Not Including The Exotic Ones, What Was The Best Ordinary Car That You Owned In The Past And Why?

[anotheoldgit]

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/money/cars/article-4424398/The-best-British-built-cars-chosen-motor-bosses.html

[aelmpvw]

a morris minor in the late sixties that regularly took me from leicestershire to london without ever letting me down

[Prudie]

Does it have to be British as per the link? only my first banger was British and after that all Japanese and German, for years my best was Toyota Celica but my current Merc SLK is by far the best car i've ever owned

[ChillDoubt]

My very first one, a Daihatsu Charade. 1 litre, 3 cylinder. Kept it for 10 years, had to change the back box on it twice, no other maintenance costs.
I could drive 4 hours from Werl in W. Germany to Calais on a full tank, fill up, cross the Channel then drive Dover to N. Wales without stopping, another 4 hour drive.

[Barmaid]

I agree ael. My first car was a Moggy. It was older than I was. It was built like a tank, I could get 80 mph out of it downhill with a back wind, it enabled me to get chatted up by a whole truck load of soldiers (I once overheated on a hill in Derbyshire) and it took me all over the country camping. The great thing was the starting handle...... Loved that little car.

[Sqad]

Mercedes 500SLC

All the "ordinary ones" were just that..."ordinary".....so there was no "best".

[sunny-dave]

Renault 5 Gordini - VRJ434X - unbolted the back seats and went camping all over Europe.

Not the most reliable starter (often worth finding a hill to park on) but pretty damn quick when it was fired up.

[EcclesCake]

My first car was a Manta 2.0 GT, it went like stink!

Since then I have had French, German and Japanese cars. Moggies always receive an admiring glance as we pass by, but I'd love an old school Landy.

[anotheoldgit]

Mine was a 1947 Austin 16, it had leather seats with folderable arm rests on all seats, Partially opening windscreen, valve radio with carbon aerial under the running board and built in hydraulic jacks on the axles, which one could select front, back or all, insert a lever and pumping to lift the car.

Only downside was the fact that it only did 16 miles to the gallon, but at 4 gallons to the pound wasn't such a problem.

http://www.doubledeclutch.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/DSCN3903.jpg

[anotheoldgit]

Sqad

/// Mercedes 500SLC

All the "ordinary ones" were just that..."ordinary".....so there was no "best". ///

Snob!!! :0)

That is why I emphasised 'ordinary' didn't want "mine was better than yours" type of attitude kicking in.

[anotheoldgit]

Barmaid

Ah, yes the starting handle, so simple but effective, got one out of many of scrapes.

Remember when they were 'winding' that ambulance up the desert hill in "Ice Cold in Alex"?

[Togo]

Must admit that I am still pining for my Mondeo 2.2 TDCI ST. It had the most massive torque that I have ever had the pleasure of enjoying. Took 4 of us with a full boot and roof luggage from N.Wales to Cornwall(Porthtowan or St Ives) 8 timers without missing a beat, once in 5 hours dead, with 3 "pit stops" for toilet and ciggie breaks. (430 odd miles) It was like a stabbed rat in 3rd gear up to 6th like being in an aeroplane, quiet and I could get 50mpg on the motorways at 90mph, sigh. Had to make it leave home what with the likely purge on diesel engines. Have also enjoyed a column change 3 speed Ford Consul with a front bench seat(^_*). An MGB, a cracking Astra GTE, a Triumph Spitfire( bloody diff slap used to drive me mad) I also drove a big transit van for 2 years back in 1969/70 from brand new and it was quicker than most cars on the road. Happy days.

[murraymints]

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/1d/VW_Scirocco_1973.jpg/800px-VW_Scirocco_1973.jpg

hope this comes out ..first generation scirocco coupé in platinum with smoked grey glass...lovley car !!

[Islay]

Fiat 126 it was a little bubble and quirky just like me

[anotheoldgit]

Talking about "Bubble"

did anyone own and drive a Bubble Car BMW Isetta, Messerschmitt or Heinkel?

[anotheoldgit]

Was this the most ugly car ever built, what's with the single headlight?

https://www.driving.co.uk/s3/st-driving-prod/uploads/2014/04/2CV-cropped-resized.jpg

[woofgang]

my current car is my favourite, its a Rav.

[anotheoldgit]

allen

Are you sure it was a Riley Pathfinder because they were not introduced until 1953 and ceased production in 1957?

Lovely car all the same, cars had character in those days, even if fibre-glass helped to cover up a multitude of sins.

[anotheoldgit]

Ah yes the MG Magnette

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/87/Mg_ZA_magnette_n.jpg

What's with the St George's flag, not off to a BMP rally are they? :0)

[tamborine]

VW Beetle as it changed direction at will on wet roads - more exciting than Thorpe Park rides