Letting friends drive your car
Discussion
Just picked up my manual 2009 V8 Vantage Roadster yesterday, and I am loving it!
A friend of mine who lives local to me, when he heard, asked if he would be able to have a go. He drives a 3 Series - I don't know if he's ever driven anything this powerful or sporty before. My wife (who has been in the car with him) says he is a decent driver, albeit fast.
Just wondering what your policies were on this sort of thing? If he sorted himself out some insurance for the day would you consider it? Do you ever let friends drive your babies or are you too protective/anxious to allow such a thing? If you would do it, what would it depend on/what conditions would you impose?
He said I could have a go in the Beemer in return, which made me laugh. Think I'd pass on that either way, great though they are in the compact exec sector.
A friend of mine who lives local to me, when he heard, asked if he would be able to have a go. He drives a 3 Series - I don't know if he's ever driven anything this powerful or sporty before. My wife (who has been in the car with him) says he is a decent driver, albeit fast.
Just wondering what your policies were on this sort of thing? If he sorted himself out some insurance for the day would you consider it? Do you ever let friends drive your babies or are you too protective/anxious to allow such a thing? If you would do it, what would it depend on/what conditions would you impose?
He said I could have a go in the Beemer in return, which made me laugh. Think I'd pass on that either way, great though they are in the compact exec sector.
Depends on how good a friend he is and how much you trust him I would think.
I insured a mate of mine on the Aston and we co-drove it down to Le Mans the other year. When I was unexpectedly away for a while I offered him exclusive use of it at his house for a period but he didn't take me up on the offer as he would have struggled to store it. No issue but then a mate of donkeys years who can peddle a car (raced Caterhams etc) so never blinked at the idea.
The Aston (especially the V8) isn't a savage of a car with any particular quirks like a sudden surge with a supercharger or "edgy" handling. Very planted, safe car so long as they can work out the handbrake not really any surprises.
I insured a mate of mine on the Aston and we co-drove it down to Le Mans the other year. When I was unexpectedly away for a while I offered him exclusive use of it at his house for a period but he didn't take me up on the offer as he would have struggled to store it. No issue but then a mate of donkeys years who can peddle a car (raced Caterhams etc) so never blinked at the idea.
The Aston (especially the V8) isn't a savage of a car with any particular quirks like a sudden surge with a supercharger or "edgy" handling. Very planted, safe car so long as they can work out the handbrake not really any surprises.
A mate let me drive back from Anglesey to Staffs in his DB11...after he had spanked it around the track. No biggie.. I feel very honoured and I appreciated it, massively.
I'm just waitng for a go in his DB6 now.... though I will politely decline, begrudgingly... I'm not worthy.
I'm just waitng for a go in his DB6 now.... though I will politely decline, begrudgingly... I'm not worthy.
Edited by JustGREENI on Tuesday 7th September 15:23
I let good friends drive (mine isn't an Aston). Cars like this are for sharing IMO, many people will never be able to buy their own.
So far my neighbor and 1 friend have driven the 360 with me riding shotgun
I did have a stressful time one year at Le Mans, i was feeling grotty so got a lift back to the chateau, and left a friend with the keys to my new and quite rare Evora Sports Racer. Chateau was 40 mins from the restaurant. I couldn't settle until I heard the car come up the lane.
So far my neighbor and 1 friend have driven the 360 with me riding shotgun
I did have a stressful time one year at Le Mans, i was feeling grotty so got a lift back to the chateau, and left a friend with the keys to my new and quite rare Evora Sports Racer. Chateau was 40 mins from the restaurant. I couldn't settle until I heard the car come up the lane.
Long standing PHers here, might remember a really special treasured Vantage, being entrusted to a brand new son-in-law, for the drive from the wedding ceremony to the reception.
You might guess the next part of the story. Written off.
Wonder if the father of the bride hastily rewrote his speech.
The same car much later on appeared back on the forum, with the buyer asking whether he could somehow repair the buckled crash protection sections ! Think it eventually resurfaced in France.
Maybe take your friend for a drive. That is what I do, then you can always remain good friends, whatever happens.
Shnozz said:
ClaphamGT3 said:
One of the great joys of possessing nice things is sharing them with one's friends.
Some of the happiest memories I have of houses/guns/boats/cars etc is seeing how much friends have enjoyed using them
Very true.Some of the happiest memories I have of houses/guns/boats/cars etc is seeing how much friends have enjoyed using them
Back in the late 80s, a good friend of mine purchased a new Peugeot 205 GTi 1.9.
One friend kept badgering him for a drive and eventually he relented.
About 5 minutes into the drive, the friend piled into the rear of a car waiting to turn right off the main road they were on.
Lesson learned.
One friend kept badgering him for a drive and eventually he relented.
About 5 minutes into the drive, the friend piled into the rear of a car waiting to turn right off the main road they were on.
Lesson learned.
It's all very subjective. 
I've got friends I'd let drive my cars as I know they'd drive it like their 1st born was strapped to the bonnet, others I'd not lend my push bike too.
Then is it a gentle 5 minutes round the block or the N500/lap of the Nurburgring
And if it all does go pair shape are they in a position to make good?
I've got friends I'd let drive my cars as I know they'd drive it like their 1st born was strapped to the bonnet, others I'd not lend my push bike too.
Then is it a gentle 5 minutes round the block or the N500/lap of the Nurburgring
And if it all does go pair shape are they in a position to make good?
MarkwG said:
Agree - after all, any car is just a car, & that's what insurance is for. The caveat being, the insurance needs to be valid, & you need to have some level of trust with the other person; insurance won't cover the aggravation etc if something does happen. I've let some have the keys to my cars without hesitation, whereas there are others I wouldn't let near them...
Well that rather depends on if your car is "just a car"... Several of us here have cars we specced up personally at the factory which are totally unique and irreplacable even if the insurer pays up a fair value. If I had a car that was "just a car" then I would probably feel different. I probably wouldn't go with them though, regardless.
TheHound said:
A friend of mine who lives local to me, when he heard, asked if he would be able to have a go. He drives a 3 Series - I don't know if he's ever driven anything this powerful or sporty before. My wife (who has been in the car with him) says he is a decent driver, albeit fast.
He’s your mate but you don’t know his car history and sounds like only your wife has witnessed his driving?That wouldn’t be a close enough friend to let borrow mine but arguably easier to cut loose if it goes wrong.
A sensible hierarchy might be:
Close enough that you’d help dispose of a corpse, no questions asked, should the need arise: take anything you like from the garage.
Experienced in those sorts of cars and a reliable chequebook: you bend it you mend it.
Not in either of those groups but a decent/careful driver: drive it whilst accompanied.
Anyone else: probably not happening.
The problem comes when you want to share something like this with a friend/relative who wouldn’t be able to cover any excesses/repairs. Even if you can (and would) do so willingly I always worry that they’d feel bad about it or it’d resurface later and sour things.
ETA: enjoy the car! Hopefully you’re enjoying perfect weather for it too.
Edited by LooneyTunes on Tuesday 7th September 16:18
ClaphamGT3 said:
One of the great joys of possessing nice things is sharing them with one's friends.
Some of the happiest memories I have of houses/guns/boats/cars etc is seeing how much friends have enjoyed using them
You are one of 'those' people, who make massive differences in people's lives, I salute that.Some of the happiest memories I have of houses/guns/boats/cars etc is seeing how much friends have enjoyed using them
I have a story of such an experience, it may have been a little 'too much' though.. bear with me on this.
I worked at a push bike shop, we dealt with all sorts, people who only had the means to use a bike that was found in a skip, as their main transport..people who had families to feed.
We also dealt with some very, very wealthy people, (mostly good..one bad) I'm talking about the type who, for example, had to choose whether to go to Maranello and collect their wife's birthday gift of a new Californian, or go to Necker Island as RB had invited him... (he invested in Virgin Galactic)..This customer took me out in his brand new Rolls Royce Phantom, his MGB built for an overseas rally.... top bloke, he took terminally ill kids for rides in his Ferarri collection... he has a 250 SWB that gets ragged stupid on hillclimbs.
One potential customer we had, I'd dealt with in the past, he has been on TV lately, bragging of his wealth and young bride.... we turned down his custom because of his 'demands' to have the grace of his business...
This story is about 2 chaps who come in and wanted 2 push bikes and all the kit to start riding.
They turned up late in the day, just before closing and a colleague (who's a mate) served them and stayed on after work to choose the right bikes, sizes etc. (to be brutely honest, we were all going to town and he had already started drinking)..
He generally gave them the service we gave everybody... regardless of background.
They got into cycling quite a bit and struck up a relationship with my colleague over the next 12 months, they weren't shy of spending on the latest kit and a new RRS on the carpark was very nice.
Anywho, my colleague was asked by them if he would like to go to the Cycling Show in Italy, as well a visit to the Ferrrari factory!
He politely declined, he lived in a council owned flat, you know, the cold concrete stairwell that stunk of pee a little and was not totally, totally terrible, no murders.. but not great...
As he said, he couldn't afford any holiday, let alone one that involved a passport, flying etc.
They said they'd appreciated his service so much, 'it was on them'.
So he agreed, got really excited about it all and sorted his passport.
In his words, he 'lived like a rock star'.
They had a private jet, went to Maranello, went to the end of season F1 party, that Schumacher had won.. yes in the garages with him! (googled it and was 2004, They had the FXX there)
Went to dinner with the ferrari family.
Went to Schedoni (spelling) where they make the luggage for the cars..
Clubbed and partied in Italy..they paid for everything
They also did the Milan bike show and went to dinner with the Colnago family..
Stuff of dreams!
He then came home to his cold, concrete, piss ridden stairwell.....and his mk5 Escort Estate
He was depressed for weeks !!!
He soon got over it and has the best stories.
Because some people with lots of money are pretty awesome...
Edited by JustGREENI on Tuesday 7th September 16:25
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