Hey,
Anyone remember the first time someone trusted them with their car?
I was 17 and my uncle chucked me the keys of a brand new Sierra XR4x4. On a G plate in moonstone blue. Giving my age away there! I assume I was insured as he was a car trader.
Blow me down, a few weeks later and I had to run an errand for the firm I worked for at the time - got chucked the keys for an 89 F plate Fiat Croma Turbo. That, if anything felt faster than the XR. The first time I felt torque steer at the chain bar roundabout. What was funny was that the Fiats rear leccy windows inexplicably started to wind themselves down on the M606.
I had the full, "check me out" thing going when I drove them. Naivly thinking that people cared.
Never forget the thrill of the drive.
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Yes and just to add, that Fiat twin cam engine was a belter. It sounded like no other four cylinder car I have heard since.
Couldnt believe it was "only" 155 bhp. There must've been something going on with that engine.
It caused me to lust after a Lancia Thema for years after.
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Haha, same age as me then! :-)
I remember at the age of about 20 being sent on an errand about 15 miles round trip in my boss's 2 year old G-reg Escort Turbo (in the days when the Turbo was only sold through a few dealers and not listed in the price guides, exclusivity guaranteed!), and spending the whole journey being as gentle as possible with it so as to get it back in one piece...
Including trying out the new-fangled (mechanical!) ABS on one wet downhill section and locking all four wheels, fortunately without incident or accident.
Edited by Webmaster on 21/09/2008 at 13:37
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Couple of years ago. Was 20, had to pop to Wales. Dad said 'Why not take my 5 Series?'
So I did. Now I have my own!
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Week four of my first job as a sales trainee at the Ford dealer, 18 years of age, and sitting bleary eyed in the morning sales meeting. Sales manager says there are some cars to go up to the compound (10 miles away). Grabs some keys from his desk. "Mondeo" - someone sticks their hand up and is thrown the keys. "Fiesta" - someone else. "Sierra" - I get chucked the keys.
Finish my coffee and stroll out to the back car park to be confronted with a Rouse Sport 304R Sapphire Cosworth.
To this day I still remember every detail of that drive. The stupendous acceleration, which made everything I drove for weeks afterwards feel gutless, the ridiculous way it despatched 2nd, 3rd, and even 4th gears. The way in which the engine was smoother and more responsive than standard, as well as significantly more powerful. Looking down at the speedo and seeing a hundred and oh-my-goodness at the bottom of a short slip road that my own 1.6 Sierra would just about touch 60 at. The thought that nothing I'd ever driven (or would drive in the next 10 years) could get even close to it.
I was hopelessly out of my depth skill-wise, but it's a testament to how well sorted the car was that I drove it insanely quickly without any real idea of what I was doing, and didn't crash it, or even have "a moment". With a 0-60 time somewhere in the high 4's, and a top speed on the "throw away the key" side of 160 mph, it's still an incredibly fast car by today's standards. I would love to re-acquaint myself someday.
Edited by Dynamic Dave on 02/09/2008 at 19:49
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Just 18 when my old guvnor chucked me the keys of his Mk 2 Jaguar one lunchtime - it had to be left well away from work because parking was a problem, and it had to be 'safe', of course, even in 1968. (236 TOD are you still alive?). All the other apprentices were snotty about it but he didn't trust anybody else to drive it and it became a regular lunchtime and evening 'chore'.
And yes, one day, many years later, I bought a Mk 2.
I never got to drive the chairman's RR Silver Cloud 3 though - he had a uniformed, silver cap badge RR-trained chauffeur who had to stay with the car at all times. The chauffeur's name, believe it or not, was Jack Spratt. I don't believe he ever had any dietary problems, but he did eventually polish right through that lovely dark blue paint...
Edited by mike hannon on 02/09/2008 at 11:52
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My dad was a motor trader so within a month of passing my test I had driven around twenty different cars. I remember the day after my test we went up to Blackbushe and I drove back in Dad's Rover SD1 2600.
My first drive on a motorway, first time in a big car, never been afraid to drive anything since.
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I was in the forces and had my HGV3 (dual test) when I was 17...
...by 18 I had taken and passed my HGV1.
By 19 and after a bit more hands on training in a working unit (2nd posting) I was loading and driving NATO tank transporters.
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New years Eve, Edinburgh, 1976 about to become 1977. My parent's neighbours were a Mr and Mrs Johnston. They were the parents of a certain Dave Johnston who was then and is now playing guitar for Elton John. Dave and his friend, a certain Ms Kiki Dee were visiting his parents for Hogmanay and a party was held at their house. They had been driven there in one of Elton John's Rolls Royces by one of their entourage, a nice guy who I want to remember was called Matt or something. Anyway, the party was one of those impromptu things and word soon got around the cul-de-sac that there were famous people to stare at. It got busier and busier and the poor Johnstons were rapidly running out of booze. Matt was despatched to go and buy more before the off licence shut.
I had been chatting to him and he whispered to me " have you been drinking? " No" said I. " have you got a driving licence" he mutters. "Sure have" says I, "passed my test last Easter." "Great" says Matt "Because I'm legless and I'm not sure I could drive the car now and the boss's dad wants me to go and fetch more booze"
So, I offered to go and get my car ( Wolseley Hornet ) and take him to the offy. "Don't be daft," says he and chucks me the keys to Elton John's Roller............
Strange but true......
Edited by Humph Backbridge on 02/09/2008 at 20:40
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Impressed ---- I sneaked a drive in my Dad's Princess, interesting, plenty of rear seat room for a spotty youth and friend.
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I was younger than 17......
Dad owned a distribution company until 25 years ago and it had a fleet of wagons and large depot with several acres of concrete yard. By 12 I was driving confidently, changing gears and maneouvering cars all over the place. By 15 I was driving large HGVs and by 17 I was driving articulated units around the site. All legal at the time - not sure it would be now?
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I was about 19 when a friend of my parents - a chauffeur - chucked me the keys of a brand new Vanden Plas 4 Litre "R". And he wouldn't come with me! First time I'd every hit 90mph in a car! (My car then was a 1964 Vauxhall Victor)
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i learnt clutch control in a mates dads mk 1 cortina on private land..honest, circa 1974
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The only keys that were ever tossed to me when I was 17 were to a Suburu L series (the one before the Legacy). Not really a memorable drive as I did not get out of low range 1st gear, as we were towing a farm trailer round my grandfathers meadow gathering hay bales. Still, at least I didn't have to chuck the bales onto the trailer!
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plenty of rear seat
What about the bench front seats for spotty yoofs and friends!
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Lucky you to have been "chucked the keys". When I learned to drive very few ordinary people owned a car, and certainly none of my close relatives owned a car.
Edited by L'escargot on 04/09/2008 at 08:33
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I was 13 and given the chance to drive the brand new tractor my grandfather had just taken delivery of. "Just" because it had the new registration letter and it was my brother's birthday (1st August).
It was big and being a John Deere - green, I could only just reach the brake pedals (one for each wheel), accelerator was much closer.
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I was driving Landrovers , tractors etc off road when I was knee high , around five or six years old I was trusted , however I was brought up in the fifties in the wilds of Northumberland on a farm.
My first experience ' being chucked the keys ' and on road driving was at the age of eight in the 1950's . I drove an old Case tractor and trailer about a mile back to the farm from one of the fields with the regular driver perched behind me.
Of course you weren't chucked the keys in those days, you were chucked the starting handle....
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I was given the keys to a Citroen BX 19 GTI at 18, which was rubbish. Even though it was the first car I'd driven with more than 100hp, I ended up wondering just how much power a car needed to feel genuinely fast. My AX11RE felt quicker than that hideous white monstrosity.
Fortunately I didnt have to wonder too long, as an Alfa 164 3.0V6 presented itself not long after, and my faith was restored.
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I got to drive to drive a Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow once or twice shortly after I passed my driving test when I was 17. Since then it's been downhill all the way! I can't remember driving any other exotic or luxury cars in the intervening 35 years, unless you count a Ford Scorpio!!!!
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I quite liked the BX 19 GTi - seemed to have loads of character, comfort and a distinctive ride - that 130 bhp 1.9 revved well but burnt a bit of oil though.
I thought it reasonably quick but that might have been because of its light flimsy build I suppose.
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Gti was a good car, 16 valve even better.
My dad let me drive his car just the once. After I returned it following a few incident free miles, he looked in the boot and said I wouldn't be using it again as the stuff that he kept in the boot wasn't in its usual position. Gives you an idea of how slowly he drives.
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My Mum chucked the keys of her Allegro at me, I tried to chuck them back but she was having none of it.
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I was 15 when my dad let me drive his 3 Series around the local sports centre car park, we had a quick "moment" when a police car pulled into the car park and then drove back out. That freaked us out enough to end our little driving lesson.
Other than that, possibly the nicest car I've driven was the dealer director's old S Type 3.0, now that was a smooth car. :-)
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