# What's the largest number of vehicles your family has had at one time?

**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-largest-number-of-vehicles-your-family-has-had-at-one-time/297405
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion
**Created:** [April 2, 2005, 3:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-largest-number-of-vehicles-your-family-has-had-at-one-time/297405 "2005-04-02T15:39:15Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

### Author: ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)
#### Post date: [April 2, 2005, 3:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-largest-number-of-vehicles-your-family-has-had-at-one-time/297405/1 "2005-04-02T15:39:15Z")

</div>

In **beckwall** ’s MPSIMS thread, **zenith** said there are advantages to having spare cars. That got me to thinking about the collection me and my dad had. It was like we had a used car lot!

How many motor vehicles (i.e., any vehicle powered by an engine; not bicycles) have you and your family had at one time, and what were they?

Here’s my list from the mid-1980s:

1966 MGB  
1977 MGB  
1977 MGB  
1977½ Porsche 924  
1972 Ford Courier pick-up  
1970 Ford Thunderbird coupé  
1963 (?) Plymouth station wagon  
1948 Willys CJ2A Jeep  
1971 Honda CL 100  
1973 Yamaha LT2 100 Enduro  
1976 Yamaha DT1 250 Enduro  
1976 Yamaha DT1 250 Enduro  
1970 Cessna 172 Skyhawk  
1968 Cessna 182 Skylane

**Fourteen** vehicles between two people! :eek:

I got the '66 MGB from my mom. I got it running after high school and drove it a lot in the '80s. The second MGB was cheap, so we got it as a ‘spare’. The third was cheap and had overdrive. Couldn’t resist. The 100 Enduro was my first bike, and dad got the used Honda so he could ride with me. (The '64 Yamaha 80’s case broke, and it was long gone.) I outgrew the 100, so dad and I got a pair of 250s. Dad had a Toyota pick-up, but I totalled it (and my knees) in a head-on collision so he got the Courier. My uncle had the old T-bird, and it was ‘like new’; so we took it off his hands. Dad and I were in the Civil Air Patrol. They had an auction, and he got the old Plymouth for $123.45. The Air Force Blue paint was faded and the upholstery was trashed, but the body was stout and the doors clicked shut nicely. Too good a deal to pass up. I got the Willys because we lived in the desert, and it was fun to bounce around in on the dirt roads. The Porsche was too sexy for my young eyes, so I got my first used-car loan and had gobs of fun in it. Dad bought the Skyhawk after the moving company smashed the BD-5 he was building. It was six years old when he got it, and it cost $10,200. Good luck finding a decent 1970 Cessna 172 for under $40,000 today! I learned to fly in that plane. The 172 wasn’t fast enough, so dad bought the 182.

So you see, there were reasons (some good, some not so good) for all of the vehicles. They just seemed to accumulate.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

### Author: ![Jayn\_Newell](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Jayn\_Newell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jayn_Newell)
#### Post date: [April 2, 2005, 4:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-largest-number-of-vehicles-your-family-has-had-at-one-time/297405/2 "2005-04-02T16:47:21Z")

</div>

Between two and four, depending on how you want to define the term ‘own’. My parents themselves have two vehicles–one for Mom to drive (currently a 2004 Chevy Epica) and Dad’s '69 Buick Century that hasn’t moved from the basement in over a decade. Dad drives his work vehicle (currently a late 90s GMC Sonoma), which is owned by the business, which is in turn owned by my parents. The forth car is what the hired hand drives, also owned by the business. Not sure what the make and model is, not that I care.

So we don’t really have any spare cars, especially when you consider that I don’t have one (not that I need one), but we have enough to get us around. Dad has been fixing up the Buick, so maybe I’ll get to drive it sometime before I finish university.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

### Author: ![Queen\_Tonya](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/4491bb/32.png) [@Queen\_Tonya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Queen_Tonya)
#### Post date: [April 2, 2005, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-largest-number-of-vehicles-your-family-has-had-at-one-time/297405/3 "2005-04-02T17:04:38Z")

</div>

Ok, not fair, you started this and are already the winner. 😛

My siblings and I were pretty close agewise, so there were 3 of us licensed teenagers living at home with mom and dad in the 80s. At one point, we looked kinda like a P.O.S. car lot, too. It was really brought home the time we hosted a European exchange student for the weekend who was utterly blown away, hey we don’t gots public transportation here in Motor City!

It’s to far back for me to remember specifics but:

1976 Gremlin (non-functioning but I had hope!)  
1979 Rabbit (my functioning vehicle)  
197? rusted Ford Econoline (Dad’s work van)  
1982 Chrysler (Mom’s official car)  
197? Ford pickup (Dad’s hunting truck with camper)  
197? Nova (sis)  
198? Chevy Cavalier (sis)  
1963 classic convertible Dad was restoring.  
I’m single and bought a new Expedition in November, didn’t turn in my ten year old Ranger or sell it yet. Thru the snow I drove the 4w of course but since it’s warmed up I’ve been switching between them. For what I’d get for a ten year old pickup it seems hardly worth the hassle of selling it, and it’s nice to have a truck around for messier cargo. Considering it’s listed as my primary vehicle and my new one isn’t, the insurance is a pittance more than just having the new one alone. Feels weird owning two, but it’s nice having a spare when someone in the family needs it.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

### Author: ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)
#### Post date: [April 2, 2005, 5:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-largest-number-of-vehicles-your-family-has-had-at-one-time/297405/4 "2005-04-02T17:14:03Z")

</div>

> [@Queen Tonya](#):
>
> I’m single…

So. S’up? 😃

---

<div class="post-metadata">

### Author: ![Strinka](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/strinka/32/512_2.png) [@Strinka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Strinka)
#### Post date: [April 2, 2005, 5:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-largest-number-of-vehicles-your-family-has-had-at-one-time/297405/5 "2005-04-02T17:16:39Z")

</div>

:eek: That’s a lot of cars!

Right now, we have the most we ever had at one time with four. I don’t know any years or makes or anything like that.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

### Author: ![Queen\_Tonya](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/4491bb/32.png) [@Queen\_Tonya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Queen_Tonya)
#### Post date: [April 2, 2005, 5:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-largest-number-of-vehicles-your-family-has-had-at-one-time/297405/6 "2005-04-02T17:20:24Z")

</div>

> [@Johnny L.A.](#):
>
> So. S’up? 😃

Depends…what’cha driving? 😛

---

<div class="post-metadata">

### Author: ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)
#### Post date: [April 2, 2005, 5:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-largest-number-of-vehicles-your-family-has-had-at-one-time/297405/7 "2005-04-02T17:31:03Z")

</div>

> [@Queen Tonya](#):
>
> Depends…what’cha driving? 😛

😛 I seems to be gathering a collection. Right now: a '99 Cherokee, a '94 Yamaha XJ600, and a, '03 [YZF-R1](http://pw1.netcom.com/~heliboy/r1.jpg). Plus the '66 MG, whenever _that_ gets finished. (Not that you really wanted to know. 😛😉 )

---

<div class="post-metadata">

### Author: ![racer72](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/racer72/32/3075_2.png) [@racer72](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/racer72)
#### Post date: [April 2, 2005, 5:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-largest-number-of-vehicles-your-family-has-had-at-one-time/297405/8 "2005-04-02T17:31:41Z")

</div>

I have to disqualify myself. My father has owned a wrecking yard for years so it is possible that when I was a kid we had access to a couple hundred cars at one time. When I drove race cars I always had 20 to 30 cars available for new race cars or parts. My wife and I are down to 3 vehicles now, my Toyota pickup, her Ford Taurus and my, errr, our 66 GTO. Now that the goat is all but finished, I have been eyeballing a 64 Chevelle that a neighbor is selling.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

### Author: ![Shirley\_Ujest](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/45deac/32.png) [@Shirley\_Ujest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shirley_Ujest)
#### Post date: [April 2, 2005, 5:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-largest-number-of-vehicles-your-family-has-had-at-one-time/297405/9 "2005-04-02T17:34:13Z")

</div>

Suburban  
Focus  
Econoline (for sale)  
Ford Tractor  
Riding Lawn Mower.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

### Author: ![broys](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/5e9695/32.png) [@broys](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/broys)
#### Post date: [April 2, 2005, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-largest-number-of-vehicles-your-family-has-had-at-one-time/297405/10 "2005-04-02T17:38:08Z")

</div>

Right now my family owns more cars than we ever have.

My parents own:  
1994 Geo Tracker  
1989 Ford Mustang (needs transmission)  
1994 Chevrolet S10 SS  
2003 Toyota Corolla

I own:  
2004 GMC Sierra  
1997 Ford Crown Victoria (non running former police car)

We have enough cars to seat 25 people.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

### Author: ![Queen\_Tonya](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/4491bb/32.png) [@Queen\_Tonya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Queen_Tonya)
#### Post date: [April 2, 2005, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-largest-number-of-vehicles-your-family-has-had-at-one-time/297405/11 "2005-04-02T17:39:56Z")

</div>

> [@Johnny L.A.](#):
>
> Right now: a '99 Cherokee, a '94 Yamaha XJ600, and a, '03 [YZF-R1](http://pw1.netcom.com/~heliboy/r1.jpg). Plus the '66 MG, whenever _that_ gets finished.

Got a spare helmet? 🙂

---

<div class="post-metadata">

### Author: ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)
#### Post date: [April 2, 2005, 6:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-largest-number-of-vehicles-your-family-has-had-at-one-time/297405/12 "2005-04-02T18:06:38Z")

</div>

> [@Queen Tonya](#):
>
> Got a spare helmet? 🙂

Aye. Two or three. And a spare bike. 🙂

---

<div class="post-metadata">

### Author: ![Tuco](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/46a35a/32.png) [@Tuco](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tuco)
#### Post date: [April 2, 2005, 6:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-largest-number-of-vehicles-your-family-has-had-at-one-time/297405/13 "2005-04-02T18:55:45Z")

</div>

The four of us own:

2000 Honda Civic (mine)  
2003 Renault Laguna (Dad’s company car)  
2001 Renault Clio (Mum’s car)  
1996 Vauxhall Corsa (Brother’s car)  
1970 Triumph Spitfire (Brother’s classic)  
1969 Triumph Spitfire (Mum’s classic)

---

<div class="post-metadata">

### Author: ![GusNSpot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gusnspot/32/436_2.png) [@GusNSpot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GusNSpot)
#### Post date: [April 2, 2005, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-largest-number-of-vehicles-your-family-has-had-at-one-time/297405/14 "2005-04-02T19:15:56Z")

</div>

Well, big family , 7 kids.  
Including work vechicles hmmmmm  
Parents:  
62 Rambler  
65 Rambler Maveric  
65 Bonniville Convertable  
59 2 ton trailer puller, Chevy  
Ford a tractor  
Ford Major diesel tractor  
homemade mini-bike  
59 Chevy Impalla ( that horid lime green and babby shit yellow ) ( no one wanted to drive it. )  
60 Ford Pickup  
1965 260B Comanche  
1969 Mooney Exective

Older sis:  
Just a car as I remember.

Me:1949 80 cu in flat head HD (now have 3 bikes but not the 49 ☹ )  
66 Chevy Impala  
1946 85 HP Swift GC-1A ( later moved up to 1949 145 HP GC-!B Temco swift.  
1936 John Deer tractor with both rubber and iron wheels ( hand start)

Brother:  
1961 Chevy junker  
Cushman Eagle scooter

Sis # 2  
Early 240 Z

Sis # 3 American Pacer

Sis # 4 It was rusty…

Sis # 5 Not as rusty but I didn’t pay attention to it either.

* * *

Above was all I remember that were all at one time.

_Not counting the early years when Dad was a used car dealer._  
He brought neet stuff then, 51 Pan Head HD  
Something with a ‘rumble seat’  
Crosely  
Cloth top 32 Dodge panel truck  
various sparts cars.  
Lots of stuff that makes me cry now that he did not keep but the smae can be said for myself. I messed up and sold a lot I should not have in retrospect.

Aircraft we have owned as far as I can remember

46? Funk ( inverted - converted model b ford engine )( yeah, was a strange one that )  
47 Cessna 140  
57 Cessna 172  
60 Cessna 172  
55 Cessna 180 ( Dads favorite )  
65 260 B Comanche  
69 Mooney Ex.  
46 Swift  
49 Swift  
75 Cessna 172  
68 Cessna 184

Boats:  
Lots, but I don’t know if you would call then vehicels.

Sail and power and paddle  
Inboard and out board  
Had a cabin on a lake from 54 to 85

---

<div class="post-metadata">

### Author: ![Queen\_Tonya](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/4491bb/32.png) [@Queen\_Tonya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Queen_Tonya)
#### Post date: [April 2, 2005, 7:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-largest-number-of-vehicles-your-family-has-had-at-one-time/297405/15 "2005-04-02T19:18:24Z")

</div>

> [@Johnny L.A.](#):
>
> Aye. Two or three. And a spare bike. 🙂

42° 25’ N 83° 1’ W

I’ll leave the light on. 😉

---

<div class="post-metadata">

### Author: ![GusNSpot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gusnspot/32/436_2.png) [@GusNSpot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GusNSpot)
#### Post date: [April 2, 2005, 7:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-largest-number-of-vehicles-your-family-has-had-at-one-time/297405/16 "2005-04-02T19:19:54Z")

</div>

68 Cessna 182 ( ::: sheesh ::: )  
( ::: sheesh :: on all the typos too, forgot to spell check, :: )

---

<div class="post-metadata">

### Author: ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)
#### Post date: [April 2, 2005, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-largest-number-of-vehicles-your-family-has-had-at-one-time/297405/17 "2005-04-02T19:33:28Z")

</div>

21 concurrently-owned vehicles! I think it will be hard to top **GusNSpot**! (Not that it’s a competition; just 'how many have you owned at one time;.)

> [@GusNSpot](#):
>
> Sis # 3 American Pacer

I thought the Pacer was made by _Piper!_. 😉

> [@Queen Tonya](#):
>
> 42° 25’ N 83° 1’ W
> 
> I’ll leave the light on. 😉

I’ve been warming up the hot tub. 😉

---

<div class="post-metadata">

### Author: ![LadyMack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/4491bb/32.png) [@LadyMack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LadyMack)
#### Post date: [April 2, 2005, 8:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-largest-number-of-vehicles-your-family-has-had-at-one-time/297405/18 "2005-04-02T20:08:15Z")

</div>

> [@Johnny L.A.](#):
>
> 21 concurrently-owned vehicles! I think it will be hard to top **GusNSpot**! (Not that it’s a competition; just 'how many have you owned at one time;.)

What don’t really go on that list are the ones we have now, paying insurance on, and rarely use.

3 motorcycles.  
1 pickup  
1 car  
1 blazer  
1 warwagon  
1 bulldozer (not driven to the store much)

It would be nice to pare down a bit, but we just can’t figure out which ones.

:dubious:

---

<div class="post-metadata">

### Author: ![Foible](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Foible](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Foible)
#### Post date: [April 2, 2005, 11:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-largest-number-of-vehicles-your-family-has-had-at-one-time/297405/19 "2005-04-02T23:18:21Z")

</div>

Ok, my father’s place tends to be the repository of vehicles for the family so here’s what he’s got laying around at the moment.

Chevy Impala ( late model, the main car)  
Chevy 4x4 pickup (the main truck, has a plow)  
two farmall cub tractors (one spare, one for parts, I can’t tell which is which)  
Ford short body schoolbus (the party wagon, one sober driver for 15 drunks)  
Rambler Rebel (waiting to be fixed, five years and counting)  
MGB (waiting to be fixed, ten years and counting)  
54 ford pickup (the retired truck)  
48 ford pickup (another project, two decades now with no progress)  
1980 yamaha 650 motorcycle (it runs, nobody there rides at the moment)  
The Jeep (year and model are unkown due to a lack or original parts, this is the retired plow vehicle and has no working lights, no working brakes, [just drop the plow to stop] no doors, no roof, few body panels, and a cable for the clutch.)

On top of this are somewhere between two and half a dozen riding lawn mowers depending on how much of the vehicle has to be there to be counted.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

### Author: ![mnemosyne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c4cdca/32.png) [@mnemosyne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mnemosyne)
#### Post date: [April 2, 2005, 11:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-largest-number-of-vehicles-your-family-has-had-at-one-time/297405/20 "2005-04-02T23:23:10Z")

</div>

The most we ever had as a family was four. The odd thing, though, was that at one time 3 of them were Toyota Tercels. The Nissan Altima looked decidedly out of place in our driveway when all the kids were home!

Now it’s a Mazda 3 Sport, a VW Golf, a Toyota Echo and my car, the Last of the Tercels. Only the owners of the first 3 live together, I live out-of-province.

[Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-largest-number-of-vehicles-your-family-has-had-at-one-time/297405.md?page=2)
