Classic cars forum & vehicle restoration.

[Ellis]

My late father was a big Austin 7 fan and my mother tells me that he owned twelve or more from 1937 to 1950 or so.

The first new car he bought was an Austin A30 in January 1953 followed by two Morris Minor Travellers. I have a vague memory of a black one when I was about two years of age.

The only Rootes car he bought was a new Hillman Husky just before before I was born and in which I came home in. I have no recollection though!
After the Morris Minor I remember an Austin A50 (GBV 715), Morris Cowley, Austin A55 Cambridge and a Wolseley 1500.
He bought two Vauxhalls and in 1965 a Volvo 121 four door, CEY 737C before returning to British cars, Triumph 2000, Rover 2000 and a Wolseley 18/85 Mark 2 in August 1969.

He had a dim view of Jaguars and I still don't know why he bought a 12 month old Jaguar 3.8 S Type in September 1966, CEY 792C. He kept it for ten days and then bought the Triumph 2000.

My father was a pharmaceutical chemist who built a successful business and explained to me that his custom depended on British customers and not French, German or continental ones. Even before his early demise in 1976 he was enquiring about a new Wolseley Six - the wedge shape.
His closest friend, a farmer, would only buy Rootes vehicles and I was a bit jealous because his Humber Hawk was nicer than our Victor or Velox and the midnight blue one he bought new in 1966 outshone the Volvo!

The same applied to my mother. Minis from 1966 until 1980 with two lapses, a Renault 4 for a month in 1971 (KCC 154J) and a Ford Fiesta for 8 weeks in 1980 (YEY 278W). Then Metros from 1981 - 1990. She insisted on a British built Nissan Micra 1n 1993 and diesel Vauxhall Corsas for years afterwards with one new diesel Micra in 2005. Since, it has been Fiat Panda diesels.

The only commercial vehicles my father bought were Fords and nothing else.

Do you detect a certain brand loyalty?

Did the same apply in your family?
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Starting Handle Expert

1964 Jaguar Mark 2 3.4 litre
1962 Land Rover Series 2a 88"
2002 BMW M3 E46 Cabriolet

[baconsdozen]

My dad had a passion for Rovers and Jaguars.
I remember as a kid he took me for a spin in his new Jaguar. Driving down the road at a pretty impressive rate of knots he said " You wouldn't think we are only doing thirty would you?"
" We aren't" I replied "you're looking at the rev counter".
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Thirty years selling imperial hand tools for old machinery(Now happily retired).

[Keith D]

My father always had Fords. He only broke this rule once and boy, did he regret buying a Leyland Marina!

My mother started off with a Mini, but then graduated to small Fords

Keith

[Rick]

I've not detected much in the way of marque loyalty with regard to my parent's vehicles, although Jaguars are a recurring theme and more than one BMW has graced the driveway.

My return ride home from hospital after being born was in a Ford (100E). The cars after that are as follows:

MG (1100)
Volvo (121)
Volvo (144S)
Saab (900 Turbo)
Jaguar (XJ6 SIII)
BMW (528i)

The exact order of the remainder is a little fuzzy, but another Jaguar appeared (XJ12 HE SIII), BMW (535i), BMW (750iL), BMW (525i Touring), BMW (740i) and most recently, back to Jaguar again (3.0 V6 X350 type) which shares duties with the VdP 1300, and the Golf (below). There may be one or two others that have escaped my memory, but nothing of consequence.

Second cars, in theory for mum to drive, started out with a Rose Taupe Morris (Minor) which didn't stay long, an Austin Mini (estate), later followed by a couple of Vauxhalls (Corsas), a VW (Polo) and most recently, a VW (Golf V5).

RJ
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[Richard H]

My parents could never afford new cars, and most of the cars they ended up with were old bangers out of the local paper.
My dad's mainly had BMC/BL cars. His first car was a 1960 Mini, then he had an Allegro, Maxi, Ambassador, Mini, Metro, Maestro, Montego estate (x2) Rover 800 MK1, A35 (which I now own), A40 Somerset, Austin Seven. He's also had four Minors, a succession of Vauxhall Vivas, a Victor FB and his current classic is a 1960 Ford Consul MK2. Currently he's into Rovers, had a 75 which blew its head gaskets and now drives a £400 R reg Rover 600, which he claims is the best car he's ever owned.
My mum has mainly had Fords throughout her driving career, as my grandad worked for Ford in Dagenham and later Dunton and always had Fords, a succession of Cortinas and Escort company cars in the 1970's. My mum used my A35 for a few years before using MK2 Fiesta, MK4 Fiesta, Galaxy and a brand new KA, bought by my grandad with his Ford employee discount. She also had a B reg Mazda 626 at one point and currently drives a Zafira.

My return ride from the hospital was in the aforementioned Maestro, a B reg 1.3 L in metallic gold!
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Richard Hughes

[peppiB]

In 1956 Father bought a 1938 Austin 10 Cambridge, then from 1960 onwards he only bought from family garage (Mother's cousin) who were Morris/Riley franchised

Used purchases
1954 Morris Minor
1963 Morris 1100
1966 Morris 1100
1968 Riley Kestrel
1972 Morris Marina

His only new car
1977 Morris Marina

[peter scott]

Leaving aside cars provided by my father's employer, my parents' cars consisted of:

Austin A70 Hereford
Humber Hawk MkIV
Morris 1100
Hillman Imp Californian

Peter
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https://www.nostalgiatech.co.uk
1939 SS Jaguar 2 1/2 litre saloon

[poodge]

My father never learned to drive,and my mother didn't until she was in her 50's.Her first car was an elderly Anglia 105E with the small,painted grille,and her 2nd and last car was a 1976 Mini 1000.

[badhuis]

Citroën Ami 6 (with the sloping rear window). I remember going to the beach with this car
Glas 1004 (?) or something. Small ugly 2 door, "too fast" according to my father later. I remember it had the horn stuck and my father did not know what to do.
Opel Rekord B type 1700 2 door estate. We had an accident while on holiday. Big dent in the right rear side but the biggest damage was hammered out and we drove on.
Peugeot 404 familale. 3 seat rows, much rust.
Triumph 2500 TC. Excellent car, bought it because my older brother and me insisted he should buy something out of the ordinary (these Triumphs always were fairly rare here in Holland). One faulty cylinder- we always had to clean the last spark plug. Before it went to the scrap yard (too much rust) I loaned it for a week and spend a fortune on fuel, knowing that he would never buy an interesting car again.
Mitsubishi Galant 1600.
Toyota Carina.
Mazda 626.
Toyota Corolla I think.
? some other Japs
Mitsubishi SpaceStar. I sold this car three months ago for my father as he really would love a big Renault.
Renault Vel Satis. He is very happy with this. He just turned 86 and frequently drives over to my place - a 2 hours drive. And go back in the evening as he does not like spending the night elsewhere.

[Rosco663]

No brand loyalty I'm afraid.

Very eclectic - always came down to functionality and price. A few Holdens, VW, Austin, Renault, Toyota etc etc.

That must be where i got it from.....
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Rosco

[Roger-hatchy]

No

[bob2]

More than brand loyalty my father had a one car loyalty as the mini I have in my possession was bought new by him, and was his first and only car!
He bought it new in 76 and by the time he passed away 15 years later at a young age, it was still his one and only car and it was still in excellent condition!
Maybe that's why I tend to hang on to my cars, the only car I had and sold on was the cooper, the rest are still in my possession bar a clubman estate I owned for 2 years which got scrapped and dismantled for parts and 2 orange minis of which one was sold recently and the other one dismantled for parts as well!

[Minxy]

My late father nearly always had Fords. Various zephyrs, zodiacs, Cortina III, IV and V etc etc. he did once buy a Marina - kept it a fortnight , and a Peugeot , again kept for about a month. His last cars were all sierra's - four I think.

[Riley Blue]

I've been far more loyal to one brand (or group) than my Dad who had an Austin Seven, Ford something or other, Morris Minor Traveller, Hillman Super Minx Estate, Simca 1501 Estate, Marina Sun Tor Caravan and finally two Vauxhall Novas.

Most of my cars have been from VAG - Beetle, Golf, Ibiza, A4.

[Phil - Nottingham]

Some brand loyalty with VAG/BL/GM & Ford

He started in 1964 with a Standard Vanguard Phase 1 and finished with an Astra Mk2 - his newest at 2 yrs old and the only one as an auto and with power steering as he was then dying and only drove it 6 months

Along the way in his 29 years of car driving with growing and then reducing family a:

Ford 100e Escort and a Zephyr Mk3
DKW F12 and an Auto Union 1000 Golf 1100 Mk1
Goggomobil TS300?
Talbot Horizon LS
Renault 12TL and a 14TL
Mk2 Cavalier L
Austin Maestro 1300e, Metro 1000, MG Metro
Hyundai Pony

I was involved in maintenance to a greater or lesser extent from an early age and even took over ownership of a number of them I also drove most of them except the Vanguard, Escort, Zephyr and DKW as far too young.

Some are now never seen eg R14 & Horizon - are there any out there?
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Rover P2
Rover P4
Rover P5 & P5B
Land Rover S2 & S3
Morris Mini Traveller Mk2