Nostalgia - your Dad's cars and music?

[SarzWix]

With Father's Day this weekend, I was looking for a present for me Dad and came across this book
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Top-Gear-Dad...1761892&sr=1-1
and it set me off on a right nostalgia trip...all the family holidays, packed to the gills (got 3 sisters) in a Cortina estate, at least 2 of us car-sick (they wallowed, a lot!), with Neil Diamond, or John Denver, or Nillson on the tinny tape player...
Or before that, the burger van (converted from an ice-cream van), that Dad thought would be a good business venture...and the first one I have a memory of, I think a Mark1 Cortina, with the lights in a circle split into 3rds...
And when he became a rep., and the first company car he brought home, Alpine/Chrysler, new car smell... Aaahh

Anyway, wondered if anyone else had fond memories of Dad's cars/music that was played in 'em?

[TEB]

My Dad always used to drive a Rover 2200 TC because the TC was his intials, it had an 8 track and he always played the Rolling Stones or Herb Alpert/Tijuana Brass

[jaykay]

Sarah
I remember Dad's cars always breaking down! The trips in the AA breakdown trucks were fun, though... Like you, Dad's favourite music including Neil Diamond on a strange thing called an eight track (I think). Big cassette like things, probably more the size of video cassettes!

Oh happy days of childhood!

[jaykay]

Hi TEB,
Glad I wasn't imagining the 8 track!

[rustylady]

Good heavens, you lot are very young!! My Dad always rode motorbikes until the family increased (by twins) so he had to get something bigger. He got a Bond 3-wheeler (anyone remember them?) cos you could drive that on a motorbike licence. He used to like Val Doonican and Jim Reeves.

[kirsty b]

We had various cars when I was a nipper, but my fave was the Ford Anglia. Had it when I was about 13. Music was mostly Queen, the Quo and Dire Straits. Would explain a lot of my taste in music now.

[shirlthegirl43]

My dad always drove sports cars (until my sister came along and there was no space for 3 in the back). I remember a Sunbeam Alpine, MGBGT, Volvo P1800S (which I now own), Scimitar GTE's then sister came along and he moved on to bigger cars. I remember (also) the 8-track - T Rex one of my fave's! Often think it is dad's fault that I love older cars. Madmax is passing on a good legacy for this thread with our older cars and his '50's jukebox collection!

[JennieAtkinson]

Like you Rustylady my first transport memories were being packed into a small sidecar attached to dads motorbike. Then he got a Morris Minor when my second brother was born (I was 10 then) and eventually we upgraded to a Ford Cortina.

My Dad liked the Supremes - at one time we only had two records (we did have a record player). Baby Love by the Supremes and My Boomerang Wont Come Back by Charlie Drake.

Such a cultural upbringing I had ..........

[Spuds up]

Ford Escort

I remember my Dad driving a bright yellow Ford Escort Mk1(I think) when we lived in Dover. I can even remember the license plate TWF 603H.

It got dented by a French lorry driver!

Much better then the white Austin Allegro we had next.

[bubblewrap]

Dad's first car Austin A35 pale green XAL 178 bought second hand in 1961
when we lived in Nottingham.

[muckdiva]

Great thread Sarswix. In the 1960s, my dad was famous for his ancient black beetle, you couldn't miss the sound of it. When I was a year old, apparently he used it to tow a caravan on a tour of Scotland, with me and mum in the back of the caravan! Several scary moments going up hilly terrain on single track roads according to my mum! Wouldn't be allowed today, then - just foolhardy. .

After the beetle there were a trail of even more decrepit modes of transport, until one day he must have grown up, cos he bought a proper car, a new white BMW. We kids suddenly had to wipe our feet before embarking! Sadly he didn't get to enjoy it for more than about a year before he died, but the backfiring beetle is the car he is most associated with by friends.

Music, I have managed to find CDs of a couple of the LPs I remember in the rack, Elton John's Tumbleweed Connection, Lesley Duncan's Sing Children Sing and Isaac Hayes Hot Buttered Soul. They all stand the test of time too IMO.

[kernowyon]

of all the cars my dad had I can remember dads old ford anglia, never started first time and he hand painted it after it got scratched, it also had an eight track player in it. the only song I can recall was the one eyed, one horned flying purple people eater

sis and me used to ask constantly for it to be played (i now know how my parents must have felt - i get it now with High School Musical )

[Snadger]

My dad had a pushbike!

Queer how things have went full circle these days with everyone being asked to get on their bike!

He used to love listening to Sachmo whom I used to hate the sound of.(not while riding his bike to work of course, but on the ever so popular 'radiogramm' at home! )

Now I've matured and my Dads passed away I get tears in my eye whenever I hear Sachmo singing 'What a wonderful world'

[SarzWix]

Yeah, we used to ask for 'The Point' by Nillson over, and over again - if you don't know it, it's a story, half sung and half narrated - we loved it
My kids mostly like stuff that I play anyway, thankfully!

[SarzWix]

The OH sez he has a lot of memories about car-sickness in the back of a Cortina or Granada Estate... His Dad was a rep too

I get a lump in my throat any time I hear Simon & Garfunkel - Feelin Groovy, was me Ma's singalong tune
Whereas me & Dad always used to singalong to Dire Straits and Fleetwood Mac on long journeys. Never forget the day he kept me out of school for a day to fly to Glasgow and drive an artic back to Newcastle, I was about 10... Ooo I've got a little tear in me eye...