Remember the car you learned to drive in?

[philsmerc]

Passed test in a driving school's Triumph Herald in 1968 (4 lessons, including hour before the test).

First car was an old minivan (with side window conversion!).

 

[toolman1954]

In 1974 I smashed myself up into the side of a car on my bike and then a couple of months later I went and bought a 1965 Reliant 3 wheel van. 10 minutes instruction from my mate and there I was driving home on my own. Some 12 months later, I had 5 proper driving lessons to get rid of the bad habits and passed test first time. Then straight into my 1961 Vauxhall Victor that I had bought the week before from the local auctions, ( confident I was going to pass ) £37.50 with 12 months MOT.... 3 speed column change and bench seats.

Steve

 

[John]

I also had an Isetta

My dad had one of those although I am not sure if he did the driving test in it. Used to talk about filling it with 101RON fuel which seemed to make it go a lot faster...

 

[John]

Nice!

 

[219]

Funny how one thought leads to another idea. On another thread the question came up of "did the cars your grew up around influence your own car purchases in life?" and I thought about the car I spent most driving in prior to leaving home.

For me I had the dubious pleasure of learning in my mum's white Renault 12 TL with black interior, circa early 70s.

For those that have never seen one, you're not missing much! It has that rare quality of looking almost symmetrical from the side, such that it takes a sec to work out where the front is

Renault 12 TL | Renault Classic Car Club Forum

I learned , and passed my test , in my dad's W115 220/8 NSX126J , not long after which the car became mine when my dad replaced it with a Maple Yellow W123 250 .







Alas , that car met its demise when a drunk driver came around a bend , trying to overtake an artic , leaving me nowhere to go . Thankfully , the Merc did its job and I stepped out unhurt , while the allegedly stolen Capri folded up like a pack of cards and left its driver with three broken limbs , broken ribs and a long stay in hospital , from where he absconded .





Despite being left to claim off my own insurance ( the other driver was unlicensed , uninsured , drunk , and was alleged to have stolen what turned out to be his stepfather's car ) the upshot was that I ended up with a very nice W114 280E , limited edition 5 speed manual , which I ended up keeping for 11 years and took twice round the clock .





I also by that time had my Ponton




and my Audi 100GL , so was well into multi car ownership
( my sister pictured , not me ! )



Oh , and as for cars of ones childhood influencing later purchases , this was one of the significant cars I grew up with - yours truly in the passenger seat



Which definitely influenced me buying this many years later



and this

 

[brucemillar]

Hillman Imp Sport on Brassie Beach in Ayrshire Scotland.

 

[Dickie Fix]

Austin 1100. Also the first car I had a crash in.

 

[219]

I also remember that when I started driving , my dad added me to his insurance at a cost of ......... nothing !!!

When I took out my own insurance , after he gave me the car a little over a year later , I was 18 at the time , the cost to me , with introductory discount , was £56 .When I bought the Ponton 3 or 4 years later , that one cost me £10:50 on a classic policy , with mileage limited to 3000 .

Changed days .



I also remember a tank of petrol was about a tenner

 

[Jonesy161]

Started in a 1953 split screen Morris minor, 803cc engine, then finished off in a 1964 mk1 cortina.

 

[Neiltodd]

I passed my test in a yellow 1977 Triumph Dolomite.

The same for me

 

[Wheelsnuts]

Nice!

That's even the same colour as my old Isetta! I used to refer to my commute as going to work in an egg. Hard to believe but it was possible to fit 3 people on the bench seat and still drive safely. I fitted an air horn to mine. Young and irresponsible in those days: now I am just old but still irresponsible.