What was your first car?

[Milkfloat]

Mine was a 1965 Ford Anglia purchased when I was 16 in 1991 with a year to fix it up with my father before learning to drive in it. Unfortunately he died 2 days after my 17th birthday so he never got to see me drive it and we did not get much of a chance to sort it beforehand. Eventually it got fixed (involving too much money) and I drove it for a while. Last I heard (2021) it was still on the road.

1991

2001

 

[Chris S]

A 1973 Austin Mini. It burnt about a pint of oil every month. It was cheaper to just keep topping it up than have the engine rebuilt. Fortunately there were no MOT emissions regulations then.

 

[Pale Rider]

Triumph Herald with a factory sunroof.

Can't remember the year, but it was already a banger.

Reasonably reliable, although I was working weekends in a garage at the time so I could use proper facilities for fettling.

Famously tight steering lock which I was advised to use carefully because Heralds couldmsnap stub axles.

The valve springs were known to be weak - you could remove them by hand.

The fix was a set of smaller diameter springs to sit inside the existing ones.

Worked reasonably well, but they could lead to bent pushrods.

Which is probably why Triumph fitted relatively weak springs in the first place.

 

[Profpointy]

Austin Maestro, absolute POS, though more to do with the condition the seller sold the car and my lack of experience in buying cars. Bought early 90's when my new boss said I needed to pass my test and get a car. Seller switched in a new battery for the test drive so the car seemed fine, but after driving it for a couple of days I find only three pistons are actually firing, it was leaking oil faster than the Valdex, and it would back fire almost every down shift, leaving a massive could in it's wake. Drove it for about 5000 miles before getting a mini.

View attachment 589151

In fairness to the Maestro I had the diesel van version and it was genuinely superb. Had it from new, had one teething problem which made me thing "here we go, BL crapness" which was easily fixed, so I never even bothered with warranty claim, and otherwise near perfect. 50mpg on a run, 90mph top speed, which was also the cruising speed on the (ahem) autobahn, handled well, nice to drive. Admittedly I don't think the A series 1300 petrol would have been much cop

 

[Profpointy]

A 1973 Austin Mini. It burnt about a pint of oil every month. It was cheaper to just keep topping it up than have the engine rebuilt. Fortunately there were no MOT emissions regulations then.

I had a 1.3 metro (same engine) which did that. My record was a gallon of oil on a run from Cheltenham to Dover. I decided to invest in thr AA european recovery after all. Made it to the alps and back. Fun to drive but a rust bucket. I never changed the oil as it changed itself ! Engine blew up eventually ir after a few years of this but I rebuilt it successfully.

Wouldn't mind a 1300 cc mini though

 

[mustang1]

Prompted by my 22 year old daughter who picked up her first car yesterday (photo below) a very lovely Mini Cooper Convertible I was wondering ....what was your first car?

I’ll start off, mine was a 1976 Mini 1100 Clubman which cost £600 when I bought it in 1983. It was Pageant blue with a hand painted (and you could tell!) silver roof. It had blue velour type interior and I fitted a Sharp stereo system with Graphic equaliser and Goodmans rear shelf speakers. I had a few music tapes including Howard Jones, Nik Kershaw, ABC, Spandau Ballet and Human League, I really thought it was the business!

View attachment 589093

Congratulations to your daughter and that is a fantastic colour!

 

[Chris S]

View attachment 589095

Room for at least 4 cadavers in the boot. Top car.

My uncle had one of those and the boot had to be welded for the first MOT!

 

[TheDoctor]

Skoda Estelle 120. Sounded dreadful, bits fell off regularly and had some downright frightening handling traits. Replaced it with a 1000cc Metro. I've also had a Fiat Uno and a roadster styled kitcar

 

[Pale Rider]

I think this thread indicates social change.

Most of us started with bangers, but I get the impression the young 'uns these days rarely do that - not least the OP's daughter.

 

[Mr Celine]

My first car -

1.6 LX. Bought 1981 for £350, scrapped 1984 for £15. Photo taken in 1983. Replaced with another mark 3, though a bit of an upgrade to a 2000E.

 

[Pale Rider]

My mother had four new Cortinas, two mark twos, and two Coke bottles - I learned to drive on one of the latter.

In some respects the mark two was the nicer car.

 

[Donger]

Reliant Regal Supervan 111. I only had a bike licence at the time so couldn't have anyting with an extra wheel. I have quite fond memories of the old heap, the joy of arriving at work on an icy winters morning without being in agony as my fingers thawed out.

With the front seat backrest down there was also room for some sinful activity of a night, this being in the days when a young man with any kind of car was a catch for a young lady.

My brother started with one of those, too. I always chuckled when he came round to our parents' house and had to drive the thing up a 200 yard rough track with grass up the middle. Reliants didn't make great off roaders.

 

[Donger]

My first car -

View attachment 589222
1.6 LX. Bought 1981 for £350, scrapped 1984 for £15. Photo taken in 1983. Replaced with another mark 3, though a bit of an upgrade to a 2000E.

I had a lime green one of those. Thought it was tasteful at the time.

 

[Profpointy]

My mother had four new Cortinas, two mark twos, and two Coke bottles - I learned to drive on one of the latter.

In some respects the mark two was the nicer car.

I agree. The coke bottle was a wallowy barge of a thing. Granted the MKIi wasn't exactly a ferrari, but it was still nicer to drive, if more spartan inside

 

[glasgowcyclist]

I think this thread indicates social change.

Most of us started with bangers, but I get the impression the young 'uns these days rarely do that - not least the OP's daughter.

Back then it was harder to finance a car.

Nowadays people buy not on the ticket price of the car but the monthly repayment.

I was lucky in that I'd £100 in my Post Office Savings Account. When I bought my first motorbike in 1978 (a 1963 BMW R69S), I had to put on my best suit and tie, and go into the bank branch to be interviewed by the bank manager. He only agreed because my mother had been a customer for 20 years and was prepared to act as guarantor. If I paid that on time I wouldn't need a guarantor again. That was for £300!