How and when did your love for cars begin????
#16
Thread Starter
Lexus Fanatic
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 22,608
Likes: 102
From: Waiting for next track day
Its odd for my b/c my dad is not really a car guy, nor really anyone close to me as a child. I just remember loving cars since I was a kid. I kind of wish I had that same opinion of cars as I didn't know/read so much. I remember loving the Chevy Corsica and Beretta GTZ!!
Knight Rider was influential, Smokey and the Bandit, Transformers, MASK and yes the Countach and Testerossa was big with me, as well as a Pantera. During the early 1990s, I was big on most all Hondas/Acuras and the Ford Probe!!
Overall I don't really remember the first time I was like "OMG I love cars". I do remember going to the NY Auto Show for the first time as a child and thinking "AWESOME"!
Knight Rider was influential, Smokey and the Bandit, Transformers, MASK and yes the Countach and Testerossa was big with me, as well as a Pantera. During the early 1990s, I was big on most all Hondas/Acuras and the Ford Probe!!
Overall I don't really remember the first time I was like "OMG I love cars". I do remember going to the NY Auto Show for the first time as a child and thinking "AWESOME"!
#18
My first love was machines in general. It started at about 3 or 4 years old when I was able to hang out with my dad a few hours every day working with all the farm equipment -- tractors, combines, cotton pickers, trucks, dozer, track hoe, etc. By about 12 my interest in machines expanded to include machines which would go fast, including cars. I was driving regularly on public roads when I was 12 (rural area -- it wasn't uncommon), did my first engine swap by myself at 13 or 14, and have been into cars, trucks, and bikes since.
#20
Several GM dream cars with gas turbine engines were mocked up in wood for shows, or were never properly powered by anything resembling a practical turbine. They were interesting engineering exercises, but even to my 10-12 y/o mind, totally impractical to manufacture, own, or maintain . . . not to mention carrying the "fin" idiom to wretched excess . . .
My first love with a REAL car was this:
- the original Ferrari Testarossa. Although it looks pretty contemporary still, this car was introduced in 1957. The sleek curves combined with a few raw features to exude sex for a generation of adolescents. Remember this was styled at the height of the tailfin era in the US.
Small, light and very fast, it didn't do as well as expected in racing - that success would come later with the original GTO. Even as Ferrari began to divide its focus between selling and racing cars, they never failed to produce their signature beauty in form. 1957 was singularly unfortunate for the Scuderia, as Fangio had returned to Maserati, Castellotti died in a testing mishap and the Marquis de Portago crashed into a crowd at the Mille Miglia, taking Ferrari out of F1 briefly and swinging the focus to club racing. The Testarossa was the first real effort at selling a genuine racing car.
My first love with a REAL car was this:
- the original Ferrari Testarossa. Although it looks pretty contemporary still, this car was introduced in 1957. The sleek curves combined with a few raw features to exude sex for a generation of adolescents. Remember this was styled at the height of the tailfin era in the US.
Small, light and very fast, it didn't do as well as expected in racing - that success would come later with the original GTO. Even as Ferrari began to divide its focus between selling and racing cars, they never failed to produce their signature beauty in form. 1957 was singularly unfortunate for the Scuderia, as Fangio had returned to Maserati, Castellotti died in a testing mishap and the Marquis de Portago crashed into a crowd at the Mille Miglia, taking Ferrari out of F1 briefly and swinging the focus to club racing. The Testarossa was the first real effort at selling a genuine racing car.
#21
When I was in the fourth grade, I was down in California at one of the local malls where there was one of Ford's concept cars on display. I thought everything about it looked REALLY cool; it was so futuristic and had really funky lines. That car was responsible for sparking interest in cars for me. Looking back, the car was pretty ugly, but it was interesting-looking enough to make me go look at the car mags on the magazine racks at the stores. When the internet came around to us common folk, it gave me access to cars people modified on a regular basis. I was bit by the bug and the rest is history.
#23
I'm older than I usually admit, but my interest in cars started when I was about 6 years old. I still have not cured my "love for cars" illness.
Part of the problem was my father. Since I was 10 years old he leased a brand new, custom-ordered car every single year (fringe benefit via work) and of course I helped him do the ordering of all the hi-perf options. We also went to the car show in the city every year too.
Part of the problem was my father. Since I was 10 years old he leased a brand new, custom-ordered car every single year (fringe benefit via work) and of course I helped him do the ordering of all the hi-perf options. We also went to the car show in the city every year too.
#24
#25
Originally my grandfather was a car fanatic (changing cars every year) which then made my dad into somewhat a car fanatic. And because of this my brother is too. My brother is 10 years older than me. I used to hang out with him and his friends a lot. They happen to be into cars and that was how I was introduced.
#26
I've liked cars very early on for some reason. I remember asking my mom about every car that drove by. I think I might have been 4 years old.
I remember asking about the Mercedes E Class.
But after the year 2000 I remember liking VW Passats and Nissan Patrols. I thought the old Land Cruiser Prado was mocking the Patrol. haha.
And a few years later I remember being intrigued by the new LC Prado. I really liked the taillights. And I think at the same time I started liking the RX. At first I didn't know it's a Lexus. I didn't know anything about Lexus' back then (2004-ish).
I couldn't decide which I liked more.
A little later I started leaning towards the RX and Lexus in general, because I read all about Lexus' history and philosophy. I slowly started disliking Toyota and acknowledged only Lexus from then on. I thought and still think, actually, that why do you need Toyota, when you can have Lexus. It's like Toyota is artificially removing all luxury and niceness from their cars just to be different from Lexus. I also think that a car company should make the best cars they possibly can - and that's Lexus. Not Toyota. It's like they're holding back with Toyota.
I'm not crazy about the RX anymore. I like another Lexus. A bigger one
I remember asking about the Mercedes E Class.
But after the year 2000 I remember liking VW Passats and Nissan Patrols. I thought the old Land Cruiser Prado was mocking the Patrol. haha.
And a few years later I remember being intrigued by the new LC Prado. I really liked the taillights. And I think at the same time I started liking the RX. At first I didn't know it's a Lexus. I didn't know anything about Lexus' back then (2004-ish).
I couldn't decide which I liked more.
A little later I started leaning towards the RX and Lexus in general, because I read all about Lexus' history and philosophy. I slowly started disliking Toyota and acknowledged only Lexus from then on. I thought and still think, actually, that why do you need Toyota, when you can have Lexus. It's like Toyota is artificially removing all luxury and niceness from their cars just to be different from Lexus. I also think that a car company should make the best cars they possibly can - and that's Lexus. Not Toyota. It's like they're holding back with Toyota.
I'm not crazy about the RX anymore. I like another Lexus. A bigger one
#27
I a a self taught car guy *** well. My dad and brother dont care at all. I have just always been drwn to them. I remebering just staring at cars while in the car with my parents. I used to like watching the suspension working and always noticed that I knew cars well by their brake lights or head lights
#28
I have to disagree. Toyota is the broad brand like Ford. Lexus is the Luxury division of Toyota. If there was no Toyota then we would not have the; MR2, Supra, Soarer, Aristo, or Corolla. Besides not everybody can afford the L
#29
When I was about 8 I noticed 67 Barracuda's fastback design was different from most cars. In 1970 I first entered a New Car showroom & was attracted to the Mach 1 on display, but I didn't get serious until I was 14 & my neighbor bought a 1975 TransAm. Every time I heard that car coming I would stop what I was doing & watch the T/A drive by. Soon I discovered my Dad's Chilton manual & began researching/ bench racing based on HP figures in the Chilton manual. When I got my license I narrowed my search to 67-73 Camaro & Firebird or 70-74 Challenger & Barracuda. 2 months before I graduated High School bought my 1st car 1971 Formula Firebird 455