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What was your very first car you leaned to drive in

(148 Posts)
TrendyNannie6 Wed 01-Jan-20 17:49:14

Mine was a ford cortina red mark one column change coach front seat

daffers Thu 02-Jan-20 12:45:06

A red Wyllis jeep which my father gave me when I was 18 in South Africa. Loved it and driving on the beach with my girl friends.

Paperbackwriter Thu 02-Jan-20 12:57:07

My dad was a total dinosaur and didn't really approve of Lady Drivers so I wasn't allowed to learn to drive at 17. Sadly he died a year later (60 a day smoker, lung cancer, age 47) and there was an unseemly scramble between my mum and me to learn to drive. I passed my test first and so got the use of Dad's Wolseley 1500.
I don't recall much of my driving lessons, except for the instructor saying, "If you're going to hit something, hit something cheap" and suggesting I wear my purple mini-skirt for my driving test.

Craftycat Thu 02-Jan-20 13:01:34

A tiny little Fiat. We had moved from a town to a little rural hamlet with one bus a day going through it & as we had had to spend more than we had planned for the house we were left without the car DH had promised me & it was a 3 mile walk to nearest shop. Not so bad when boys were at local school but after 9 months our eldest had to go to nearest town for middle school & I could not get him there so was expecting to have to rely on very kind neighbours with boys the same age. My Dad bought me this little Fiat- a red one- which meant I could be self sufficient. I loved that car.

lizzypopbottle Thu 02-Jan-20 13:05:01

I passed my test on bonfire night (but during the day) 1975. My first car was a grey Morris Minor with no synchromesh on first gear. Loved that little car but I replaced it, after a couple of years, with a sexy, red, 1.6 litre Ford Capri. Now that was a lovely car! ?

Grannmarie Thu 02-Jan-20 13:05:23

I passed my driving test in 1985 in the instructor's Honda Accord. My first car was an old red Vauxhall Viva, R reg, which I bought for £300, drove for two years then traded in for £400 towards a W reg bronze Ford Escort Estate. I loved that car, did lots of my flitting in it when moved house.

Codyodo Thu 02-Jan-20 13:11:51

A little blue Hillman Imp DOE 136C ?

gillgran Thu 02-Jan-20 13:42:15

I had lessons & my driving test in the driving instructors car, it was a Ford Anglia, ( in 1963). This was in King's Lynn, in, (of course ), East Anglia...!!!

blossom14 Thu 02-Jan-20 13:55:02

I passed my test in November 1968 in a Triumph Herald, it was a bit of a foggy pea souper so not much traffic about. I think DH encouraged me as the drink driving laws changed around that time and I was obviously going to be designated driver most of the time.
My first car was an A30.

hippydippy Thu 02-Jan-20 13:57:05

Dad had a red Rover 2000 his pride and joy. About to take first test in it I was told provisional licence was out of date. Think I would have failed anyway as didn't bother learning highway code too well! A week or two on, I really swotted up and passed test 1st time! Like OP I was wearing very short skirt but that didn't influence examiner wink.

GinJeannie Thu 02-Jan-20 14:05:30

474 BOE a beige mini with push button ignition button on the floor and little sliding windows!

57VRS Thu 02-Jan-20 14:14:42

I learned to drive in a red vauxhall viva but my own first car was a red mini clubman. I even remember the reg! It was WWW873S.

f77ms Thu 02-Jan-20 14:15:42

Our first car was an ancient Ford pop with one window wiper for the driver and little arms which popped out for indicators. My FIL bought it for us for £25 in 1968.

inishowen Thu 02-Jan-20 14:35:55

I learned to drive dads Vauxhall Viva. The original boxy one.

endlessstrife Thu 02-Jan-20 14:44:13

A ford Cortina. It was my dad’s car, and he taught me to drive. I even had to sign a bit of paper to that effect! When I went out with a real driving instructor, he had to undo everything my dad had done?!

GreenGran78 Thu 02-Jan-20 14:44:29

When we were first married we lived with my mil. Finding that our first baby was on the way we started looking for a home of our own. Then mil was diagnosed with terminal cancer. We decided to buy a car, to get her out and about while she was still well enough. It would also be useful when the baby arrived.
DH set off, with his best friend, and returned to say that they had bought the perfect car. This turned out to be a red Singer Gazelle Convertible! MEN!!

HillyN Thu 02-Jan-20 14:49:37

When I read this post I realised, strangely for the first time, that I've never actually owned my own car! I learnt to drive 50 years ago, in a Vauxhall Viva HA because the driving school and my then boyfriend (now DH) both had them. I have always been a named driver on my DH's car and had a company car for a few years in my 20s, but never a car of my very own. sad

GreenGran78 Thu 02-Jan-20 14:52:03

Just re-read the subject, and realised that we were being asked about learning to drive. (Should’ve gone to Specsavers!) I only learned to drive in 1989, when I was 50. I passed first time, but can’t remember what car it was

Skweek1 Thu 02-Jan-20 14:52:57

When I first met my DH back in '81, he had a Ford Escort (I think K reg. When it finally died in early '83, we replaced it with a B reg Anglia which lasted for ages). Happy days!

wolfie1 Thu 02-Jan-20 15:41:00

We have a MK1 Cortina now in white with a green stripe. We had one in 1966 reg DFD 688 and wish we'd kept it.
My first car was a coffee and cream Triumph Herald reg no. GNN 666 or 666 GNN

Grany Thu 02-Jan-20 15:50:14

I started work at 15 saw a car a Riley Elf with a sun roof in a show room putting money towards it each week I got it when 16.

Catterygirl Thu 02-Jan-20 15:59:44

My dad's Oldsmobile automatic drophead. Good job we lived in the country!

Cindersdad Thu 02-Jan-20 16:10:56

Learnt in a Mk1 Ford Cortina and first own car was a 1965 Basic Mini.

Juicylucy Thu 02-Jan-20 17:16:15

Big old Austin Cambridge could just see over the steering wheel , kept it for 2 weeks then got VW beetle.

Wheniwasyourage Thu 02-Jan-20 17:39:58

Learnt in a Triumph Herald and first (and last) car of my own was a Simca which leaked brake fluid and developed a hole in the floor... Still, it worked!

All our other cars were needed for DH's work and we never needed more than one at a time. Now I haven't driven for years.

Wheniwasyourage Thu 02-Jan-20 17:41:03

Think I might be tempted if someone offered me a Triumph Herald though!