I'm 57, I started with bikes.
1st a Puch VZ50P moped at 16 years old. The good old days when 50cc bikes which could theoretically be pedalled like a push bike were unrestricted power wise and speed wise. Topped out at around 40-45mph. It felt so fast after a push bike! Next came a Honda CB125J, followed by my 1st real bike, a Yamaha XS650 twin. Toured through Europe on that at 19 years of age going behind the "Iron Curtain" (ask your parents kids!) into Communist Eastern Europe, Yugoslavia, as was, Bulgaria, Romania & Hungary. Very unusual back then, not like today.
Did another similar tour on a Honda CX500 2 years later (1981).
Bought my 1st car while I had this, a 1973 Mini 1000. Still miss this. Fantastic go kart handling encouraging you not to come off the throttle & make the best of the 45(!) screaming horses the engine produced. Next came a Kawasaki Z1000J motorcycle. Awesome machine in a straight line, "interesting" in the corners!
Back to cars with an MGB GT. Loved it, but engine was shot so px'd for my 1st brand new car, a Vauxhall Nova SR. Hot hatch in it's day with 75bhp!!! Got bored quickly & px'd it for another MGB GT I saw outside my local dealer on the way home from the pub one night.
Great car!
Followed that with a rare choice, a Volkswagen Santana. Ever heard of it? Basically a saloon version of the Passat hatchback of the time. Had a 5 cylinder engine similar to Audis at the time. A cheap way into an Audi.
Bought my 1st house & chopped the Santana in for an MG Metro. Great handling car, very under rated.
While I had this I got another bike. A Suzuki GS550 that a mate wanted rid of. Cost me a can of Heineken & a seafood pizza! Enjoyed a summer on that including a great holiday in Wales. Put it outside the gate at work with a "For Sale" notice on it & sold it same day for £250.
Still had the MG Metro & got myself a BMW K100RS bike for a planned European tour, but chopped it in for a BMW K75/S after a couple of months & did the tour on that. 750cc as opposed to 1000cc, but handled much better, was smoother & a much better bike imho.
Decided I couldn't afford a car & a bike so the car went & ran the bike for another 2/3 years. Got p**sed off with winter biking so bought another Metro, but this time a basic (very!) 1000 "City". No radio, no rear wiper, no passenger side door mirror, no head rests etc. It was a tin box with a heater to get me through the winter, but boy, it handled well! Needed to mind, only 45bhp so speed conservation was essential.
Car got rear ended one night going home from work and the other party's insurers gave me an offer I couldn't refuse given that I expected the car to fail it's MOT in a couple of weeks time. Sold it to another Metro owner for spares. Meantime my mum died & my dad let me have her car, another Metro, but this time a 1.4 with a CVT geabox. Loved it! Once you got used to the engine revs not corresponding to road speed you'd just hold it in the torque band for max acceleration & the car would catch up with the engine. Had the Metro handling & bubble gum to a blanket road holding too.
Bought a Mercedes 190e next. Came from a life long mate who got it from the 1st owner, his mother in law. Full history from new. Also my mate is one of those who's car looks like it's just left the factory even though it's 8 years old.
This was replaced a few years later by a Mitsubishi Galant estate, bought on an impulse brand new because of a fantastic deal. Boring, but ran it for 4 years.
Chopped it in for an Alfa Romeo 156 1.9 JTDm. I'd wanted an Alfa for 21 years, but never had the nerve. Didn't regret it. Kept it 7.5 years & never let me down. I repeat, it never let me down!
Chopped it in for my dream car, Mercedes E Class convertible. Still have this 5 years on & can't see it going for another 5-10 years at least. I still have another 25 years European breakdown recovery to take advantage of as long as it's serviced within the Mercedes dealership network. It's a great car for touring in.
However I needed a toy. Mid life crisis & all that! A mate brought his Clio 200 up to visit me in Scotland & we spent a day hooning on what is now the NC500. I was hooked, had to get a Clio RS. Long story short, I travelled from northern Scotland to view a car just north of London. Paid a deposit & returned the following weekend to collect it. Never looked back!
Long story, but you did ask!
