So we've done first and worst cars what about the best you have owned For me the family car BMW 5 series 2.0d Excellent running costs, comfort, space, build quality worth the little bit extra
Got to be 'Derek': a 1972 Hillman Hunter purchased at an Auckland auction.
Its major selling point was that it caught fire when you started it up. Only cost 400 dollars though.
A month later I rolled it into a ditch.
The farmer who lived next to the ditch helped us fix it up
The thing lived on with a max speed of 40mph and no lights (only a problem when we got the night ferry to the South island).
Another month later it died in a National Park where we left it to walk over the mountains
The local police searched for us a). to check we were OK b). To tell us that you can't abandon a car in a National Park
The fire service towed the car out of the National Park to use it as rescue practice
My 03 Seat Cordoba, 1.4 petrol, very nice to drive, looks nice and reliable. It's only my 3rd car and the 1st one I bought myself, but she;s gonna do me a while yet.
I agree about the Hillman Imp it was far better than the Mini, but the best was my Lancia Fulvia 1.3, I bought it from a posh garage up near Westminster hospital. Why the best it just sat down on the road and powered through anything, a joy to drive,my next car was a TR6 and it couldn't hold a candle up to the Lancia.
Easy one this, My Series 3 ex-Military Lightweight Land Rover, bought is as a wreck nearly 3 years ago (it had sat outside for 3 years), full restoration and took it to Normandy last year.
for pure mental ness it has to be my fiat UNO turbo ie, damn thing spent most of the time being fixed (fiat = Fix It Again Tomorrow) but it was 180bhp of pure mentalness weighing less than a cinquichento/match box!!
out and out fave tho was my H reg 1.9 gti Peugeot 205, what a sweet motor that was, bought it bog standard and gave it to a tuner to make it fast, high lift cams chip, full exhaust and manifold, filter fse power boost valve man what a car, 170 bhp but lovely to drive. lovely car.
then my mini Cooper s, bought it brand spanking new 20 grands worth, beautiful car.
now have 2 vee dubs, golf tdi 05 and hilllsys ups passat 1.8T, bit really nice motors, 1.8T thirsty bitch tho ;-)
For looks it was my Alfa Romeo 159. Stunning car and the interior was superb. Reliable but the1.9 turbo diesel was rather sluggish.
For speed it was my Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 8. Ridiculously fast and I absolutely loved that car. My neighbours hated it though as it was a little noisy!
Now have a nice sensible 08 Mondeo TDCI for family purposes and wifeys 07 Civic Type R for fun times (it handles like a go kart - magnificent fun)
Recently stolen M3 Convertible was right up there.....Ive had so many cars over the years but all the most memorable ones were BMW's...the Z4 3litre in Oz was great....the second BMW I owned a 95 3litre V8 530 in black was lovely I bought her when she was 9 months old.All the BMW's have driven beautifully...I had a 520 then the 530, then a 528, then a 330 petrol, a 330 diesel the Z4 then a 323 then a M3 and then a 525...also loaned a 120d and a 320 d for long periods and had use of a lovely 735 for a while. Had a friend who was the principal at a BMW dealership so Ive driven just about all of the marques, one of the loan favs was a X5 4.8litre!!! but also drove the 3 litre petrol and the diesel, also both the 2.5 and 3 litre X3's. Ultimate car for me would now be an M5...previous dream was achieved when we had the M3...now just a memory (and as Im told....a sad screen saver).
Got to be my Lancia Delta Integrale 16v. Bought from dodgy (didn't know they were dodgy) garage in Wimbledon which ended up in an unexpected visit from the boys in blue. Aside from that, it had absolutely blistering performance and looked the dogs doobries. Had to let it go but have always said I'd get another when the opportunity presented itself again.
Now on my 28th car: Fiat Panda 1.1 Team (2004 - new shape) 90,000km, 60mpg, on second set of tyes, starts first time, cost €7,000 new. Who needs air con, brake assist, electric windows, elec mirrors? etc. Keep 'em simple I say. From my 28, second best Citroen 2CV then Citroen Dyane, the VW Beetle 1303. Flashiest : Ford Granada Coupe.Worst? Mini with holes in the floor or Peugeot 504 estate with 'demountable' gear lever!!!
astra twintop exclusive black. treated myself to my first and only new car (£21k) when i seperated with ex-wife after she left me after 18 years for another blike. should have seen her face when i turned up in it to collect the kids with the roof down. cheeky cow asked if she could have a go in it! had to sell it after a year due to being skint and getting realisted. also new girlfriend refused to drive it as she was scared of damaging it lol. to say it was a fa**y magnet was an understatement. at 35 i needed all the help i could get.
Another difficult choice but it's got to be a TVR Tuscan S. With a 0-100-0 time of 12.5 secs - it did the 0-100mph bit in just over 8 secs - you just needed to be sure there was a spare pair of underpants somewhere in the car. Second and this may be with the rose-tinted's on: a Lancia Beta Coupe but that came second in the worst car list too!
Mine was my 1990 4.0ltr straight 6 cylinder Jaguar Sovereign
Complete beast and, as any Jag owner will tell you, a huge money pit. But it was a classic british racing green full leather interior and smooth as silk.
Comments
Its major selling point was that it caught fire when you started it up. Only cost 400 dollars though.
A month later I rolled it into a ditch.
The farmer who lived next to the ditch helped us fix it up
The thing lived on with a max speed of 40mph and no lights (only a problem when we got the night ferry to the South island).
Another month later it died in a National Park where we left it to walk over the mountains
The local police searched for us a). to check we were OK b). To tell us that you can't abandon a car in a National Park
The fire service towed the car out of the National Park to use it as rescue practice
RIP Derek
You can't beat Hillman. My Dad had an Avenger from the time I was born until I was about 13. That's why I couldn't resist the Hunter.
I just think the door handles on those cars were so cool - and I am not a car enthusiast at all.
My Renaultsport Clio 172 that I've got now is pretty sweet too.
Ford Focus 1.6 - has any car manufacturer made a better car in it's class? Reliable, incredibly easy to drive, economical, cheap to service, etc.
Having said that, I have owned (and still own) a Vauxhall Cavalier convertible (have had it since 1986), so I must quite like that as well!
Freelander Sport wasn't bad either for very different reasons.
out and out fave tho was my H reg 1.9 gti Peugeot 205, what a sweet motor that was, bought it bog standard and gave it to a tuner to make it fast, high lift cams chip, full exhaust and manifold, filter fse power boost valve man what a car, 170 bhp but lovely to drive. lovely car.
then my mini Cooper s, bought it brand spanking new 20 grands worth, beautiful car.
now have 2 vee dubs, golf tdi 05 and hilllsys ups passat 1.8T, bit really nice motors, 1.8T thirsty bitch tho ;-)
For speed it was my Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 8. Ridiculously fast and I absolutely loved that car. My neighbours hated it though as it was a little noisy!
Now have a nice sensible 08 Mondeo TDCI for family purposes and wifeys 07 Civic Type R for fun times (it handles like a go kart - magnificent fun)
Fast, great on the motorway, styled like a RS4 and 38 mpg combined.
I used to live on Burrage Road and got up one morning to find the car smashed to bits by a lorry. Sad demise for a classic car.
Mini with holes in the floor or Peugeot 504 estate with 'demountable' gear lever!!!
Complete beast and, as any Jag owner will tell you, a huge money pit. But it was a classic british racing green full leather interior and smooth as silk.