[GrandTourer]

Hi BHPians,

If you are a part of this community, you are no doubt a petrolhead. Be it cars or bikes, our love for these soulful machines knows no bounds. But what was that moment that ignited your love for cars/bikes? We would love to hear about the moments that awakened the petrolhead inside of you.

For me it was sitting at the helm of an Ambassador at the tender age of 3. (Before you think reckless, read on)

I was told that when I was a kid, merely months old, I would sit in my mom's lap in the front seat of my dad's Fiat and turn every knob and flick every switch I could reach. There were times I have turn off the ignition while dad was cruising down the Western express highway of those days (Those days Fiat had the ignition key in the centre of the dashboard). This love story started even before I could speak or walk. But of course I don't remember all that.

My earliest memory:
When I was about 3 yo, my grandma's brother used to drive a white Ambassador. The best days used to be when he came to visit us. He would stop and honk at the gate and I would go running to sit in the driver's seat on his lap. I would then proceed to "maneuver" the car into the backyard and the parking thereafter.
Of course I would be holding the horn ring (Amby used to have that smaller wheel inside steering wheel for the horn) and my granduncle would obviously drive the car.



That, my friends, was when this Petrolhead was born.

[GTO]

Thread moved from the Assembly Line to the Shifting Gears Section. Thanks for sharing!

My earliest memories are:

- Playing in Dad's W111 Benz.

- Seeing the 1986 Maruti 800 for the first time in Juhu....in particular, it's rotary air-con controls and thinking that the car is as futuristic as a rocketship! Same thing happened when I saw a white Maruti 1000 for the first time. Gosh, those curves!

- Sitting between Dad & Mom on the front bench seat of the Ambassador / Padmini and observing how Dad drove. At times, he'd let me change gears.

[dailydriver]

A white Maruti 800 came in front of my school gate, picked me and a classmate and ferried us to an auditorium at the other end of the town for a rhyme recitation contest. I sat in the back, overawed by the sofaish luxury that the seat offered. The car belonged to my Head Mistress, who also happened to be my co passenger's mother.

I was four; the only other personal mode of transport I had experience with, at that point, was my father's Atlas bicycle!

[Leoshashi]

I won't be able to recall one single incident, but here are a few things which I can remember.

1. I was crazy about car toys. Had a huge collection of Hotwheels, LeoToys etc. Dad was incharge of Vehicle maintenance back then, and I remember sending in my toys to workshops for repairs when I broke them.

2. Unlike others of my age, my favourite activity was reading emblems of cars. My little brain couldn't comprehend why 800 had an OX emblem(didn't look anything like an OX). I loved the Jeeps and Gypsies since they made for an excellent hiding spot with the softtop on!

3. My favourite books back in school days used to be dad's college books on IC engine and Engine design, even if I didn't understand much. It all comes back with better understanding when I now see the engines dismantled in workshops.

4. The earliest memories of a car was an Ambassador Nova which we had back in the day. I only remember sitting on its hood or boot. I never got to travel in it since I never remember it moving. I am told it was utterly unreliable.

5. When I started to go to school, my favourite time of the day was when dad took me to school in our Omni.

There are many more, but these are some which I'll cherish forever.

[gkveda]

My parents always tells this story of mine to my sibblings and younger generation

When I was 8-10 months old, they tell, I used to recognize all the cars of those times with my own language. All cars such as Ambassador, Fiat, Plymouth, Impala, Morris minor, and what not . I always used to say, I will purchase Impala when I grow old. (Incidentally, that was the biggest car I had seen those days)

I do not remember this, but, even today, my relatives (Uncles and Aunts, )everyone teases me whenever they see old cars and ask me to recognize them. And they call my Fortuner, Impala simply because, I used to say, I will NOT purchase any other car other than Impala. They have recognized me as Petrol Head when I was 10 months old.

We never had cars till I completed my graduation. I first sat in a Maruti 800 which was my uncle's office car in 1992.

Our first family car was Fiat (My uncle's second hand car ) in 1997.

I never had formal training of driving cars. I learnt driving by just observing my friend Vishwanath M S(RVCE Mate) when he was driving his father's fiat in 1994. I observed his driving for 2 weeks continuously for almost 45 mins per day. One day, I just borrowed his car and started driving without any instructions from him. Just told a lie that I know driving and started driving. The funny part is, he never felt that I do not know driving.