Your First Automobile Was a…

Do you remember your first motor vehicle? Was it a car, truck, motorcycle or maybe a tank or fighter jet while serving in the armed forces? I bet there are those who operated military vehicles before learning to drive a car.

I remember my first car. It was a used 1965 Ford Fairlane. I bought it in 1975, so it had a few miles on it. It was a bit weird having a Ford in the driveway of a family that had always owned a Dodge.

My Dad only bought Dodge vehicles and one of my uncles would buy the Plymouth version of that Dodge. For me, it didn't matter what the vehicles was. Just whatever I could afford that ran without too much work to be done on it.

My Fairlane ran well, except for the time I slammed it into a ditch and a tree. Apparently bald tires and a snow covered road don't mix. One of my uncles bailed me out and pulled the car out of the ditch. Ended up being a total loss.

Fortunately, one of my aunts had a car for sale. The price tag was 50 dollars. I can't remember what the make or model was, just that it was huge, old and didn't need a key to start it up. Well, that car got me to college and back everyday. It could really move. I remember it was an eight cylinder, but just can't remember what the make was.

After that vehicle bit the dust, I fell in love with a car that had manual shift. Something I'd never had before and no clue how to drive it. My Dad said the best way to learn, is to buy the car and get out on the road with it. Of course he was there to instruct me, and I learned in no time.

I've had several manual shift vehicles in my lifetime, but these days, prefer to drive an automatic. And most times, it's a used vehicle. For the past 10 years, I've been driving a Chevy van. A 2001 Chevy van. It's old, rusting, but it's paid off and it's still running, so I can't complain.

What was your first vehicle?