Cars that make you smile

[stuckinthemud]

Ok, so, what cars have you driven that made you smile every time you got behind the wheel. My Suzuki Whizzkid was outrageously tiny and sooo much fun despite being anaemic; my 1275 Mini Marcos always made me laugh out loud just stepping down into the bucket seats. Opposite but truly great fun was my Volvo 240GLT aka “the Duchess”- 2.3 litres of police spec engine never failed to bring a grin. Totally loved my mk1 triumph vitesse, really miss that one, that’s the one I shouldn’t have sold.

I have owned or driven many cars some practical, some pretty, some quick, some not quick, but very few actually made me smile, What’s on your list?

 

[JSW]

Lotus Elise

 

[paulrbarnard]

Before I got my car license I had a couple of Bond Bugs. One was a tuned 750 with a top speed over 100mph. More recently a Smart Brabus Roadster. What a fun drive that was. And of course my favourite of all time my Defender 110. Always have a smile on my face driving that. It’s gone for nine months having a complete chassis up rebuild.

 

[Jameshow]

Volvo 940. Great lump of a bus the ultimate woodworkers car!
Audi A4 2.8 V6 so smooth and sophisticated!
Pug 205 gtd great fun!
Volvo T5 what a beast.
Volvo XC90 what a mile eater.
Mini cooper / cooper s kids cars - fun to drive in happier times.

 

[Yojevol]

Saw A Maxi today, that made me smile. The one I owned 40 or so years ago certainly didn't.
Brian

 

[stuckinthemud]

My Dad had an Austin Princess just after I passed my test which I loved driving but it didn’t fit through the garage door so he only kept it a few weeks. I was gutted to see it go.

 

[Cabinetman]

My Dad had an Austin Princess just after I passed my test which I loved driving but it didn’t fit through the garage door so he only kept it a few weeks. I was gutted to see it go.

And that was before cars got ridiculously bigger!

 

[Tris]

At 17 I bought a 1970 MG Midget, blew the engine up so had it bored out to 1650 then had a stage 2 head on it, great fun but cornering in the wet was not a strong point.

Volvo 740GLT 2.3 turbo was more fun than something shaped like a brick should be.

Most of the others are just transport

 

[Phil Pascoe]

Who needs a car?

 

[imageel]

At 17 I bought a 1970 MG Midget, blew the engine up so had it bored out to 1650 then had a stage 2 head on it, great fun but cornering in the wet was not a strong point.

Volvo 740GLT 2.3 turbo was more fun than something shaped like a brick should be.

Most of the others are just transport

Haha - I had a MK4 Midget and the road handling was not its strong point, nor was it's performance until I put a tuned cam and Janspeed exhaust, 1-1/2 SU's etc on it.
As you mention the cornering especially in the wet was dire, not helped by the amount of flex in the body - did you ever try to open a door whilst it was jacked on one corner? - they used the cill outer and inner as a structural member and it flexed badly...

 

[Yojevol]

Most of the others are just transport

That just about sums up my attitude towards cars. If you're going to have 4 wheels, get the maximum carrying capacity out of them, so most of them have been estate cars with towing hooks. I've had a Herald, Hunter, 2 Allegos (nowhere near as bad as their reputation), Astra, Montego (ran it for 14 years), Volvo850, 2 X-Trails, all estates apart from the last 2, but you get the drift.
For many years we could justify 8 wheels, the extra 4 being allocated to small run-around town cars.
My mate, Bill, has a very different attitude to cars, he's a sporty saloon man. A few years ago his much loved and many miled Saab99 failed it's MOT. It was beyond sensible economic repair so he replaced it with a 2 year old, low slung, lengthy, diesel, blue BMW (don't ask me which model).
One day we were chatting about his new toy and he said "do you know, I got this for the same price as 2 year old Fiesta (note it was a diesel). Now, Brian, what would you rather have? This or a Fiesta?"
Pause for thought. With a smile "I....think.....I'd.....rather.......have......a.......Fiesta"
To close out the story of the Beema.
Soon after purchase it became very apparent that there was something seriously wrong with the steering which, after a lengthy argument, cost the dealer 2 grand to put right. This car was written off a few months ago when Bill drove into a very flooded River Severn. He replaced it with a 2 year old, low slung,.............BMW. Another blue one but petrol this time.
Brian

 

[Yojevol]

Who needs a car?
View attachment 181776

You obviously do

 

[skeetstar]

SAAB 900. Cornered like a barge, 21 to the gallon. Built like a tank, the most comfortable car ever built. Could sit in it for days on end.

 

[Phil Pascoe]

I had a 245 Volvo - 17mpg no matter what I was carrying or how fast I was driving. Rusty as an anchor within a year or two of being new.

 

[artie]

Ford Capri 2.8i. I only had a brief test drive in a mates, back in the day. My pockets weren't deep enough.

Fantastic acceleration and effortless doughnuts without slipping the clutch.

I still had lots of fun in my 1.6L

 

[RonnieI]

Had a 4.5 TVR Chimaera that was great fun. Had to go eventually because the other half thought it had a bumpy ride, too much wind with the top down and the engine was noisy. Pretty much the reasons why I got it!

 

[selectortone]

Who needs a car?

I do!

 

[JefL]

Triumph TR5, the best performing of the TR series before California emission controls strangled the engine in the TR6.
It was my mate’s car but I drove it a couple of times, so much fun. Sadly it was destroyed in a fire.

 

[Chris Harris]

Mk 1 Land rover.

 

[glenfield2]

In a 40+ year career testing cars as a motoring journalist top of my fun list was a Peugeot 205GTI. I had a year of great driving with a long term test one … that ended when the photographer sent to snap it for the feature rolled it into a ditch.
And number two was a Ferrari F40.

PS since retiring we’ve had an Astra van, LR110, Citroen C3, Honda Jazz, several Saab 900T16s, Ford Focus. The Jazz was brilliant, the C3 cr*p.
Modern cars are (generally) all pretty good and go on and on. Hence all the personal plates to hide the ten year old ones.