Talk Back Tuesday: Your Childhood Dream Cars
Someone brought up this topic a few days ago, asking me what my dream cars were as a child.
If you're an automotive enthusiast you can likely rattle off the dream cars of your youth without taking a breath. Dozens of images flow through my mind when I think about what cars fascinated me as a kid. But to give the question merit I think you have to define "childhood." The cars that excited me in grade school, late '70s Firebirds and '57 Chevys, weren't the same ones I lusted after in my teens. For me, I'll define "childhood" as 16 years old, or the year driving cars went from being fantasy to reality. At that age, these were my favorite vehicles (with period-correct photos to prove the point):
1. Plymouth Superbird (pictured above) -- They looked ridiculous and were supposed to go 200 mph, which was faster than any new car in 1985, even Italian exotics. Of course they couldn't really go that fast in street trim, but they went that fast on the NASCAR tracks (back when "stock" car racing actually meant something) and had to be banned because they were scaring the officials with their speed. Big wings and a pointed nose for aerodynamics. Banned from NASCAR for being too quick. Sold with the Hemi engine. Too cool for middle school. And still a favorite of mine today for all those same reasons. I shot this during a Mopar show in Golden, Colorado in 1986.
2. Ferrari Testarossa -- It's easy to laugh at the styling and the Miami Vice connection today, but this was the coolest new car sold in 1986 (even before Don Johnson drove it on T.V.). Someone in my neighborhood had one that would occasionally sit out on the driveway. One day, while driving by and seeing it, I made a U-turn and had a friend take this picture of me next to it. I've probably only done that (had my picture taken next to a car I didn't own) five times in my entire life. BTW, how cool are red shoe laces?
3. AAR 'Cuda -- Another Plymouth muscle car, but unlike the winged Superbird with its 440 or 426 Hemi big blocks, the AAR 'Cuda was meant for cornering duty, not straightline blasts. The "AAR" stood for "All-American Racers" -- a group of American drivers lead by the one-and-only Dan Gurney. The AAR never did as well in Trans Am racing as the Camaro Z/28 or Boss 302 Mustang, but on the street it was easily a match for those cars, with a 340 small-block V8 wearing three two-barrel carbs (aka six pack). And, in my totally biased opinion, it looked much better than the Ford or Chevy (love
that strobe stripe going down the side). I photographed this AAR at another Denver car show in 1986.
Funny thing about all three of these cars -- I've never owned any of them. Maybe it's the old "meeting your heroes" thing. None of them are perfect (or even as close to perfect as a Ford GT), so I'm probably better off not not letting reality shred the fantasy these cars represent for me.
So, what were your childhood dream cars?
- Posted by
- Karl Brauer March 18, 2008, 6:00 AM
- Permalink
- Categories:
- Cars in Entertainment, Muscle Car
In no particular order, the cars that were on the posters in my bedroom:
-Ferrari Testarossa
-Ferrari F40
-Lamborghinis - Countach as a young'un, and then Diablo as I approached driving age
-Porsche 959
-Corvettes - pretty much any year will do, but I'm particularly fond of the C4 early 90's ZR-1
By the way, what happened to car posters? I used to find great posters for my room at Wal-Mart or K-mart. Don't boys like cars any more?
Ferrari 250 GTO
Ferrari 275 GTB/4
Ferrari F40
Ferrari 430 Scuderia
Ferrari 250 GT California Spyder
Lamborghini Miura
Lamborghini Countach
Lamborghini Espada
Mercedes-Benz 300SEL 6.3
Mercedes-Benz 300SL Gullwing
Mercedes-Benz 540K Special Roadster
I've always been an Aston Martin fan, so of course the DB5.
I also loved the BMW Z3 for a long time, as it seemed a realistic dream....until my 6'2", 250 lbs frame sat in it and I realized I could never, never drive it.
When I was 10, in 1955, I was hooked on the '55 tri-tone Packard Caribbean, which was marketed against the Caddy Eldorado.
http://www.mtfcreations.com/MTFCreations/1955_Packard_Carribean_3Quarter%20View.jpg
Golly how my tastes have changed!
Ford GT40
AC Shelby Cobra (any variant)
Ferrari 250GTO (Scaglietti bodied '63)
Ferrari F40
Lamborghini Countach (friend did the picture thing when she saw one in a parking lot. Later, someone I knew had a Countach so I did her one better by having my photo behind the driver's seat)
Lotus Super 7 series 3 (yes, the source of my handle; meeting your hero ain't so bad)
Anything with an Aston Martin badge up front and a glorious soundtrack coming out the back...
Rather than list the usual suspects, I wanted and could almost afford:
American Motors AMX, and Javelin.
"Don't boys like cars any more?" My theory is; computers are the new hot rods.
"BTW, how cool are red shoe laces?" How cool is hair?
I know it isn't the classic dream car, but when I was a kid I knew I always wanted a Jeep Grand Cherokee. I got one as my second car. I have moved on from my love of Jeeps. My current dream car list is:
Volvo C70 convertible (I currently have a '99, but the new hardtop models are sweat)
Range Rover Sport (cause if you are going to have a Range Rover, it at least needs to be fast)
Mercedes Benz CLK63 AMG
and last and least, the 2008 Saturn Vue Two-mode Hybrid, because these gas prices are killing me.
I know that some of these are strange for a 21 year old guy, but I have always been a bit on the practical side.
Tyler
My list:
- Ford AC Cobra (60's)
- Alfa Romeo GTv-6 Enzo Coloni (80's)
- Fiat 128 (late 60's)
- Porsche 911 Turbo (late 80's)
- Ford Escort RS MkI Rally (1969)
- Ford Mustang fastback GT 390 (Frank Bullit)
- Mazda RX-7 GTU - IMSA car (80's)
- Nissan - Datsun J160 Rally car (late 70's early 80's)
- Ford Sierra Cosworth RS Turbo (80's)
- Renault Turbo 5 Group B (80's)
- Audi Quattro Sport Group B (80's)
- BMW M3 (first edition)
This is a fun topic! It's neat being able to guess the poster's age bracket by their choices. Anyway, I had four car posters up in my room as a teenager (with drool-o-meters):
Porsche 959 [drooool...]
Ferrari F40 [drool...]
Lamborghini Countach [droool...]
Vector W8 [drooooooooooool...]
And I was obsessed with the Delorean. I knew it wasn't anywhere near these other cars in terms of performance, but I thought it was so cool. I will own one sometime in my life... Why? Great Scott! I don't know.
When I was a lad, all I could see was a '98 Viper. Man, did I ever have posters and models and die-casts of that car. I'd still like one from that vintage, just because of their emotional appeal.
Other than the Viper (and really, after I knew I'd never be able to afford a $80,000 car) I was always in love with these:
1.1970 Chevrolet Chevelle SS 454 - my first car was a Chevelle, though non-SS. My dad and I dropped his built 368 ci dirt track motor in it. Beast.
2. AAR 'Cuda - the same reasons as Karl said, and because when I was in 5th grade Nash Bridges (also Don Johnson) drove that sick yellow convertible, but I just couldn't (and can't) stomach a drop-top.
3. 1988 Ferrari Testarossa - I'm a red head, it's a 'red head.' My buddy's dad had one. It was always fun when his dad would pick us up from school on a Friday afternoon in that thing; good thing we were small enough to sit in the same seat.
when I was 16...
Holden Monaro/Pontiac GTO
BMW M3 sedan - gotcha!
Buick GNX
For the sake of context, I was born in 1975.
-Porsche 911
-Lamborghini Countach (now relegated to "what was I thinking?" file)
-Most Corvettes until I finally had regular (passenger) access to an 86 model. It took a while, but my respect for vettes drained away in that car.
-Alfa Romeo Spider (I knew (and know) nothing about them; I just saw one in the mall once in the late 80s and thought it looked cool.)
-Any car driven by Don Johnson on Miami Vice (I decided manuals were cool after seeing the closeups of his feet working the clutch.)
-Mid-80s MB SL
-When I was learning to drive, I had a brief love affair with early-80s Honda Accords and Preludes.
-1984 Mercury Topaz GS. It backfired when I flicked the high beams. Sweet.
I had plenty of favorite cars as a kid, but one that really comes to mind was the Lamborghini Diablo, mainly because it really outurn the cops in Need for Speed, haha.
Other favorites:
1970 Dodge Charger Daytona (forever associated with Buddy Baker hitting 200mph at Talladega)
1987 Buick GNX
R34 Skyline
Enzo Ferrari
1969 Chevrolet Camaro/Chevelle
1969 Pontiac GTO
Ford Boss Mustang
McLaren F1
Jeep Rescue (a concept, but I love it)
...and so many more.
Mercedes-Benz CLK-GTR
Fifth Gear (Tiff Needell):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lpwYBUvvd2I
Lots of good comments here - it's a nice trip down memory lane.
I'd have to go with Countach, 911 Turbo whale tail, 959, and Mustang G.T. 350.
I also had a poster of a Porsche 917 Can Am racer that had a fabulous sense of speed, but it's not exactly a street car.
My childhood dream cars were:
-Land Rover (now called Land Rover Defender)
-VW Golf GTI
-Land Rover Discovery
-Nissan Patrol
-Any Mercedes Benz, but especially, S-Class
-Nissan Pickup
-Toyota Hilux (known in US as Toyota Tacoma)
-Peogoet 505 Station Wagon
Later in my teen years, I also fell for the:
-E36 BMW M3 4-door. (In Africa we had the 320 hp version that was in Europe. I admired the car because it was so fast and didn't make a show of it. In fact, apart from the alloy wheels and the M3 badge it looked the same as the 328i.)
-Range Rover
-Audi A4 Avant
I was never a fan of supercars like Ferrari and Lambhorgini (and I'm still not). I viewed them as ugly cars that don't have any practical use and just a waste of money. I still hold that view, although I thought the F360 Modena was a beauty).
I was a huge fan of cars that are tough (hence so many SUVs in my list).....I was just fascinated with the vehicle that could go anywhere. I also loved fast cars that would pass as everyday cars and didn't make a show of their prowess (Hence the GTI and the M3).
I am still a big fan of the do-anything vehicle.
Thanks to a model gift from an uncle at age 7 (1/18 scale porsche speedster 1989 in guards red) I still dream of owning said car someday. I stil have the model. That was the car I lusted after as a kid until discovering ferraris and italian cars around 16 (few years ago haha)
I drive fords though :) :(?
My "dream cars" were at the age 16 and thereabouts were
'69 Dodge Charger. A buddy of mine had one and it was a thrill everytime we went for a ride
Dodge Viper - They were hot right about the time I was learning to drive and to even get close to one was fascinating.
Lamborgini Countach - I just remember this car being way cool
'70 Cuda - My dad had one when he was a kid and I was so jealous that he didn't think I should have something like that.
67 Firebird - My mom had one of these (why didn't I ever get to have something cool!!!) and traded it for our GAH! Plymouth Voyager in 85.
A few weeks later the border patrol called and said they had her car. Apparantly the dealership never transfered the title out of her name and the car was sold to an immigrant who had it confiscated at the border... I still wish my mom had gone to pick it up.
Delorean - thanks to Back to the Future, I have always always wanted to own a Delorean. Not withstanding the fact that I now know it had a weak engine and wasn't capable of the performance I would like it to be.
Those are the cars that quickly come to my mind. I never had anything cool like that though. I was stuck with a plethora of what ever happened to by lying around. I did however for a time have an '84 Chrysler Laser with the 2.2 turbocharged 4. I thought it was a way cool car, but at 16 any car that can go over 100 MPH is a cool car.
Oh, you had to ask...
1948 Chrysler, any Packard, Dodge Charger Daytona
Alfa Romeo Giulia, Sprint Veloce, the Giugiaro show cars
Lamborghini Muira SV and Espada or Jarama (total fantasy)
Ferrari Daytona and most early-Sixties models
Citroen SM and NSU Ro 80
Volvo P1800ES and just about any pre-1980 Saab
Fiat 124 Coupe, and 128 berlina, and of course the X1/9
Lancia Beta coupe and sedan
Porsche 911S and RSR
Unimog and Steyr-Puch Haflinger
Lancia Stratos and the Delta Integrale
Audi quattro
Porsche 914-6
Unfortunately, I have only managed to own two of that list, though I have been privileged to drive a number of others
1959 - Cadillac Eldorado Convertible
1959 - Chevrolet Impala
1964 - Chevrolet Impala
1965 - Chevrolet Impala
1965 - Buick Riveria
1969 - Dodge Charger
1983 - DMC Delorean
1987 - Buick GNX
198x - Porsche 959
198x - Ferrari Testarossas
1989 - Pontiac Turbo Trans Am
199x - Dodge Stealth TT
199x - Nissan 300ZX TT
199x - Renault Clio V6
thats enough....I would forever live happily with a garage of these cars
Lamborghini Diablo
Those two chicks in Cannon Ball Run were so hot!!!!!!
My goal is to have these in my sometime-in-the-future, 9-car garage:
1. '67 Austin Mini Cooper S (done)
2.) My '64 El Camino. In 1973 became my first car; still have it. (done)
3.) Sunbeam Tiger
4.) Ferrari Dino
5.) Pantera
6.) '63 Split-window Corvette
7.) Street Rod of some sort. (ie: American Graffiti-style probably)
8.) A daily driver; something contemporary and worthy of lust.
9.) A soccer-Mom-mobile or whatever she's driving... (ie: if Mama ain't happy, ain't nobody happy...)
Sigh...
Karl,
What, no Speed Racer POWERFUL MACH FIVE!
I bet you are a Racer X fan.
From childhood:
Ford GT 40 Mk IV
DeThomaso Pantera
AMC AMX
From teenage years:
Porsche 928
Lamborghini Countach
Today:
Something that can haul a family of 5 or 6 and all their stuff and get over 30 mpg on the highway, without looking like a total dorkmobile. So far it doesn't exist.
When I was younger, I liked anything from Mercedes Benz and BMW. Also, (everyone thought I was weird) but I loved any car with the turning signals in the mirrors. I thought they were so cool! Haha!
I too had a dream car list when I was young. But it was a little bit more on the practical side.
(No Particular Order)
91 CRX Si
Acura NSX
1967-68 Camero SS RS Convertible
1991 Prelude Si with 4 wheel steering
1986 Isuzu Impluse Turbo
1986 Toyota Supra
1990 300ZX
1988 Chevy Cavalier Z24 Convertible (I know, I know, I was young)
1988 Pontiac Fiero Formula
1985 RX-7 GSL-SE
1994 RX-7
1991 Miata SE (British Racing Green)
1993 Acura Integra GS Sedan
Any Year M3 or 3 Series Coupe or Convertible
Early 1990's Mercedes 500E
Childhood dream cars:
The Monkeemobile
1965 E Type convertible
1976 Lotus Esprit
Dusenburg J Type (Most of them)
Bugatti Royale (Coupe Napoleon)
1984 Countach
1962 Ferrari 250 GT series II Pinifarina Convertible
DeTomaso Mangusta
1968 Buick Riveria
1970 Mercedes 600 Pullman
The AMC Matador from "man with the Golden gun"...it flew!
The Pink Panthercar
1984 Porsche 911 Turbo Convertible
Oh let's see: e36 M3, 993 cabrio, SL 300, Shelby Cobra, and the 456gt spring to mind as to "dream cars," but I really have a soft spot for old jags. However, I knew from an early age via first hand experience to really only view british cars and Audis as the nightmares that they are (mechanically, electrically, and in respect to build quality). My father's 92 Cutlass Supreme Convertible was a really cool car, but it wasn't fun to have to ride in the back if it was raining (2 tops later it only leaked in the front). I guess that not knowing what a reliable car was until I was well into my teens, has made my dream cars much more mundane than what everyone else has said above.
Pre 16:
Porsche 959
Delorean
Countach
GT40
NSX
Viper
300SL Gullwing
any Ferrari
Age 16 (1997):
RX-7
300ZX
Supra
NSX
S2000 concept
Viper
my dad's Alfa Romeo Veloce Spider
my mom's Eagle Talon TSi
Post 16:
S2000 (I'm so happy with it!)
'97 NSX
RX-7
Supra
'68 Camaro
R33 Skyline
959
My list is pretty short:
knight rider era Trans Am
Ferrari testarossa in Black
Stingray Vette
Ttop Monte SS
In 1974 I was a mere 7 years old. It was at that time that a neighbor of mine had a dark green 69 Charger - I remember I just couldn't stop staring at that car. And I'll never forget the first time when he fired it up at night and I saw the headlight doors open when he turned on the headlights... I was like the kid in the movie Christine when he said "show me..." (fans of the movie will know exactly what I'm talking about). I even saw "Dirty Mary Crazy Larry" when it came out in the theater... I've been hooked on those 69 Chargers ever since, even long before the Dopes of Haphazzard.
I never idolized any of the foreign exotics (Ferrari, Maserati, et al), largely because I idolized cars that I could actually have a chance of OWNING, and foreign exotics have always been way too rich for my blood.
My childhood dream cars are the two that my father owned (as i was born in '82) He had a 1967 Pontiac Le Mans 2 door Hard top. It had what I reffered to as the franken-motor. He was a machinest for Motor Supply (Carquest as you know it today). It had a 350 HO with 400 heads. It also had many other secret modifications (at least thats what he told me I was a kid). The entire engine was hand built by him from the block up. He stamped everything with his initials. He sold the car when I was 10. He took me out to the local blacktop and drove it over 100 mph a few times. It had a 4 on the floor that he would let me shift. It had bench seats so I could sit in the middle and pull it back with both hands.
My other car is his 1969 Plymouth Satellite. It was a 340 with a six pack and a 727 tourqueflight. We drag raced that car at the local 1/8th and a few big trips to a 1/4 mile races. He was never consistant enough as a driver to win bracket races, but we won a lot of grudge matches at the end of the day. We won a few trophys in a heads up style races. It was painted purple. To this day I have never seen a purple plymouth that I haven't liked.
The Plymouth was eventually purchased by another race team when my dad could no longer afford to continue racing for fun with minimal sponsership. The Pontiac was wrecked two years ago by the man who bought it when i was 10. If I win the lottery it is rebuildable and sitting in the mans barn. Eventually I will find a plymouth to own.
My ultimate dream cars when I was little were the Cadillac models such as Seville, Eldorado and De Ville. But when I was growing up, I was looking for more young, versatile and fascinating cars. And Chevy was one of my picks now a days.
Mustang SVO (almost got one a year ago)
settled for 87 convertible instead.
The standard 80's muscle cars would fall into the category of "wish I had"
1967 Shelby Cobra (no -brainer)
1965 Pontiac Lemans 2 door HT that our neighbors had in the garage(minty like new)