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Auto Talk => Jalopies => Topic started by: Morris Minor on December 09, 2022, 12:17:45 PM

Title: The first car I drove in the USA...
Post by: Morris Minor on December 09, 2022, 12:17:45 PM
This was in August 1979  - Mercury Grand Marquis - I think a 1972... magic carpet ride.


(https://i.postimg.cc/HL58v99H/Mercury-Grand-Marquis.jpg)


Title: Re: The first car I drove in the USA...
Post by: Soup DeVille on December 09, 2022, 12:26:59 PM
That had to be a world apart from the Austin Princess or whatever you were used to driving at the time.
Title: Re: The first car I drove in the USA...
Post by: Morris Minor on December 09, 2022, 12:35:20 PM
The a/c compressor on the Marquis was bigger than the old nail 1256cc engine in my Vauxhall Chevette.
Title: Re: The first car I drove in the USA...
Post by: RomanChariot on December 09, 2022, 02:37:38 PM
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.
Title: Re: The first car I drove in the USA...
Post by: Soup DeVille on December 09, 2022, 02:42:11 PM
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.
Title: Re: The first car I drove in the USA...
Post by: Morris Minor on December 10, 2022, 02:36:22 PM
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.
Title: Re: The first car I drove in the USA...
Post by: FoMoJo on December 10, 2022, 02:46:46 PM
Seven years was pretty good for a car back then.
Title: Re: The first car I drove in the USA...
Post by: veeman on December 12, 2022, 06:57:43 AM
'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.
Title: Re: The first car I drove in the USA...
Post by: dazzleman on December 12, 2022, 04:42:14 PM
Quote from: Morris Minor on December 09, 2022, 12:17:45 PM
This was in August 1979  - Mercury Grand Marquis - I think a 1972... magic carpet ride.


(https://i.postimg.cc/HL58v99H/Mercury-Grand-Marquis.jpg)

What a boat!
Title: Re: The first car I drove in the USA...
Post by: cawimmer430 on December 13, 2022, 04:31:58 AM
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!  :praise: :wub:

(https://i.postimg.cc/9QWrfNBb/mercury-marquis-brougham-4-door-pillared-hardtop.jpg)
Title: Re: The first car I drove in the USA...
Post by: Morris Minor on December 13, 2022, 05:34:51 AM
Quote from: cawimmer430 on December 13, 2022, 04:31:58 AM
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!  :praise: :wub:
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
Title: Re: The first car I drove in the USA...
Post by: CaminoRacer on April 16, 2023, 08:34:41 PM
Nice El Camino!