It's said you never forget your first love or your first car. Mine was a little beauty of majestic qualities. Ah yes, this young 18 year old loved her white Ford Escort Mark 1 Mexico above anything or anyone else. It was beloved and polished to within an inch of it's life. The chrome bumper and casing surrounding the headlights and radiator grille had more T Cut and Brasso applied than I care to think about. I saved up for a car radio/cassette player (couldn't afford the 8 track) and some swazzy door speakers. It had a chrome gearstick and a highly sophisticated small racing steering wheel covered in leather. The Mark1 seemed at the time to be the car of choice for all the greatest rally teams and in the days before compulsory seatbelt wearing and speed cameras, my white Escort would invariably be seen razzing round country lanes at breakneck speed and without a thought to personal safety or the safety of others. My Escort transported my mates and I round local pubs and was the usual venue for late night chips and gravy, late night chats, late night listening to Radio Luxembourg and the odd snog-fest. Unfortunately, it also started to lose oil at alarming regularity, get overheated and had to be jump started more often than is good for your lower lumbar region. And then the floor started to fall out. Only a little rust at first, followed by massive chunks that were so big, you could see every road marking and cat's eye between your trainers on the clutch and accelerator. It's last gasps of life happened once fateful weekend when we all traipsed over to Manchester to visit our mate who was training to be a nurse at Ancoats Hospital. On our return home it finally died on the East Lancs road and we had to hitchhike back. It was towed back the next day and it's fate was consigned to the local scrapyard. I was heartbroken. I've had loads of cars since, but none have provided the thrill and excitement of driving that white Escort Mark1 which also captured the carefree life before mortgages, responsible jobs and crows feet....
Well Very interesting - my first was a Mini Van & i paid £65 quid for it - bearing in mind that was about 2 Months Wages - I had the standard coat hanger aerial (U dont see them now !) and Rubber floor mats - these were to cover the same gaping hole u suffered from - and on aral bad day it was wet legs up to the Knees - Best car in the world it was tho !
ReplyDeleteAnd if you want some nostalgia & can remember your old registration number - head over to this site : It is the DVLA searchable Database and will tell you all your old car details - ideal for a bit of light entertainment
http://www.taxdisc.direct.gov.uk/EvlPortalApp/
and Select Vehicle enquiry
Mini Van passion wagon eh Dave? I didn't have the coat hanger aerial but I also don't remember too much in the climate control, power-steering, electric windows, parking assistance, 5th gear, back windscreen heater, air bags, sat nav, central locking or headrest departments either! These young 17 year olds with their brand new Mini Cooper S's really don't know what they're missing do they?
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