I could make the argument that the most important car in your life is actually your first car. Sure, you’ll probably go on to own faster, more expensive and nicer cars, but your first car is what starts it all. It’s where you learn how to drive, hopefully where you make all your mistakes, and in a lot of cases it’s your first real taste of financial and personal responsibility. Because of all of this, I’ve always romanticized first cars. I remember being a very young kid and thinking about what my first car would be, and as it turned out, I was right, but we’ll get to that in a second. All of this is what has led me to today’s question, and it’s a pretty simple one.
I want to know what your first car was. Whether you bought it yourself, it was handed down to you or your folks decided you were a good little child deserving of your own ride, your first car is incredibly special, and I want to know what it was. Of course, not everyone is that lucky. Some had to share a car with their parents, which is a fate worse than death, if you ask me. It’s something I wouldn’t wish on my worst enemy.
My first car
On its face, my first car was nothing special: a 2000 Volkswagen Passat V6. But this car was everything to me. It was my pride and joy and — for a long time — the love of my life. Despite the fact it was nearly as old as I was, I babied the hell out of this car. It had been in my family since new. My aunt bought it in 2000, then when she had a couple of kids, it went to my uncle. It got to me sometime in 2013 and I had it through July of 2015.
Of course, this poor car got its fair share of dents and scratches over the few years I owned it, but in a lot of ways, I consider that restoration. While I obviously loved it, it was hideously unreliable. In fact, the very first night I had it, three cylinders started misfiring — causing the engine to die. When the engine died, I’d lose brakes and power steering. It was a real trial by fire moment for a young driver, but I’m all the better motorist for it.
As any old VW owner will tell you, this was just the tip of the iceberg. The check engine light was never not on, and it left me stranded multiple times over the years I owned it, yet I still loved that car. I still do, to be honest. I’ve had quite a few cars since then, but nothing will ever replace that little Passat.
Anyway, that’s enough out of me. How about you all head down below, and let your fellow Jalops know what your first car was? As always, I’ll be giving out cash prizes and tours of our writers’ homes if you tell us a little bit about the car.
