Christmas, Dad's and their influence on our Car tastes...

"mitology" (mitology)
12/07/2015 at 12:28 • Filed to: christmas, dad, 930, esprit, testarossa

Dear oppo,

I hope to find you in good health.

I myself am feeling fine, the weather here has been great and work is rather busy but it being the end of the year already there isn’t much stress.

Everyone seems to be in high spirits, even my grumpy old self.

With Christmas fast approaching one can’t help but to feel some nostalgia, as the decorations get put up memories start coming back, memories of Christmas past, the childhood funny feelings in the stomach as i imagined what gifts awaited us of Christmas eve.

As many boys growing up with gearhead dad’s, Christmas was a time where they would happily begin passing on the family trouble, they would gift us with toy cars, books, puzzles and lead us down the path of greased garages and shouty wives.

I for one, in one of these dear Christmas summers, had the luck of being presented with the most awesome gifts I could have hoped for as a 7ish year old boy. This was the gift that would influence me through my teenage years and in some shape or form into my adulthood.

My dad presented me with a very interesting trio of hot wheels, a Porsche 930, a Lotus Esprit and a Ferrari Testarossa.

I feel my father too loved those cars back then, and they where his aspirational dream in a way and he wanted to share that with his kid.

Being only dreams however instead he loved and drove the hell out of a Second Generation Mitsubishi Lancer Wagon, those where 4 wheel drive and I remember it having a turbo, fuzzy memory, and he also had a Nissan Skyline R31 Sedan with the RB20DET, and both where imported from Japan.

As for me, I can’t stress enough how much I loved those toy cars, I nagged my father so much he got me 911 and Testarossa curtains for my bedroom, and he had to rent 007 - The Spy Who Loved Me with Roger Moore a great deal so I could watch the Esprit submarine.

Fun times they where.

I would say my tastes have ended up aligning with those of my father, I now like fast attainable sedans like him, the JDM Toyota Chaser’s, Mark 2's, X’s, M5’s, RS4 Avant’s or even Giulia’s (if that ever comes out).

If I where to name the equivalent (in lust and want factor) of those three of my childhood, I would name the B8 RS4 Avant, the Giulia and the E60 M5 in that specific order.

Tragically however I can’t say I have a lot of love for the super cars of our era, but I still hold one of those childhood heroes in very high regard:

The Porsche 930

It’s not a super car and as unattainable as it may be today with the crazy prices, I still love it and would like to own one some day.

For me, that car’s value transcends performance numbers on a spreadsheet, that car reminds me of a care free era, Christmas, and my dad.

So, what about you fellow Oppo’s, how was your car taste shaped by your pops?

What car-related memories do have of Christmas?

Please share, and have a great day :)

DISCUSSION (22)

WRXerFish - WRX-Wing pilot > mitology
12/07/2015 at 12:35

My dad’s taste in cars did not run off on me at all. I like mustangs but do not pine after then the way my father does.

That being said. My daughters have been saying they want to get WRX’s. My youngest wants a pink one. My oldest wants a WRB one to match mine.

wiffleballtony > mitology
12/07/2015 at 12:52

My dad takes the bus to work and actively hates cars. However he is an RC enthusiast so I had a bunch of radio controlled and slot cars.

mitology > WRXerFish - WRX-Wing pilot
12/07/2015 at 12:56

haha nice, at least they will have someone to help them with the head gasket problems, amirite?? lol

mitology > wiffleballtony
12/07/2015 at 12:58

nice, do you find any relation between the type of R/C cars he gifted you and the cars you like?

Mazarin > mitology
12/07/2015 at 13:03

I used to do models with my dad as a kid. 1st one I got for Christmas was that Testarossa. He let me choose the colors and, bless his heart, he let me paint it marigold. I was 5 or 6, please forgive me. I had a 55 Nomad and a 65 Vette after that which I hacked into a 63 split-window.

As for my tastes, we’re on different continents, but around the same era. I still love classic American muscle(he’s been sitting on a 96 Pontiac Catalina convert for a while... like years...), but I’m more into Japanese classics, especially late 70’ and 80’s stuff. We’re both into euro stuff too, he and I both owning almost-Jaguars in the past and me currently owning a new Mini, so there’s lots of similar tastes between us.

mitology > Mazarin
12/07/2015 at 13:08

hahah wow marigold Testarossa, that has to be a world first lol nice. But what would you say took you to like japanese classics instead of american muscle?

FSI - alcohol enthusiast with a car problem > mitology
12/07/2015 at 13:08

My father didn’t really influence my car taste since he’s no car guy at all and looks at them as being tools. It was my gramps who got me into cars and everything else with wheels. When I was just 2 years old he took me to the BMW dealership to buy a new car and I got to choose his new car. A Montrealblau 316i Compact E36. That was supposed to be my first car but that never happened:( (btw; he paid his Bimmer with cold hard cash: a plastic bag containing 38k Deutsche Mark)

WRXerFish - WRX-Wing pilot > mitology
12/07/2015 at 13:10

You am rite!

mitology > FSI - alcohol enthusiast with a car problem
12/07/2015 at 13:10

Your grandad sounds like the man, nice :) sorry about it not working out with your first car. What did you end up driving?

mitology > WRXerFish - WRX-Wing pilot
12/07/2015 at 13:19

i kid, i kid. But tell us, what cars did you like when you were younger?

FSI - alcohol enthusiast with a car problem > mitology
12/07/2015 at 13:19

He past away when I was 15. My parents decided to sell the Bimmer since we didn’t have the space and you have to be at least 17 to get a driver’s license in Germany. I’ll hopefully get a E46 or 190 Benz next year.

wiffleballtony > mitology
12/07/2015 at 13:26

Well most of the ones he got me were wacky Tyco RC cars that fired darts or would do back flips. I did have one that was suspiciously similar to a Diablo, which is still my favorite car.

mitology > FSI - alcohol enthusiast with a car problem
12/07/2015 at 13:34

Sorry for the loss man, chin up. Make him proud and drive the hell out of the car you get and don’t forget to write us, your Oppo family ;)

mitology > wiffleballtony
12/07/2015 at 13:35

haha you could have said you owned a Mach 5 like from speed racer and i would have lol’d so so hard hahahah and would you like to own a diablo to this day?

FSI - alcohol enthusiast with a car problem > mitology
12/07/2015 at 13:42

Of course I’ll do! Thank you:)

Mazarin > mitology
12/07/2015 at 13:51

I think because it was something new, to be honest. Not in a rebelious sense, it was just something I hadn’t seen before. Growing up on nothing but US classics(and some Euro) was great, but it was a “seen it” kinda thing. I hadn’t seen this classic JDM thing before, and have been a fan since my teens.

wiffleballtony > mitology
12/07/2015 at 14:00

Absolutely, I know they aren’t good cars but he’ll yes I’d still drive it as much as possible.

mitology > Mazarin
12/07/2015 at 14:06

that makes sense, and what would be your perfect 3 car garage nowadays?

Mazarin > mitology
12/07/2015 at 14:16

Yikes... I’m sure it would change by the hour, but right now, I’d want my ‘88 Mitsu Starion back., keep my ‘15 Mini Cooper S to daily, but with some JCW mods, and a ‘55 Chevy Nomad to haul parts for the Starion hahaha.

I’d maybe replace the Starion w/ a Kenmeri Skyline, but damn, I loved that Starion.

WRXerFish - WRX-Wing pilot > mitology
12/07/2015 at 16:01

The ‘57 Chevy was my favorite growing up.

I liked mostly older cars with wings, and not the aero kind.

mitology > WRXerFish - WRX-Wing pilot
12/07/2015 at 16:39

nice, you should introduce it to the gals and see what happens lol they can have it in pink too i think

mitology > Mazarin
12/07/2015 at 16:41

ahahahaha oh man, i can feel your indecision from here, bless your heart for the kenmeri tho, love it too, way more than a starion, then again i dont have memories tinting my toughts though...