Your iconic 'car of my youth' to buy now...

[ChrisW]

The thing that I loved most was the mpg indicator at the bottom of the rev counter, I thought it was so cool.

You'd have been disappointed with an E30 M3 - that was where the oil temp gauge was.

[Mr. Dazzle]

Even my 2012 3-series had 'the swingometer' albeit in screen form.

BMW staple innit?

[demographic]

Youth?
How far back can we go?
Technically I was alive when they came out so Im choosing a Stratos and fuck practicality.

I just missed out on the Porsche 917 being a car of my youth otherwise I'd have picked that instead.

[wheelnut]

Possibly the Astra GTE - mark 1. Not sure there are any left though.

- Ah- that was my first ever brand new company car back in 1984 , well not the exact one in the picture but exact same model, I have many many happy memories in that car, and one or two when lady luck was obviously looking down on me too
I put it through a fence into a field at speed on the way home very late one night when, umm, swerving trying to avoid a deer , bounced off a very solid tree on the way through which bent the shell , seriously brusied my ribs and kidneys and meant the drivers door wouldn't open.
It only had approx 10k miles on it at that time, I was sure it would be written off but they did manage to repair it so it lived again, and I got nicked in it not long after for an average speed of 94.6 over a 4.8 mile stretch of the A354 near Blandford at 6ish in the morning
A480ARX where are you now I wonder ....

And I also had one of the later 2.0 GSi models in a sort of gun metal metallic in the early 90s, I thought it was a cool looking car at the time, it was undoubtedly massively superior to my previous one , and R26 Megane aside, possibly my favourite ever hot-hatch, albeit I have no yearning to ever own any of them again!

Looks like there’s four of them registered in the Uk with only 1 on the road.

[Slenver]

Looks like there’s four of them registered in the Uk with only 1 on the road.

The GTE or GSI?

Howmanyleft.co.uk says there are 133 GTEs and 325 GSIs licenced (as of last year), though many more SORN'd

[demographic]

Youth?
How far back can we go?
Technically I was alive when they came out so Im choosing a Stratos and fuck practicality.

I just missed out on the Porsche 917 being a car of my youth otherwise I'd have picked that instead.

I think Weeksy suggested practicality and not just a poster car, but I’m with you on a Stratos as a dream car.

I recently had a good look over a Countach at Tom Hartley’s place when I was there and it’s a poster car and I could actually buy it if I wanted to, but I don’t want to, if you’re a fan then it’s probably worth every penny of the £500k he’s asking and they’re fantastic guys, can’t do enough for you, but it’s not for me.

Ahh, missed that bit. The problem is that in general I just couldn't give a toss about most cars so it's got to be something pretty special for me to perk up.

I just don't get gadgets on them, just seems like tat I don't want and I genuinely like vans.

Could maybe stretch to a Lancia Delta Turbo the HF thing?
Got a mate with one of those and that could be quite entertaining, even as a passenger.

Not refined, buggerall driver aids, just a bit rapid down the back lanes.

Of course being a Lancia, it's in bits now.

[David]

Messerschmidt TG 500.

[gremlin]

Messerschmidt TG 500.

Silly fokker.

[David]

Messerschmidt TG 500.

Silly fokker.

I see what you did there, Biggles.

[Taipan]

Found it:

C'mon Panda, lets go party!

[gremlin]

Nine bags for a proper one....

https://www.carandclassic.com/l/C1734728

[v8-powered]

Nine bags for a proper one....

https://www.carandclassic.com/l/C1734728

They are rather brilliant though. I personally went the Lada Niva Cossack route for my cheap 4x4 fix before going all Essex and buying a Range Rover (Lada was better better off-road!)

[gremlin]

The originals are treasured in Italy, especially the 4x4s, as they fit rather neatly between rows of grapevines.

[Mr. Dazzle]

The originals are treasured in Italy, especially the 4x4s, as they fit rather neatly between rows of grapevines.

Any car with a dash mounted inclinometer is a serious bit of off roading kit

[wheelnut]

Looks like there’s four of them registered in the Uk with only 1 on the road.

The GTE or GSI?

Howmanyleft.co.uk says there are 133 GTEs and 325 GSIs licenced (as of last year), though many more SORN'd

83/84 mk1 GTEs - I think the mk 2 came out in 84-85?

[David]

That would be a shogun then.....

[Mr. Dazzle]

I believe the MPG swing meter might have been an optional extra in many BMWs.

My (non M3) E30 had it, my F30 had it in digital form. My mates E34 5-series didn't, IIRC.

[Rockburner]

I believe the MPG swing meter might have been an optional extra in many BMWs.

My (non M3) E30 had it, my F30 had it in digital form. My mates E34 5-series didn't, IIRC.

Iirc the late 80s VW Polo i took driving lessons in had an mpg meter of some sort.

[Mr. Dazzle]

Yeah loads do/did. Often it was just a manifold vacuum pressure gauge!

[Taipan]

my e93 330i had the oil temp gauge and not the MPG one.