How many different individual vehicles have you driven so far in your life? I was thinking about this the other day, and decided to put a list together for myself. It was actually sort of fun, so I thought I might share it. This is as best as I can remember…
FORMATIVE YEARS
[ul][li]Toyota Corolla (1982-ish). My mother’s car, stick shift. Learned to drive in this and…[/li][li]Toyota Celica (1981-ish). My stepmother’s car, also a stick. My other “learning” car.[/li][li]Toyota Van (1985-ish). Used for my very first driver’s test, when I first got my license. It was Toyota’s first van, the weird boxy one, not the newer, more streamlined versions.[/ul]MY OWN CARS[/li][ul][li]1978 Chevette. My first car, essentially an old fleet vehicle my dad picked up at a discount; automatic transmission. Despite learning to drive on a stick, after many years of driving this, I got out of the stick-shift habit, which I sort of miss. The Chevette was really basic mechanically, like a glorified golf cart, so it was easy to get it running when it broke down, which was a lot. After it was badly vandalized and sent to the wrecking yard, I was carless for a while, until…[/li][li]1986 Taurus. Bought it for a song. Then the transmission melted, which explained the bargain price.[/li][li]1990 Bronco II. My present vehicle.[/ul]FAMILY CARS I’VE DRIVEN[/li][ul][li]El Camino (mid 70’s). My dad’s car for many years; I got to drive it once, shortly before the column shifter fell off while we were on the freeway. :eek:[/li][li]Toyota Celica (late 80’s). My brother’s third vehicle; he killed it through lack of maintenance.[/li][li]Honda Civic (very early 80’s). My brother’s second vehicle; he killed it through lack of maintenance.[/li][li]Datsun 280 (late 70’s). My brother’s first vehicle; he wrecked it while racing a friend, got it running again, and then killed it through lack of maintenance.[/li][li]Toyota Tercel (1985-ish). 4WD stick-shift, borrowed from my grandfather for a skiing trip. Discovered I still knew how to drive a stick after many years.[/li][li]Toyota Camry (late 80’s). My mom’s car after she got rid of the Corolla.[/li][li]Saturn sedan (not sure of model; early 90’s). My mom’s car after the Camry.[/li][li]Toyota 4Runner (mid 90’s). My mom’s car after the Saturn.[/li][li]Toyota Corolla (late 90’s). My mom’s current car.[/li][li]Toyota Camry (mid 80’s). Belonged to my grandmother. While still on learner’s permit, a week from taking my driver’s test, I totalled it with my grandmother and both stepsisters as passengers (broadsided by a Blazer). My fault; delayed getting my license by six months.[/li][li]Volvo 240 (early 80’s) number one. The vehicle my grandmother bought to replace the Camry I wrecked.[/li][li]Volvo 240 (early 80’s) number two. My wife’s current car.[/li][li]Volvo 240 (early 80’s) number three. My mother-in-law’s car, identical in virtually every way to my wife’s car.[/li][li]Volvo sedan (mid 90’s; not sure of model). My grandmother’s current car.[/li][li]Three different Ford pickups; don’t know models, years range from mid 70’s to early 90’s. My grandfather’s truck, and two belonging my stepfather, borrowed for errands.[/li][li]A selection of family cars I have not driven: My grandfather’s BMW, his huge Dodge Ram pickup, my father’s Porsche 912, none of my uncle’s BMWs or Mercedes (he owns a body shop), my stepfather’s current Ford pickup.[/ul]LOANERS (when regular car being repaired)[/li][ul][li]'99 Jeep Cherokee. Moderately fun, though much stiffer than the Bronco.[/li][li]'00 Toyota Corolla. We have this right now; the Bronco is in the shop.[/li][li]There are more; I don’t remember them. They’re mostly just generic Civics and the like, not really memorable.[/ul]RENTALS ON TRIPS/VACATIONS[/li][ul][li]Alero. Rented in Napa Valley in '99. Really, really fun to drive.[/li][li]Pontiac Sunfire. Rented in Richmond VA on visit to wife’s family. Boring.[/li][li]Saturn sedan. Ditto above.[/li][li]Ford Taurus (late 90’s). Rented on business trip to Burlington VT. This is the first car my wife ever took to 100 mph.[/li][li]Dodge Neon (late 90’s). Rented on personal trip to Los Angeles. I hated, hated, hated this car.[/ul]FRIENDS’ CARS AND MISCELLANEOUS[/li][ul][li]1980-ish Datsun (a ZX, I think). Drove a drunk friend home in her own car (high school).[/li][li]1984 Ford Tempo. Best friend’s car in high school. Total, unforgivable piece of shit.[/li][li]1981 Toyota Celica. Test drove when car shopping in '96 (ended up getting Taurus, noted above).[/li][li]1989 Honda Civic. Ditto. Was a stick-shift; this is when I discovered I could still do it, but I was really rusty.[/li][li]Three Ryder rentals over the years. Midsize Ford pickup, small moving truck, huge moving truck.[/li][li]Honda scooter. Went beach buzzing at Ocean Shores.[/li][li]Various go-carts and the like on carnival tracks.[/li][li]Riding mower. ;)[/ul]MOTORIZED WATER VEHICLES[/li][ul][li]My dad’s 40-foot sailboat.[/li][li]My grandfather’s small fishing boat with outboard.[/li][li]My grandfather’s C-Dory.[/li][li]I got to drive the Duck Boat for about fifteen minutes on a tour of Boston, in the Charles River.[/ul]COOLEST VEHICLE I’VE DRIVEN[/li][ul][li]Model T Ford, circa 1920. My uncle found the shell and repaired it using parts scavenged from junkyards. Sits in my grandfather’s garage; brought out on special occasions. Without question, this is the coolest thing I’ve ever gotten to drive.[/ul]VEHICLES I HAVE NOT DRIVEN[/li][ul][li]No flying machines of any kind.[/li][li]No motorcycles (unless you count the beach scooter above).[/li][li]No heavy equipment: forklifts, bulldozers, nothing like that.[/li][li]No boats over 40 feet.[/li]No submersibles.[/ul]This is a pretty good list, I think. I’ve been driving for about 16 years, and I can remember 38 cars in that time, plus a handful of other types of vehicles (though I’m sure I’ve forgotten some). Aside from the entertainment value of just putting the list together, I’m curious as to how it compares to everyone else’s, i.e. whether I’m average, below, or above. I’m also curious to see the variety of vehicles driven by everybody, especially the cool ones. Anybody here who can say they’ve operated a 747, a nuclear submarine, a hovercraft, a Harrier, etc.?
