Dad cars: what's the best car your dad's ever had?
We dredge up our favourite dad cars from the dim and distant past
‘Fully imported’ V6 Toyota Camry
Jordan Katsianis – Content editor
You’ll doubtless enjoy reading all about the lucky offspring of fathers who owned interesting cars in this list, my memory is perhaps a little less impressive. My story is based in mid-90s Australia. European cars considered mainstream on this side of the world were both expensive, and rare, so what was the middle class ride? A V6 Toyota Camry, and it’s important to note the ‘V6’ comes first.
It was navy blue with gold badges, and although the very definition of bland, it’s likely still on the road 20-odd years later. There was also an element of pride in the Camry being a ‘fully imported’ version from Japan, an oddly important factor of a deathly bland car. Regardless, this replaced a Porsche 944, a trade my father was bizarrely happy about…
Porsche 930 911 Turbo Cabriolet
James Brodie – Senior staff writer
If there’s one thing I enjoy discussing with my dad, it’s cars, given the fantastic scope of things he’s owned both during my lifetime and before I was born. Early highlights before I arrived on the scene include a Mercedes SL 230 Pagoda which he reminisces about dewy eyed to this day, a succession of Ford Capris and MG Bs, but also a Lotus Europa Special, which he hated and couldn’t wait to get rid of.
In my time, a few of my dad’s cars really stand out. The Aston Martin Rapide S he’s currently the very proud owner of and a slick looking, black Peugeot 306 turbodiesel included. However, it’s the white Porsche 911 Turbo Cabriolet tucked away in our garage when I was about four years old that takes the win. This car excited me and terrified me in equal measure, and it absolutely stank of petrol. My two most vivid memories are of tears after banging my head on the back of the seat thanks to a spat of turbo lag, but also sulking alongside my brother when one day we saw it being loaded onto a trailer, ready to be taken to its next owner. Mum was delighted.
Click onto page eight for more of the best cars our dads have owned...
