawk replica. I had to wait 35 years to get hold of one. But, now she's mine and whenever I look at her I get the same tingling sensation down my spine as the day I first saw that photo.
(Gratuitous picture of my car. )
that is one awesome looking car!I have failed upto now.
Unfortunately, original Strato's are as rare as hen's teeth and so I have had to settle for a Hawk replica. I had to wait 35 years to get hold of one. But, now she's mine and whenever I look at her I get the same tingling sensation down my spine as the day I first saw that photo.
(Gratuitous picture of my car.
)
Great thread,and a superb story from Ewenm.
For me, its gotta be the same car. My uncle used to own a garage (Noble motorsport in Chesterfield, some PH'ers will know it). They were/are a caterham dealer. I always used to love family events, weddings etc, because I knew my Uncle john would be there with some interesting stories to tell of a trip to Spa, or some v8 monster or rally car they'd just finished building. I always knew a lot about cars and loved 7 types and 'roadster' type cars. One day John turned up at my Grans in a Ruby red, 40th anniversary Caterham. K series I guess, Silver minilites and a silver striped up the bonnet. He took me out for a run round the lanes of North Derbyshire. It probably only lasted 20 minutes or so. But I WILL own one, one day. My maths tells me that it must have been 1997, when Caterham were 40 and I was 12 or 13. Ten years later then, and I still think about it.
Helping a friend build a Westfield last year reminded me just how much I love 7 type cars. Im planning on buying an MX5 this year as a halfway house, until I get my first 'proper' job, perhaps with a company motor and can afford to run a 2nd car. It will be an easy choice.
Every motorist should get a ride in a 7, by crook or by hook. They are the truest driving experience of any car, no matter how much money you have. I absolutely adore them.
For me, its gotta be the same car. My uncle used to own a garage (Noble motorsport in Chesterfield, some PH'ers will know it). They were/are a caterham dealer. I always used to love family events, weddings etc, because I knew my Uncle john would be there with some interesting stories to tell of a trip to Spa, or some v8 monster or rally car they'd just finished building. I always knew a lot about cars and loved 7 types and 'roadster' type cars. One day John turned up at my Grans in a Ruby red, 40th anniversary Caterham. K series I guess, Silver minilites and a silver striped up the bonnet. He took me out for a run round the lanes of North Derbyshire. It probably only lasted 20 minutes or so. But I WILL own one, one day. My maths tells me that it must have been 1997, when Caterham were 40 and I was 12 or 13. Ten years later then, and I still think about it.
Helping a friend build a Westfield last year reminded me just how much I love 7 type cars. Im planning on buying an MX5 this year as a halfway house, until I get my first 'proper' job, perhaps with a company motor and can afford to run a 2nd car. It will be an easy choice.
Every motorist should get a ride in a 7, by crook or by hook. They are the truest driving experience of any car, no matter how much money you have. I absolutely adore them.
Edited by snotrag on Saturday 16th August 19:42
I wanted a Caterham since first reading about one when I was 12 and I finally bought one just before my 30th birthday.
Then, after a year I sold it and bought a new kit, so I could have the full owenership experience. I built it, crashed it, rebuilt it (at my cost), rebuilt the engine (for more power), rebuilt the engine again (even more power), and rebuilt the engine yet again (until it hit 244bhp at Emerald). I tracked it, drove it to work, and toured all over this country, Ireland (North and South), Scotland and Wales, then went to Sweden, Finland, France, Switzerland, Germany, Belgium, Austria and Italy in it over the next few years.
This link doesn't seem to work, although the pic is still there. Maybe hotlinks are disabled:
http://pub.se7ens.net/lists/tour7/V7%20at%20Luigi'...
I can't imagine another car that offers as much fun as a Caterham. Although I quite fancy another Cerbera, I will definitely have another Caterham one day. If I'm lucky, I'll have both. And a Stratos.
Then, after a year I sold it and bought a new kit, so I could have the full owenership experience. I built it, crashed it, rebuilt it (at my cost), rebuilt the engine (for more power), rebuilt the engine again (even more power), and rebuilt the engine yet again (until it hit 244bhp at Emerald). I tracked it, drove it to work, and toured all over this country, Ireland (North and South), Scotland and Wales, then went to Sweden, Finland, France, Switzerland, Germany, Belgium, Austria and Italy in it over the next few years.
This link doesn't seem to work, although the pic is still there. Maybe hotlinks are disabled:
http://pub.se7ens.net/lists/tour7/V7%20at%20Luigi'...
I can't imagine another car that offers as much fun as a Caterham. Although I quite fancy another Cerbera, I will definitely have another Caterham one day. If I'm lucky, I'll have both. And a Stratos.
Edited by Mars on Saturday 16th August 20:05
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