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The Demise Of The Dad Car…


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#1 mab01uk

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Posted 31 December 2017 - 10:24 AM

Paul Guinness of 'Classics World' laments the demise of the dad car…

"I’m sure I’m not alone in having fond memories of one particular dad car. For me, out of all the vehicles my parents drove during my formative years, the Austin Princess stands out as my personal favourite. And there’s every chance you have a stand-out car from your own childhood, a machine that performed the role of dad car equally brilliantly. Whether a Cortina, a Marina, a Minx, a Dolomite or a Victor, it’s fondly remembered for transporting your family on local trips and two-week holidays alike, filling your mind with happy childhood memories to be treasured all these years later.

No matter how different your own dad’s car might have been from our Princess, the one thing it almost certainly had in common was the fact that it was a saloon. Or maybe an estate at a push. If you were born in the 1960s or ’70s, these were the cars you grew up with; your dad would almost certainly have had a saloon of some description, unless a particular need for extra carrying capacity necessitated the choice of an estate version. The family car market was so much simpler back then."

More here:-

http://classicsworld...to-the-dad-car/

 

The article above made me think of my own personal favourite 'dad car' which was a black 1965 Mk3 Ford Zephyr 4 with red vinyl interior, bench front seat and column gear change, there was often a bit of a fight with my brothers to get the best seat in the middle of the front bench seat next to dad (no seat belts or child seats then!) and he would occasionally let you have a go at helping to change gear! :lol:

Z-Cars was a popular BBC Police series on TV at the time using Ford Zephyr 6 as patrol cars. (The six had a larger straight six cylinder engine and at the top of the range was the Ford Zodiac.

 

zgUoiNQl.jpg

 

Theme music and cars from the highly successful BBC series Z-Cars

 

Let us know if you too have fond childhood memories of a favourite 'dad car'........


Edited by mab01uk, 31 December 2017 - 10:36 AM.


#2 Stevie W

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Posted 31 December 2017 - 11:30 AM

My Dad had a Mk4 Ford Zodiac Estate, coachbuilt by Abbott’s of Farnham, lovely old barge with overdrive on 3rd & 4th....superb!

#3 Van13

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Posted 31 December 2017 - 12:09 PM

My fav of dads was his mk1 lotus cortina,which he kindly gave me for my 21st,I love to watch his face when he gets in it to give it a good thrashing

#4 sonikk4

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Posted 31 December 2017 - 01:03 PM

My old mans Hillman Minx, hand brake on the right hand side. That motor took us everywhere, got stolen then recovered and kept going. Met its demise one icy morning down Watermill lane where my dad crashed into a Church wall. Put a kink in the front chassis rail, bent the bumper and a small dent in the front. A modern car would have folded up, set off every airbag known to man and refuse to start.



#5 Black.Ghost

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Posted 31 December 2017 - 01:08 PM

Modern cars are rather dull, however efficient and user friendly they have become. No longer do you see anyone outside working on a car themselves, time is now far too precious and the skills long forgotten or simply not passed to through the generations (I k is everything is more electronic based diagnostic these days). I never had anyone teach me anything about cars, so I mostly guess and use YouTube. Long live the dad car! As a young father, I really want to find an old car that my daughter falls in love with that we have to keep going no matter what, rather than a modern car that is fairly disposable.

#6 Haygate

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Posted 31 December 2017 - 05:50 PM

My earliest memory was a marina, but then he had his favourite car of all time, a couple of year old ford Capri 1.6 GL, that was in the 80s.

#7 mm man

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Posted 31 December 2017 - 10:10 PM

My dad had a mk1 or mk2 jag I just remember all the red leather and the chromed wire wheels and because it had built in walnut flip down trays in the backs of the front seats it made me and my brother feel like royalty in the back seats ....but we came from a council estate tho !
Plus my dad was a coal man so god knows where the money came from ?
That’s one I wish was kept in the garage then handed down but alas it’s long gone !!

#8 Shep76S

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Posted 01 January 2018 - 01:51 AM

My Dad had a Mk4 Ford Zodiac Estate, coachbuilt by Abbotts of Farnham, lovely old barge with overdrive on 3rd & 4th....superb!

My dad had one too, thought the Farnham estates were quite rare? Was 770KM but the reg was sold on

#9 Dan the Van

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Posted 01 January 2018 - 08:14 AM

1966 Morris Oxford for me.Green with a white roof.LHM 709D I think.He had it years,used to go on holiday from Surrey to Dorset in it every year.Don't think it ever made it once without some roadside repairs lol.Rust got it in the end and he was gutted.Replaced with a Landcrab which had limousine levels of legroom in the back but horrid sticky vinyl seats and no armrest so I used to roll about all over when he gave it some round corners.Happy days.

#10 Stevie W

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Posted 01 January 2018 - 08:39 AM

My Dad had a Mk4 Ford Zodiac Estate, coachbuilt by Abbotts of Farnham, lovely old barge with overdrive on 3rd & 4th....superb!

My dad had one too, thought the Farnham estates were quite rare? Was 770KM but the reg was sold on

Hi, yes they were quite rare cars. I remember the seats were very comfortable and the in car entertainment system was a MW/LW radio with one very large speaker in the rear load area! I remember it being quite rapid with that 3 litre V6 Essex under the bonnet (hidden by the spare wheel) and the overdrive. The worst thing about it was the automatic choke which used to randomly come on when the engine was hot and I recall my Dad having to release it with a penknife he kept in his pocket, still a brilliant car though!




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