What's the worst car that you've ever owned ??

[Projectionist]

OK - confession time....

I have owned, over the years, a Lada, Skoda (old type), and a Trabant - thankfully not at the same time. 

All have been as bad as rumoured, and good for building up one's mechanical skills.

Can anyone top this list of motoring dog toffee 

[TallTrees]

Friend of mine had an Hillman Imp! 

Same thoughts all round! @Mi-Amigo 

[Cleoriff]

I was born in Coventry, which was then the hub of the motor industry. So we had many cars when I was growing up.

I remember on one occasion when we had the Triumph Stag, my dad had an Austin Princess. My other half and I, along with our two boys decided we would go on a camping holiday, driving to the South Of France.

Dad suggested we swapped cars for the two weeks. The Stag not being a type of car to pack 2 adults 2 kids and all the camping paraphanalia. So we took his immaculate Austin Princess.

The Princess had only ever done short runs, taking dad to work or bowling.

We got to the ferry at Calais fine, then the trip through France down to the South began What a nightmare. First we got a puncture in the middle of nowhere. Everyone out while we changed the spare tyre, which was awful. Got a few miles on and the spare tyre went. Luckily it was by a garage and they had the tyre to fix. (taking a big chunk of our spending money

Coming back home, the clutch went and it was stuck in third gear. Dunno how Ray managed it but he drove that car back to the UK in 3rd gear. It needed a couple of jump starts but we got it home wrecked.

The funny thing was I was worried sick about the state of Dads car, he was more worried that he had put us through that by loaning us the 'bag of ****' as he put it.

Never again....(although we did drive my Honda Civic down to Spain many years later without a problem at all)

[pgn]

---

@TallTrees wrote:

Friend of mine had an Hillman Imp! 

Same thoughts all round! @Mi-Amigo 

---

 A Hillman Imp with no reverse gear proved interesting... Thankfully, it was small enough that it was possible to do a full 360degree turn without falling over the edge of the Dock into the sea in front of our house (if a fishing boat was unloading at the small pier in front of the house, you were b*ggered, but did have a couple of burly fishermen who'd push it backwards and let you complete the manoeuvre...) 

[TallTrees]

Wow, wonderful story ~ now these are the stories! @Cleoriff 

Loved it (not for you at the time understood)

Great Dad though! 

Spare!  Now most do not have a spare tyre in.

I got one it was an EXTRA!

These are the "great times" only in memory though

[TallTrees]

Brilliant @pgn 

My friend had a "bubble car"

what a car? anyway great fun ~ no reverse either, just remembered. Love it

Turned over no one hurt fortunately!  had to get out that front door.

[Cleoriff]

I was pleased when they stopped making bubble cars @TallTrees 

They were an accident waiting to happen. Particularly in bad weather and big winds.

[TallTrees]

I know @Cleoriff 

The only "dinky" car now I suppose is the Smart Car (not the same though)

[pgn]

Our Imp was white, but the country reg in this pic, if it survives yet, would be accurate:

[TallTrees]

That looks really smart ~ that Imp ~ not a bit like the dust bin my friend had and it was bluey colour.

@pgn  Fab number plate ~ great for any car!

[pgn]

Check out the reg on the car we had on a Mediterranean holiday almost 10 years ago - a grot bucket that cost about €90 for the week - a Tata Matiz, I think it was. Great fun