what year and make was your first car? (friends, accidents, years)

[addakisson]

What year and make was your first car? If you had the opportunity would you want it back now?

[mschrief]

1962 Chevy Nova. Automatic, pull brake, roll down windows. It served a purpose. I learned to drive with this car. I would not want it again.

My first NEW car was a 1972 Pontiac Firebird white with tan leather interior.

Yep, I was spoiled.

[bigdogmom13]

A used 1971 Chevy Vega with a 3 speed manual transmission. I didn't know how to drive a stick shift so a friend drove it home from the used car lot and gave me a couple of lessons. It had a lot of pep - when it was running, which wasn't very often. I got a new Datsun B210 a couple of years later.


I wouldn't want either of them back.


Best car I've owned is my present one; a 1999 Subaru Outback.

[Escort Rider]

Morris Minor


Can't remember the year (1958?) because it was a long time ago and I bought it used in 1963. But my first car was a Morris Minor 1000. It was a British import, which they stopped importing a long time ago.


It was a very simple, minimal car, a gutless wonder, but easy to work on. I bet few of you reading this know what I am talking about.

[BayAreaHillbilly]

A "well loved" 1973 Duster. I got it in '83 or so. I ended up taking it to nearly 200K. Sold it to an au pair. Saw it even years later, still running!

If I had it back and it wasn't trashed by accidents, had some replacements (e.g. engine, trany, etc), and ran well, it could be lots of fun.

Mopar duuuuuuuude!

[HappyDogToday]

1967 metallic mint green Ford Mustang fastback. Green interior, crank windows, stick shift, no air, no power steering or brakes. I could not reach the clutch to drive it.
I think it was my dad's dream car, but mom made him trade it for something I could drive and liked: a green 1969 VW Beetle.
I wouldn't want the Ford back but sure would love to have that bug again!

[2nd trick op]

A 1962 Chrysler Newport which I came by between my sophomore and junior years in college. It had all the quirks of the Chrysler products of the day, including a push-button automatic transition, a horizontally-oriented turn signal lever, and an instrument panel, built around the steering column, that could have accommodated a couple of goldfish. The color was officially referred to as "Desert Beige', but my friends and I christened it the "Pink Pig".

[volosong]

First Navy deployment resulted in my being able to save $1,600. Upon my return, I decided that I wanted to start dating and that my Honda Dream wasn't the best way to do so. Stopped by the local Datsun dealer and test drove a 510. They were supposed to be pretty hot cars in those days.

Right off, I felt that something wasn't "right". When I closed the driver's door, it felt very flimsy. Then as I was driving, it felt like the wheels were going to collapse and fold up under me. I thanked the sales rep and told him I would let him know.

Next day, I went down to the Volkswagen dealer and test drove a two-year old bug. My first thought was, "Boy! This thing is solid." Told the dealer that I had $1,600 and how much was the car, (I was still a 'wet behind the ears' kid, and didn't know the way of the world yet. It's debatable if I do even at this late age).

He said he could give it to me for that, and we went in to write up the paper work. He started writing it as $1,600 . . . plus tax . . . plus license. "Whoa. Wait a minute. I only have $1,600 total. That's all I have to spend."

So he re-wrote the contract so that the total came up to $1,600 total. Based on that first experience between an early Japanese auto and a German auto, I have had German automobiles exclusively since, (except for the latest two purchases, Lexus RX400H, which was replaced by a Toyota RAV4). The solidness of the German engineering sold me for 45 years of driving. I still have a German car, in addition to the RAV. Sold my other German car last week.

The first was the 1970 VW bug.
The most favorite was the 1959 Mercedes Benz 190B.
The most fun was the 1979 VW Westphalia camper van.
The most economical was the 1978 VW Rabbit diesel.
The 'sexiest' was the 1989 Mercedes Benz 300CE coupé.
The most comfortable was the Lexus, obviously.

.

[davebarnes]

67 Rambler American.
I rebuilt the engine and the transmission.
98K miles.
Bought a Gremlin to replace it. Yes, I was/am an idiot.

[jiminnm]

1963 Plymouth Savoy (the cheapest model, with no trim of any kind) purchased in 1966. The only options were an AM radio and the famous Chrysler Torque-Flite push button transmission.