I suspect most people who remember their parents’ cars don’t think of them with any particular fondness beyond nostalgia for happy times spent in them (or vivid memories of the time the dog threw up halfway through the four-hour trip to Nana’s, that sort of thing), and may not even recall what the cars were, even if the memories of sitting in the wagon’s way-back are otherwise indelible. And while encountering a car from childhood might earn a wistful “My Mom had one of those,” an ordinary person probably isn’t hot to acquire the blast from the past.
However, we are not ordinary people, and I suspect many of you would love to own cars that were once your parents’ daily drivers. I know I sure would, and I’m not even talking about Dad’s Volkswagens squareback and Beetle, MG Midget, or Datsun 280Z – or Mom’s Jeep J10 Thriftside, for that matter, though I loved all those cars.
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No, the one car I would most like to have from my days as a passenger would be my Dad’s 1986 Nissan Maxima, which was exactly like the one Doug dives into here:
I have fond memories of this car seeming like the peak of luxury and technology for 1986, but nostalgia aside, I just plain love it. I really miss the crisply-folded era of 1980s styling, and this generation’s straight lines and slab sides really do it for me, not to mention those wheels.
In a very close second, there’s Dad’s 1982 Celica notchback, seen here in a brochure pic:
I actually prefer the look of the “regular” Celica as above over the puffed-up GT, and I like the notchback better than the hatch bodystyle. You may disagree!
Mark Tucker piped in with his own reply to today’s Ask, replying, “Oh, I have a great answer for that AA: my dad’s Fiat 128 sedan. I’ve written about it on Opposite Lock.”
Yeah, that’s hot.
Your turn:
What Car Did A Parent Have When You Were A Kid That You’d Love To Have Now?
Top graphic image: Nissan
My dad had a 67 Firebird he got rid of before I was born. Think he got rid of it shortly after my brother was born (thanks lane brother haha) so I would say that. Not that I love firebirds or anything though.
Dad’s AWD second gen Ford Tempo, gold with tan interior. I absolutely adored that car when I was a kid.
Dad had a few Barracudas, Mom had a Monte Carlo SS. That SS is now mine, but I’d love to add a Barracuda to my fleet.
Actually it WAS the ‘86 Maxima! That thing was cool!
Another friend’s parent had a ‘72(?) 454 Vette he never got the chance to finish restoring, and another pal’s pop had an 86 Vette drop top (red leather, white paint) I got to drive a few times, cementing my love for the C4. My biggest covet was my friend John’s parents ‘72 MGB – light blue. I’d still love an MGB.
And my biggest automotive regret from that time is not buying the blue 1971 Beetle Autostick from our middle school’s special ed teacher when she offered it to me. (She lived on my side of town and knew I loved bugs.)
Relatedly I really wanted my dad to hang onto my grandfather’s 1968 Olds Cutlass Supreme 4-door vinyl hardtop, dark green, gold-painted Rocket V8, garaged since new…I was 11 when he left it to us and my dad sold it that winter, even though we had garage space and I was already wrenching; I remember literally begging him not to sell it but he did, to a couple of dudes for basic transportation and I’m sure it’s long since gone to DT’s Rust Riders in the Sky. I looked up the body style recently and jfc you can’t find one anywhere.
(That said — if you bought a 1968 4-door Olds CS in 1989 in northern NJ lmk.)
yeah the second gen was the best Maxima
E28 535i manual, limited slip, black on black.
take E28 533i manual…. same but no ABS which makes is even more fun to drive
Two: 1977 (or maybe ’76 or ’78) Chevy Cheyenne K-series pickup
1976 Honda Civic Hatchback.
1950 Cadillac Coupe de Ville in the classic black on black color scheme. It was about 4 years old and formally owned by a local doctor. He saved up his summer money to buy it before he left for college.
1985 Civic Wagon with 4WD. It was some Euro spec that was labeled “Shuttle Wagon”. Also the 1982 Datsun King Cab pickup.
Dad bought a pristine used ’90 Town Car in my college years (’96 maybe). Felt he had finally made it… That land barge was the most comfortable cross country cruiser ever built. An elderly neighbor has a ’92 or so (with the 4.6 and 4 wheel discs) that I am tempted to ask about now that I am past that same age.
He bought a brand new ’77 Cutlass Supreme coupe, triple black, when I was an infant. First new car he had ever owned. I don’t remember it – he traded it for a new Fairmont in ’81 and NEVER bought another GM. Still, I always thought the Olds looked better than the other GM brands on badge engineered cars.
The Turbo Corvair, Buick Wildcat and Barracuda all predate my birth.
My Mother had a 1970 Oldsmobile Cutlass (Coupe) that I’d love to own today!
I asked her recently (she is 84 years old) of all the cars she has owned, which was her favorite and she said that the Cutlass was her all time favorite. Mine too.
Her second most favorite car was her 1956 Chevy Bel air. (which was before my time)
Dad and Mom had a whole run of cool cars. I’d take the ones I remember best, Mom’s red Datsun 510 2-door and Dad’s older-model VW bus. Also the Citroen 2CV that almost ran over Jimmy Durante.
Oh, man! My dad had several of really desirable cars. The one I’d want most is his ’69 Mercury Cyclone Cobra Jet. Second place would be his ’68 Ford Ranchero GT, also with a 428 CJ (he liked big blocks, and he could not lie!). Unfortunately, both of those are big bucks today with the CJ engines. Even with smaller engines, both of these generations were only 2-year runs, so not a lot to choose from.
The more attainable (today) cars he had were an early 70s MGB, and then later on, a Z31 300ZX Turbo, fully loaded with 5spd, t-tops, digital dash. I’d love to have any one of these four.
Dad had a 1950’s Mercedes 190SL, gunmetal gray with red interior. Gave it to his little brother, who traded it for a VW bug. Mom had a 1973 Mazda RX3 wagon–thing went like a bat out of h3ll. Then she got a 1978 Datsun 810 with a 4 speed manual–also very fast and fun (for the time).
We had a Datsun 510 wagon when I was a kid. I loved that car so much. My sister wrecked it.
Mercedes 190E
My parents had access to one for a couple months. That car made me decide to focus on studies, work hard, get a good job, so I can get myself a Mercedes.
No. Now I’m pushing 50 and I still haven’t owned a Merc.
It’s not too late – the only desirable Mercs are still from that era and affordable. I believe in you!
1953 Chevy 210
1965(?) Pontiac Catalina Safari
1982 Datsun B210 Hatchback, manual transmission in maroon with black vinyl interior.
My Mom bought one new in 1982, and it eventually went to my older brother who ran it into the ground and eventually cracked the engine block after running straight water in the radiator too long into the fall.
I Would want it to wind up a slightly les bonkers version of this:
https://bringatrailer.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/Datsun_210_B210_1200_SCCA_GTL_Hillclimb_Vintage_racer_in_Race_Cars_Not_Street_Legal_eBay_Motors_1360198042.jpg
Not a parent but the neighbors who had a baby at the same time I was about 8 had a metallic-green B210 hatchback coupe with tan interior. They must’ve liked it, when the carseat in the coupe was getting too much they replaced it with an ’82 210 SL wagon, white/blue interior, both manual.
They are getting pretty hard to find these days, and most of them that do show up for sale are the earlier models from the 70s.
nope. Their choice in cars sucked other than an Isuzu I-mark which turned out to be really reliable.
On my street growing up 55 Corvette, 58 190sl, Citroen DS wagon, 64 Eldorado and a Humber Super Snipe
Red Plymouth Breeze: manual, wind up windows and a manual sunroof.
The Breeze came out when I was in high school and I wanted one real bad.
Before I was born, so maybe not in-scope, but they had a dark blue 1971 Pontiac LeMans with a white interior. The pictures look great.
1972 K10 Chevy Suburban 3 door. 350V8, 4 speed manual, 4×4 with posi-trac rear end. Awesome spec.
Totaled in accident in 1987. We got a Dodge Ram conversion van to replace it.
My mother had a 1975 Datsun 710 wagon in Sunshine Yellow that my father traded in his 240Z for when I was born. He put the slotted mag wheels off the Z onto the wagon and I still remember how cool it looked. We used to drive back and forth the 7 hour drive between northern Maine and Massachusetts when my dad worked up there and we were building the house down in Mass before eventually moving here. I’d love to get one of them now.
Funny, I hadn’t thought about this generation Maxima in a long time but apparently last night one was in a high speed pursuit in LA.
https://www.reddit.com/r/whatisthiscar/comments/1qe6rsm/what_the_hell_is_that_a_car_used_in_a_police/
To answer the question, I was born and raised in Australia and when I lived there my dad had an XD Ford Fairmont Ghia:
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/5c/Fairmont_Ghia_XD_ESP.jpg
Clearly that had a lasting effect on me because I now currently own four boxy American 70s/80s Fords. I’d love to import an XD to add to my fleet.
1960s/1970s VW Beetle
Except I’d put something interesting in it, like a 1.9L TDI engine or do an EV conversion.
…those are two very different ends of the spectrum.
That said, making a voltswagen (yes, that is the term for an ACVW EV) will probably be a lot easier than shoehorning a straight four of any design in there.