There was something for everyone at the Saltaire Festival, including a feast of classic cars. As I said the other day, I still have a few 'vintage' clothes. Sadly I no longer have my first car... if I did it would be 'classic', and I was delighted to see one in the line-up. It was a Rover '90' (the mascot above is from the '80', which was very similar; the '90' is below.) Ours was black with grey leather seats (the front one was a bench seat, oh joy!) and real walnut fascia - and it was old even then. So solid and heavy, but I used to love driving it.
I remember well the long debate we had (my then-fiancé and I) in the university Student Union cafeteria, consuming quantities of
'Wagon Wheels' (a kind of chocolate biscuit - remember them?) whilst we wrestled with whether we could really afford £100 to buy a car. We did - and it did us proud for several years, until, exhaust held together with baked-bean cans and gun-gum bandages and with various other ad-hoc repairs painstakingly carried out in my dad's garage, someone ran into the back of us at some traffic lights. It was never quite the same after that (nor was I!) so we decided it had to be scrapped and we moved on to a sleeker model (a Ford Cortina, I seem to think). But that Rover 90 has a special place in my memories. Ah, happy days...
While looking round a motorbike show with my brother, he was delighted to see a bike like his old one which he sold for £50 in 1979. He was then horrified to see that the one in the show was for sale - at £8,500! I suspect that the car you photographed would now cost more than £100!
ReplyDeleteThe old Rover was a lovely car, very popular with doctors as well, for some reason. You bought it for £100, I bought a Mark VII Jaguar in 1968 for £50 from a farmer in Lincolnshire. Seemed a lot to me then. Classic cars, worth fortunes now.
ReplyDeleteI love the close-up. My first was a Morris Minor (£70). It, too, was held together with wire and bandages. I wonder how many of today's cars will be around in fifty years? Actually, I wonder if there will be any cars in fifty years.
ReplyDeleteJohn, oddly enough, my fiancé was training to be a doctor - though I don't think that influenced our decision. This was in 1971 and £100 seemed a fortune. If you'd have told me then that 40 years later I would be spending that on a supermarket shop on some occasions, I wouldn't have believed you. Funny thing, money...
ReplyDeleteIncredible are the prices i'm reading in comments!When we see the price of today's ugly and all the same cars!
ReplyDeleteYour rover was wonderful!My first car was a 4L (Renault)
That was a lovely car (still is to look at!).
ReplyDeleteNo doubt about it, in my book Classic cars still win hands down over the modern variety (even if they didn't have airconditioning, electric seats and power windows!). And yes, I remember Wagon Wheels - we have/had them here in Australia too. Thanks for the trip down memory land.
ReplyDeleteMy first car was a beige Ford Fiesta; nothing like as interesting as your Rover!
ReplyDeleteYes, I remember Wagon Wheels - and the adverts for them with the covered wagon rolling over the prairie!
First cars seem to be a shared special memory. Mine was a '55 Chevrolet, which had been pretty well used up when I got it. My friend's father owned a gas station which he and I used to nearly rebuild the car. Jim
ReplyDeleteIt is a very nice car. It looks a bit like a Rolls in my eyes.
ReplyDeleteGreetings,
Filip
Oh my goodness that is one gorgeous car! Hard to believe the price for it back then. My first car was a '72 Karmann Ghia, more squatty looking than classy like yours was. ~Lili
ReplyDeleteClassy and like a tank to drive, very solid, love it but Lili how lucky were you!!!I said that name only the other night and the couple I was talking too swooned as I do.How I would have loved a Kharman cabriolet! I make do with a 1970 Beetle.
ReplyDeleteI like the looks of the car, at least this one. I bet it was fun to drive. I fondly remember my first car too, lots of great memories.
ReplyDeleteAwesome composition on top! And yes, the old Rover is a beauty.
ReplyDeleteNot bad for a first car Jenny. When I was a youngster we would build dens out of straw bales on a nearby farm, if the farmer saw us we would have to do a runner, he would set off across the fields in his old Rover car (like the one in the picture) waving his walking stick out of the window, he never caught us though. Happy days!
ReplyDeleteA beauty indeed! My first car was a boring but solid Volvo... lasted longer than our marriage... :-)
ReplyDelete