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Teaboy I have a connection to the motor trade. In my case, my Dad ran a garage from the early 70s through to the 90s and once I'd passed my test I helped out from time to time but less so during the 90s. As a result I've couldn't tell you how many cars I've driven through the garage. Just assume it's a lot of your bog-standard cars of the 60s, 70s and early 80s.
I haven't owned many cars as I tend to keep them a long time now. First two cars were 1960s Minis. I lost the plot next and bought an Allegro. It wasn't the worst car I've ever driven, that goes to a diesel Nissan Patrol in the National Park on Tenerife.
Since the Allegro I've owned BMWs starting with a 2000 Touring and then various incarnations of 3 series. The dealer always provides a courtesy car so I've driven lots of 1, 2, 3 and 5 series. They've also lent me modern Minis too.
Rather than attempt to list everything I've driven I'll try a list of cars which were memorable (to me) for one reason or another.
Morris Marina 1.3 - the first car I ever drove at around 12 years old on a beach
Original Mini Automatic - the first automatic I ever drove
BMW 730i - the first powerful car I drove as an 18 year old and the reason I ended up buying my first BMW
BMW 860i - the only 12 cylinder car I've ever driven
A John Sprinzel tuned Maxi - good for almost 120mph which used to surprise other cars at the time
An original Fiat 500 - I had to deliver it to one of Dad's customers and got stuck outside the garage as I couldn't find reverse. The mechanics were pissing themselves and came out pushed me back to the kerb.
Mercedes 500SL - wasn't impressed and have never seen the attraction of any Mercedes since.
Lancia Fulvia Coupe - a lovely looking car but I couldn't get comfortable driving it.
Porsche 924 & 944 - better than I was expecting.
VW ID4 - the only EV I've ever driven.
1899 Peugeot - the oldest car I've ever driven (yep that's manufactured in 1899)
1900 Peugeot - I drove it in the London to Brighton Veteran Car Run
1901 George Richard - band driven and very little power
1913 Panhard et Levassor - the heaviest steering I've ever encountered on a car
1914 - Ford Model T - accelerator is a lever on the steering column, press the middle pedal and you go backwards, the right pedal is the brake, the left pedal controls the "clutch" in conjunction with the gear selector but if you're in top (of two gears) and you hold it half way down you get first, lift off and you get top. It's all slightly confusing and it's been a while so I may have mis-remembered.
1928 Lea Francis 12/40 - huge fun but not a car to drive if smoking as petrol drips from the pressure pump on the dash.
1932 Austin Seven - I was left on the side of the road in the middle of nowhere with this car. I'd never driven one before and eventually worked out how to start it.
Atco Junior - a toy car for rich kids in the 1930s with a Villiers petrol engine
Biggest driving regret - not taking up the offer to drive a Rolls Royce Silver Ghost round northern France - the fear of damaging a car worth several hundred thousand pounds meant I chickened out.
Is that the time? I’m off home. Here’s a tenner for the next round.
