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Colin Wood
Colin Wood Associate Editor
12/19/23 11:00 a.m.
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As much as we all would like to drive our favorite classics day in and day out, sometimes we only get a limited time with the cars that are near and dear to our hearts.

What cars have you had the chance to drive once, but, sadly, never again?

Read the rest of the story

Slippery
Slippery GRM+ Memberand PowerDork
12/19/23 11:09 a.m.

C5 Z06 Corvette. Only Corvette I have ever driven.

Jesse Ransom
Jesse Ransom GRM+ Memberand UltimaDork
12/19/23 11:16 a.m.

964-generation Porsche 911.

Definitely felt special.

AngryCorvair (Forum Supporter)
AngryCorvair (Forum Supporter) GRM+ Memberand MegaDork
12/19/23 11:24 a.m.

2012 Porsche 911 GT3 RS 4.0

1996 Lamborghini Diablo VT

carloshermida
carloshermida New Reader
12/19/23 11:26 a.m.

I drove a SAAB  750  in Havana , by the Seawall , b4 I knew how to drive , and b4 I got my drivers license.  It was "stuck" in high speed.  I do not know how I did not wreck.  It was challenging , and to me that 2 stroke Car is one of the old time classics 

Carlos Hermida

Snowdoggie (Forum Supporter)
Snowdoggie (Forum Supporter) UltraDork
12/19/23 11:29 a.m.

1969 Porsche 911S

It was a test drive at dealer in Denver. I should have bought it.

The price was $6,000. I had the money.

Many years ago. I was afraid of the rust in the door jamb.

MGWrench
MGWrench New Reader
12/19/23 11:32 a.m.

 In the late '70s, when I was working as a mechanic, I had the opportunity to rebuild the bottom end of a '67 Corvette with a 396 and a 4 speed.  Taking it out on a test drive after the rebuild, I jumped on the throttle a bit too hard on a highway on-ramp and got sideways at 70MPH.  I backed out of the pedal, straightened out the car and headed back to the shop.  That was the last time I ever drove any Corvette.

Panamericano
Panamericano New Reader
12/19/23 11:34 a.m.

So many.  GT-40,  F40, 300SL Gullwing, etc.  Multiple drives in Cobras, but alas, probably never again.

mapleglen
mapleglen New Reader
12/19/23 11:35 a.m.

For the Covair guy. Had to sell my 1956 Austin Healey with a 289 HiPo ford V8. To many speeding tickets. It was red. Bought a Covair station wagon. Slowest car I ever had except a Reanult Dauphine. Spun the Covair out twice as soon as I got it. Sold it to my sister who loved it.

Also drove a Porsche 356 back in 1966, once. Dealer said drive it as hard as you can, but do not take it over [ do not rmember]  RPMs. Fun, But I like Brit cars .

Geno1
Geno1 New Reader
12/19/23 11:37 a.m.

2015 Aston Martin V12 Advantage.  But only to lunch and back.  But I imagined Le Mans.

Ebby
Ebby GRM+ Memberand New Reader
12/19/23 11:43 a.m.

I drove a Lambo in France and after sitting in traffic decided this was not a car I wanted to own.Had a 289 Cobra...but only drove a 427 Cobra (A production winning car) once. Too much go.

Drove an Indy car at Second Creek (Denver)...and was as impressed with the brakes as I was with the acceleation.

Had a Lotus 23 for 2 laps at Vegas. Liked it but couldnn´t afford it.

Drove a ´54 Ferrari barchetta. Wife killed that one.

I have owned over a hundred cars and enjoy driving, especially on track with competitive cars.

Mike Eberlein

wearymicrobe
wearymicrobe PowerDork
12/19/23 11:48 a.m.

Drive is a light word but I got to sit in and help start a 917K. Racing drivers must have been smaller in the 70's. 

Mndsm
Mndsm MegaDork
12/19/23 11:55 a.m.

Automatic NA MINI. Jesus what a soul sucking appliance. It was a rental while my Cooper S was in the shop and I'd rather have had a Ford Focus. 

bobzilla
bobzilla MegaDork
12/19/23 12:14 p.m.

Scion xA auto. Absolutely loathesome. 

Oldsmobile Alero. Looked super sharp. Drove horrible. Bought an Elantra instead. 

Shelby GT500KR. Absolutely terrifying. 

Dmorse
Dmorse New Reader
12/19/23 12:17 p.m.

1934 Rolls Royce Shooting Brake.  Looked great, drove about like a small school bus. 

joeymec
joeymec New Reader
12/19/23 12:21 p.m.

In reply to Mndsm :

I  Have a 2002 Mini Cooper S Dinan Package. 6 speed  210 hp.  A rocket ship and much more power than I need but regardless is  fun to drive.  I see Mini's with automatics and I ask one question..............why?

MGfanatic
MGfanatic New Reader
12/19/23 12:22 p.m.

1963 Plymouth Fury 426 wedge 4 speed  Scary fast

1963 Porsche Carrara 2.0L Scary fast with great handling 

1966 Shelby 350GT Very fast with good handling 

1968 Lamborghini 400GT Very fast with amazing handling 

My own 1961 Daimler SP250 

My own 1961 Lotus Super 7

Many others that were interesting but not as memorable as the ones above. 

jhalfdime
jhalfdime New Reader
12/19/23 12:23 p.m.

Ferrari 330; Drove like a truck at low speeds but that wasn't what it was built for was it?

Renault Dauphine; Scary.

Porsche Boxter; I should've bought one!

The only Motgan +8 Autobox; JUst what you'd expect from a Powerglide.

Morgan Aero 8; From the driver's seat it's awesome and you can't see how gawkey it looks.

I'm sure there were more, but these stood out one way or another.

joeymec
joeymec New Reader
12/19/23 12:36 p.m.

my one time drivers:  (1972)  RHD 60's Lotus Super Seven....like driving a roller skate with 100hp!  Quite a rush upon acceleration!  Not an everyday driver though!!   (1973)   67 Morgan.... fun to drive, no synchros.  The car had only 6 K miles and I thought something was wrong with the trans!   (1969) My brother's 66 MGB before I got my license and first stickshift I drove on the street illegally!  He sold it before I got my license!  (1980) Chevy Chevette as a rental car... I was expecting a real hunk of junk but it drove much better than expected!

Jim_Robison
Jim_Robison New Reader
12/19/23 12:36 p.m.

A Lotus 7, but it was right-hand drive and I spent the entire time trying to shift with my left hand.  Plus it had a tennis ball as a gearshift knob.  I never really got to experience the Lotus, just the damn shift lever.

davetjaguarxk140
davetjaguarxk140 New Reader
12/19/23 12:38 p.m.

At the age of 18, I worked at an airport and 'borrowed' a Ferrari Daytona from a hanger - took it for a spin down the ramp. Second gear floored it too fast instant throttle response got sideways here comes a row of tied-down airplanes OMG! Glad the brakes worked so well. Tic tic tic, back in the hanger. Phew. Never again.

joeymec
joeymec New Reader
12/19/23 12:41 p.m.

In reply to MGWrench :

By your name, I understand why that was you last episode with a Corvette...They. are not my choice either.  I would take a fun driving Spridget or MGB anyday......

joeymec
joeymec New Reader
12/19/23 12:48 p.m.

Thanks Colin Wood!  This is a fun post with much fun interaction!

Ian F (Forum Supporter)
Ian F (Forum Supporter) MegaDork
12/19/23 1:19 p.m.

1969 Dodge Charger 383/AT.  "General Lee" replica.  I test drove it in 1990 thinking I might buy it.  I had never driven anything even remotely that powerful before. The test drive loop was on a highway. As I moderately pressed on the gas pedal, we were doing 70 on the uphill on-ramp before even getting to the highway. "Oh... wow..."  then when I went to turn around, I turned the wheel as if it were my Subaru - and nearly rolled the outside tire off the rim... "Oh... wow..."  In the end, the car had a bit of rust in the trunk which scared me off.  The asking price was $2200.   Part of me really wished I'd found a way to buy it...  another part is convinced I would have killed myself driving it.   I've not driven a similar car since. Although the poor handling actually had me pondering a "restomod" version of a Charger long before that was a thing.

earlwalker
earlwalker New Reader
12/19/23 1:22 p.m.

The most exciting drive ever was at Road Atlanta, I drove Mark Donohue's Can Am Porsche for two laps when he was there testing one winter.

I also drove a Corvette also at Road Atlanta that didn't want to turn left.  It had hit an embankment on the road course at Daytona.

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