Your first car.....

Well, when I first got my license, I drove the family's fleet of rust-covered junkers:

• my dad's car, a 71 Torino originally handed down from his dad;
• my mom's car, a 68 Buick LeSabre, which by the time I started driving in 1974 was just barely hanging on;
• the family battle wagon, the primal SUV, a 71 International Harvester Travelall. God damn, was that thing like driving an ocean liner on city streets. It plowed through snow like a freaking tank. I remember a big snowstorm in early 78, about 20 inches, the county was behind on street plowing, so my dad and I spent most of a day using chains and tow straps to just drag people up the street a half mile behind the behemoth International chugging its way through the snow. After we dragged about 20 cars out, we had carved out enough of a wagon trail people could get in and out. The county finally plowed the street about four days later.

 

First car war a 73 Datsun 510 sedan bought for $375. Totalled it in a minor accident.

Second was a Chevy Chevette. I'm 6'5" so didn't have much room but a fun car to drive but not be seen in. Thing was indestructible, did boulevard driving constantly.

3rd and most favorite car I've ever had was another Datsun 510. Had the tomato can muffler and little racing steering wheel. Absolute blast to drive. Rear ended a Volvo picking up Chinese food.

Pontiac Acadian, Dodge Aspen (the seduction sedan), Dodge Shadow, Ford Thunderbird and then a 98 Pontiac Grand Prix GT bought right after 9-11. Fantastic car.

Currently driving an 08 Chrysler Town and Country minivan with 200K on it. Was 50 K new, with every option. Piece of shit now though. AC doesn't work, power seat frozen, power slide doors don't work, door handle pulled off. Chrysler will never get another dollar from me.

Going to drive it until it dies and leave it on the side of the road. Next vehicle for my wife may be a new Volvo that we wil do the European delivery and drive around for 2 weeks first.

 

1965 Ford Fairlane. Aqua. Not teal, not blue, not green. Aqua.

 

My dad is a Honda man. My first car was a white 1981 Honda Civic. My dad wanted me to have something that would get me to school and back, but not good enough that I would be elected most sober to drive my and my friends' "drunk asses around town." Once, my friends picked it up and placed it on a traffic island in the school parking lot, which was embarrassing enough, but even more so after I couldn't get it off the curb without them helping me put it back in the lot. Mom called it a "terrorist car," because it looked like something that someone would use to blow up a building in Beirut. My sister, who is four-years younger than I, got an 86 Prelude in immaculate condition (something I still bring up at Thanksgiving, but we were in better shape financially by then. And with daughters of my own, I now completely understand). Since, I've had a mix of Civics and Accords -- and even an Odyssey. Some 25 years later, I'm back in a 2015 Civic. It's not the most comfortable car for my aging bones, but a far cry from the golf ball-looking Civic I once had. My next car will likely be a CRV.

 

First car I drove: a 1994 Buick Century

First car I drove legally: my great-aunt's 1984 Chrysler New Yorker (which, after it set itself on fire in our driveway, was turned into a demolition derby vehicle)

First vehicle I drove regularly: a 1994 Chevy Silverado. Extended cab. Teal green.

First car that actually had my name on the title: a 2007 Chevy HHR.

 

A 1981 Ford Escort, four-speed stick. Hand-me-down.

It was a terrible car. But at 16? Best. Thing. Ever.

 

I knew they sold an HHR, but I wasn't sure who bought it.

 

1985 Chevy Impala, very similar to the one pictured above.
It was a fleet car at my college and I bought it after graduating in 1991. Had it for about three years.
Had to replace the transmission, and once had a dog bite through the sidewall of a front tire, but an otherwise good car. The 4.3L V6 engine let it get down the road pretty quickly.

 

Somewhat off topic but anyone else have parents like this:

My parents, children from the 30's of very minimal means, worked very hard and the gold standard in their eyes was a Cadillac; so in the 1981 they could afford their first one, which was a huge Coupe De Ville (which I drove to prom). That was sweet, what a smooth ride, power windows, power everything.

Then they went:'

Eldorado (1989) I took it in when my mom gave it up, it was sweet, nearly new (Mom is only 100 lbs so seat was hardly worn) but unfortunately got totalled when someone cut in front of me making a left turn
Eldorado (1999)
ATS (2012 or 20110

They refuse to buy any other luxury car so that's it. I don't begrudge them their choice, they earned it.

 

A red 1997 Trans Am.

Yes, we did have Travis Tritt albums in our house, why do you ask?

 

Loved Travis Tritt.