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What was your very first car you leaned to drive in

(148 Posts)
TrendyNannie6 Wed 01-Jan-20 17:49:14

Mine was a ford cortina red mark one column change coach front seat

BradfordLass72 Thu 02-Jan-20 07:04:43

Although I didn't learn to drive properly or pass my test until I was in my 40's, when I was first married I drove many miles in a beloved old LWB Land Rover on the farm my inlaws owned.

It was my husband's pride and joy and I still have a soft spot for them. smile

BlueSapphire Thu 02-Jan-20 07:22:31

Cannot remember the driving school car, but I passed my test in Australia, and the first car I drove on my own was our Mitsubishi Colt, a very popular little car out there.

love0c Thu 02-Jan-20 07:23:52

Ford Capri. I didn't have any lessons as my husband taught me to drive. The day before my test the brakes suddenly started making a right noise. My husband told me to keep the windows shut on my test. The first thing the instructor did when he got in my car was to open the window right down! It was a very hot day! Every time I used the brakes the noise was terrible. I failed. The instructor said I drove too fast!!!!! ha ha, I passed the second time 3 weeks later, after the brakes had been fixed.

sodapop Thu 02-Jan-20 07:42:53

Ford Anglia for me as well. I also had a car with a column change and could never get to grips with it. I caused traffic jams all round town trying to change gear.

NotAGran55 Thu 02-Jan-20 07:43:57

A yellow Ford Consul with column gear change and a leather bench seat ?. I loved it - the car and driving and have continued to love driving . The first car I owned at 17 was a beautiful green Wesley Hornet .

LullyDully Thu 02-Jan-20 08:34:43

I learned in Jamaica in an Austin 1100, which had seen better days. It was a good 15 years old, had no efficient windscreen wipers and windows wouldn't go up or down.

Whilst driving in a rainstorm in Kingston the instructor had to lean across me to wipe the windscreen to clear the condensation.

On my test day the hand break wasn't working so I couldn't do a proper hill start in a slope in the testing yard, so I failed.

One of the test components was to read from the Bible to prove that I was literate. I passed that.

He was a very good instructor and we would take trips down the coast " to have a look at nice things". He even took me to see a cashew nut tree. Fascinating. However I never did pass my test in Jamaica and waited until I got home . Happy memories though.
PS.
My favourite part was the hand signals. To go left, arm out of the window pointing over the roof of the car with conviction. No indicator lights!

TwiceAsNice Thu 02-Jan-20 08:59:39

I can’t remember what he driving instructors car was but my first car was a green Hillman Imp

Resurgam123 Thu 02-Jan-20 09:03:58

A Renault four that had what I can only describe as "deckchair" seats.
Only those old enough will know what I am talking about.
Several other cars in between.
However I now have a good but now rather old Clio with set in satnav, that has done me well. It has been really reliable.

Grannycool52 Thu 02-Jan-20 09:12:13

First car, and the one I learned in, was a 1 year old orange Austin Allegro!! Comfortable but hopeless!! One night I was driving along happily when there was a great scrunching noise and I saw my back wheel sailing past me and up someone's drive?!!!Luckily I was in the A.A.
After that I bought a smashing new little Polo and loved it?.

lovebeigecardigans1955 Thu 02-Jan-20 09:27:15

I learned in a petrol Suzuki Swift which was very much like a Mini and a fabulous little car. Then my instructor asked if I'd prefer lessons in my husband's diesel (shared) Peugeot 106. I thought I'd never get used to gears but did eventually.

Lins1066 Thu 02-Jan-20 09:27:24

I could have written your post NannyJan, the Ford Escort I learned on was bright red. I passed first time, still not sure why as I stalled the car at the first junction after leaving the Test Centre. I was so cross and I thought - right I know I've failed but I'm going to show you that I can drive this thing.
Drove my parents Vauxhall Viva. When I married I drove DH's Mini Clubman. I was 37 when I finally had a car of my own, a VW Polo, had to give up driving about 6 years later and I still miss it.

okimherenow Thu 02-Jan-20 10:37:51

408DXM
1964 blue Ford anglia Estate
Oh I loved that little car
Took me daily back and forward to college in Roehampton.. camping to South France and Italy.. over the gross glockner pass..
Oh we had such times

Mollygo Thu 02-Jan-20 10:41:13

We had a minivan. We lined the sides with polystyrene to make it warmer and kept sleeping bags in the back.

PernillaVanilla Thu 02-Jan-20 10:41:53

Driving school had Fiat 124, my father paid £30 for a mini for me to drive at home, the floor was a bit dodgy and had cardboard in the footwell as it was full of holes.

Froglady Thu 02-Jan-20 10:45:47

It was a black ford, a square box of a thing, like a London taxi with the little arms for indicators. You had to double declutch on it to change down. It was made in April, 1953 and so was a month younger than me.

AllTheLs Thu 02-Jan-20 10:45:52

Ford Escort - can't remember the colour.

henetha Thu 02-Jan-20 10:46:27

I learned in my driving instructors car as we didn't have a car, - we were bikers, - but I then bought a red Reliant Robin and felt so posh!

MadeInYorkshire Thu 02-Jan-20 10:50:54

MYO984X

Super little Ford Fiesta in a Petrel Blue - did me very well and then went on to my brother

ladan Thu 02-Jan-20 10:52:58

I learned to drive in an Austin 1100 and my first car was an Austin A40 that I shared with my sister . If you slammed the door to close it, the window fell down!

seadragon Thu 02-Jan-20 10:53:12

A lease car with my first professional post...after waiting several weeks for a blue one once I had eventually passed my driving test, I was told by the provider I could have any colour I wanted as long as it was red!! Suddenly I realised why all my colleagues had red Vauxhall Astras! First outing, I almost drove it into a ditch full of water. My extremely strong and courageous husband pushed it out with the help of our 11 year old son. Scary stuff!!!

wicklowwinnie Thu 02-Jan-20 10:53:39

A Morris Minor. Black of course, I had to do hand signals on my test. A great car, never broke down and started in all weathers. A very large steering wheel. When I met my husband -to-be he said it was like a steering wheel from a lorry!! He was a nightmare as a passenger as he never believed women could drive"drive properly". If I drove him anywhere I'd often threaten to stop and put him out to walk home!!!
Apart from that he was a lovely man and a good husband.

Tigertooth Thu 02-Jan-20 10:53:46

Nissan Sunny or was it Sonny?
Anyway, I loved it - ooh the freedom!

pen50 Thu 02-Jan-20 11:03:05

Mini Clubman in hideous Harvest Gold followed by a Ford Escort Mk III in a equally hideous honey colour.

Worst thing for me was that none of my early cars had seat height adjustment and so, as I have a very short back, I found it quite difficult to see out without a cushion to sit on. That's why I like 4x4s now; I sit higher within the cabin and can actually see the bonnet. Suspect I'm not alone in this....

Summerstorm Thu 02-Jan-20 11:05:21

Can’t remember driving instructors car other than it was dark green. My first car was a bright red Hillman Imp

crazyH Thu 02-Jan-20 11:10:24

Mini metro - not too ashamed to say, passed after 5 attempts and by then I was in my forties. Best thing I ever did ....the year after I passed, my husband left me and had to do everything by myself, school runs etc.