How Has Your Mom Influenced Your Automotive Taste?

[b]My Moms cars – one stands out.[/b]
In general my mom has had mostly “moms cars”, ie, VW Beatles, VW rear engine station wagons, Volvo station wagons, Ford Fiestas. All depending on the size of the family or what was appropriate depending on where we lived. Quite straight forward choices in other words except for one. During 1975-1977 we lived in Teheran – odd place, beautiful surroundings, fabulous food but horrible air pollution. Back then you either drove a locally produced car (Citroen Dyane, Opel Rekord – badged “Chevrolet Iran”, Peugeot, Paykan – Hilman Hunter), some mid-sized American brand or the ultra trendy new Range Rover. You have to remember the roads were extremely poor (probably still are) and quite narrow. Our family hobby was hiking and skiing (great skiing in Iran!) so that meant driving on winding treacherous roads totally lacking any guard rails. Soon my parents understood that a wide (though “mid-sized”) Buick with vague steering wasn’t the best pick… We needed something nimble and quick for those steep winding roads.
Enter my Moms “sport” Paykan 1275 GT (a license build British Hillman Hunter). Our car had to be specially ordered with safety belts. We also had a lockable ski-rack on the roof. I thought it looked GREAT! It was equipped with a sports engine – twin carb I presume. Painted in ivory white with coal black vinyl interior (hot in the summer), bucket front and rear seats – not that comfy if you’re placed rear middle I can tell you. It had rostyle steel wheels, quad round head lamps, a wooden dash with loads of gauges (at least that’s how I remember it!) This was our skiing car. It drove us faithfully back and forth to the slopes. Once we got trapped on the mountain road between avalanches (= powder skiing the next day!) another time a stone punctured the gas tank and we had to mend the hole with coach tape and a thick wool sock. I also remember finding stashes of chocolate in the glove department or chocolate wrapping paper hidden under the drivers seat. Chocolate was/still is a larger hobby that driving a cool car for my Mom.
What’s incredible is that these memories (as a 10-12 year old) have had such a [i]strong impact[/i] on my future car interest. I dislike American cars because of their vague handling. I admire cars with wooden interiors and lots of dials. I prefer sports seats. I can’t stand automatics. Four wheel drive is a plus. I love chocolate.
The inspiration to my short story is a previous comment by Afshin Behnia whos mother 1974 drove a light green BMW 2002 in Teheran. I myself saw a BMW 2002 (brown metallic) about the same time in Teheran. That became my dream car, it had all the attributes I appreciate. And it still does.
-The irony is that if the British car industry would have played their cards better back in the end of the 60’s and 70’s I’d be driving a sporty Hillman today instead of the BMWs I do. Good try Mom! 🙂

Mom took me out for my first driving lessons, on our four-speed (push-button overdrive) Volvo 240. While I was in high school, she drove a black on black Nissan 240SX and loved it. She’s never considered herself an enthusiast, but I’ll always remember watching her gracefully recover a skid after hitting a patch of snow when I was little.

None, what so ever !

My Mom is conservative and non-passionate about cars.
She wants everything to have it’s original and well known place in the car.
But she also only want new cars…
Meaning, that she stays with the same brand for year after year after year, and she doesn’t get, why I change cars practically every year and have three very different ones.
Well she gets why I love my Alfa 156 V6, it’s so beautiful, but since it’s ridiculously expensive to just own, even more so when I drive it, she does’nt understand why I hang on to it.
She feels, that a car is a tool as a vacuum-cleaner… 🙁