Dad's car
 

I posted this on another forum a few years ago and it became a pretty interesting thread. Most of the cars that I buy remind me of the cars that my father had when I was a kid. Here is the list.

In his youth:

Ford Anglia (Harry Potter car)
Ford Corsair
Ford Zephere
VW Beetle
Moscovech

In the last 34 years that I have been alive.

Early 70's Toyota Crown (it had a fridge in it!)
1974 Mercedes benz W114 250 - it started the madness
1976 Rover P6 3500
1978 Datsun 120Y
1978 Fiat 132
1985 Toyota Crown
1990 Mitsubishi Galant
1990 Nissan Bluebird ZX Turbo
1990 BMW 316i which he still owns

So what did your dad drive?

I recall a stream of diesel Mercedes-Benz cars, interspersed with a bunch of other stuff, including a 72-passenger Blue Bird.

My dad drives a 1994 Toyota 4x4 P/U, he has owned it since 1996, longest he has owned any vehicle in his life...

Good topic Al...

Up until the 1960's they were all FoMoCo's since his Dad owned a Ford dealership.

Then in 1967 he bought an Olds Toronado...
Saab 99
Alfa Montreal
Datsun 280Z
Audi 5000 turbo
Early 80's Subaru wagon
Saab 9000 turbo
Subaru Legacy wagon
Audi A6 2.7 turbo (His last car, since he just stopped driving)

I've owned six or eight SAAB 99's. Those are good cars.

iirc, his 99 was fairly reliable. It was pea green with those funky sponge-like material seats.

From what I know, he had a Beetle in Germany. In the States, he's had (that I know of) some sort of mid 60's Dodge, An early 70's Galaxy or two. A Buick Electra 225 (the power windows intrigued me), and a late 70's Dodge Colt (maybe early 80's).
I only saw my Dad every few years, as once I was five, I moved back to Germany.

My grandfather in Germany, told me that his first car was a Citroen, that it was slow, and that he wanted to get out and push, to get it going faster. I remember the Ford Taunus's 15m & 17m (aka Badewanne). He then became a Opel fan, Rekord 1700 (Kombi & sedan versions). He ended his Opel affair with a Opel Ascona (I think) 1900. His last car, was a '78 or '79 Audi 80 - which I happen to drive through the Black Forrest, Lichtenstein, and Austria. He always wanted a D, and always used to rave about how well MB's were put together (He was going to get me a job with MB, had I stayed in Germany). He never did get one - however, the first Benz I bought was a D, and I am sure he rode with me a few times.

My Uncle was also a big influence (maybe because he was closer to my Dad's age?). He constantly bought, smashed, repaired and sold cars. I remember him having a Simca, a Renault R4, a Citroen Pallas, a Fiat 250 (V2 engine), a VW Camper/bus and probably a few I forgot. I left Germany in '77, so after that, I would have to list my step father's cars. The only noteworthy one, is the '73 Eldorado, that was better than immaculate.

before I was born

'69 camaro
suzuki samurai
early mustang

The cars I could remember

Big banana yellow Caddy... mid 70's model with a big 500 cubic in engine
AMG eagle wagon
Mitsubishi Eclipse

and his company trucks.. my fav was his black and chromed out Peterbilt


My step dad didnt have a car until he moved to the states and I think his first car was a ford LTD.

His current car.. Chevy Aveo

Ford Model T, Ford Model A, (WWII, Korea), 1955 Ford stationwagon, 1957 Chevy, 1964 Pontiac Catalina Wagon, 1967 Pontiac Catalina Wagon. 1971, deceased.

Mom?

1972 Chevy Wagon. 1974 Datsun 710 Wagon, 1981 Dodge Challenger (IIRC), 1987 Dodge Challenger, 1995 Eagle Talon, 2001 Mercedes C-230, 2008 Chevy Cobalt Sport.

47 Chevy
51 Chevy
54 Chevy
57 Chevy
61 Chevy
66 Chevy
68 Buick
72 Buick
Deceased 1972

My dad worked for various dealers back in Miami. He would by wrecks, fix them and flip them.

6 or 7 (maybe more) VW bugs
SuperBug was given to my sister as a wedding present.
Baracuda (64 or 65) my brother got that one
Some green plymoth 4 door
1970/71 455 HO Trans Am (Blue over Blue with white racing stripe)
Thing
1970/71 280SE
1976 240D (US Spec Euro delivery)
1977 240D (US Spec Euro delivery) That was my car till it was stolen in 1991
500SE (Euro spec gray market) That was a fast ass car.
380SE (Euro spec gray market)
87 190 16V Euro spec gray market) now living with me.
2002 E320 Special Ed.
Mustang Mach I (I think it was yellow over white)
68 (ish) Ford T-bird


I am sure there were more but that is all I can remember right now.

My dad has driven Ford trucks since he started to drive. Had a Mustang at some point, but other than that all F150's.

My Grandfather drove whatever he could get cheap, except in 1986 he bought a 560SL new for some odd reason. Never drove it and sold it a few years later with 4k miles on it to some guy in TX.

That was the most he ever spent on a car. He beleived a good car didn't cost him any money.

My dad's cars have been:

'79 Green 55hp Euro VW golf (loved this car, it was his only car he had while still in Germany aside from his dad's MB's (usually a 280e or se, he got a new one every 2 years as he worked at MB) It was hit side-on by a truck and he survived + the car was still drivable and was repaired.

'84 Beige US Golf Manual (first car he bought when he came to the USA in 84)

'92 Red Dodge caravan 4cyl 4speed manual (bought new after the golf was totaled by a guy in a pickup reading a book while driving @30mph!!! He admitted this!!) I was in Kindergarten and we were waiting to turn when he was bringing me to school in the morning when we got hit. Smashed the truck bad, rear hatch crunched on golf, still driveable (only hatch/glass damaged) but it was totaled.

'99 Caravan V6 Auto bought new to replace ailing old caravan with only 78k on it....leaking its vital fluids (coolant, oil, burned oil...) out of every seam....trashy engine, great chassis. New caravan has lasted longer and has been serving my sister well, but she barely drives it. 93,500 on it so far.

'82 300SD bought in July 2003 to be new daily driver, was eventually sold/passed on to me 6 months later...he then drove the caravan until....he:

'83 300SD bought in August 2004 to be his daily driver, was for 3 years, now he has declared it his warm-season only car and uses a beater in the winter.

'83 300D bought January 2007 to be a spare car/winter beater. It has proven to be extremely reliable and despite the winter driving, little to no rust. (We keep a sharp eye out for any and treat it immediately.)

Thats the tale of my dad's cars. Wshew! :D

Before me:

36 Chevy
50 Mercury convertible, yellow
53 MGTF that he bought new
?? Triumph Spitfire
58 Plymouth
A couple of 60's Fords
71 Ford Maverick Grabber <- last car he bought new

In my lifetime:

early 70's Dodge or Plymouth station wagon
73 Plymouth
75 Chrysler Imperial
73 Chrysler Newport that became my first car
80 Cadillac Fleetwood Brougham
86 Dodge Aries-POS that bounced back and forth between "Mom's" and "Dad's" until they wisely sold it.
85 Chevy Monte Carlo that my grandfather gave to my mother when he stopped driving. Mom didn't fit behind the steering wheel, and I didn't have a license yet, so it became Dad's. Totaled by an uninsured driver.

Current:

89 Cadillac Broughams (2)
91 Cadillac Brougham
00 Mercury Grand Marquis-actually Mom's, but Dad's the only one who ever drives it.

Mom's rides have included 62 and 65 Chevys, a string of Mopar A-bodies, a 79 Grenada, and a box Caprice.

when he was a kid:
1. Model t with a speedster body which he built up.
2. 36 chevy
3. 48 studebaker (the year I was born....he worked in the studie factory at that time along with my maternal grandfather and a maternal uncle).
4. 51 stude v8 with stick and overdrive. He added dual exhausts and found it increased the top speed from 103 t0 108.
5. 53 stude lowey coupe hardtop with v8
6. 57 stude four door, six with automatic
7. 59 stude wagon with six and stick overdrive (this was along about when the eighth child was born)
7a. How could I forget the classic pinanfarina body of the 59 rambler american with flathead six and a stick!
8. 61 dodge lancer wagon 177 automatic
9. 63 dart wagon six stick, 225
10. 66 belvedere two door wagon with 225 six and a stick
11. 71 dodge monaco v8 with automatic
12 76 ? dodge volare six with automatic
13. 78 dodge swinger with six and stick
14 volvo 122 stick overdrive
15 volvo 245 stick overdrive
16 volvo 245 automatic with overdrive

died about three years ago.

He liked the idea of having a car that was different from the crowd. Mom just wanted one like everybody else. Dad had a fine engineering mind but was dyslexic and reading was very difficult for him. He exlpained a lot to me.

I would have to say his emotional favorite probably was the studebaker starlight hardtop. a simply lovely car....one of the greatest visual designs ever. It still looks sleek. It definately is my favorite of his cars.

I never could get him into a benz. He actually bought an 83 or 4 300td once but after he got it home mom told him she hated the color and he took it back!

think she thought it was too highfalutin for them.

Mom just sold her last car a 03 buick.....she loved that (POS) thing!

Tom W