[ChiragM]

For me, the most special will always be the cars that were/are at home.

Yamaha RX100: I was 11 when this bike was sold. I remember my dad HAD to take me out for a ride everyday after he got home from office. I cried the day it was sold.


Maruti 800 5-speed: The first car at home. Delivered in March 2000, and was sold in November 2010. I still miss this car a lot and would love to get her back home someday. These pics are from the very last drive we took in the car before handing it back to Maruti.




Maruti Suzuki Ritz: The 800 was replaced by the Ritz in November 2010. I have loads of memories with this car now, from road trips with family to drives with friends. Unlike the 800, this one, I hope, stays at home for long. The pic is from the day after we got it delivered.


Other cars that I have driven and I wont forget in a hurry are:

Ferrari F430: First supercar I drove.


Ford Mustang:


Mercedes-Benz S-Class W222:


Mini Cooper S:


BMW 3-Series E30 wagon:


Tesla Model S: A car I haven't driven, but went for a ride in.

[Prathiiik]

The Lexus GX 460



This one belongs to one of my uncles, back in Dubai.
The sheer power of the 4.6 V8, combined with an excellent rear seat (with heaters too!), and a comfortable third row with an electrically adjustable recline function. The way the car accelerated is unforgettable. Have gone offroading in this a couple of times, and it performed flawlessly.

The Yamaha RX 100 1986

Dad's first bike. Back in the 90's, dad had two RX 100's, one in blue and one in red. The blue on was sold later but we still have this in the garage and I'm waiting to learn on this ( I'm only 15 as of now). The revv happy 99cc is a gem of a motor and sounds great too
Starts in a single kick despite being 32 years old! Sorry, no picture of the RX:(

The Honda CR-V



Dad's first automatic car and the first SUV (although not really an SUV) in the family. The 2.4 I - vtec is refined, powerful and efficient too, only let down by the slow 5 speed automatic gearbox.

The Fiesta 1.6

We upgraded to this from the Josh machine (1.3). The car was so good that we bought two, one in silver and one in platinum! The way the fiesta handled was mind blowing!



The Ford Ikon



Yep, that's me on the Ikon's boot!

Dad's first car and the one closest to my heart. I grew up with the Ikon and have a lot of memories with the Ikon. Sunday evenings involved going to NR colony for the Butter Dosa (Bangalore folks would know). My parents keep talking about how I ate and slept in the Ikon. Needless to say, my childhood revolved around the Ikon.

Ever since we relocated to India, I've been trying to find the Ikon everywhere I go. Every paprika red Ikon grabs my attention and I look for the registration plate. Tell you what, last year, while coming out of school in the bus, I saw my Ikon. The same beauty in red, on the original registration plate! What are the odds of seeing a car you were searching for right outside your school? I literally had tears in my eyes right after seeing the Ford.

Out of all the cars I've listed, the Ikon is the car I definitely won't forget and will always remain special to me. Love you, little Ford.

[volkman10]

For me, the most memorable cars were based on some fond memories:

Cars which were responsible for honing my driving skills:





Fond memories as it was the driving experience abroad:

In US





And in Germany,

[Sutripta]

I remember all my cars. But most are just that - remember - without emotion.

For most part these were props present for some activity I do remember.

The LHD CJ - learned driving in it.
The various Jeeps, Ambassadors, Omnis, Armada Grand 4x4, Boleros, Gypsy, etc for the places it has taken me.
Ambassadors - Bench front seat - Great for teaching GFs how to drive.
Ambassador once again - for the two major accidents I've had. (I was a passenger both times.)
RD, RX, KB RTZ - all of these brought a grin to my face.
Jonga - for being an absolute disappointment.
A 1750 cc factory engined Ambassador - which would overheat like crazy, and keep on blowing head gaskets. And have done bit of touring in that, so one can imagine the 'adventures'

Most modern cars I see as cookie cutter transportation devices. The ones which are not, the ones I lust after, I cannot afford. Bucking this (eminently forgettable) trend would be
OHC Vtec - Redline? - Means don't go below the redline. (To some extent the Suzuki K series)
Laura - my first taste of a DSG. (When it works there is nothing like it. Other manufacturers DSGs are not a patch on the VW ones).
M800 5 speed - my city runabout for more than 15 years.

Also had a 'single seat racing car' - Herald chassis, Fiat 1000 engine+ GBox, handbuilt aluminium bodywork. Fun, not reliable, too impractical, not road legal (papers were for the donor Herald!)

Sorry for not being enthusiastic!

Regards
Sutripta

[saket77]

Great thread Rush! I am sure that this makes one remember the most amazing days of their lives, esp. if you are aged around 35-40.

Had I not seen this thread, I wouldn't have recalled that some 19 years ago, sometime in the year 2000, we had a Toyota Sera parked at our home for about 15-20 days! Just imagine, a shiny bright yellow exotica, as smashing as the Sera, in a small town like Ranchi, in the hands of someone aged 18 and an enthusiast (yours truly), raring to show off that thing to his girl friends You understand that I mean all that was a very dangerous combination!

A lot of afternoons were then spent around the car and many in it on the roads, esp near the residence of the girl friends and crushes. Though dad had warned about taking this stuff on road because it didn't actually belonged to us, esp in his absence, but it wasn't simply possible. Of all the things, I clearly remember the fantastic gear shift (it was a manual car) and amazing brakes. The transparent top and the scissor doors were the talk of the colony, and us, the group of friends enjoyed some stardom for a few days! Don't have the pictures but got some form the net.










Another car which I should definitely mention was our Fiat 1100D. While I concede that this wasn't a car to be driven in a Tommi Makinen mood exactly, but what I liked most about this car was the direct feel. I learnt driving on this car at a very young age and this car took us to so many places. The car was registered as BRB-101 and I have no clue where it is currently. We sold it for a pittance in 2004.
Sorry, I couldn't get better shots of the car but it will always be special to me, despite the erratic failures it started throwing at us when we finally decided to get the Zen home.






The Zen was another small mean thing which had a character of its own. The car was and still is inimitable and is a great handler with an amazing engine. In this picture, with the Zen stands the first gen Pulsar which was the first modern motorcycle I rode (2002). Earlier I had the experience of riding rajdoots and 2T scooters only.



Thanks for bringing this wonderful thread to us! And I must add that watching many among us, apart form vehicles, dressed in the 90s style is another thing that people will enjoy!!

Regards,
Saket

[GutsyGibbon]

This thread really made me take a walk through the memory lane.

The car that really blew me away was a Red Daewoo Cielo Automatic. It was the company car of my friend's dad. The lucky guy used to drive it to my house at times, and we used to take it on short joy rides. In terms of cabin comfort, power & acceleration, when I compared it with other cars I had seen, it was so far off - that it was always beyond my craziest dreams to be able to drive one. Unfortunately I do not have any pictures of that car.

The first car I owned was a 97 Maruti 800 DX. I moved to the US after owning it for a short while. It was a bitter sweet moment to part with it, and I always looked forward to my India vacations to be able to drive it. It was also the car that I drove my fiancé around Bengaluru.

In terms of cars that I owned, that gave me goosebumps - it was a 98 Ford Mustang, red convertible with a tan top. I put a lot of happy miles on it with my then newly wed wife. I was so proud of what I had bought, that its very hard to get that feeling ever again. Although the wife did not appreciate the open top in the freeways, we had a great time driving through some scenic national park roads with an open top. I think Joshua Tree, Sequoia, Yosemite, & Grand Canyon. I need to look for some of those pics.

In terms of sheer joy of pushing a car to my limits, controlling a machine within my limits, feeling the sounds, the air, and the steering, nothing ever comes close to my experience of taking laps on a formula one open wheel car. To be able to see the wheels, and be able to guide it as close to the cones/curve and pick the lines to make those turns was an awesome feeling. Also being able to spin out of the lane and have no consequence was very comforting.


I must also add that buying a car online, (unseen) and driving an electric car (Model 3) for the first time was also unreal. I will cherish that moment forever.

[five46]

Getz Diesel.. For the pure raw exhilarating acceleration. This car changed my perception of diesel cars.

And my dads LML Vespa Star, on which I properly learnt riding a geared two wheeler. When in mood, used to run near triple digit speeds with little or no fuss.

[SmartCat]

Whenever I look at the mirror and see strands of white hair, I go into nostalgia mode. And when that happens, cars and bikes are almost always involved in the flashback. Some memorable moments:

- Slapping the front tyre of my neighbor's parked Lambretta scooter and watch the speedometer and odometer run like crazy

- Us three brothers (aged perhaps 4, 6 and 10) lying in the backseat of our HM Ambassador and watching the trees/night lights pass-by. Aah yes, I also recall spending 24 hours in our car as it broke down somewhere between Bangalore and Hyderabad.

- Riding my cousin's Hero Honda Splendor and crashing it into my uncle's Premier Padmini. Since it was at low speeds, there was only a small chip on the side. Next time I saw the Padmini, that small chip had turned into a large-ish rust patch. The year after that, he changed the car!

- Having innumerable hilarious (read 'dangerous') moments during our College days in my friend's Dad's Premier Padmini (equipped with AC!) and my Dad's Maruti Zen. That was our trial and error phase.

- Our first trip to Goa after college where we hired bikes. I think we hit every beach in Goa during our weeklong trip. Moving from drum brake Yamaha RXG to disc brake equipped Pulsar and CBZ taught us a thing or two about riding!

[AirbusCapt]

Will share something different from routine earth bound vehicles, both two wheeled or four. My two favorite vehicles both have a tricycle wheel arrangement.
Diamond DA20. This is a trainer piston engined aircraft with about 120bhp, four cylinder NA engine, burning 100 octane gasoline. It's basically a glider with long wings, transparent canopy, fighter plane styled joystick and semi aerobatic. It's a hoot to fly and I have explored all limits of flight on this airplane. Lovely little airplane with a decent enough top end and forgiving nature, allowing rookie pilots to make their mistakes.

Airbus A320 Neo. No matter the engine troubles, but what a magnificent beast!! Amazing performance, extremely low nvh levels and superb fuel economy. Climb rate is almost business jet like, with a moderately loaded airplane climbing in excess of 4500 feet a minute, all the way from ground till 25000 feet.

[rohittunga]

It has to be my E60 BMW M5. What a machine. 5.0L, naturally aspirated V10, 8250 rpm redline, hydraulic steering and one of the best chassis ever! Guzzles fuel like there’s no tomorrow, but the way the engine pulls post 6000 rpm and the sound the car makes is genuinely special and last of its kind.

I think the styling of this car has aged really well. No?

[ArizonaJim]

Compared with the cars and motorcycles you others have shown mine are very tame.

Probably my most favorite car is my 1999 Miata 10th Anniversary edition.

Although it doesn't have a lot of power its cornering power rates right up there with the best Corvette. A slight movement of the steering wheel the car instantly responds. It's more like driving a go-cart than a car.

Here's a picture of it with my 96 year old mother in it.

The most enjoyable motorcycle I've owned was a 1974 Honda CB400F cafe racer.
It's 400 cc, 4 cylinder engine was limited to 11,500 rpm and at that engine speed the screaming sound it made would stand your hair on end.

It could easily keep the front wheel in the air from launch until it was reaching the rev limit in 2nd gear.
It's light weight also allowed taking corners at the limit with the folding foot pegs dragging.

It was a fun machine to say the least.

[sharktale]

I'm just in my 20s right now, yet we'd had a lot of cars shuffled around till 2009, due to dad's jobs.

Listing my memoirs :

1. Dolphin Honda City - Blacked

It was a hand me down to my father, given by a senior executive at the company. Boy had he pampered the car with accessories.
Pioneer sub, amp, speakers, Double DIN HU with ambient lighting.

I entered my teens in this car, and was going through an Eminem+Linkin Park phase.

Often created a ruckus by blasting "Shake That".
It was a symbol to my friends, that I've arrived in style.
This generation model was often hated for it quirky looks, but I loved those lines.

Super reliable engine & gearshifts, and my driver often spirited to 5000rpm, on my command, on the flyovers, for that VTEC feel.



2. Toyota Corolla Altis - Silver

This made me realize, I am a sucker for reliable cars, and wouldn't miss the spirited Germans, as long as reliablity and comfort is taken care of. My father seldom joked that I was more old in thinking than he was, but this car never gave any trouble in its years of ownership. My newer Skoda is again in the garage for water pump failing for the 2nd time in 2 years. Good grief!

This car was really special, as it was the first car I actually drove, albeit for some kms only. I do agree, that this is not an enthusiasts' car and more like an 'appliance', but being the best "value-for-money&time" checks out the Marwari blood running in me.




Disclaimer : Images are for representative purposes only, sourced from Google.

[Sankar]

I never kept any of my ex-rides stock, so its not hard not to forget them. But at the same time I am not emotionally attached to them.

• Hero Puch Automatic (centrifugal clutch single speed) - Put an expansion chamber on it and some other mods. Later when i had enough of the automatic I got it converted to 2-speed.
  
  
• Bajaj Chetak - All DIY work - ported, increased intake duration by modifying the rotary valve which is part of crank, modified carburetor, lightened flywheel etc etc. Good enough to keep up with and get ahead of stock RX100.
  
  
• The big leap Honda CB750 1978 model. Very heavy 240kilos, no mods on it except some getting it back to shape work.
  
  
• RX135 5Speed - Again modified to drag spec, but it was my dialy drive also. 141CC to be precise. Pops clutchless wheelies in first two gears and even in 3rd gear if theres a pillion. Some in here knows about the bike as we've been part of the same gang then.
  
  
• Japan Maruti 800 (SS80) - This was bought used in Tvm, but was in great great shape, just one owner before me and the car had done only under 40000 genuine KM when i bought it. But I did some restomods on it - zen lower arms and stabiliser bar, a fresh overcoat of paint, modified carburetor, aura 12"alloy wheels and Bridgestone Potenza GIII. Did many Tvm - Bangalore rides in it and finally sold in Bangalore to a friend who knew about the car.
  
  
• Contessa Isuzu Petrol Engine - Carb model, ex-bhpians car. I didn't do much on this car except that I broke the suspension and sold it from the workshop it was in. My first RWD experience and proper drifts
  
  
• RD350 -No own rides for a while... :-( Didn't own this one but used it for like couple of months a while and belonged to my cousin's close friend.
  
  
• Bullet 350 cast iron (not the new pulsar bullets) - Again bought from the BHPian whom I bought the Contessa from. This one ended up getting some extensive mods to the engine and the looks. Twin spark, no headgasket, ported, Dellorto28mm carb, short exhaust blah blah blah.. was good enough to better a stock cast iron 500. Bought from Bangalore and brought it to Tvm. This bike had a ultra rare 15 year insurance!
  
  
• Karizma - The bike that almost killed me. Nothing more to say about this.
  
  
• AStar - My re-stepping back into a set of wheels after the crash and treatment. Can't ride a bike no more so has to be three wheels or more. This one had a nice music system, had a suspension mod for a while, no airbags so had momo steering, some minor exhaust and intake mods.
  
  
• Swift 1.2 K12 - Converted to Swift 1.4 K14, my discovery! Also had other supporting mods.
  
  
• Swift 1.3 MJD - Remapped, had some exhaust, intake mods. Used a MBC to up the boost (opening the eyes of couple of tuning folks to the use of MBC in a Diesel lol). Also used a rail pressure box with the map coz map alone wasn't fun.
  
  
• VW 1.5 GT TDI - Remapped, some exhaust and intake mods. needed an automatic so sold it off.
  
  
• Octavia RS 1.8T - Had this alongwith the VW. Was a single owner but neglected sample. I had purchased this intending to mod it but I ended up loving the car so much and because of the rarity of an "ünmodded" Mk1 RS i ended up doing a restomod on it but without any power ups. Scrapped a lot of VW's problem causing bits and pieces, simplified the innards of engine bay and turned it to a reliable daily. Wonder why Germans had to complicate simple things, the root of many problems as cars get old. Car was in its best in a long time with solid reliability and sold it to a friend when I got the Crysta, lack of parking space was one of the reasons plus gathering unwanted attention. Only car I ever regret selling.
  
  
• Crysta Automatic - Current ride, modified. Intake, exhaust and couple of other mods. Fastest Crysta automatic in the country 0 to 100 in 8.6 seconds on dragy.
  
  
• i10 Automatic - Current ride, minor air intake mods. bought for wife and my city usage but ended up getting not used. Need to use it more.

This is my list. All of them are unforgettable.

[deetjohn]

That one car has to be a Fiat Uno - which my uncle picked up from the very first lot here in Kerala.

It was a diesel and this shade of blue! Pic is from the net for reference.



The cars I used to drive most frequently back then were the Fiats (both 1100 and Padmini) or the Ambassadors or the 800s. Those were the most common cars in the family back those days. Yes, I had the occasional flings in a Zen or an Esteem, but that was few and far between.

And the cars, especially the Fiats and the Ambassadors, were not in the greatest nick either. Exhausted and jaded, that's what they were. And even if you mend them, the poor quality of parts meant that they were never 80% even - forget about being 100%. Thank God the machines were quite simple and straight forward back in those days. And people had time back then!

And one had to learn the fine art of driving. It was all too difficult if one isn't inclined. But for the initiated, like me, that higher engagement made that bond with the machines even stronger. For instance, one had to learn the fine art of throttle control to make the car move as smooth and as fast as possible even with a heavy load. Else, you were going to stall it to much embarrassment. Most cars around me in those days were either too old or tired or both. And it was an accomplishment to shift perfectly without jerks or unwanted noises, and as fast and smooth as possible so that these slow speed motors didn't lose momentum - especially around the second gear (both shifting up and down) using the column shifter. And did I speak about the brakes or the suspension or the lousy steering due to the condition of tyres? Anyways, I am digressing here! The ones from Maruti stable were much much better - literally many decades newer in every which way. But those honestly quite didn't tug my heart like the one which was to enter that simple world of mine.

After delivery, my uncle came straight home with the Uno. And it was simply a revelation! It was diesel, but there was no smell inside the car. It felt like a tank - but it was stupid fast. And on the narrow and relatively empty roads of Kerala back then, the Uno was a locomotive on rails - the 1.7 liter diesel pulled liked one, and the car went like one. The controls were all very nice and light, but it also had that tactile feel and a sense of engagement - the steering, the gearshift, the brakes - I was awestruck and couldn't sleep that night. And it quite possibly had the best cabin of all hatchbacks from Fiat till date. Great quality, great ergonomics and very well laid out. And that unique wipe from the single wiper like from a Mercedes - it was all too much for a young boy!

It was literally love at first sight, but it wasn't a one night stand either! I put a lot of miles on the Uno thereafter on multiple trips and the good old Fiat was simply glorious. It sat very close to the ground - one reason for it to handle and ride so well - and that meant it touched ground if one wasn't careful. But that honestly didn't feel like a problem for me - I felt I had the duty as a driver to handle that. And I think that notion is with me even to this day!

So, yeah I will pick the Uno. Some cars have come mighty close, but let's leave those out for the moment.

Stay happy with those wheels!

[blackwasp]

There have been very few cars that have made a lasting impression on me.

1. Our first car - the humble ol' Maruti 800 (UP 16 K 2198) in a Silver shade. My first road trip was to Jaipur in that car. Ofcouse I was too small to drive a car, yet I remember it vividly. We had it in Mumbai as well for some years before selling it off.

2. BHPian Elegant Pig's 'dukkar Fiat':


3. Punto 1.2 and our Abarth. I am very happy that I learnt to drive on the Punto! The steering, the handling and the overall felling of that car was something else. The Abarth is the same, just 1000X better in all aspects


4. GLE-Class: The car took mom, cousin, aunt and myself around a technical 4x4 course in the Mercedes-Benz car plant, Chakan. Despite being one of the first true experience of such a road (or lack of it), the car just blew my mind. It did all of that so comfortably with the assurance of always being in control and left a lasting impression of Mercedes-Benz on me.


5. S-Class: All this while I used to think man, people must be mad to spend crores on a car. But after spending some time with it, I realised that this is not just a car, it's something special. The handling, ride, acoustics, power.... is unlike any car I've driven.


6. Chinkara Roadster: My uncle once took me to their workshop and had a nice interaction with the owner on how it’s made. I also had a ride in it and was super fun. Wind in the hair, sitting close to the ground and the exhaust just beside you. For that car, 40 felt like 80 and 80 like 150! I remember the 4-pt harness holding me tight to the seat while we went about the twisty roads around Alibaug.