The Car The Got You "Into" Cars
Discussion
Or maybe not a car, but a thing.
See, I bought the latest issue of Classic Cars mag earlier, as they were celebrating 20 years of the TVR Griff. But the first article was not on the Griffs, it was of the car I remember most that got me hooked on cars.
Back in 1975, a friend of the family was living in Hampshire and invited us down for a weeks holiday. Whilst there, we all went to Beaulieu to look at cars and such. On that day, parked on a gravel hardstanding outside one of the display "halls" (or sheds as they were then) was one of these:
A 1930's Auburn 851 Boat-Tail Speedster.
This five year old lad was excited enough for the curator (or whatever) to let me sit in the driver's seat and have his photo taken. I had to stand on the driver's seat for my head to appear above the door, and I still have the photo somewhere, and it shows me holding the steering wheel with the biggest, face-splitting grin you have ever seen. I
that car, and is my earliest car-related memory. That moment, I think, conceived this current petrolhead.
What started other PH'ers on the road to automotive anorakiness?
See, I bought the latest issue of Classic Cars mag earlier, as they were celebrating 20 years of the TVR Griff. But the first article was not on the Griffs, it was of the car I remember most that got me hooked on cars.
Back in 1975, a friend of the family was living in Hampshire and invited us down for a weeks holiday. Whilst there, we all went to Beaulieu to look at cars and such. On that day, parked on a gravel hardstanding outside one of the display "halls" (or sheds as they were then) was one of these:
A 1930's Auburn 851 Boat-Tail Speedster.
This five year old lad was excited enough for the curator (or whatever) to let me sit in the driver's seat and have his photo taken. I had to stand on the driver's seat for my head to appear above the door, and I still have the photo somewhere, and it shows me holding the steering wheel with the biggest, face-splitting grin you have ever seen. I
that car, and is my earliest car-related memory. That moment, I think, conceived this current petrolhead.What started other PH'ers on the road to automotive anorakiness?
Caterham 7. 40th Anniversary model, Ruby red.
I would have been 12. I was well into my cars but this I think must be what sealed the deal, as its something I remember very vividly. Uncle ran a garage in Chesterfield (Nobles) and had one of these to borrow. I was at my Nans in the Hope valley and he turned up in it - we went out for a run up the road. I bet we were only gone 15 minutes.
It got under my skin. One day, I'll be able to afford one.
I would have been 12. I was well into my cars but this I think must be what sealed the deal, as its something I remember very vividly. Uncle ran a garage in Chesterfield (Nobles) and had one of these to borrow. I was at my Nans in the Hope valley and he turned up in it - we went out for a run up the road. I bet we were only gone 15 minutes.
It got under my skin. One day, I'll be able to afford one.
back in mid/late 70's
it was christmas time
my dad driving his cortina mk3 we had jsut taken my great grand mother home in north london somewhere
we headed south and crossed Chelsea bridge when the real custom cars were about, i saw things different form then on
my dad still blames that night and the what i now know as a ford pop doing burn outs
superb
it was christmas time
my dad driving his cortina mk3 we had jsut taken my great grand mother home in north london somewhere
we headed south and crossed Chelsea bridge when the real custom cars were about, i saw things different form then on
my dad still blames that night and the what i now know as a ford pop doing burn outs
superb
I think I was into cars as a general thing without one particular one being the thing that got me to like them, but then the one thing I remember very early on affecting me was Tiff Needell spanking the McLaren F1 around Goodwood on Top Gear and then being obsessed with that car from then until now.
I had a Testarossa poster on my wall as a kid which I adored and I remember my late nan buying me a 1:18 model of an 850CSi for my 2nd or 3rd birthday.
Formula One would have helped as well, can vaguely remember watching a few Mansell races and then watching Hill, Prost and Senna in 93 along with all sorts of other motorsports as well.
I had a Testarossa poster on my wall as a kid which I adored and I remember my late nan buying me a 1:18 model of an 850CSi for my 2nd or 3rd birthday.
Formula One would have helped as well, can vaguely remember watching a few Mansell races and then watching Hill, Prost and Senna in 93 along with all sorts of other motorsports as well.
The car that really got my interest up was Geoff Hausers pro mod sierra. I was about 13 or 14 and thought I knew it all about cars. I saw a picture of Geoffs car on the cover of Street Machine in the local newsagents. On the cover under the picture it said something like "0-150 in 8secs". I thought this was BS although the back wheels looked a little odd.. I bought my first issue of Street Machine and discovered that the two door cossie was actually packing an 8.2 litre V8 chevy lump. It was all new to me and I lapped it up! So started my journey down the slippery slope, I've never looked back! 
My mothers first beetle Reg was BGB903K resprayed Kermit Green 1303S with Zoom tube exhaust etc. I grew up in tha car going on camping holidays etc. My uncle had one too. He then got a White Karmann Ghia and we also had a few old campe vans etc.
I remembe watching them setting the timing with a strobe lightband some chalk!, and using "Feelers" to set spark plug gaps. The swapping engines over in jig time. 3 bolts and not much else (well that's how I looked to me when I was under 10yrs of age)
I remembe watching them setting the timing with a strobe lightband some chalk!, and using "Feelers" to set spark plug gaps. The swapping engines over in jig time. 3 bolts and not much else (well that's how I looked to me when I was under 10yrs of age)
I had quads and motorbikes from the age of 4 so petrol has always been in the veins. There's two cars that stand out in my mind looking back. My uncle has an Escort Cosworth in the late 90's, early 00's I would have been about 9/10. My step-dad at that time had an E30 325i. Very different, but both got me excited about being able to own a car one day.
Lamborghini Diablo. I don't really know how, I must have just seen it in a book when I was young. Many posters on the wall followed. I just really like the styling. Don't really like any lambo since it though. 
I've only actually ever seen two which is a bit wierd. I'd love to have a good look at one up close and maybe a drive but actually I'm not bothered about owning one unless I suddenly start crapping money.
On a side note does anyone remember Lamborghini's old website? this was like early 2000's probably. It had some sort of flash animation where you would be sitting in a Diablo and you could rev it and press the horn. Hours of fun
I've only actually ever seen two which is a bit wierd. I'd love to have a good look at one up close and maybe a drive but actually I'm not bothered about owning one unless I suddenly start crapping money.
On a side note does anyone remember Lamborghini's old website? this was like early 2000's probably. It had some sort of flash animation where you would be sitting in a Diablo and you could rev it and press the horn. Hours of fun
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