What did you learn to drive in?

[keg]

Grey tractor with starter position on the gearbox, sit up and beg Ford Popular, A35 van round the garage forcourt. test in a Vauxhall Viva. First vehicle Bedford CF van column change , used to transport Road Race Bike and Trails Bike. Happy days!!!!!!!!!

That would be a Little Grey Fergie known as the TE20 i think. Drove that, a Fordson and an IH 574 on the farm then a V reg Citroen GS ( belonging to my mum) to practise in. MY instructor has a MK2 Escort and I passed first time aged 17.

 

Couldn't afford my own car until i ws nearly 22 and it was a 1.2 Nova. I had just started working for Sony at the time ( 1988) so Sony head unit and some big speakers in the rear, graphic equaliser under the dash!

 

Sold it for more than i paid for it when i got my first company car 18 months later..

[rodp]

Ford "D" series tipper and a loading shovel, aged about 11 (ish). Like a lot on here, I had an odd but very happy upbringing

[vampire]

My mk1 ford escort and the driving instructors triumph dolomite,passed my test in the escort with the fake fur inside

[Scully]

Some cracking vehicles mentioned, which have brought back loads of memories, especially the Dolomite Sprint, one of which my Dad once owned.

One of the Vauxhalls I drove back then had column change (think it was a Vauxhall?) and could never understand why it never really caught on in the UK. If I recall, an old Bedford panel van with sliding doors my Dad used to deliver groceries in had column change also. I used to drive a Mazda twin wheeler van down to London from Penrith now and again back in the mid '80's, and that had column change. It meant a bench seat with room for three; great system.

[numpty]

Talk about a trip down memory lane! We are all showing our age here and as someone said, worth a good deal of money now. Mine was a sidevalve Ford 100E with the old vacuum tank windscreen wipers, the faster you went, the slower they moved! Upgraded to a 1959 Herald, hand painted mauve then a 1964 Hillman Minx 1600....from the days when you learnt to repair everything or it was off the road. Still run a 1966 MGB Roadster and it's worth letting a chum drive it now and then to hear them say the tyres must be flat as they can't turn the wheel.

[islandgun]

Some cracking vehicles mentioned, which have brought back loads of memories, especially the Dolomite Sprint, one of which my Dad once owned.

One of the Vauxhalls I drove back then had column change (think it was a Vauxhall?) and could never understand why it never really caught on in the UK. If I recall, an old Bedford panel van with sliding doors my Dad used to deliver groceries in had column change also. I used to drive a Mazda twin wheeler van down to London from Penrith now and again back in the mid '80's, and that had column change. It meant a bench seat with room for three; great system.

I had a large'ish van think it was a commer with 3 speed column change and sliding doors my dad had a vauxhal 101 which was a column change and I had mazda pickup with a column change in the eighties which in essex was considered quite cool

Edited May 27, 2015 by islandgun

[johnphilip]

I learned with a double decker bus, with crash gearbox in the early 70s. I had never drove a car before that. Passed first time.they gave you your car license automatic for passing with a bus, i found it very hard getting in a car was not good at parking a car but give me a bus i was fine.

[MrM]

Farm tractors at first, then Morris 1000 Traveller (with the wood trim on back!) Passed test in Mk1 Escort. Followed by Morris 1100 Traveller.

[john m]

Driving school Ford Anglia, saw one the other day i was surprised how small they are.

[bisondan]

A Ford Fiesta (had my first lesson a year a go tomorrow passed early October), definitely not designed for 6 foot 3 and 18-stone lump.

 

Thank god I passed first time, much more comfortable in my Land Rover.

[bluesj]

Tractors and land rovers around the farm, Can't remember what car my instructor had but I passed my test in a brand new Triumph Acclaim, picked up on the way to my test.

[team tractor]

Always drove the vans at work in the yard since 7 years old.

Learned on the road in a Vw t4 and only owned transporters since.

 

17 years on 2 t4's and 2 t5's

Edited May 31, 2015 by team tractor

[telf]

had lessons in a datsun cherry,but actually learned in anything that came into the garage where i worked at the time,austin 1100/1300,maxis,allegros,the list could go on,oh and plus, proper minis

[JimLondon]

Vauxhall victor for me, went on to drive fire engines ( great fun round London ) and now buses

[Dougy]

Talbot Sunbeam.

 

Quite a nippy little car

[Mentalmac]

lol I just had to google most of those cars.....

 

Change that, nearly all of those cars :-).

I passed my test in a new shape Fiesta back in 2007....

[Whitebridges]

Talbot Sunbeam.

 

Quite a nippy little car

 

The Lotus Talbot Sunbeam was for certain.

 

This one sold for fifty grand: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/motoring/classiccars/11236480/Sunbeam-Lotus-fetches-50000-at-auction.html

[FarmerSim]

Tractors, all fergy round the farm. and my dads series IIA, in which i passed my test first time - no lessons - dad wouldn't pay !!!

 

first car I owned was an A35 - it was in a shed here until quite recently, and is currently being restored by a new owner!!

 

Then a mini Clubman, then a mini clubman estate, then a triumph spitfire 1500 in brooklands green - nice thing, but prone to getting very hot under the bonnet...

[Chris Bb]

then a triumph spitfire 1500 in brooklands green - nice thing, but prone to getting very hot under the bonnet...

 

Memories! Roof down in summer and heater full on to assist engine cooling.

[Beardo]

learnt in an Austin Metro Mk1, first car was a Vauxhall Astra Mk1 1300 sport

[wymberley]

A 40 Farina.

[TriBsa]

First thing I drove properly was a Ford 4000 tractor with a selectomatic box on a farm at 11. Lessons in a MK2 Escort, followed by my first car an Escort 1100 MK1.

[scobydog]

Massey ferguson tractor, think it was a t35 on the farm then the old man's Rover p5b coupe, called a coupe even though it had 4 doors, my own 1st car was a round wheel arch MG midget that had stood on a drive for 10 yrs I bought and restored it over 2 years, passed my test and the same day took it up to dungeon ghyll in the lakes for a camping trip, happy memories.

 

S

[FarmerSim]

 

Memories! Roof down in summer and heater full on to assist engine cooling.

 

Yep, thats it!! !! take it you had one too then!!??

 

I fitted an engine oil cooler to mine to "help" - shame it didn't!!

[Davyo]

Vauxhall Chevette, i was taught in this car & when i passed my test it was given too me. I wanted to customize it inside so went to a cloth shop and bought some brown fake fur that i stuck inside.I covered all the roof and dash but i used a realy strong evo glue, couldnt wait for it to dry and i passed out and crashed through a fence.