Did your parents ever buy you a car? (1 Viewer)

[David Ely]

My parents didn't by me a car. I really didn't have a need for my own car when I was a teenager. Even when I went to University, it was very easy for me to get around by bus. After school, I'd always have access to either of my parent's cars.

I'm now 23 and have just got my first car (2002 Mazda Protege ES). I just felt that now was the right time to get my own car. It never made financial sense before.

 

[Eric Kahn]

Like many of the previous posts in this thread, I ''inherited'' a 67 VW when I was 16 in 1980, it had been driven by everyone else in the family, I am pretty sure that the only reason that I got this car is because my dad did not want to drive me to school (no bus, I went to a private school that was to far away to walk to and my parents would not let me ride my bike on the very busy main roads to it)it was a privalige and was removed (other than driving to school) many times
I was lucky, my parents paid the insurance on it as I did not have a job until I was 19, not from lack of trying, I think I applied at every fast food resturant in the city of Cincinnati
when I was a senior in High school, my parents bought me a 1973 VW thing for about 2300 dollars, Probably because the floor fell out of the 67 beetle due to rust, I had to sell the thing 8 months later when my dad lost his job
The teens in europe have it made for the most part in that they have access to a public transit system that can get them almost anywhere at anytime where here in the USA, unless you live in a major city (and not even all of those) you do not have access to any public transportation other than a very expensive cab, if they bother to show up after you call them
we just have very cheap used cars and driving privilages at 16
Maybe I should have tried harder in school, maybe then I could probably spell

 

[Richard Cooper]

When I first passsed my test in 1996, my parents put me on the insurance of our 1963 Morris Minor convertible (actually we had to change insurance companies to do that 'cos the one they were with didn't insure under 25's, and the cost went DOWN!). Then about 4 months later, when I was about to go to uni, I borrowed £200 to buy an Austin Allegro, and then paid the £500 for the insurance myself.

I drove that motor into the ground for 2 years, then bought a similar car for £75 and used the old one for spares. I ran that one into the ground over the next 3 years and then when the welding needed doing out-valued the car by 5 to 1 I decided to give in and buy another car. I spent £175 on a VW Polo which so-far seems solid (ish).

Basically, whilst my parents never actually bought me a car, they did help out in a great many ways. Quite often when I was short for the money for parts they'd chip in. They even bought one of my brother's old cars off him to help with the money for a new one (that they then tried to palm it off onto me was kinda annoying! It was a complete pile of cack).

 

[Steve Schaffer]

When I turned 16 back in 1966, one could buy a decent used Chevy for $250. For my 16th birthday my parents bought me a solid teakwood desk that probably cost twice that and I was furious. I did get to drive one of their cars for dates and such, but not to school, had to ride the bus.
They did buy me my first car, but not until I turned 18. I got good grades and stayed out of trouble, and had never gotten a ticket or had an accident with thier cars. The car I got was a 62 Corvair Monza coupe, and I loved it. It cost $625, had 43k miles on it. I paid for my own gas, repairs, and insurance. In 72, at 115k miles I got $450 for it in trade for a brand new Toyota Corolla, which they cosigned for but I paid for.
My younger brother, a drug addicted asshole who terrorized my stepmom and was constantly in trouble got a $1200 motorcycle as a bribe just to put out the effort to graduate from highschool, 3 years after I got the Corvair. He totalled the bike in 8 months.
Just shows how beneficial it is to be a good kid and try to do right by your family--ya get half as much.