On the subject of cars, my last three cars I bought new. a Honda Civic LSI, in 1995, we called it "Gloria" ours was red like this and the first three letters of the registration were GLO
Then the first model of Honda CRVs in 1998. We called that "Bruce" as it was in spruce green.
and then another. This last one I bought in 2005. this is "Rhonda the Honda."
it's now only done 54,000 miles and everything on it works. It's the longest I've ever kept a car by far, either second-hand or new. It has a couple of "door dings" from Waitrose's carpark, but other than that it's in perfect condition. As we don't go very far in it, it only does around 24 mls to the gallon, but I don't mind, I'd be mad to change for change's sake.
I bought the first CRV when I took early retirement. I took my wife to a Honda showroom as I intended to buy one of these. a Honda Prelude. But my wife said she'd had difficulty getting in another "head banger" as she calls all low-roofed cars.
But she said "I could get in one of those better" indicating the CRV behind it in the showroom. It ws the first time either of us had seen one. I had a test drive and was sold on it. But we had to wait four months for it as they were then only made in Japan. For the first year we had it, if you saw another coming towards you on a road "everybody waved" as they were that rare at the time.
I've had some favourite cars. All bought second-hand.
A pre-war Austin Seven Ruby convertible, exactly like this, I bought when I was seventeen, in the late fifties. I drove hundreds of miles in it.Though the furthest it went was from South London to Brighton a few times with a girlfriend. All it cost me was a new set of tyres...well retreads. and 5p for a dynamo bearing.
Then an Austin A35 four-door like this, in my twenties. This often did the run between Manchester and London with our two young kids and a cot on the roof rack, to stay with friends or family occasionally. It had really small doors
Then in my late twenties a Vauxhall Victor like this. Bench seats and three-speed column change. The ride was much like our youngest son's VW "splitty" campervan. Like "a magic carpet."
Then in the early seventies, a nearly new one of these.
A "Life on Mars" Ford Cortina Mklll 2ltr GKL. Metalic bronze and black vinyl roof. Ours was an "L" reg. The kids liked that best.
A few years later an Alfa Romeo Guilieta 2lt. Like this.
All aluminium engine, canted at 30 degrees to reduce the height. two twin-choke down draught webber carburettors. The gearbox was strapped to the de Dion back axle, for better weight distribution. It could see off Ford XR3s. despite being 300lb heavier.
Unfortunatey, it just "rusted to death."
I then had a succession of boring cars, apart from my sister's Renault 5 GTS, I bought when she moved to France.
