Why Do You Drive That?

[mercrocker]

We are all used to the psychology applied to our choices of car. It is part of the advertising copywriter's lexicon, the comedian's repertoire and the road-rager's pre-conceptions. But what if you buck those trends? What if the car of your choice is either not really your first choice or because different wires connect your brain to those which your type diagram dictates?

As my name on here implies, I am a rock and roll man with a predilection for a certain German marque. Except that implication is only half true. Sure, I consider myself "Rocking" but I am not a Mercedes-Benz aficionado. My time with the three-pointed star came in the late 90s after a period of some 20 years of big Fords - first Zephyrs, then onto Granadas. I got disillusioned with modern Fords and bought a trade-in W123 and liked the basic nature of them and ran another 4 Mercs up to the long-term 190E I've just sold. So they were a practical thing but nonetheless a car I admired, and still do.

So, what's with the Volkswagen? I always wanted a VW camper as a kid, went off the idea when I drove T2s and ended up with a Bedford CF many years later. That was a great van and I would quite like another but it got a bit wearing having an inline 4 thrashing away under the dash, particularly at the level of previous use I was buying at. I drove a T25 and found it a revelation - light steering, excellent ride and all the racket way at the back. It also warms the bed up nicely....Unfortunately you do get saddled with Dubber accusations but I ignore those as much as I do the actual Dubbers.

You see, I've never given even a tenth of a fuck what a vehicle's reputation or intended market might be which brings me on to the Minor. Another car I never thought I would like enough to own but Mrs Rocker wanted an older car so it seemed sensible to buy something approachable and easy to look after. I bedded it in for her but never actually handed over the keys. It has been my daily on and off for most of the previous 16 years.....

Why a bleeding Focus? A bit of a knee-jerk purchase, this was. Merc had played up to the extent that Mrs R. was not willing to keep spending on it (it became her car) and lost trust in it. I figured a Focus was probably a modern Minor - cheap to buy, own and fix (mainly) and at the same time offering a decent enough drive when I wanted a go in it. It plays her CDs, takes the grand-kids car seats, hides her shit under the parcel shelf and she seems to like it. Job done.

Which ends me nicely on the Cowley? Why that one? One-owner local car, original reg. 1950s, easy B series engine, bench seat, column change. Why not? I also think it drives a hell of a lot better than a Consul and at less running costs than a Zephyr.

I've had plenty of other stuff long the way, mostly porridge cars but even a lowly 1256 Chevette was fun to drive compared to modern stuff and I've had technological masterpieces like a Citroen GSA, historic icons such as Mk1 Minis, Fiat 500 etc. Everyday cars have always appealed to me more than exotica, not to mention my pocket!

What drives or forces you to own yours?

[fried onions]

From early childhood my heart was set on a big Humber after seeing an uncle's Dinky Police Hawk and I was transfixed by the size and shape of these imposing cars. A beautiful blend of the best Anglo-American features. It took many years later until I finally bought one, my Snipe. Similar with the Morris Minor, a cheerful looking car I was engrossed by. At my grandparents there were some lock up garages round the back of the terraces. In one of these lay an abandoned Trafalgar Blue 4 door belonging to one of the neighbour's relatives and I used to stand on tiptoes and peer through the broken garage window. I even tried to climb in but I never managed. I had hoped to acquire this abandoned car at some stage. Alas, when I was about 14 it was unceremoniously towed from the garage and dumped outside a local MoT garage and left to rot.
My other long-term car is the Allegro and I discovered these by accident when looking for my first 'classic' at 19. Ignoring all the naysayers with their tales of All-Aggro I bought one and discovered just how good they are, and am now on my third which I've had for 7 years.
The other cars which come and go are a welcome distraction and bought because I am interested in them, and the price was right. There will be more cars coming and going but I will always remain loyal to Humber and Morris.

[64A60]

The BMC Farina range was "before my time" but I have always been around them, simply by chance, throughout my life. The first example I remember seeing back in about 1999 was a gleaming black with red interior Riley 4/72 which used to park outside my local shops every Saturday morning during the summer months. I was facinated by the styling and the interior wood trim. I never managed to photograph the car but I've recently found out that it still lives in the local area, however it is rarely driven now.



As we didn't have the internet at home at the time I gradually discovered the other badge engineered variants through magazines. I started visiting classic car shows with my late father in 2006 and started seeing the other models along with the big Six Cylinder cars and became fixated on owning one when a suitable time came.

In 2009 an immaculate Rose Taupe and Sandy Beige Wolseley 16/60 started appearing at the local events and after having a good poke round it I decided to start looking for one myself. However despite looking at a couple of examples I failed to make a purchase. Said 16/60 is pictured below- it was parked up when the owner stopped driving in 2017 and I'm keeping tabs on the car now that he has recently passed away.



In late 2010 I heard through word of mouth that an Austin A60 Cambridge had appeared at a local general auction as part of a house clearance. I went to have a look expecting a wreck but it turned out a be a local 2 owner (brother then sister) car, 39,000 miles and always garaged. The MOT certificates showed it had been barely driven since the early 80's and was finally parked up in 2002. The auction house had made no effort to advertise it which no doubt worked in my favour.

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I decided it would be foolish not to buy it so turned up to the auction the next day and after a short bidding war against one other person to £1000 it was mine.

It suits me fine- comfortable, decent enough drive, happy on motorways, good spares availability bar panels and a helpful club. Still lust after one of the luxury versions but wouldn't be fussed if this was my forever oldie.

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[mercrocker]

Very fond memories of my old Oxford VI come to mind looking at those.....Absolute bargain that A60 of yours if I may say so, and looking lovely. I grew up in the back of my Grandfather's 15/60 and an Uncle's Oxford. Later on, just after leaving school, I took the Head Girl out for a date in her dad's Oxford. Kind of a British version of American Graffiti that date turned out to be.... They were definitely part of a Sixties childhood and Seventies youth!

[slowanimals]

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Farinas were before my time too but there were still a few knocking around Colchester in daily use when I was a child, a man round the corner from my grandparents had a late series V1 in Trafalgar blue, (NEV284J I think) which he had from new in 1971.It finally disappeared during my first term at university in 1998. Grandad had had one identical new in 1966 and always recalled it fondly. There also used to be a slightly tired but very appealing Riley 4/72 with an Ipswich registration which I saw often until I left school but I think that got raced at FoxhallI can't remember not admiring them whenever I saw one but it wasn't until an article in Popular Classics in 1995 when I was 15 that it dawned on me there'd been a six cylinder and from that moment on I knew I had to have one. I really wanted a Wolseley 6/110 but came across my A99 at a show in Gaydon in 1999 at a time when it just happened to be for sale and I'd just taken out a student loan. Nicely original down to the Ace number plates, originally sold fairly locally to me then and one old boy who'd had it for 26 years, I couldn't walk away from it. It's still my favourite of my small fleet, it's never going to be a show winning minter but I just love the thing and it always makes me smile whenever I take it anywhere. As for the Volvo 740, it came along at the right time and felt like a comfortable old favourite jacket from the first time I sat in it. In five years and probably about 80 thousand miles nothing's ever gone so catastrophically wrong as to be unfixable within my slender means. Economic enough for me and it's never not been big enough yet to accommodate anything I've had to move.

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Others have come and gone but those two are staying with me until I can't drive any longer.

[The Reverend Bluejeans]

I only really drive BMW's. I find anything else a disappointment tbh. Modern ones are too needy though so I may have to look elsewhere for a reliable daily.

I've had a 1989 730i manual for 17 years. They will probably bury me in it. It's a fine example of what Germany used to make before the wall came down and they started making cars for peasants.

[The Reverend Bluejeans]

I love big Farinas though. The fours are alright but the big Wolseleys and A110's are proper. I like the early A99 best. The C Series is such a great engine considering how basic a design it is. I also favour Mark 1 and 2 Fords - maybe a Mark 3 Zodiac. Or....an early three window PA Cresta.

[The Reverend Bluejeans]

Of course, the best sports cars ever were made by BMC.

[The Reverend Bluejeans]

Likewise small cars.



I had an identical Connaught green 1966 Morris 1100. I regret selling it.

[Hooli]

Jags were always the 'proper car' of my childhood, they looked right, sounded right and the V12 in touring cars topped it off. Now I've finally got a quick one it's staying for good.

I'd always liked old Brit bikes too, so my Bonnie will never be sold either.