When You Were A Kid !
Discussion
I`m not sure what the average age is of people that post on this topic but i`m sure a fair percentage are like me...into their mature years! and I guess a fair percentage of classic car owners were influenced by the cars that they remember from their youth?
My question is........when you were a kid what was the first car that you travelled in?..and has it influenced the choice of classic you own now?
My Father never owned a car.(he had a Panther motorcycle & sidecar)...the first car I remember travelling in was my Uncles MK 111 Ford Zephyr in the mid-sixties,then a mates Father`s Standard Vanguard Vignale...registered YXE 83,in two-tone coffee & cream.
The car that I remember the most though was my mates Dad`s 1957 Morris Oxford,registered VDU 67 which he owned until the mid-seventies until it failed the MOT on welding....that ended up on the banger tracks.
I can`t say that these cars influenced my choice of classic cars but any car from the 1950`s takes my eye!
I`m interested to hear other peoples stories?!?
My question is........when you were a kid what was the first car that you travelled in?..and has it influenced the choice of classic you own now?
My Father never owned a car.(he had a Panther motorcycle & sidecar)...the first car I remember travelling in was my Uncles MK 111 Ford Zephyr in the mid-sixties,then a mates Father`s Standard Vanguard Vignale...registered YXE 83,in two-tone coffee & cream.
The car that I remember the most though was my mates Dad`s 1957 Morris Oxford,registered VDU 67 which he owned until the mid-seventies until it failed the MOT on welding....that ended up on the banger tracks.
I can`t say that these cars influenced my choice of classic cars but any car from the 1950`s takes my eye!
I`m interested to hear other peoples stories?!?
Well I'm significantly younger than you and these cars are a lot more modern than I imagine there will be in the rest of this thread! However the first car I ever rode in was my dads Sierra Sapphire and he had a succession of Fords beforehand, Mk1 and 2 escorts, Cortinas, Granadas and an XR3i.
Fast forward to now, and I have... a Sierra and a Capri!
It has certainly shaped my interest in cars!
Fast forward to now, and I have... a Sierra and a Capri!
It has certainly shaped my interest in cars!
DougMcC said:
Well I'm significantly younger than you and these cars are a lot more modern than I imagine there will be in the rest of this thread! However the first car I ever rode in was my dads Sierra Sapphire and he had a succession of Fords beforehand, Mk1 and 2 escorts, Cortinas, Granadas and an XR3i.
Fast forward to now, and I have... a Sierra and a Capri!
It has certainly shaped my interest in cars!
My Father-In-Law who is in his 70`s still drives a 1987 2.8i Capri...it hasn`t got a spot of rust on it!Fast forward to now, and I have... a Sierra and a Capri!
It has certainly shaped my interest in cars!
My dad was an art teacher and late to driving. My grandpa was a master butcher into his cars and had built his own caravan after the war. He bought my dad an old Ford e93 a van to pass his test in the early sixties with a moveable rear seat which my two brothers and I would fall backwards off regularly. The old man soon caught on and bought a series 1 Landy 1952 vintage for us boys to run about the fields in. We had a privileged childhood with ponies and pony club girlfriends but I had petrol in my veins which still flows today.
I remember travelling in my dad's car, in the 50s, which I think was a 1930s Vauxhall 12 - something like this http://www.lvvs.org.uk/images/cwe684_may07.jpg. Being a child I had to travel in the back, but also had to stand up to avoid travel sickness, on a long journey I fell asleep standing once.
When my dad sold the Vauxhall, to buy a 1950s (?) Morris Cowley, it was bought by a group of students who intended to drive it across europe.
When my dad sold the Vauxhall, to buy a 1950s (?) Morris Cowley, it was bought by a group of students who intended to drive it across europe.
My Dad had an Austin A30. I remember him explaining the difference between that A30 and A35. To be honest, I never liked that car.
His next car was a Ford Consul Classic reg was three letters then "500" nothing special at the time but no doubt would worth something today. I really liked that car - I can only remember the reg because one had to fold down the rear number plate to access the fuel filler, and although I was too young to fill it up, I used to play with the mechanism.
After that we had an Austin 1800 which I also loved, followed by a Ford Granada, Austin Princess, Ford Granada (when the Princess lunched it's engine, just after getting the auto box repaired, then a series of 200 Series Volvos.
I have Classic (56,67,68) Yanks now - so no relation to my Dad's stuff. Thing is, a bloke at the end of our street had a Mustang....
ETA - thinking about it, that Classic did have a touch of the USA about it...
His next car was a Ford Consul Classic reg was three letters then "500" nothing special at the time but no doubt would worth something today. I really liked that car - I can only remember the reg because one had to fold down the rear number plate to access the fuel filler, and although I was too young to fill it up, I used to play with the mechanism.
After that we had an Austin 1800 which I also loved, followed by a Ford Granada, Austin Princess, Ford Granada (when the Princess lunched it's engine, just after getting the auto box repaired, then a series of 200 Series Volvos.
I have Classic (56,67,68) Yanks now - so no relation to my Dad's stuff. Thing is, a bloke at the end of our street had a Mustang....
ETA - thinking about it, that Classic did have a touch of the USA about it...
Edited by V8forweekends on Wednesday 3rd September 22:30
DarkMatter said:
I remember travelling in my dad's car, in the 50s, which I think was a 1930s Vauxhall 12 - something like this http://www.lvvs.org.uk/images/cwe684_may07.jpg. Being a child I had to travel in the back, but also had to stand up to avoid travel sickness, on a long journey I fell asleep standing once.
When my dad sold the Vauxhall, to buy a 1950s (?) Morris Cowley, it was bought by a group of students who intended to drive it across europe.
Wow! My old chap had a Vauxhall 12. Little red rubber wedges to keep the windows up....When my dad sold the Vauxhall, to buy a 1950s (?) Morris Cowley, it was bought by a group of students who intended to drive it across europe.
Then in about '58 he bought a Triumph Renown. Drove it with 4 adulst and us 2 kids all the way to Italy. Gee, that was an adventure, over the old Gottard Pass with its 72(!) turns with cobbles on every hairpin bend.
After that, it was an A90.
First car I can remember was bright orange Austin 1300GT. Still would quite like one now. An early precursor to the hot hatch. It wasn't a hatch as they weren't common back then. Though as a tweaked version of an 1100 it was an average car boosted. Quick as an MGB which back then was classed as a sports car.
I was brought home from the maternity hospital in Haverfordwest in January 1962 in my dad's Ford Escort although I was only a week old so clearly don't remember the experience.
The first cars he had that I actually remember were Anglias though. He got a new one every year as a company car.
The first cars he had that I actually remember were Anglias though. He got a new one every year as a company car.
Earliest recollection of cars I rode in as a kid. Paternal grandfathers sit-up and beg Ford Pop. Or maternal grandfathers buddies who had a 1950's Austin A40. Ford that had a lasting memory. A Ford Pilot. So smooth, so quiet, so big (or so it seemed at the time). My parents later bought a Hillman Californian, so stylish, cream body with cherry red roof. Probably just 7 or 8 years old when they sold it - rust was starting to take hold of things.............!
First car I was in was my dad's friend's Daimler 2.5 saloon. We visited him where he lived in Birmingham and he drove us back to East London in it.
Must have been around 1970 and I would have been about three years old, still remember it though, an ice blue colour.
Roll on to 1972 and my dad won a small amount on the pools so decided to learn to drive and buy a car so after he passed his test we went to the motor show at Earl's Court and he ordered a Citroen GS on the Citroen stand. Lucky 6 year old me got to sit in an SM.
I also remember the TVR stand being so exotic, little did I know of the mechanicals at that point.
So yeah, childhood memories did influence my love of particular cars.
Must have been around 1970 and I would have been about three years old, still remember it though, an ice blue colour.
Roll on to 1972 and my dad won a small amount on the pools so decided to learn to drive and buy a car so after he passed his test we went to the motor show at Earl's Court and he ordered a Citroen GS on the Citroen stand. Lucky 6 year old me got to sit in an SM.
I also remember the TVR stand being so exotic, little did I know of the mechanicals at that point.
So yeah, childhood memories did influence my love of particular cars.
My mum and I were walking back from school in the dark and rain in about 1966. What I now know to be a P4 Rover pulled up. It was a parent offering us a lift. The seats were leather and it seemed so cosy in the back. It was probably my first inkling that we didn't live as well as some other people.
Whilst I have never had a Rover, I still do like a wafty barge and I still consider owning a car a bit of a luxury.
Whilst I have never had a Rover, I still do like a wafty barge and I still consider owning a car a bit of a luxury.
First car I ever got driven in was an A35 Countryman, but I was too young to remember it. That was replaced by Bedford CA mini-bus of which I have fond memories of family holidays and the like. Then a Farina Morris Oxford, 1800 Landcrab, Marina (which was the first of dad's cars that I drove), Mk5 Cortina, Princess, Montego, Rover 414...
I've owned a 2200 Landcrab, bought dad's Cortina when I needed an old banger for building work (and the parents gave me their Rover when they won the lottery!) but really have no desire to own any of the others in standard trim. An Oxford on MGB running gear appeals tho' and I keep sneaking looks at ad's for CA Dormobiles...
Now, as for the Morris 8 tourer he had before I was born, the A40 Devon, BSAs and Levis...
I've owned a 2200 Landcrab, bought dad's Cortina when I needed an old banger for building work (and the parents gave me their Rover when they won the lottery!) but really have no desire to own any of the others in standard trim. An Oxford on MGB running gear appeals tho' and I keep sneaking looks at ad's for CA Dormobiles...
Now, as for the Morris 8 tourer he had before I was born, the A40 Devon, BSAs and Levis...
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