Classic cars forum & vehicle restoration.

[badhuis]

Most uncles had boring cars but there were a few exceptions in my youth.
I can remember one uncle having a Daf 33 for years and years, he was always laughed at by his brothers but refused to buy a more expensive car. Good for him!

Another uncle had a two year old Mercedes S class, this was late seventies and the car was the 73 onwards model. I secretly admired that car, I remember the exhaust note of it when it drove off.

Uncle #3 had a new Rover 3500 (SD1), a late series one VandenPlas. He and the car were looked upon as being a bit flashy but also having style. These were quite rare in the Netherlands at the time.

#4 who owned a building company had a new Mercedes 300 diesel. It had a nice green colour but I remember that I found it a boring car the time (and still do). This was a 1980 model or so.

Uncle #5 owned a three year old Triumph 2500 TC which, strangely enough because my father did not have an interest in cars, my father loved. We (my brother and me) managed to persuade my uncle to switch cars for a week with my father and as a result my father bought one as well. Which was a bit of a disaster but that is another story!

At a younger age, I remember my older niece sometimes coming over to our place to watch over the younger children when my parents were away for an evening. She owned a rear-engined Simca 1000 and I remember the noise inside the car sitting on the rear bench.

Also at a younger age, one of my uncles owned a Herald saloon. I remember sitting on the rear bench and looking at the wooden dashboard, and also remember the car was a different kind of car compared to other cars.

Happy memories. Do you have similar memories?
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a car stops being fun when it becomes an investment

[mikeC]

Unlike my works colleagues (see the other thread!) most of my uncles had interesting, and even exciting, cars!

One raced a TR2 in the fifites, whilst also running an XK140 coupe as his road car; the XK was replaced by one of the first E-Type coupes, followed by a number of further E-Types (my cousin still has his last one).

Another replaced his Lagonda Rapier with a Healey saloon (in which I first experienced 100mph) followed by a new frogeye Sprite; another bought the first Rover P6 3500 in the town.

Then there was another one who rallied a 2-stroke Saab; oh, and another one who had a Stag - family life was very interesting!

[lowdrag]

Coming from a family that owned a Ford dealership, I was always surprised that my father never got his hands dirty. In fact I can't think of anyone in the extended family of aunts, uncles and cousins who did either. And as regards their cars, there was a Moggie 1000, a Standard 10 van, and nothing of note whatsoever.

[peppiB]

An uncle ws a plumber and he had a Morris J4 van for years (LPT 159)
His cars progressed from a Standard flying 10 (I think), Ford Consul (MUP 99) A40 Somerset (LGG 646) then a Wolseley 16/65 and Corsair 200E.
The J4 lasted until the late 60's when it was replaced by a Bedford CA

[Rick]

The earliest car that I remember my nearest (location-wise) uncle owning was a K-reg Cox GTM, with a hot Mini engine bolted into the back. That was the first car that I travelled in at a 3-figure speed (on the M5), in the 1970s.

His car buying then became a little more mainstream. A yellow Saab 99L followed the GTM after the latter was written off. Shortly after he bought the Saab, dad bought one of the first 900 turbos, so in a bid to pep up the 99, he installed a 16v Dolomite Sprint engine under the Saab's bonnet. I distinctly remember how the forward carb poked through an aperture cut into the bonnet. And the massive tyres that were fitted to the front wheels, to cope with the traffic-light getaways. Prior to selling it, he re-installed an original engine into the car (shame), filled the hole in the bonnet, and sold it to a friend whose daughter was learning to drive.

The same Uncle, a British motorcycle enthusiast, bought a Velocette Venom Clubman in 1975, the one I now own.

The 99 was followed by a couple of distinctly tedious Volvo 240s, and finally a 5-Series BMW.

Great Uncles on mum's side of the family were, in their youth, well into motorcycling, and competed in many post-war trials in Wales. They also instigated the Welsh Two-Days Trials. The last of these Great Uncles, who only died a year or so back, was not one for disposing of vehicles in a great hurry, and I remember visiting his place in the 1980s, to inspect the remains of an A40 Mk2, an Oxford/Cowley van, and an Oxford estate, that were mouldering away outside his overgrown bungalow in mid-Wales. To my surprise they appeared in a "Buried Treasure" magazine article (http://www.oldclassiccar.co.uk/strangebuttrue.htm).

Another Great Uncle and Aunt bought a Mk1 A40 new in 1960. It came to our side of the family in 1987, and I took my test in it. I have it still although it needs restoring now.

While I've been on the planet, dad's owned an MG1100, a 100E, Volvo 121, Volvo 144S, the aforementioned Saab turbo, XJ6 S3, XJ12 HE, various E28 5-Series BMWs, BMW 750iL, BMW 735i, W126 S500 Mercedes, X350 Jaguar, and a few oldies including the VdP that he recently sold, a Wolseley 1500, and now a Moggy 1000. In earlier times, he had a variety of cars ranging from an A30 and a Herald, through to a Riley 1.5 RM, a 2.5 RM Roadster, and a One-Point-Five.



http://www.oldclassiccar.co.uk/dads_cars.htm

My brother's owned a variety of cars, but not much of classic interest bar a tweaked Mini at one time. Mum had a mildly-tuned Mk1 Mini estate on which I learnt to drive prior to the A40's arrival, and a brief dalliance with a Rose Taupe Moggy 1000 that she didn't get on with at all.

A grandfather had a smart Singer 9 Sports (always referred to as a Le Mans so I could be wrong), and a 9 Coupe. As a company car driver in the early 1960s he had use of a new, red, BMC 1100.

RJ
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[emmerson]

Dad didn't have a car until 1951, when he acquired a 1939 Ford Prefect as his company car, prior to which he had had Ford vans. This was followed in 1954 by a new VW beetle which was allegedly among the first twenty officially imported VWs. Downhill from there as in 1959 the company replaced all the cars with A55 vans!
An uncle had a new 100E, and another had a 1937 Austin 10 on which, after shutting the driver's door, he had to open the window to push the door handle back in! It was called "Little ECK, from the reg number.
Another had a 1930s Standard 9, must have been in the late 40's, which I pushed a six inch nail through the radiator of! Same uncle also had motorbike combo as I remember.
I also have very vague recollections of a three wheeler car of un-remembered make, half buried under rubbish in another uncle's garage.
Later (much) conversations lead me to believe it was either a BSA or a Lloyd.
Best of all though, was a farmer "uncle" who had a Land Rover! This must have been a very early one, as I'm pretty sure I had not started school when it arrived. I was born in '43, so would have started school in about September of '48. How I loved bouncing around the fields in that LR. I'm afraid I've never recovered from that experience. I still suffer from LRitis!
Isn't memory strange? I can't think when I last thought about those old cars, until this thread jogged my mind. Thanks Rick.

[Rootes75]

Bit later era for me, my uncles had Cortinas Mk4/5's when I was a lad.
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Various Rootes Vehicles.

[Ashley]

My family has been car fanatics since cars were available. My great great grandfather was a doctor and horse mad, but his son, another doctor failed to get to his bedside when he was dying in 1902 because his Stanley Steam car broke down.

Another great grandfather was an enormously successful farmer, so he had a Rolls-Royce and in 1932 he bought a new one. My grandfather, a chartered civil engineer had a hard time in the depression, but still managed a Heavy 12 Tourer and a 12 HP Bugatti and after the war he had a Standard 12 and then a Sunbeam Talbot 90.

My dad was a dentist and less car inclined, but he did have a nearly new Rover 16 Sports and later a triple carb, two seat Healey and then a BJ7, but my mum's brother was an artist and a character, he was mostly doing covers for cheap crime novels and children's stories, but he got asked to paint Lady Astor and his picture was preferred, so then he became rich and bought a new Alvis Grey Lady DHC and later a MK 9 Jag. Another cousin had a 1905 Argyl and he raced Go-karts in the sixties, with 9 E Villiers engines tuned up.

Family friends had amazing cars too. Bentley and R-Rs, Jaguars, Lancia Aurelia B20 (ex Mille Miglia) Citroen Light 15s, DS, even a Ferrari and later, Porsches.

I've got some pictures if I can get Flickr to work, but I suppose that it's not surprising that I've been a car fanatic since before I could drive and I've probably owned over a hundred and even more bikes.

Now my son is as bad and even runs a Classic Car business.

[traction39]

The only car I can recall as being memorable was my uncle's
Porsche Super 90 in the 60's. He drove it for a few years and swapped it for a Beetle which he much preferred!! If only....!
He also ran a Norton Commando until parts started being removed at night while parked in the street. Exchanged it for a Honda and promptly fell off due to the weight difference...so he said!
My father ran a Model A in Canada while doing his RAF training during the war. Five of them paid 5 dollars each and got their money back when they were finished training! Best value car he ever had!
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Alistair

Citroen Light 15 1953, "12" 1939,
Riley 9 Special 1932

[Ellis]

My uncles, from both my parents' sides all had "hard and fast" rules on what they regarded as acceptable cars.

Uncle Harold and his brother Uncle Alan used to have voice raising arguments on what they preferred. Harold was a Morris Minor man and owned many from the 1950s through to 1977. His favourites were the 948cc engined versions. Alan was an Austin man and all I can remember him driving were Austin A40,A50,A55 and at least five Austin A 60s in succession. Yet when he retired he bought a new Citroen GS!

My father's cousin was a Rover man and he progressed from P4 to P5, P5b, P6 2000tc,P6 V8 and SD1V8. He then bought a Rover 800 Sterling in 1987, was so shocked at it's faults that he changed to BMW thereafter.

Another uncle, Uncle Emlyn, a farmer, would buy only Wolseleys - 15/60, two 16/60s, 18/85 but for some reason not the Wolseley 6. His last car was an Austin Allegro 1750ss which he said was too fast for him.

Not many of my female relatives had cars but those that did had mostly Morris Minor or Ford Anglia 100 and 105E.
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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

[roverdriver]

Ashley, Can you please send a PM to me, as I cannot send one to you. I want to ask about one of your photos.
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Dane- roverdriver but not a Viking.

[roverdriver]

My father did not drive until he was 53 years old in 1956, he then bought a new Morris Minor (on time payment). I have a half-brother who, in the early '50's bought a Vintage era Willys tourer, traded that in for a 1930 Standard sedan.

I had no other motoring relatives in Oz.
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Dane- roverdriver but not a Viking.

[Ashley]

[Ray White]

Not many of my relatives were car owners although I did have a wealthy Great Aunt who lived in Weybridge. She had a chauffeur driven Bentley S1 which followed a Derby Bentley...
Another well off Uncle, a farmer in Chobham, near Woking, had what I would describe as a 1920 (ish) Austin Twenty. A vast coach built limousine which was completely silent. My Dad was going to take it on but changed his mind when he thought about the fuel consumption! The Uncle replaced it with a new Austin Hampshire - quite a rare car now.

A favourite Uncle and Aunt had what they felt was the best car they ever had - an Austin 8. Considering how poor the build quality of the Eight was - or at least that was it's reputation - it makes me wonder if the quality was just variable and we only heard about the bad ones. The same Uncle went on to own a 1600E Escort and they were undoubtedly well made.

My memories of another Uncle, a Canadian, was his ownership of a Standard Vanguard. I know my Dad felt he was being taken advantage of because this guy would expect Dad to spend hours on the Vanguard for next to no payment. Things came to a head when his son had trouble with his Trojan bubble car. I think Dad told him to scrap it!