What does your automotive evolution look like?

I'm sure some folks pick a marquee or a type of car and just stick with it. I remember my grandfather was a Mopar man through and through.

I myself started off craving vintage Japanese iron (Had an '80 Corolla and a '79 Datsun wagon), got into Volvos for a long time and had a ton of those, and had a couple diesel Mercedes. For the past year, I've been really into cheap econoboxes. I used to turn my nose up at FWD "appliances," but my Camry totally changed my mind.

I've got a friend that went from ricing out Hondas to ricing out XJ jags. I think it's just interesting to see what folk's timelines look like.

I bought a Miata.

Then I got a VW Golf.

Then I got an old Land Rover.

Sold the Golf and bought an old Subaru.

Picked up an old Cadillac, then another. Crushed the first one.

Sold the old Subaru, bought a 323 GTX.

Built a Locost.

Traded the Miata for a classic Mini.

Married a girl who came with a Miata and a Grand Cherokee.

Sold the GTX, bought a Toyota pickup.

Sold the Toyota pickup, bought a Tundra.

Built a rally Miata.

Built a V8-powered MG.

Got my original Miata back.

Bought an E39 M5.

Sold the Tundra, picked up a Dodge turbo-diesel.

Bought a VW Westfalia.

I can't see the pattern other than a few Miatas over the years

In reply to Keith Tanner:

Love the avatar. Throw up the pictures! My pattern is rusty quarter panels .

No loyalty here, I buy the vehicle that matches what I want to accomplish.

I guess I know what I like...

1998:

2001:

2007:

2013:

2014:

I am beginning to feel an itch to break out of the mold at some point in the near future, though...

Discounting beater type cars that I've accumulated and either driven into the ground or flipped, the list of cars I've liked looks something like this:
(Guess you could say I'm into Japanese cars)

87 Supra (turbo swap made all the difference, first time turning wrenches)
83 Starlet (the one that got away, impounded thanks to asshat property manager, wasn't worth bailing out when I got back from vacation)
94 Toyota Pickup (Big enough to haul bikes, small enough that no-one thought of me when they moved)
95 Miata (Totally impractical, got me started Autocrossing, ladies think it's cute)
75 Nova (Still on the fence about this one, early enough in that I should be able to at least break even)

Seriously considering a Lancer Evo (VIII or IX) as the next step, keep the Miata as something I won't worry about scuffing up
(So, y'all will probably see a 'learn me' thread soon as somehow there is very little Evo discussion on these boards )

I started with early Mustangs, went through an MG phase, bought a bunch of new Hondas and have settled comfortably into Porsches.

Also, I used to wax my cars every weekend. Now, don't even bother washing them anymore.

Started with crappy american econo boxes. Moved on to quirky European/Japanese econo boxes. Now it's a variety of sports cars of both the very good and the crappy variety. I think I like sports cars better.

First car I ever bought was an 1988 VW GTI. After I incurred some front end damage during an ice storm I bought a 94 mirage, which made me swear off automatic transmissions. I sold that and bought a 99 civic lx that I traded for a 2001 corolla when I was selling toyotas. I still have that corolla but I've added an 88 BMW M5, so back to old German cars again. Apparently I tend to buy new Japanese cars but used German cars.

90 toyota pickup 2wd 22RE 72 charger, 440 6 pack, 4 on floor 94 vw jetta aba 2.0 (later to get 16v head swap, BBM supercharger and itbs) 99 lotus elise (purchased w/o engine, registered as kit car) 05 subaru sti (became logbooked car) 06 scion xb 93 mazda 323 92 mazda protege lx 92 talon tsi (logbooked)

i miss making good money

1990 Dodge Spirit

1986 Mazda RX7 - parted out after 2 years

1998 Audi A4 - traded in on RX8

1987 Mazda RX7 - Ex girlfriend got it and EFFd it up.

1996 Plymouth Breeze - broke on the way to work. Left it there.

1987 Mazda RX7 (then I turbo swapped it - still have it)

2004 Mazda RX8 (traded on 2008 Frontier)

2008 Nissan Frontier (traded in on 2011 Silverado)

1986 Mazda RX7 (still have)

2011 Chevy Silverado (DD).

My wife had a mazda 626, than a protege, now a Mazda6 AND an 87 Mazda RX7.

Rob R.

1977 Pontiac Grand Prix

1984 Camaro (sport coupe) (red)

1984 Camaro (sport coupe) (white but with AC this time)

1990 Beretta

1993 Eagle Talon (non-turbo)

1995 S-10 Blazer (concurrent with Talon)

2006 Scion xB

2001 Subaru Impreza 2.5RS

1987 MR2, 1979 Lil' Red Express mixed in between there at various points... ...I can't seem to decide.

1964 Plymouth Savoy (very base model, only option was the pushbutton automatic)

1988 Mazda 626 (turbo, the best car I have owned)

1973 Mercury Capri (A German bucket of rust. I still own it, haven't driven in a very long time)

1999 Olds Intrigue (I just sold it, it was a decent appliance, GM accountants ruined these cars)

1995 Mustang GT (convertible, I still have it, it needs some TLC)

2011 Suzuki SX4 Sportback (I just got this, the new daily)

There really isn't anything unifying about these vehicles. I guess most of them have manual transmissions.

Mine is like a shark, it hasn't changed in a million years

Started with three MG Midgets. Never finished but learned a lot

Then a '96 Civic DX (can't find a picture of it) that ended up wrecked.

That was followed by a 93 Civic EX (still have)

Then a very rusty Spitfire (on going project, vintage racer)

Then two Yugos (still being worked on for the challenge)

And a MB diesel wagon (now sold)

A truck (still have)

And my current daily driver a 99 Civic Si

I am on car #24, I've been all over the place.I have a spreadsheet to list them all haha.

Some will have to be sourced photos...

These are the streetable cars and actually I still have multiple. I think the trucks say something about me, though.

91 Corolla
91 Miata
81 VW Caddy
67 MG Midget
83 W123 wagon
69 MGB
89 Mustang LX 5.0
97 Wrangler
87 Scirocco
87 Jetta
02 WRX
79 W116
93 Miata
90 Miata
92 Volvo 745
89 Peugeot 405
76 Mini
93 Volvo 945

Plus some I am forgetting and some that never ran. The only ones I keep for long are the Miatas.

I started in the Mustang world. 1965 Coupe

1985 GT

1964 1/2 coupe

and did a lot of the restoration work on a 1968 Boss 429. (not mine though)

Then went into my cheap beater phase

1982 GLC

1981 Honda Civic

1976 Ford Econoline Van

1985 Dodge D150

Then my Japanese phase:

1989 Dodge Colt GT

1989 Acura Integra

1992 Integra GSR

1994 Maxima SE

1997 Mitsubishi Mirage

2007 Subaru Forester XT

1994 Miata

2004 MS Miata

2008 Mazda 3

1991 MR2 Turbo

Had a couple of germans over the years but they didn't last too long mostly because I bargain hunted and they were pretty beat.

1983 VW GTI

1990 M3

Now I'm back to American muscle with my 66 Barracuda and looking to enter the Porsche world now that I'm not driving a ton (work from home most days) with a 2010-2011 boxster.

1986 Cadillac Cimmaron

(I see we're off to a good start)

1981 Ford Courrier

1978 GMC Panel Van

(kind of going in the wrong direction here)

1985 RX-7

Aha! There we go

1990 Ford Ranger (2wd)

1987 Toyota 4x4

1971 Datsun 240z (never ran, never finished)

1978 Chevy Scottsdale 4x4

1986 Maxda RX-7

Traded the RX-7 for my Toyota 4x4 back

1987 Lada 2105

1966 Impala

1985 Trabant 601

1985 Alfa Romeo GTV6

I think I like the 80's and RWD vehicles. Come to think of it, the only "automatics" I've owned were the Cadillac and the Van.

I'm somewhat shocked and appalled to realize that this year marks the 40th anniversary of my first driver's license.

I've gone from this

To this

Huh. Never put them all together like that before. (not my actual cars, just representative images)
The only word that I can come up with is...pathetic.
Ah well, family commitments and all that.

Only had my license for 2 years but I've gone through a few cars (not crashed but just gave back or sold). Just haven't found the right car yet.

2011 (early) - family's spare car. Driving it in college this year.

2011 (late) -Subaru buyback

2012 (early) - sold to cousin

2013 (mid) - my project

You can see I like BMW's. Eventually I'll venture out and get another car, but I'm scared of not knowing how to work on an unfamiliar car.

Not to knock any of my cars, I loved them all. But I would rather have a string of GTIs, WRXs, BMWs, etc.