Mine was a Mini with a starter button on the floor and number plate of RFE 41 - well it was January 1967.
My brother, 2 years older, had a brand new Viva HA, NUR 315D followed by Vauxhall 101 with front bench seat but still a floor gear change, XRO866F

VW Polo 1.0 Petrol. Little beast

Actually owned…… Austin Princess 2.2 top of the range, haven’t a bad word to say about it, which is unusual for me. Like I said elsewhere on here, replaced it with a VW Polo, what a delicate bag of shite, didn’t last six months. I put it in for a free brake check at one of the big chains and when I returned there were four of their lads stood around it, wheels laid neatly on the ground while they performed harmony barbershop tutting. The leader of the pack quoted me over £600, I smiled, said thanks and asked them to put the wheels on and pointed out I’d come for the FREE brake check, that’s all. They were not happy.
Got the work done where I usually go for £42.

Grey second-hand Mini, 1971. I don't remember a starter button on the floor but it was so underpowered that with 4 in I needed to be in 2nd gear for the chug under the M1 footbridge at Washington services going north. Facing a headwind I'd have had to ask a couple to get out and push!

No doubt poor gear selection had something to do with it as I was just qualified and imagined that if I got enough speed up on the downward slope, momentum would carry me to the top on the other side.

A 1976 Hillman Avenger. I bought it shortly after passing my test in 1982. It was a shame that no one ever gave me instructions into basic maintenance.

Second hand Austin All Aggro. Lived up to its name.

HB Viva estate. H reg. Not a bad car.

HB Viva saloon..........Bag of rusty shite! and only three years old.

first was a ford prefect 100e but only drove it before passing my test on an unadopted road at the back of the house. learned on a austin 1100 but my first car was a 1936 lagonda LG45 bought in 1967 at 30 years old for the grand sum of 160 quid plus a full tank of petrol in a tank that held 21 gallons. wish i still had it and the rest of the stuff i had over the years. i,d have enough to buy stockport out never mind pools. do not think there is the interest anymore with the under 30,s who seem more interested in cup holders and emmisions that the older generations are.

You need to Zibart them every year

Part owned with the family..Morris marina coupe HMP997N...

Mini Van EJB624K
Antelope Grey
Called "Humphrey"
(Watch out, watch out, there's a Humphrey about)

Mk1 Fiesta YAJ 427Y. 1100 engine when it should have been a 950, reducing the insurance by 25 quid. Plastic film tinted windows. Go faster stripe. I got hit on the head on the M1 when I braked sharply and the untethered tumble drier I was carrying shot forward. Ah perhaps……..

Driving back in that Princess I had from the Borough one Saturday dinner time with the wife and bairns in. Driving down the 689 noticed a car with four blokes on sticking to my tail, all I noticed was it was a big saloon which should pissed by me but didn’t so got to the Travellers and turned down Stockton Road, still with us down Caledonian so took a sharp right down Stratford Road they follow so then turned down Alverstone Avenue they follow, pull up at the bottom to find out what’s going on….. they pull up and all get out … then one says “is it ok to park here” and then points up at the roof that loomed over the houses…” is that the ground?” I said “ no it’s the Bee Line bus garage, who are you?”
They were York City fans who’d never been before and followed me because my car had a York registration which I never knew at the time. Phew

I suppose the follow up is what was your best car?

I had an MG Mondeo in British Racing Green that performance wise was very good and replaced that with a Cavalier SRI which was "s*it off a shovel" It was capable of doing 130mph and a couple of times on very quiet motorways I did this for a short distance.

Unfortunately within 6 months it was stolen off my drive, never to be seen again.

Oddly, performance apart, the wife bought a 2008 Micra 1.2 . For dogged reliability it was unbeatable, it never broke down in the 12 years she kept it and left with 137,000 miles on the clock, in it’s last test the only fault was the rear number plate bulb being out, it only went the because we had too many cars outside the house and on the drive.
A chubby little nonentity that would get you home again and again.

At uni, spent first term's grant on a Rover 75, reg FES 78.
By the use of plug extensions, all 6 cylinders fired but used oil by the gallon!
It kept me mobile for three years, then it limped to a scrap yard.

Best cars I have had were two MB C220's. The first one did 270k miles from new.

This thread proves beyond doubt that we're a bunch of old bastards!

You must be an irrelevant old bastard then?

I did say we...

Yes I fit that description.

Born on the last day of the previous London Olympics to that of 2012 and in East London to boot.

Datsun 120Y from Matt Watchmans,turned on the blowers and was covered in feathers

Ford Escort Mk ll (Red) and REG plate RED29R.

New, second hand or Billy Horner’s.

that reminded me of a mate on the buses at coventry. we all got some free shares to do with a buy out of the company. he could not wait to sell em to buy the car of his dreams, a sierra cosworth. well he enjoyed it for 5 days before he arrived at work in his wfes metro. when asking him where the cossy was he said it had been stolen from his drive the night before and that was never to be seen again.

well at least us old bastards drove stuff a few of the younger generation would love to drive now. its just they cannot afford the insurance where we could. i,d hate to be 18 now and all i could drive was some euro/jap fart box with insurance 3 times the cars value.

Best car undoubtedly was a TR8 which in reality was a convertible TR7 with a Rover SD1 engine in it.

My first car was bought at Ewart Parsons brand new ( ooo get me) a Ford Escort 1.3 GL Oyster Gold with a tobacco vinyl roof YDC 218T I was 18

rover SD1 forgot about those. had one once and was fine till it rained and then i needed wipers inside as well as outside the windscreen. was told by someone in the trade, what did you expect when it was designed by accountants.

Was anyone privileged enough to have a starting handle?

In the late 60's whilst working for an engineering Company, they had a Commer van which needed a starting handle. You had to watch your wrist and arm or it was a visit to the local hospital.

Owned 2 TR6's and regret selling them both.

Have you watched Bangers and Cash about the Mathewsons family business in Thornton-le-Dale where they have regular auctions selling old cars/bikes etc.
You might find an old TR6 that needs some loving care?

starting handles were the most used tool for me in winter during the 60,s and early 70,s. actually bent one badly but luckily my old man was still in work so made one up with proper metal unlike the original. luckily i never had one going back on me as i never held it correctly.

The prices are silly money now, unfortunatley.

they look to be silly money but not compared to new cars. at least they do not depreciate by 5.0 per cent like some in the first year. if you have some clue on mechanics you can do many jobs on them yourself and there are still garages about that love to work on older stuff rather than the complexity of todays cars. on top of that if you keep it in good condition you could at least get your money back or make a profit on your purchase. you cannot say that about many hobbies or interests.