First Italian Car?

P5Nij

Member
Messages
2,367
My first 'bump' was just a few hours after passing my test, I was on such a high at passing first time after just six lessons that I rushed back home to grab my nail of a Mini 1000 and picked my girlfriend up to go for a razz round the Warwickshire lanes. Turning the car around in Birdingbury village I clipped the rear of a brand new XJS whilst trying to avoid the phone box! Several years later I had my one and only proper crash when driving my much treasured '69 Mk2 Mini Cooper to work one Friday night, passing a side road an old dear in a knackered old Fiesta came flying out and hit me square on, pushing the passenger door right in, her poor grandaughter in the back was hysterical and it took ages to calm her down. The following week the Cooper went off to the appointed insurance repair garage where the assessor wanted to write it off saying ''it's just an old Mini mate'', despite the only damage being to the door skin, my reply being ''f*ck that it's a rare genuine Cooper, I want it repaired''. I'm glad I stuck to my guns and kept the car for a few moor years afterwards.

Back to small Italians - when my Alfa was off the road for three weeks having a new subframe due to some very serious pothole damage I had an Abarth 595 as a courtesy car, it was an utter hoot from start to finish, I didn't want to give it back.
 

midlifecrisis

Member
Messages
16,101
My advice - get them a soulless and reliable box that you will not care about when they crash it (which they will).

When they are paying they can have something more stylish.

My daughter has got a Toyota Yaris with over 100k on the clock and it is like a swiss watch. She has added a few battle scars and is planning to keep until it expires.

My son started with a 1998 Fiesta automatic that I bought for £300. He duly rolled that, claimed £100 scrap and bought a cheap Suzuki Swift which is also bloody brilliant.
Got a Swift myself as a daily. Excellent raggable cars, 1 litre turboed triple. Very rev happy and is very light. Great for the A and B roads.
 
Messages
342
My son, at 16, opted for a manual Fiat 500 and absolutely adores it. Practical, efficient, yet sufficiently engaging to drive.



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2004 CC “Siluro” the Italian Torpedo
2011 Audi A4 “mafia mobile”
 

Ebenezer

Member
Messages
4,443
Off topic slightly. Talking to by brother yesterday. He tells me my nephew has got himself a BMW 6 series 3ltr diesel. He's 22. Barking!

Eb
 

Hawk13

Member
Messages
1,471
Off topic slightly. Talking to by brother yesterday. He tells me my nephew has got himself a BMW 6 series 3ltr diesel. He's 22. Barking!

Eb

That'll be sold as soon as something goes wrong with it ... which it will.

Good car though.