By Jeff Glucker
Someone on Twitter posted a question in the format below. Now, I’m not one to typically toss a Twitter “thing” here but this one is a good conversation starter. And that makes for a perfect Last Call. Share your own answers in the comments.
Last Call indicates the end of Hooniverse’s broadcast day. It’s meant to be an open forum for anyone and anything. Thread jacking is not only accepted, it’s encouraged.
I got my license 27 yrs ago
First car: ‘86 Nissan Sentra
Best car (owned): X3
Best car (driven): 2021 M5 Competition
Cars owned: 17?
Cars driven: more than 17
Most ‘WOW’ car driven: M5 competition
Current cars: 07 x3, 11 328xi wagon, 03 m5
I got my license 21 yrs ago
First car: 00 Fiat Punto Sporting
Best car (owned): Toss up between an immaculate NB Eunos Roadster RS (JDM Miata) or current Suzuki Cappuccino for potential when its finished.
Best car (driven): Lotus Exige, one of those “ruin cars for you for a bit” sort of cars. Everything else just seems soft, squishy and vague after.
Cars owned: 18
Cars driven: Lots – but not a lot of them interesting.
Most ‘WOW’ car driven: Lotus Exige again, but for the sake of something different, probably a 69 Dodge Charger 383 for novelty value.
Current cars: Mazda 2, Suzuki Cappuccino.
I got my license 48 years ago (holy crap I’m old)
First Car: ‘59 Nash Metropolitan (2nd car was a bugeye Sprite)
Best Car (owned): Chevy Bolt (unless it burns my house down)
Best Car (Driven): Jag XJ12
Cars Owned: 20.5
Most ‘WOW’ Car Driven: 1978 Mazda Rx7
Current Car: 2017 Chevy Bolt
I got my license 21 yrs ago.
First car: ‘77 Volvo 242
Best car (owned): ’71 Volvo 145
Best car (driven): ’03 Volvo V70R/’21 Tesla 3 Crazybaluba mountain drive
Cars owned: 10 (3 Swedish, 1 French, 4 Japanese, 2 Korean)
Cars driven: ?
Most ‘WOW’ car driven: Audi S8
Current cars: 2003 Centennial JS350, 2012 Nissan Leaf, 2015 Hyundai i20
Bucket list favourites: Volvo 1800ES on “invisible” Tesla chassis, UAZ Buhanka, ’82 green GAZ 24, Toyota Century, EV converted Centennial/Equus
I got my license when… jeez, I’m getting to be ancient.
First car: 1964 Rambler American, flathead six, three on the tree!
Best car/Best Car Driven: 1968 Plymouth Barracuda coupe, 318 auto, white, red interior, absolutely cherry with only 47K miles
Cars owned: 30+ and counting
Cars driven: I’ve absolutely no idea
Most “wow”: 1972 Plymouth Barracuda, 340 4 barrel and 4-speed manual, in Arrest Me Orange… eeeeeeeek!
Current cars: 1982 Volvo 240 Turbo wagon, 1982 Volvo 240 sedan, 1979 Volvo 245 wagon, 1991 Ford Econoline cargo van
I’ll add:
Coolest to Look At, Yet Most Boring to Drive: 1968 Buick Riviera
Wish I’d Never Sold It: 1960 Rambler American two-door wagon
Didn’t Think I’d Like It, But Drove the Crap Out of It for Years: 1967 Buick Wildcat
Thought I’d Like It, But Just HATED It: 1993 Toyota Pickup
Really Wouldn’t Mind Another One: 1986 Toyota MR2
Worst Reputation Yet Worked Just Fine For Me, Must Have Got a Good One: 1976 Triumph TR7
First car: ’95 Chrysler Intrepid
Best car (owned): ’10 Honda Civic
Best car (driven): Miata?
Cars owned: 10
Cars driven: hundreds on the road, thousands in parking lots
Most ‘WOW’ car driven: Mercedes AMG GT
Current cars: ’14 Mazda2 (also, an ’85 Honda Rebel 250 if bikes count, and if so, add two to my car total)
“Thousands in parking lots” registers under occupational hazard in your case? 🤪
Hah! Former occupation rather than current, really – I used to photograph used car inventory for dealers, and typically had to move them into position for a specific background, so I was driving about 200 cars a week for about 100m each.
Most interesting burnout: seven-car hauler that got high-centered leaving a parking lot; I helped the trucker get it unwedged without bringing in a heavy duty wrecker, and he asked me to drive even though I had never before been behind the wheel of a semi.
Biggest price jump on a car I used to own: I found a former car of mine on a classic lot for 9 times what I initially paid for it (the next owner restored it before selling)
Number of times being chased by police helicopter: 1
Number of times being apprehended after being chased : 0
I got my license 37 years ago.
First car: 1959 Ford Custom 300 four-door sedan
Best car (owned): not applicable
Best car (driven): 1959 Humber Super Snipe estate
Cars owned: around 30, depending on one’s definition of “car”
Cars driven: yes
Most ‘WOW’ car driven: The ToyoHog
Current cars (also depending on one’s definition of “car”): 1959 Ford Galaxie Skyliner, 1967 SAAB 96, 1970 International 1200D, 1975 Volvo 66 GL, 1976 Volvo 66 GL, 1977 Lyman Electric Quad (two), 1978 KV Mini 1, 1980 KV Mini 1, 1981 American Microcar Tri-Ped, 1981 HMV Freeway, 1982 Austin Allegro 3, 1983 Austin Maestro Vanden Plas, 2011-2012 UWashington Formula Motorsports T23 cCar
Best car (owned): not applicable
Perfect.
I got my license 32 yrs ago
First car: 1966 Mercury Comet Caliente
Best car (owned): 1987 BMW E30 (subjective: the steering was fantastic)
Best car (driven): BMW E39 (just an all-around great car)
Cars owned: 27
Cars driven: 50+
Most ‘WOW’ car driven: My ’66 Mercury. Not a “wow” car for most, but the big-block torque brings smiles every time.
Current cars: 1960 Rambler American Wagon, 1966 Mercury Comet (390 V8), 1967 Mercury Comet (289 V8), 1980 AMC Spirit GT, 2008 Volvo XC90, 2015 Kia Sedona, 2018 Audi Q5 (wife’s daily driver). Only the last three are currently licensed for driving; the others are in storage.
I got my license 18 yrs ago
First car: Ford Maverick (the OG version, not the new imposter)
Best car (owned): ’92 Saab 900S
Best car (driven): Hard to say really
Cars owned: 23
Cars driven: Quite a few
Most ‘WOW’ car driven: If by wow, you mean “Wow, people once put up driving such horrid things?” then it would be a ’49 Kaiser. But if wow is related to being good, maybe an original Mini. They look impossibly small, but they have surprising amount of room inside. And they really do handle like go karts, certainly not what you’d expect from a 50’s design.
Current cars: Mazda 2 (I’m surprised how many of us here own these), Kia Forte GT.
I passed my drivers test 37 (yikes) years ago.
First Car: ’76 Camaro OK, that was technically dad’s, my first was a 1980 Chevy Monza
Best Car (owned): ’02 RSX Type S
Best Car (driven): ’21 Accord Hybrid A bit of a technicality here too since we’re leasing it, but this car continues to impress me. 45+mpg, all-day comfort, good looking, quick and steering that rivals my E46. The only thing that could improve it is if it was a wagon or hatch.
Cars Owned: ~24
Cars Driven: Lots
Most “Wow” car driven: FormaCars built Factory Five Mark IV
Current Car: ’02 BMW 325Ci, ’01 Tundra, 1960 Thunderbird Convertible plus the 2 Proteges my kids drive and my wife’s 2021 Accord Hybrid EX-L lease.
I got my license 52 years ago (yeah, Go ahead and say it).
First Car owned: 1975 Honda Civic (second was a 1966 Alfa Romeo Giulia Spider)
Best Car owned: 1971 Alfa Romeo Spider Veloce
Best Car driven: Alfa Romeo 4C – pure essence of driver’s car
Cars Owned: 22 if I remembered them all
Most Wow Car Driven: 2016 Morgan Aero
Most “It is too a real car!” Owned 1973 Honda Life Kei car
Current Car: 2019 BMW 530i Sportline
I’m a baby! 15 years. much less impressive stats than you guys.
first: 97 Maxima SE
best owned: 94 Miata
best driven: wow I don’t know
owned count: 8 (one of em twice, currently angling for #9)
driven count: I dunno a lot
wowest: tie – 99 Ferrari 360 coupe 6spd or 06ish Gallardo auto
current fleet: 94 Miata, 95 E320 coupe. I’ve got a type, and it’s “cheap 90s”.
Catching up so
license 40 years ago
First car: 1978 VW Scirocco
Best car (owned): 2014 Mazda5
Best car (driven): BMW 325ix
Cars owned: 10
Cars driven: dozens
Most ‘WOW’ car driven: BMW R1200RT (yes it’s a motorcycle, sue me), the 1998 Landrover Defender 90 was also memorable
Current cars: 2016 Mazda CX-5, 2002 Ford F150, 2003 Buick LeSabre, 1978 BMW R100S, 1983 Honda CM250C