Different Model Car that you have a soft spot for

For me, it was my first REAL sportscar. (Bought 1967)

1959 Austin Healey, BN6, 2 seater. BRG/black int. Still have it, still drive it, still love it.

There have been a few other big Healeys that have come & gone over the years, but they never took the place of #1. Were I allowed but ONE car, this is the one.

I was also attracted to Morgans, but my wallet never seemed up to it. LOL

 

1980 Z28 with T roof, fortunatly memories are only of the good parts. I do still have some engine parts though, twisted pieces from the L48 station wagon 350 chev they installed in those days, mine spun a bearing and kablew.

 

Too many, but I love Opel GTs, Datsun 240Zs (owned a few), Lotus Europas, Alfa Giulias, Borward Isabellas, and so on.

For me, I'd love a collection of 20+ cars!

 

A Porsche 914, which I ordered on Thursday and cancelled on Monday after coming to my senses.

Joe

 

Mine isn't a very good driving car. Low HP and bad brakes, etc. The Karmann Ghia, its a great looking car. Women love them. Pull up at 7-Eleven, gas stations, the strip along the beach, women waved, women came over to ask about the car. I also had a Corrado VR6 new at the time with the Ghia. I became friends with the guys at a VW performance company called Hot Water Performance. I took the Ghia to one of their events at a drive in movie theater, every women there wanted my car. Its the best chick car period!

 

I'm a fan of the Karmann-Ghia!

 

Its a fun car. Great looking car. Just not a fast car, nor would I want too go very fast in one. But for cruising White Rock (beach area) in the summer its a an awesome car. One day I'll buy a restored mint one just for cruising.

 

I want to build a hot rod/outlaw one of these so badly...Use a bunch of Porsche 356 parts and make a cool backroad bomber.

 

Triumph TR6.

 

You're channeling the wife, Gregg. She'd love one of those or an MGB.

For me, I would love to find a copy of my first car, Ford Escort GT. Nostalgia reasons primarily...T

 

+128. With you on the above. A Fiat 128, just about any old Citroen and the newer C6 , Simca 1204, 99 turbo notchback, Junior Z, Rover P5 3500 Coupe, a clone of Jackie's green Bavaria.....I could go on

 

Two fun cars, too small though. The original mini cooper S and original Lotus Europa. The Lotus is kind of goofy looking but a blast to drive.

My older brothers friend had both. His parents are British and English car nuts. It also helped the father was a dentist. I had a small games room with two pinball machines. At 14 I was playing my brothers friends for their cars. My neighborhood while not gated was all private road. So I could drive around without my license. I did however venture onto the public roads a few times! The same guys sister got a Bug eye sprite at 16.

 

It's soooo ugly, but my 87 Grand National was the car to have when I graduated high school...


Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-N900A using Tapatalk

 

I will always have a soft spot for the 1979 Lancia Zagato Special Edition. Its the car that ignited my passion for Italian cars. It was my best friend and my first car. After many years of searching, I finally acquired a beautiful example a few weeks ago, and she drives, smells and looks just as I remembered.

In a weird twist of fate,I also managed to learn the location of the actual Zagato I owned over twenty years ago, and recently brought her home (though she now needs a total restoration).

Here is a thread I posted on her...

http://www.ferrarichat.com/forum/mid-atlantic-region-usa-pa-de-md-dc-va-sponsored-competizione/516317-i-saw-my-first-love-again-long-strange-trip.html

If you haven't driven one, it is impossible to explain the attraction. I have met a disproportionate number of Ferrari owners who started out with Zagatos. By way of pedigree, the Zagato was designed by Pininfarina, built by Zagato, had a special version of the Lampredi (of Ferrari fame) four cylinder, and was built to Lancia specs using mostly Fiat parts. I don't think it gets any more Italian than that. Interestingly, much of the switch gear was lifted directly from the same FIAT parts bin that would supply the contemporary Ferraris. In fact, the first time I drove a Ferrari I smiled at the familiarity of the controls.

The car sounds fantastic with an Ansa exhaust and looks and feels so unapologetically Italian, right down to the exaggerated bus driver position of the steering wheel.

I have had all sorts of sports cars and two Ferraris...but the Zagato..it just does something for me that no other car can. I am sure its 80% nostalgia... but does that really matter

 

Missed the post earlier.

I really like the 240Z. Back when my Dad was first starting out he bought a new 240Z. He sold it around 1976. I still remember crying. I was four at the time. He replaced it with a 260Z for awhile.

I had a 240Z for a little bit. I loaned to my brother who just turned 16. I had other cars. He decided to buy new rims for it. One of the wheels came off on the highway. Since our insurance here is government. They have claims centers all over the place with inspectors. Since its government the insurance company is also in charge of licensing and registration. The inspector wrote off the car and made it non fixable. I'll get another one someday.

 

An 'eclectic' selection at the least......

Simca's escaped to Canada? I always figured they never made it out of Europe!

And the Rover? Oh dear!

For me, & like others, I guess it's mainly nostalgia, but an original Mini Cooper (preferably the 'S' as it had brakes that generally worked) is high on the list.

It kinda breaks my heart that they're now doing a *four* door version! There should be rules against such sacrilege......

Cheers,
Ian

 

I used to watch some awesome VWs (including Karmann-Ghias) at the drag strip - this is like 30 years ago, so the majority were punched up VW air-cooled engines. Left a real impression on me!

 

I agree the Cooper S is/was a great car. They did make four door minis back in the day.


It was easier to get European spec cars into Canada, up until free trade with the U.S. and we officially began adopting U.S. standards with some slight variation. Best examples are the Porsche 930 and Jaguar XJ12, both got dropped from the U.S. market in 1980 due to emission problems. Both remained in the Canadian market.

 

The one that is a little weird for a kid to like. Especially one who was fixated on sports cars.

The real estate agent my parents used back in the 70's and early 80's. He owned the realty agency and was also a real estate developer. He basically built the town we lived in, during the 1960's. He was very wealthy and had a Rolls Royce Wraith II (longer version of the Shadow II). I loved that car. It was beyond it being a Rolls Royce. The president and owner of the brokerage firm my Dad was with also had a Corniche at the time. I also admired his car.

My Dad borrowed the agents car. He didn't find it as elegant and sporting like the Jaguar XJ series III, so he didn't get one. My walk from school to home, past the real estate agents house. Id stop and look at the Rolls. In the mid 80's he upgraded to a new Spur. I was equally fixated on that one.

In 87 with the Spur, my Dad decided to give the Rolls another shot. We went to the dealer this time. This was fine with me because the Rolls dealer also carried Ferrari's.

I have the Spur. I will get a Corniche and a Shadow one day. Both are really hard to get in concours condition!

 

I liked all of them. One of my friends in elementary school his Dad had an E-Type as a daily driver. I had a mini-champs model of the Espada.

I wasn't a big fan of matchbox or hotwheels. They didn't have many European cars back in the 70's and early 80's. I mostly made my mom buy Solido or mini-champs. So I had a Miura, Espada and Countach as a kid

 

Years ago I owned an Innocenti De Tomaso with a 3cyl Daihatsu turbo. Just a blast and as evil as a Cooper S in the turns. The new Mins do precious little for me in any guise.

Poor old Simcas would have sold in numbers as they didn't turn to rust in Canada within 12.1 months(compared to their peers from virtually every country), drove extremely well and were as tough as an organ grinder's monkey. But it was the era of the Duster.

The P5 is more full English, spotta tea and 99 than a Rolls. Love the exhaust note (yes, I know, Buick), and the looks. The one I want comes with the Webasto and is tutone.