My first auto was an old and rather rough-looking late 1950s ‘Ford Pop’ a ‘sit up and beg’ shape and side valve motor. It cost me £20. It was very basic. The windscreen wiper worked when it felt like it. No real heating. Double-de-clutch gearbox. If the beast would not start, there was a hand crank to turn around until it came to life with smoke and a few grunts.
It used more oil than petrol! In fact, I had a can of oil in the boot! The headlamps were not exactly bright. Not wise to drive at night!
This Ford Pop would go the fastest down a hill. Sometimes it had to be ‘bump-started. But it was my very first car and a touch of sensibility was visited.
I previously had motor scooters. Having one’s own car provided independence, but there was no comparison with Dad’s car; a Ford Corsair GT! I loved driving it!
One day I was driving down a road and speeding above the limit. A police officer on a nice big motorbike overtook and stopped me. He came along and said I was going quite a bit faster than the 40mph limit. I said I couldn’t have been. It won’t go that fast! He then stated that he used to have a Ford Pop and he knew I could even go faster. Eventually, we exchanged some laughs, and told me to go on my way. But if he caught me again, I would suffer the force of the law! Great guy!
So that was my first car. I sold it to a friend who knew more about mechanics than ever I would.
Great experience; happy memories.
My favorite auto of all time was a Jeep Cherokee Orvis. 4-liter straight six on LPG.
No contest!
Great looking ride, Simon.
My husband had all kinds of driver’s license: Car, truck, bus, hook on a trailer to a truck, tank, you name it. But no motorcycle.
Once on a rainy December day when everybody got stopped for Christmas lunch DUI razzia, he was stopped by an officer on a motorcycle and asked to show his license. “Wow, you have all of it but no motorcycle – why is that?” the officer asked. And the cheeky bastard I married answered truthfully “Well, who is standing out in the rain?” Fortunately no DUI.
Thank you Charotte!
Good old autos are not often safe!! My sun as an American 1973 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray! 5. something litre!! Beautiful! That’s a funny tale!!