My life in cars: Family cars

A bit of nostalgia, the family cars I remember. My family was 2 adults and 3 kids. We had two cars as my father had a butcher shop in Echuca, Victoria, so one was for deliveries.

The photos are from the web, not actual cars we owned. Colours may be different.

Armstrong Siddley Ute-Coupe 2+2

The first car I can remember that my family had in the early 1960s. Unusual that it had front and back seats in a ute.

Morris Isis

The larger, 6 cylinder Morris Isis rather than the smaller, more common Oxford. On occasions we would have 2 adults and seven kids in the car; my family of 5 and 4 cousins. All before seat belts. The mid to late 1960s.

EK Holden Panel Van

The first of the shop cars. It had the shop's details sign written on the back of the van. The mid-1960s. Kids in the back.

Mazda 800 Estate, the little green Mazda

The car I learned to drive in 1972 and used until I left home to go to university in Melbourne in 1974. Great little car. 800 cc engine with factory extractors and twin-barrel carburettor. Would do 110 km/hr flat out. The first car with seatbelts.

Another shop car with a magnetic sign on the front doors. The first car imported into Australia by Mazda, so a bit of an unknown at the time, like cars made in China now. Dad had the choice of the Mazda or a very basic BMC Mini panel van with a single seat for the driver for the same price. Bought new in 1966.

Mazda 1500 1969

Bought secondhand to replace the Morris Isis in the about 1970. Very nice car.

Styling by the Italian car designer Giorgetto Giugiaro. Very advanced engine design for a low-cost car.

The first car I did major engine repairs to, replacing the valve seals. Quite complex in the day as an overhead cam engine. All went well although put the distributor in 180 degrees out, as everyone one does; hopefully once.

Holden HT Premier V8

Bought secondhand in about 1973. A 253 ci V8 automatic. I didn't use the car much, driving the little green Mazda instead, or my first motorbike a Yamaha 100. The first car I drove to 100 mph.

Ford Escort Mark 3 4 door

Bought new in about 1976 when I was at university. A very hot little car, 2000 cc but manual not automatic. My mother only ever shifted gear up never down, something you could get away with in a big 1950s car but it made the Escort shudder. Still had the little green Mazda in the mid-1970s.