Cars you've owned and loved

Many years ago we had a Ford Capri, now considered iconic. When we had babies DH bought me an MOT failure mini, which he totally rebuilt. When we sold it yhe buyer said he wanted the engine for his garden rotavator. A few weeks later the police rang us asking if we still had it. It was driving around locally untaxed. We saw it shortly afterwards, a different colour but the same reg no. We recognised it because it had a vinyl roof with a patch in one corner.

Orange original vw beetle. Learned to drive in it.

My first car of my own was a new Hillman Imp, the first (and only?) car manufactured in Scotland. It had a few teething problems, but I soon learnt where the solenoid was and that I needed to press it if the car refused to move. But my favourite car of all was my bright blue, 1300 Beetle, the first of the 1300s manufactured. It could go wherever a Landrover could go, over potholes and through rivers, great advantages in East Africa. The engine was easy to understand - I soon learnt how to clear blocked carburettor jets. I've had many cars since then but none has measured up to my blue Beetle.

First car Austin 1100 got it before compulsory seat belts. Unfortunately the suspension went on that an expensive fix back then. A series of bangers after that a few Fords and Vauxhalls.
DH renewed his car and gave me his three year old Toyota Corolla estate I loved it as it was a real family and dog car. I bought a Honda Jazz wasn’t impressed with it only kept it three years.
I have had my Fiat 500X for five years I love the high seats ideal for my joints. It’s great getting me to and from shops park etc just what I need.

We didn’t have a car when I was growing up and I have never had a car of my own. Since learning to drive at 26 always shared with OH. I prefer small cars snd we never buy new cars so our current 9 year old fiesta suits and does the job of getting us from A to B. I don’t love it but do like it.

I’ve been fortunate enough to have some beautiful cars but my favourite was a black Golf GTI.
I was 30 at the time and was driving South to North a lot, it was the perfect car!
I once parked it in a a multi story in Oxford, as I returned to it a group of 3 lads were trying to steal it, I was terrified.
The alarm went thankfully and they ran.

I've had many cars over the years including 3 Rovers, a Renault Espace and a BMW, but the most reliable car I've ever had is the Ford Fiesta I now have. It's 8 years old now, never needs any work done except for new tyres and I have completely changed my original attitude towards Fords.

We both love cars, my favourites over the years would be hot hatches that I had lots of fun with, and were also practical, including a Fiesta XR2 and old Astra GTE (2 litre 16v engine) as loved by joyriders - remember them? Also an MG Midget, Fiat X19 and Mazda MX5 (Mk1). My nostalgia for the Mazda encouraged OH to buy one for summer outings.

This summer we took hubby's lovely Rover 75 diesel to Roverfest, an event which only happens every 5 years. It was a lovely weekend.

www.roverfest.uk/roverfest-2022/

He did own an Alfa 147 for a year but the cambelt went and it had to be scrapped, which was a shame as it was fun to drive.

Three Rovers - 75, 90 and 105 - the 'doctor's car' they were called back in the day.
Hillman Hunter but the big end bearings failed
Saab 99 manual - most comfortable driver's seat ever
Saab 99 auto - the gearbox failed and it never felt right after the repair.
Saab were outrageously expensive expensive for spare parts
Volvo 240 with the armchair seats. Solid and reliable.
Volvo V70 - 3 so far. But now v expensive on road tax. A greedy government! But I'm keeping the present low mileage petrol one - it would be silly to buy a new car at my age.

A lot of us seem to have a soft spot for our ‘proper’ Fiat 500s - me included. The petrol tank was in the bonnet and it had suicide doors!
I love cars and once the DGS arrived my beloved Porsche 928S4 had to go (I actually shed a few tears) replaced by The Grannymobile - Jaguar XF, which to be fair is a lovely car.

I did cry when my Mummy's car was sold even though I inherited DH's Volvo.

midgey

Oh my Fiat 500! I loved that little car, moving house with the broom handle sticking out of the roof….. The new ones are just not the same thing at all.

First cafe was a K reg Fiat 500. First love never dies. Oh the independence.

My favourite car ever was a Nissan Micra Colette. It was black at the top and silver grey at at the bottom with a Go Faster pink stripe around the middle.

It was the only new car I ever bought and cost £8000 so you can tell how long ago that was.

I almost cried when it had to be scrapped some years later.

Lovely little white Morris Marina.I bought this one myself after my father's hand me down brown Fiat Miafiori gave me a bit too much trouble cost wise.Lovely inside,Italian brown leather but sold it on and thought love this Marina bit of customisation..wheel covers and some spraypaint.Bought the wheel covers Putney ,but got stopped by a dodgy bloke in his 60's who said breathing down my ear,"you don't want those sonny I can get you some really nice wheels".So I walked away sharpish fitted the Halford wheel covers ,sprayed them but low and behold the car started overheating. Nice gent came along drove it around got his cash out and said lovely car but the heater was on full blast.I really needed to learn a bit more about cars.

I had a black 2.8 litre Ford Capri. As it only had two doors I had to sell it when my first child was born. Great to drive once I got used to parking with the long bonnet. Would love to own another one.

I’ve never been a very confident driver but I had a little red Ford Fiesta and it gave me such confidence. I loved that car.

Had a couple. My favourite, ever, was just a Ford Fiesta. But it had a sporty engine and went like a rocket. I raced up and down the A1 from North to South and back again, repeatedly a few years ago. Speeding all the way. Never got a speeding ticket. It was like the tardis. Held a load of stuff. Almost a house full when I moved, including a sofa. I was so sad when it rusted and had to be scrapped.

The other one I liked although nowhere near as much was a Jeep Cherokee. Got it because we had labradors, and no one wants a wet lab on their lap in the car. Huge backseat. DD used to sleep on it when she was young and we were doing long journeys.

I miss that Fiesta. Lovely car!

Old mini, Renault 5 which I loved, Toyota Yaris, Mazda mx5 nC and Nd. You can see where this is going!

Two elderly SAABs. One had a two stroke engine. I put one can of oil into the fuel tank to every 4 gallons of petrol. It used to cause consternation in petrol stations.

The other had a normal engine but a battery terminal that kept coming loose and I would leap out at traffic lights ,open the bonnet, shove it back on and get back into the car and move off as the lights went green.

Since then I have had a series of sports cars, Triumph GT 7, Fiat X1/9, just about the worst car I have ever owned, road holding was dreadful and the headlights were so low on a wet day you had to stop every 10 minutes to clean them because they would be covered with mud and a Volvo 1800, but the red paint faded badly.

I currently own a bright blue Toyota Yaris. I have had it 14 years and it has never needed a major repair or broken down. It is nearly 18 years old and I will happily drive it for another 14 years by which time we will probably both have reached the end of our useful lives.

midgey

Oh my Fiat 500! I loved that little car, moving house with the broom handle sticking out of the roof….. The new ones are just not the same thing at all.

midgey I just love my new Fiat 500 first car I have ever bought on my own !!
Its Coral with all white/coral interior I am so pleased with it,its the biggest purchase I have made since I lost my beloved OH 2 yrs ago I am sure he would object to driving it and the colour but I love it

Morris 1000 Traveller. Travelled all round Europe in it. Chugged up all the mountain passes. Never let us down. People used to point to it saying ‘Baum’? Still got his number plate. Learned to drive in it. Only when I then drove other cars that I realised the brakes in the Moggie were virtually non existent.

I'd forgotten my first car, an Anglia. I was so pleased when it featured in the Harry Potter film. Those were the days when you could find the dipstick easily!

I only passed my test in my 40s (after 5 attempts)?

Mini metro, CitroenZX, Honda Jazz (had that for 11 years, absolutely loved it) and now, Kia Rio (all second hand)

My red 2CV when I was a District Nurse happy days..

I didn’t get a car of my own until my DH was given a company car. It was a special edition Golf with no markings. I used to laugh as I could outstrip any young upstart on the motorways in Holland. Our neighbours son had it when we left as he had always coveted it.