I remember the first car i had, an Austin 7 with a canvas roof blue in colour,i was just turned legal age for driving, bought it from Tommy Waddle he had a car sales in Shaftsbury Square back then, drove it home bad brakes and all, was cable brakes then
for£5 and £3 50 for 6 months insurance,brought it home and tightened up brake cables gave it a test run of 20 yards or so put brakes on hard and the rusty old cables snapped,so got new cables and put them on and drove it for maybe 6 months before changing it for a younger model,last time i drove it was to Pidgeonstown point to point horse racing 6 or 7 of us packed into it, at one stage of that outing i had to brake hard
and Toby Strannix was sitting on Tony Maginnes's knee his head went through the canvas roof, we used to have a good laugh over that now and then telling the yarn about it all and how it happened

My first car was a Riley 1.5 built 1948 black with a vinyl roof I bought it with my pay out from 50quid from Mackies savings club. I was 18 and felt myself to be the "bees knees". The clutch was slipping and the seats were ragged but it was a status symbol for me.
donald

I learnt to drive at the ripe old age of 38. I had changed jobs and a car was more or less essential now, although for a while I did "bus" it. SO, nervous though I was, I decided to have lessons. Talk about being a beginner. I had never, ever driven a car, knew nothing about gears, brakes, indicators, reversing. NUTHIN'. I had about 16 lessons I suppose and then my instructor decided I was ready for the dreaded test. You all know how nerve wracking a driving test can be. However, I had a wonderful, elderly examiner who put me completely at ease. I passed first time and purchased a very small Fiat 126, in red. I thought I was the bees' knees, driving to and from work each day, as well as collecting the children from school. Where they all sat I've no idea. The good old days.

Donald, Was that the same car that our Joe and Andy went to Belfast with you to buy car seat covers? Andy came home traumatised, when coming up the M1 smoke came out from under the dash, and yourself and Joe jumped out and ran off. Those where the days my friend. Pam

My first car was a 1952 Dodge which I purchased while stationed at McDill Air Force Base in Tampa Florida. It was a semi automatic, you had to use the clutch to put it in gear then it was automatic after that this was in 1957. I had it until I was posted to Brize Norton
Air Force Base near Witney in England, While there I bought a 1950 Chevvy convertible from a guy going back to the States. "Boy" did I have some fun with that car being left hand drive it took some getting used to driving around the narrows roads in Oxfordshire, I think I had paid $50 for it. Mauri

Pamela, I'd love to have seen that. The two heroes running off and leaving Andy to it.!!!!!!!!