What kickstarted your brand loyalty - if any?

[ERC]

Something I have often pondered. Why are you a Ford/Holden/Mopar fan? Why Porsche or Alfa Romeo? Why MG/Triumph or Austin Healey?

As a 14/15 year old, I took the Observer's Book of Automobiles and wrote to a range of manufacturers asking for catalogues. Ford never responded. Vauxhall never responded. BMC did. Standard/TRiumph did.

Later, Jaguar, Aston Martin, Daimler, even Ferrari responded. A second letter to Vauxhall. Nothing. Ford, eventually sent a one page catalogue

The first response I had from BMC was a massive envelope with a pile of stuff, including many 10 x 8" press photographs to go with the catalogues.

I retained the very personalised letter (scan below) and noted that Mr Symes apologised that he couldn't supply Austin stuff, as even under BMC, Austin still did their own thing, but he passed my address on to them. Needless to say, a week or three later, there was another bulky envelope from Austin/Austin Healey.

That simple gesture must have repaid BMC, BL, MG, Rover, Land Rover, many times over as in 47 years of car ownership, the only car that I have ever owned that has not come from that stable has been the Marcos - but that does have BL door handles...

Pity a miserable ex wife dumped the catalogues when shipping our stuff over, as the value of the spiral bound Jaguar catalogues alone would be worth a packet, especially the E Type one.

The reference to a motor club? At school, I organised a group of enthusiasts and that culminated in a coach hired for a trip to the Aintree 1962 British GP. Seems I was already an organiser at the age of 15...

[bry3500]

Not long after I got my license I was cleaned up one night by a drunk driver who ran a red light. He was in a Vauxhall Cresta and hit me head on travelling about 45 -50 mph according to the coppers. I was in Dad's Rover 90, woke up on the floor in the passengers compartment and it saved me from any real serious injuries or worse. I have driven an assortment of Rovers ever since....

[Paul Wilkinson]

I've always had a thing for Series Four Lotus sevens. It all started when we'd go to the club circuit races at Pukekohe in the early 80's. I'd wander off while Dad was either racing or talking to his mates. There was a group of Series Four Sevens that would regularly race - mostly driven by younger guys. They seemed to appreciate my interest and were always friendly so I'd watch their racing much more closely than the others and cheer them on. There was one particularly fast black S4 with a wing on the back that always did very well and that's the car now darkening my garage.

[Kwaussie]

When I was about nine years old I posted in all the coupons in the Farmers magazine for information on new tractors.
Over the next few weeks I got replies and lots of information on all the known brands.
Got home from school one day and my mother said that about lunch time that day a truck pulled up outside our house with a brand new International tractor on board !! I must have ticked the box requesting a demonstration.
Was banned for a while from sending in requests for anything.

[Oldfart]

When I was about 10 or 11 (1960ish) I sent a request to Coopers for information on the current Formula Junior. I received back quite quickly a lovely black and white glossy brochure. How I wish that one had not disappeared over the years! Needless to say I did not place an order

[ERC]

When I was about nine years old I posted in all the coupons in the Farmers magazine for information on new tractors.
Over the next few weeks I got replies and lots of information on all the known brands.
Got home from school one day and my mother said that about lunch time that day a truck pulled up outside our house with a brand new International tractor on board !! I must have ticked the box requesting a demonstration.
Was banned for a while from sending in requests for anything.

Brilliant!!!! Pity Ferrari and Aston Martin didn't offer that option. I did get stuff from some lesser companies and I think the Tornado Typhoon appealed, even though it was only a body kit for a humble Ford chassis.

[Kevin Hirst]

When I was about 10 or 11 (1960ish) I sent a request to Coopers for information on the current Formula Junior. I received back quite quickly a lovely black and white glossy brochure. How I wish that one had not disappeared over the years! Needless to say I did not place an order

Did they give you a price Reece? be interested to know what they cost in those days.

[928]

Chrysler as that was the first family car that I can remember. chev engines 5 l and bigger, made a lot of money playing with fords of different sizes. Offenhauser engine is probably the best I have seen and worked on

[khyndart in CA]

[QUOTE=Oldfart;44155]When I was about 10 or 11 (1960ish) I sent a request to Coopers for information on the current Formula Junior. I received back quite quickly a lovely black and white glossy brochure. How I wish that one had not disappeared over the years! Needless to say I did not place an order

Reece,
I have this brochure from 1962 for the FJ Cooper. It was a pretty little car ..Priced at 1600 pounds unassembled.
(Is this the right one..I hope it can be read ok.. Please contact me if you want a better image)











( As per Ken Hyndman's .. Autocar reprint)

[Oldfart]

That's the one! I guess there was a letter with it but very long time ago I was actually pretty surprised at the time as I am guessing my handwriting was pretty immature.
Random thought Ken, I seem to remember you were from Morrinsville? I don't suppose a teacher at the High School gave this to you? All may be revealed!

[khyndart in CA]

Reece,
This is not a very exciting story but a few years ago the Cooper Car Company was the honoured marque at the Monterey Historic Meet at Laguna Seca and one of the display stands had this one brochure left. I grabbed it up and often display it on my 62 Austin Cooper at car shows and it does get a lot of attention as most people here do not understand the racing heritage that my Mini Cooper has.

As far as my Morrinsville College days, I was always in trouble for drawing and dreaming about race cars and the teachers did not appreciate that. I wish I had had Mr. Gill as a teacher in 1965.(He was on the staff that year ) I did not know until later that he was the Malcom Gill of Lycoming Special fame.
(He would have understood of what I was up to !)

(Ken Hyndman )

[Oldfart]

My mum was teaching at Morrinsville at the time when all my old car stuff was disposed of. I think that she took a lot along to school to give to interested students. She was there in 64/65!

[GeebeeNZ]

Like some of the other postings on here my cousin and I wrote to various car companies when we were at school. I remember my cousin getting a big parcel of brochures from Rolls Royce. I was a bit different and wrote to Daf in Holland, Saab in Sweden and Pegaso in Spain. I got brochures from Daf and Saab and an apology from Pegaso that they were now only making trucks and not cars.

In 1967 I went to a major car show at Epson Showgrounds. On the Fiat stand I remember sitting in a highly modified Fiat Bambina the 90mph Abarth 695 SS. It was bright yellow with yellow and black chequered roof. Flared guards wide Campagnolo Alloy wheels two inch twin exhausts out the back it looked the part and I thought it was great. At the same price as a Cooper S they only ever sold one.
By 1979 it had had quite a hard life and I bought it. I have owned it ever since. It has sat in my garage for many years but hopefully will hit the road again in its yellow splendour.

khyndart When I was I teenager (many years ago) I injured my knee in a cycle accident. After a cartilage operation they sent me to a physiotherapist. Talking to him about cars one afternoon he said you may have heard about my son Malcolm Gill he races the Lycoming Special. My visits from that point on were a lot more interesting.

Graeme Banks