Cars when you started driving and cars from 20 years earlier

[DickyC]

Earlier today I took my younger daughter's car for an MoT. To help its chances, I cleaned it. When I'd finished, I stood back to admire my handiwork and thought, "That's a good looking car." And... it doesnt look that different to the current one.


Now


Twenty years old.

Warming to my theme, I wondered about similar cars from when I started driving to now, to look at the differences.


1971 - when I started driving


1951 - twenty years earlier

[Doofus]

[Billy_Whizzzz]

[ExBoringVolvoDriver]

1977

https://auctions.wbandsons.com/auction/lot/lot-195...

1957 - there was no small Vauxhall so this will have to do

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thu...

A big change!

[DickyC]

ExBoringVolvoDriver said:

1977



1957 - there was no small Vauxhall so this will have to do



A big change!

[miniman]

1994



1974

[sidewinder500]

Interesting subject.
Made my licence 1984 on this 83 Golf diesel

Would have been this in 63/64:

Or presumably this

But started driving a lot earlier of course, on this

20 years before that probably this

[glazbagun]

Fiat Punto Sporting 2001:


Would have posted an Uno but it would be a couple of years late. Fiat 127 instead:

[Derry Rhumba]

This in 1984

Back to this in 1964

[tumble dryer]

Liking this thread, it's got me thinking about my car journey.

[cherryowen]

I passed in one of these



So, 20 years earlier, I suspect it would have been



Surprisingly, little difference apart from the driven wheels I suppose!

[Mr Tidy]

cherryowen said:

I passed my test in one of those in 1976!

My first car was a 1967 MK2 Cortina like this one.




But like the OP I think 20 years earlier it would have been one of these.

[Opapayer]

A “lovely” Nissan Micra saw me through my test in 1985. Not sure what Datsun cars were around in 1965. The best I could find was this, but that more of a family car. They did make some sort of Baby car that was designed for children though

[Dapster]

Passed my test in 1987 205 D



1967 equivalent would have been




If in the 80's you drove a car from the 60's, you may as well have turned up in a Model T. However if today you drove a car from the early 2000s, no one would notice.

Edited by Dapster on Monday 22 June 23:08

[ExBoringVolvoDriver]

DickyC said:

ExBoringVolvoDriver said:

1977



1957 - there was no small Vauxhall so this will have to do



A big change!

Thanks for putting the photos up - my IT skills are not great! Must be my age. back in 77 we had only just got rid of magnetic tape to store the days data on which had to be collected each day for processing!

[Leins]

Good thread. I learned to drive in one of these, but it was originally purchased new by my father in 1985:



So 20 years earlier =

[Tannedbaldhead]

Passed my test in 1982 driving my Dad's 1981 Austin Ambassador. Going back to 1961 the equivalent would have been an Austin Cambridge.






I had worked weekends, evenings and summer holidays for a small family business either in shops or ice cream vans from the age of 12. As soon as I left school I started work as a trainee surveyor and continued driving ice-cream vans evenings and weekends.
By the time I turned 18 I'd saved enough money to put down a good sized deposit on a brand new Alfasud 1300Ti.
The Sud had just been superceded by the Alfa 33, was heavily discounted, was subject to a chunky Alfa Romeo deposit contribution and cheap interest on the car loan. Even so the down-payment, insurance and loan payments had me skint for the 1st two years of my working life. Still buying yourself a brand new Alfa Romeo at 18 is pretty impressive.



What a bonny car. I loved it.



Not so sure I'd have skint myself for the 1963 Alfa Guiletta if I'd been 20 years younger.

[Tannedbaldhead]

ExBoringVolvoDriver said:

1977

https://auctions.wbandsons.com/auction/lot/lot-195...

1957 - there was no small Vauxhall so this will have to do

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thu...

A big change!

Imagine the fun u'd have had with the extra litre of the Magnum 2300.
Having said that, as a 1st car, the GLS version on the Viva was quite well specced and with the twin headlights and Rostyle wheels it wasn't a bad looker. (In fact, pass pedestrians at a speed they couldn't read ur badges and they'd be convince you WERE driving that Magnum.

[s m]

When I started driving…….








20 years before……

[Tannedbaldhead]

Tannedbaldhead said:

ExBoringVolvoDriver said:

1977

https://auctions.wbandsons.com/auction/lot/lot-195...

1957 - there was no small Vauxhall so this will have to do

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thu...

A big change!

Imagine the fun u'd have had with the extra litre of the Magnum 2300.
Having said that, as a 1st car, the GLS version on the Viva was quite well specced and with the twin headlights and Rostyle wheels it wasn't a bad looker. (In fact, pass pedestrians at a speed they couldn't read ur badges and they'd be convince you WERE driving that Magnum.

Does this post make me sound incredibly old?