Thread: GOOGLE CARS THAT YOU HAVE OWNED & POST IN CORRECT COLOUR & SEQUENCE.

Cripes Ron, you make me feel like a Neanderthal ; I bought my first car at age 28

I was driving my grandfather’s Ford Custom 300 to the servo to fuel up when I was 12, on Beaudesert Rd, calamvale.
Oh, my parents never paid for any of my cars, I had to work to earn the money. Dad never had the money - single income with 6 kids.

Ron, a close friend of mine had a slightly earlier Vauxhall, but it looked like that one. It had cable brakes, that added a spice of uncertainty to driving - they never seemed to work on more than three wheels, and it was a different three for every application. It also had "knee action" suspension, which, while a fascinating setup, tended to give it a knock kneed appearance.

It was replaced by a '34 Ford V8 - went like arocket, but didn't stop very well, although fortunately the brakes were predictable.

Oddly enough the Holden-built Vauxhall was 12v and had electric wipers - unlike the first Holdens, 6v and vacuum wipers.

In many ways the UK motor industry in 1938 was in many respects much more advanced than the US motor industry in 1948 - not that the 48-215 was a 1948 design - it was, I believe a planned 1942 Chevrolet. But still applies.

Note that that Vauxhall would have had a Holden Body on an imported chassis rather that being literally Holden-built.

Most UK built cars except perhaps the absolute bottom of the market ones had moved to 12v systems by about 1930. The US industry had the advantage post war that they had another two years of recovery from the depression before entering the war, and then spent a lot of their wartime effort making military vehicles, where in the UK most car manufacturers spent the war building military equipment other than motor vehicles. And after the war the UK manufacturers mostly had to restart with 1939 designs (or earlier) sometimes slightly refreshed, where the US firms started with 1941 designs.

Not to mention that by and large few of the US car factories had to contend with bombs coming through their roofs.

Originally Posted by JDNSW

Note that that Vauxhall would have had a Holden Body on an imported chassis rather that being literally Holden-built. .

Yes. the badge said something like Body by Holden. I said Holden-built as many on here wouldn't have known Holden were body builders.

The rear was different to the UK models, too. It had a proper boot.

I am surprised how many people owned Hillman Hunters!
We had one in the early 80's, a Hillman Hunter GT.
It had twin carbies which may have been the GT bit?
It broke down the night we bought it but after some repairs did drive from Toowoomba to Canberra & back with only minor problems.
It got totalled when a Ford LTD hit it head on while waiting to turn right at an intersection, neither wife, daughter or self hurt but the old Hillary Hunter just disintegrated in front of us.

I recall it was a pretty ordinary car.
Jonesfam

The Roots Group Hillmans were very good cars but went down hill once in the hands of Chrysler. The Hillman Imp was Roots down fall , they had overheating & head problems but were a fun car to drive .