Car you vowed to buy as a lad

[CatmanV2]

Wanted
928
Countach
Esprit turbo
3200
SZ

All rejected for various reasons when I could actually afford them (apart from the Countach, which I've never been able to afford) and the SZ where I missed the boat

C

 

[Twinspark]

Nissan 300ZX Z32
Porsche 996 Turbo
Fiat Coupe (got it off the list pretty early )
BMW 850i (Had a good chance but missed it)
Alfa Romeo GTV 916
Corvette C5 (Also extremely close but was unable to finalize)
Dodge Viper
Most of the 90s/early 00s Ferrari lineup

Thats not counting super cars like the Diablo, F50 and EB110

 

[Alan Surrey]

Marcos Mantis. Spaceship to a ten year old boy in the 60's. The son in law of the homeowner across the road had one and visited most months, so I got to see it.
Funnily enough, he eventually replaced it with a TVR. See my avatar.

 

[Phil H]

A pair !

Ours were made of tree bark with sap for liners. The were a right bl00dy pain when the Woodpeckers were nesting.

PH

 

[huesey1974]

Always wanted an 8 series, was fortunate to have one a few years ago. Wish i had kept it as i sold it for buttons. Attached the only photo i could find!!!! Just checked and no mot since 2012, year after i sold it.

 

[philw696]

Always wanted a Ferrari after enjoying the experience of my late father's 330 GT that he had very early 70's.
Managed the 456 as my first and the 360 as my second whilst he was still alive.
Also became a Maserati Tech too which I know he was proud off.
From now on it's going to be ticking off a selection of classics as like Contigo they float my boat these days.

 

[Doctor Houx]

Marcos Mantis. Spaceship to a ten year old boy in the 60's. The son in law of the homeowner across the road had one and visited most months, so I got to see it.
Funnily enough, he eventually replaced it with a TVR. See my avatar.

View attachment 77294

I think that’s a Rover engined Mantula. The Mantis was a very weird looking 4 seater with a Triumph 2.5 straight 6 from the early 70’s.

I Had a 3 litre Ford V6 GT with the steel as opposed to wood chassis. Like a big go cart with incredibly sharp steering. This was it on the Norwich Union rally finishing at Silverstone in the late 80’s

 

[Crofty]

For me it was one of these, I was about 12 & was given a book on ‘super cars’ I was fascinated by the V8 vantage. I think I genuinely thought that when I was old enough to drive they would have deprecated enough for me to actually own one!.....silly boy!

 

[dgmx5]

Some great choices here, particularly the TR7, XJS and Sierra RS500. Some others that as time has passed I have come to desire like the Marcos and Miura.

For me, it was the 80s Audi Quattro.

 

[Saigon]

Always wanted an 8 series, was fortunate to have one a few years ago. Wish i had kept it as i sold it for buttons. Attached the only photo i could find!!!! Just checked and no mot since 2012, year after i sold it.View attachment 77295

Back in the 1990’s, although not a lad at the time I also wanted an E31 BMW 850, in today’s money it would have cost in the region of 100K plus at the time, so no chance. Unfortunately, I now have one, bought it for a small fraction of that price, but it is draining my bank account. Be careful what you wish for!.

 

[Wattie]

I always wanted a 928s.
Still haven’t had one.

 

[Zep]

First car I really wanted was the Alfa GTV I saw in a barn in Italy in the 80s. I can still remember it now. Then for a while in the 90s my Dad was really into Vauxhalls (I know, mad, he brought me home from being born in a Alfa Giulia Super) so I really wanted a Cavalier GSI like the touring cars. Then I persuaded him to buy a 75 Twin Spark LE and things got back on track.

In college my mates Dad had a Lotus Excel, I’ve quite fancied one since.

 

[Froddy]

I remember as a child seeing a De Tomaso Pantera GT5-S at a supercar showroom in Johannesburg (where we lived at the time) in the late 80s: it had such presence, and the rear wheels and exhausts were the most imposing I’d ever seen. I loved the plush interior too.

Made a real impression on me, and I dreamt of owning one when I grew up. I’m still waiting!

 

[gb-gta]

Not going to happen unfortunately

 

[conaero]

First car I really wanted was the Alfa GTV I saw in a barn in Italy in the 80s. I can still remember it now. Then for a while in the 90s my Dad was really into Vauxhalls (I know, mad, he brought me home from being born in a Alfa Giulia Super) so I really wanted a Cavalier GSI like the touring cars. Then I persuaded him to buy a 75 Twin Spark LE and things got back on track.

In college my mates Dad had a Lotus Excel, I’ve quite fancied one since.

Lovely. Nice bit of 80’s wedge, RWD transaxle

 

[Wanderer]

Lovely. Nice bit of 80’s wedge, RWD transaxle

And De Dion rear suspension, and inboard disks making a pad change a long-drawn out affair, and U-shaped handbrake lever specially designed by the Alfa 'annoy the customer dept.' to trap your fingers. and window switches over the rear view mirror, tiny boot, and the piece de resistance, the Alfa Warning Panel the flashed a huge red light at you for any trivial problem.

Oh, and the accelerator pedal, Alfa ankle anybody?

Loved mine, had two (at the same time) a TS and a 3.0 - TS far better, better balanced plus that one had a straight-through exhaust, brilliant car, apart from the what seemed to be Alfa's deliberate policy to wind the driver up!

 

[CatmanV2]

And De Dion rear suspension, and inboard disks making a pad change a long-drawn out affair,

Did it once on my Giulietta. Didn't get the memo 'reverse threaded' On axle stands in the flat block carpark with **** dropping in my eye and the pads going in from the top.

ONCE

Never had an issue with the famed Alfa ankle though.

C

 

[sionie1]

Jaguar Mark 2, but I did buy that when I was 18 with all the money I didn't have. I still have it.

The one that got away was the Hillman Avenger Tiger - and 40 years later I am about to finally put that right. I have the Corgi model (pic below) and in a few weeks I will have the car

Very excited. 1973 MK II Tiger in Wardance Red

View attachment 77268

My old man had an Avenger, not the Tiger version sadly. vinyl seats that burnt like **** in the summer and chilled like an ice pop in winter.

 

[zagatoes30]

Lancia Fulvia and very early Jaguar XJS, one down one to go

 

[Simon1963]

I can remember going to junior school in the 70s with a lad who’s dad was a car dealer. He used to bring him to school in a white Jensen Interceptor. I was fascinated by it and always loved them ever since. Always loved the E type coupes as well and in the mid 80s had a chance to buy one for 6k. Head ruled my heart though and I bought a house instead.