NY Times Magazine: "What We Spent in a Month"

[Rogar]

My first car was an inherited 1957 Studebaker, which was a geezer car at the time, but it was free. It had a V-8, dual exhausts, and was deceptively fast in a few amateur contests. Not quite the chick magnet of the muscle cars or more modern vehicles, but the large bench seats were a plus.

[pinkytoe]

I don't know why but my mother always bought brand new cars with cash. When I turned 17, she bought me a cute little Austin Mini-Cooper that was totaled within a few months when an old lady ran a stop sign and hit me. In its place, my Mom bought me a brand new Mercury Capri (junk). Purchasing new cars continued after we got married until I wised up about buying used instead. I drove several used Volvo 240 sedans for years.

[razz]

I don't know why but my mother always bought brand new cars with cash. When I turned 17, she bought me a cute little Austin Mini-Cooper that was totaled within a few months when an old lady ran a stop sign and hit me. In its place, my Mom bought me a brand new Mercury Capri (junk). Purchasing new cars continued after we got married until I wised up about buying used instead. I drove several used Volvo 240 sedans for years.

Had friends who swore by their Volvos, the solid construction and the strongly built engines. One couple used them for years in the antique business hauling stuff. Their mechanics were able to keep them going for unbelievable mileage and limited rust damage. Then Volvo "modernized" and joined the rest of the auto manufacturers and their quality dropped to that level.