When I was a spotty youth in the mid 70's, I fell seriously, seriously in love with a particular type of car and still admire its looks and styling all these years later.
The car ? A Vauxhall Royale Coupe - sleek looking yet pratical (just like my wife!).
MY question to the BackRoom - What car did you first fall in love with, did you ever get to own one and did it live up to your expectations ?
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Firrst love as a boy, went to bed with dinky model of:-
Chevrolet impala, loved the wide wide rear lights. Never drove one
Second love, bedside drawer full of brochures:- Lancia Fulvia never drove one
Third desire as a teen, "the car you always promised yourself"
Ford Capri, owned 4 including rs3100, Lived up to expectations?
If you remember the full 3 minute ford add, then YES!
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My first love a Porsche 911 Turbo with the big whale tail spoiler, no I didn't and so can only dream! They still turn my head whenever I see one.
Steve.
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The car I first used to lust after was the original Audi quattro. Partly because it was destroying all-comers in the rallying world, partly because I fancied the idea of taking to the road in one, lying in wait for a passing XR3, and then wiping the floor with them. Sad and juvenile.
Finally got to drive one in late 2002. A 1990 G-reg with white satin paintwork and a black interior, Looked after by Audi, so in mint condition. The interior looked terribly dated and what we would once have described as German build quality simply felt tinny; that's what age does to a car.
But the performance...220bhp is still 220bhp and the car felt (and sounded) like a real performance car. Not quite as stable as the latest models but still an awesome performer in its own way.
What got me was the price. You'd think that kind of performance would have been incredibly cheap by moden standards. It wasn't - dealers trousered £33k every time they sold one of these!
Still lust after a blast in either a Lamborghini Miura SV or a Ferrari Daytona. Suspect they'd be a pair of trucks by modern standards.
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1: Alfa Romeo Montreal - loved those eyebrows
2: Ferrari Dino - Too much of atching the Persuaders
3: Mercedes 450SEL 6.9 - Got to drive one when I was 9 (sitting on the owners lap (in a field). Upgraded desire to a 6.9 after seeing Ronin
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My dad's Triumph 2000 Mk1. I was about seven years old, and can remember riding around in this car (in the front passenger seat, naturally) feeling incredibly proud because we had a car with a six cylinder engine, and all my friends' dads had Cortinas, Marinas etc which only had four cylinders. (Although the people across the road had a purple Cortina 2000 GXL which I thought was pretty cool.) You have to bear in mind that my dad's previous two cars were a Ford Anglia and a Bedford Beagle Dormobile, so the Triumph really was something special compared to what we had before. I can even remember the registration - WMF 871G. That's love.
Then he traded it in for a Datsun Sunny estate. I almost wept....
Richard Hall
bangernomics.tripod.com
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First Love cars,
My dad always had Ford Cortina MK3's as a kid I remember a dark blue 1600L with vinyl seats, black that got really hot in summer. We did some serious mileage in that as kids, usually in the back asking if we were there yet. One of Ford's best.
My real first love started when our great-uncle once had to pick me and my brother up from primary school and that's when it started. He had this bullet shaped car with a swept roof and a very pointed bonnet. It looked as sleek as that new Concorde plane that everyone was talked about at the time so it grabbed my eye as a discerning six year old. When he started it the car rumbled with menace and the seats weren't vinyl either but smelt like new shoes so they must have been leather. I noticed the enormous steering wheel with a huge number on it. It was like being a passenger in a train, supremely comfortable, both of us pinned back in these two armchair seats in the back. Feet just about dangling over the edge. Of course, I didn't know at the time but it was a Rover P6 3500S.
When I got hold of mine, I took it round to my great-uncle now very much retired from motoring and took him out for a spin instead, twenty-five years later.
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If we are in to "dads cars" then the best two he had was:
MG Magnette Varitone. (the one like the wolsey) Leather seats, real walnut dash, wire wheels, twin SU's.
Citroen D super 5. Metalic green. Auto K reg, one of the last D's
with the swiveling headlights. Super nick, No rust.
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Oooh .. we had the Cortina estate!
We thought it was ace as everyone wanted our car to transport furniture, volleyball nets, posts, several hundred kids etc ...
rojer@lycos.co.uk
Astra, Renault 18, Renault 25 TXi, Astra Est, Passat Est, Mercedes 190E, Mercedes
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Pontiac Trans-am Firebird (decal and all). Circa '73-74. Outrageous car.
Would love to turn up at the golf club (or anywhere else) in one of these.
It is still possible - I'll search the web when I log off!
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1966 Mustang V-8 convertible, Candyapple Red, Parchment Pony Interior, narrow band whitewalls, always was, still is, and what's best I owned one for 11 years.
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First love - Monteverdi Hai 450 (in Top Trumps)
First Car - apart from borrowing a Mk3 Land Rover, was a Volvo 340 (1.4). Great car, rear wheel drive, tail happy (maybe just youthful over exuberance), built like a tank and no fun to drive long distances!!
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I so lusted after the E-Type from 1963 when as a spotty fifteen year old I bought a model of one of the early ones.
In 1973 I fulfilled my ambition and bought a well second-hand 1965 dark blue roadster.
It was a total crock of poo.
Taught me a lesson.
Rob
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De Tomasu Mangusta.
Had a model of one, thinking back I don't remember where it came from, don't think I bought it, it just sort of arrived one day.
Never even seen one in the flesh but when I make my first million...
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As a spotty adolescent, I was rather smitten by the extremely attractive blonde 17-year-old from along the road who kept her pony in our stable. Unfortunately, she also had a sophisticated and wealthy boyfriend with a Lotus Elan S2. Clearly being the car to attract the local talent as well as supremely sporting (Jim Clark had one too), it stuck with me until I got an S1 (originally unofficially Lotus-built rather than a kit) about 15 years later. It was everything I had imagined and probably the best balanced road car I've every driven. Sadly, it was changed when a pregnant wife no longer fitted behind the replacement smaller steering wheel. S1 prices then went through the roof, and the 'family' Plus 2 that followed never felt the same.
As for the blonde, she ended up somewhat raddled and the boyfriend in prison!
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Like Glowplug, my first love was the original 3.0 litre Porsche 911 turbo, which turned in to lust when the 3.3 litre was released. Should I ever have the cash, and be able to find a minter, I would still want to buy one.
However, my 'real' first love, I guess because it was my first car, was a Mitsubishi Colt GLX 1410 that I owned when living in Kuwait in the early Eighties. I had a lot of fun in that car, including using desert tracks to safely learn the art of controlling a four wheel drift in a front wheel drive car.
On return to the UK, my next love became an addiction, in the guise of an MG Metro that I owned from new for over eight years, and which got progressively modified along the way. Quite a Q car by the time I was finished, as outwardly the only giveaway of the many suspension, brake, and engine mods was the custom made SS Exhausts tailpipe.
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Sorry guys, but it was a 560 SEL in the Mercedes museum in Germany when I was 14. I remember being impressed by the engineering involved although I remember nothing of the specifics.
Little did I know that an S-Class was the most expensive Mercedes series going! Still .. 19 years later, one month ago that is, I got one.
'No', not brand new!
Akways fancied the 911 though. A very different car I know ...
rojer@lycos.co.uk
Astra, Renault 18, Renault 25 TXi, Astra Est, Passat Est, Mercedes 190E, Mercedes
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lambo countach 5000 qv 1988, black, big huge spoiler, loved it then, love it now.
oh for that large lottery win!!!!!!!
Drink Lager Talk Piffle
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The Ford GT40 was what really turned my head when it first appeared in the sixties. I still reckon it is the best looking car ever built, in fact if it came out today it would not look in the least bit dated.
Sadly, the nearest I ever got to owning one were a couple of model kits, one a slot car which would not go round corners because the guide was set too far back. Looked great, though.
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The original Mini Cooper S, the only car I still dream of owning! The MK 2 Jag also made a big impression on me - I had a lift in one once when all we had was a Honda 50! All those lovely Smiths dials!
Baz
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Triumph TR7. In mitigation, I was born in '73 and a model of one was bought for me when they came out a few years later!!
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Mum & Dad's Rover P5B - travelled many miles - family holidays here and abroad with the old Cheltenham Caravan on the back in the 80's. What fantastic memories ...... Car still sits in Dad's garage in Bedford so can still sample that evocative smell of those leather seats whenever I feel like it! Funny how those little scratches, sticker marks etc. in my 'place' still seem so fresh!
Ah well - let's not get nostalgic - I love my new Mondeo ....!
Yoby
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The DeLorean from Back to the Future left an impact as well as 'Kitt' from Knight RIder. I happened to see an exact replica in Christchurch the other day - right down to the red strip - it looks so dated.
My dad had a string of Carltons in the late eighties and I always wanted one without the blanked out switches - the highest we got was the CDX which was missing the air con ones. Once I matured a bit that turned into a Lotus Carlton, and now is on the Holden Monaro. I have no idea why. Of my first cars only the 3 cyl Daihatsu Charade has left an impression due to its unburstablility.
Paul C
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Alfa Romeo Guilietta Sprint GT - about 1966-67. Always had a thing about Alfas since I was very young when my Dad told me that during WWII in Italy he and a mate had "liberated" an Alfa which had been reputed to belong to Mussolini (a P2 I think). When they were posted elsewhere they hid it in the film studios (Cinecitta, which I think was used as an upmarket POW prison at the time) intending to liberate it again later. They never did of course but in the '60s he mused as to what had happened to it. I don't know if you remember but about 10 years ago and Alfa was found at Cinecitta buried among loads of old props and auctioned for several million pounds as "Mussolini's Alfa"- nobody knew how it had got there. My Dad wrote to the auctioneers and asked if he could have his car back but never got a reply!!
Anyway, back to the topic - I'd also mention the MG TF and the Cit DS as "first loves - the Cit especially was so far ahead of it's time that even in the late '60s, compared to Dad's Riley 4/68 and Austin Cambridge it was like a car from the future.
Bloke down the road had the MG Magnette mentioned by RF above and I always lusted after that too - sort of green and grey two-tone- lovely!
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I always aspired to a Triumph Dolomite. No idea why, just loved the look of them.
Nearly got one years ago - but couldn't drive at the time so it was pretty senseless. Now, well I doubt my lustings will ever be satisfied ;)
HF
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I always wanted a Porsche 959 more than anything. Second position was a Lotus Carlton. I also fancy an RS200 road car.
my actual first car was a Beige D-reg metro 1.0L...
CavV6 and cavWeb fan.
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E-type coupe, the first one with 3 wipers before they hacked it into a 2+2.
Dad was running a Jag Mk 2 3.8 at the time. A salesman turned up at home with this gorgeous beast, gave Dad the keys and we set off for a test drive. As a lanky 15 year old, I was perched in the carpeted luggage area at the back with my knees by my ears.
It sounded wonderful and the Dunlops squealed a treat!
Never owned one, made do with a 3.4 S-type auto. MAL 400E, where are you now?
H.
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First love, as a 7 year-old, was an Aunt's Mk I Ford Consul. Front bench seat, column change, so I could ride up front between 2 grown-ups, I thought it marvellous.
Then when I was 18 a friend wanted to take his parents out so he asked if he could borrow my Ford 100E Pop - the closest I could get to Aunty's Consul. I agreed if I could use his XK120 for the night, which he let me do! I'd not long past my test and it scared the carp out of me at first, but it was fun.
Then another family friend who was a director at AC cars offered me an ex-demo Cobra for next to nothing if I could get insurance. Of course I couldn't so I never did get to drive one (but at least I'm still alive).
In more mature years I lusted after a Citoren XM for its comfort and towing ability - I did get to own 2 and both were superb.
How we change over the years!
Terry
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The Citroen DS. A friend of my father's had one and I thought it was wonderful. I would still have one if I could justify a car I only drove on high days and holidays.
In my 20s I coveted the Opel Manta (the last one). Then I borrowed one for a while and realised it was carp.
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Just gotta be Jensen FF.
Motor's road test up near Thurso clinched it for me. Mega car, going long distances to strange places.
I'll never forget that quote from the article "1,475,678 midges killed during the test. 1,475,677 on the front windscreen, and 1 on the rear during rapid reversing"
Sorry, it amused me anyway.
Although I must admit the Citroen DS Decapotable has a special place.
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74N Rover P6B 3500S V8. Parents kept it for 12 years then traded it for a Montego :( Great car, great sound, great power - my 2ltr Cav has near identical performance times on paper but it never throws me back in the seat like the old Rover did.
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My first love was Fiat Abarth 750 tc ZAGGATTO - just out of my price range at the time of £650.00!! had to go for a Fiat Abarth 750 saloon instead.
SECOND WAS A HAIRY STER PUCH 660 (Fiat 500 body)only 34/36 imported to uk - 3 I know of went to Austrialia.
was a flat twin a/c - bit like a BMW - liquid cooled valves 60+bhp - 90 mph + - complete with occasional rear wheel steering !! (could spin the car with out hitting the kerb's) Won a few PC trials with this car
K2
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205 GTi 1.9
I managed to buy one when i was 20. The insurance was ridiculous (this is 1993 when Hot Hatches were just about uninsurable).
It was one of the last built without a CAT and had PAS and the very rare ABS system. Look great in Miami Blue , why did i sell it ???? still the best car i have driven.
I 've moved on to Alfa's now. The 155 really started it. Those DTM 155's just looked awesome and the British ones dominated the BTCC. The road going versions are real Q cars and still look great today.
As for classic's its the usual Ferrari's,Jaguars but number one would be a Healey 3000 Mk3 Ph2 (in red).
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Steve G
In 1971 a bloke who collected Austin Healeys offered me one for £200 - hood was a bit tatty, otherwise it went and sounded great. I'd just started work on the princely salary of £72 a month and couldn't afford it..........it still makes me cry!!!!
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Jaguar XJ12 Mk1 followed by the Mk2. Its what kept me working in school to get a job to be able to buy one. Saw the light though and went German. Perhaps they are better made these days - might swap the 530 foran S series...
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