The first car I drove in the USA...

[Morris Minor]

This was in August 1979  - Mercury Grand Marquis - I think a 1972... magic carpet ride.

[Soup DeVille]

That had to be a world apart from the Austin Princess or whatever you were used to driving at the time.

[Morris Minor]

The a/c compressor on the Marquis was bigger than the old nail 1256cc engine in my Vauxhall Chevette.

[RomanChariot]

My parents and my oldest brother both had Chevrolet Chevettes in the late '70's. In 1981 my sister hit some black ice and bounced my parent's car off of a rocky cliff and into a guardrail but she and my brother walked away from the crash with minor injuries. I don't know what happened to my oldest brother's car.

[Soup DeVille]

Chevettes were legendary for their shittyness. Its hard to imagine you guys had one with an engine 30% smaller than the slowest one we had here.

[Morris Minor]

If you look closely you can see the Mercury is already rotting around the rear wheel well. This was in the Philly area so, snow & road salt.

[FoMoJo]

Seven years was pretty good for a car back then.

[veeman]

'84 Chevy Celebrity.  4 banger iron duke engine.  Underpowered, no passenger side view mirror, bench front and rear seats.  But roomy and big trunk.  Any running car is a good car for a junior or senior in high school.

[dazzleman]

This was in August 1979  - Mercury Grand Marquis - I think a 1972... magic carpet ride.

What a boat!

[cawimmer430]

I'm jealous! The 1972 Mercury Marquis is so frigging hot and sexy and erotic! I mean, just look at it!!!

I'll take mine in this green with a "F*ck you, Greta!" sticker on the rear trunk lid! 

[Morris Minor]

I'm jealous! The 1972 Mercury Marquis is so frigging hot and sexy and erotic! I mean, just look at it!!!

I'll take mine in this green with a "F*ck you, Greta!" sticker on the rear trunk lid! 

It's awesome and I'm forever grateful that our host allowed a 22-year-old, who'd never driven on American roads, to drive it. It was utterly silent.

I love it too but the best of the era remains this IMO - just utterly gorgeous, oozing American confidence while the rest of the world slunk around in spartan & cramped little Austins & Renaults.
https://www.carspin.club/index.php?topic=36175.msg2543601#msg2543601

[CaminoRacer]

Nice El Camino!