Rob Mitchell. Inheriting Dad’s Porsche 356, sitting in a car with Colin Chapman, and being kicked out F1 garage by Frank Williams! S2 E8

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So um, welcome along, Rob, Rob, John, John, Rob. Hi, John. Nice to meet you. Nice to see you again, Andy.

Hi, Rob. Nice to meet you. Cool. Um, yeah, let's jump into it. What's um what's your earliest car memory?

It's a bit of a weird one, I think. Um, it's a fast forward memory. Well, not really a fast forward, but a semi-fast forward memory, uh, of driving home in terrible torrential rain with my parents from the ferry after a trip to see friends in Holland. And we're coming through Guilford and the car's broken down. And I've woken up, they've put a little like sleeping bag on the back seat. There's no no child seats in those days, you know. Um, and I can remember waking up uh and and sort of peering across between the seats and not seeing my dad in the in the driver's seat. Yeah, um, we're parked up, um, and he's outside trying to suck the water out of the uh petrol tank other side of the road as Jesus. And I can see it now weirdly, and possibly because I love fast forward. So it was a Mark I escort, um, 1969, it's 1300 GT with the six-style dash. And I can remember just looking at the six-dial dash, going, I can't normally see that. I can't normally sort of from where I'm sat in the car, you know. Yeah, that was a sort of it was the middle of the night, it was stressful, mum was upset, and that's my first sort of car memory that bloody things break down, you know. That that was that's where it's from. So when you mention that, it's like that's that's all I can remember. It's just just that that moment, and I must have been three, four years old, something like that. Uh it was 1970, so yeah, a long time ago. Do you have any siblings, Rob? I don't actually, I am an only child. Um, so no, no siblings, no, it was just me and okay. So you had you had the luxury to actually stretch out on that back seat, completely stretched out, yeah. But thoroughly, thoroughly spoilt only child, you know, in this uh in this lovely sort of setup in the back. Um but you know that that led to um sort of this understanding of you know that car, um it was uh it was a lovely Ford escort, brand new. My dad bought he wasn't a very wealthy guy. My dad was very normal, um, working class fellow, worked in a factory, mum was a nurse, um, but his cars were everything and he bought this car. But his mate, um, my second kind of real reference is another fast forward, his mate had uh Mark I Lotus Cortina. Nice. In white and green, in white and green, classic white and green. Oh, nice. Whereabouts were you guys based, Rob? We lived in Basingstoke, little little council house in Basingstoke. Okay, yeah, and uh probably my mum would say that my dad just spent too much money on cars and not enough money on houses and things like that. But uh, you know, it's sort of uh that was his joy, you know. And we would travel, you know, to all the race tracks and go and watch Grand Prix. I was sort of I'd go to Grand Prix in a push chair type of thing. It's uh it's always been a connection to tinkering in the garage. So your dad was he was hands-on, was he? Very hands-on, very hands-on. Um yeah, it's he's he's sort of one of those very capable fellows of that generation, you know, that that sort of that war time generation of seen it all, kind of had the experience of things that you never want kids to have the experience of. But so dad not being around, but having to crack on with things, and you know, he was he was very much that sort of capable person, just will just grab anything and make it work if it's fixable, kind of thing. Yeah.

Where did your dad go from uh the escort, Rob? Did he have that for a long time?

Not too long, I guess. I mean, it's difficult to sort of you know judge the times as such, but I remember the number plate, it was RDP155G, right? So this is uh it was a Reading number. We were we were in Basil State, but all new cars were registered in Reading. And um his next car.

It's funny you say it. So just to jump in, but I was born in Reading, and my dad always used to point out cars with an RD number plate. Oh, there's a Reading number plate, and I'd be like, so what?

But then I think um it's funny though, I I just sort of it's something that I just I just recall, and um yeah, but I remember you know holding my dad's hand going into the Ford dealership in Basin Stoke Jackson's and him making a commitment to a new car, which was uh two-litre GXL Mark III Cortina. Okay, and uh it was a it was a demo car, so it wasn't brand well kind of brand new, but it was a demo car.

Yeah, yeah.

But it was really unusual because it was a two-door, so there wasn't very many two-door cars.

Oh, cool.

Classic sort of burgundy with the with the vinyl roof, yeah. Uh 73 car it was. So uh yeah, L registration. Um, but yeah, he um had an unfortunate accident in that car and wrote it off on Christmas Eve. And I don't know if that was it's probably 74, Christmas 74, something like that. And a drunk driver hit him head on. Um, he he was just going to get his mum, my grandma, to come and look after me because they were out on the Christmas Eve drink hub, you know. Um, but yeah, he didn't make it back and it ended up in hospital for Christmas. So that was quite an impactful kind of, you know, again, my first experience of it all going properly wrong. And uh and his friend, I was just saying the one with the Lotus Cortina had upgraded by then to uh a Mexico, and he came and got us to go and have a look at the car that had been towed into the local garage, you know, and it's just a horrible state. I think I've got a photograph of me about Yay High looking at this sort of um wreck of a of a cortina, which was a lovely car, you know, the the sort of plush back seats. I don't know if you remember them, but they had quite Fords were great, you know, they had quite nice cars in those days, and yeah. Um well I had a seatbelt, I had a seatbelt, and I really remembered the fact that I had a seatbelt in the in the back of the cortina, so uh that was something my dad fixed in, you know, because my mum was complaining it was unsafe or something.

And your dad was all right. Is your dad still around?

Or yeah, yeah, he is still around. He's um in a way, part of wanting to do this with you guys was a little bit for my dad, he's quite old now. Mum's pretty poorly, he's looking after her, he's a bit grumpy as a result of it, you know. And he's he's lost a little bit of interest in in cars, and and you know, it's sort of for me that's quite a milestone because me and him every weekend as only child, man and son, we just tinkered with cars all the time, you know, and that was our our thing. And so yeah, it's sort of a little bit of you know, when you started this podcast, I thought, oh, that'd be great. I'd love to talk about my dad and the massive impact he has had and and still has on me in this genre. I mean, me and my sons, we're obsessed with booming cars. I mean, it's all down to my dad, you know. Yeah, it's uh it's funny.

I think it's it's nice, isn't it? As a as a parent, especially, you kind of spend a lot of time kind of doing stuff and getting absolutely no thanks back for it. Correct. With a little bit of that kind of knowledge or hindsight, you kind of think, yeah, maybe I should have spent more time saying thanks to my parents. And yeah, perhaps this is a medium for people to go, yeah. Actually, I do recognize whether your parents are still around or not. I do kind of recognise that you kind of went out of your way to mean that I had a good time, or we kind of did some special stuff that not everyone did.

A hundred percent. No, a hundred percent, you're absolutely right. I mean, I I said to you last night didn't prep, but in my head, I've been thinking a lot about some of the stuff we used to do, you know, and and you know, going to the motor show. We'd go to the Earl's Court Motor Show, it's amazing, and and I can remember my dad would always buy the tickets for the press day, okay, so that it wasn't too crowded. Nice, and I got this again incredible memory of sitting in a lotus elite with Colin Chapman. Wow, I know yeah. He was actually sat in the car talking to press, and I was sat in the passenger seat, sort of like this little lad, you know, in that you know, the the wedge shape one, the wedge shape with the with a almost a shooting break star elite. Yeah, um, yeah, just been released at the R's Court Motor Show, and um, we were wandering around, we're just you know, able to sit in all the cars and get all the brochures. I collect brochures all the time, you know, that kind of thing. And uh, how cool is that? You know, the genius. Um, I was within sort of a foot of sitting with sort of car god-like people, you know. That was cool.

Did you know who he was at the time?

No, no, what I didn't, but my dad did. My dad did, he was like beside himself getting there. Yeah, he was thoroughly beside himself, and uh, you know, we'd go as I say to the Grand Prix. And I mean, there's loads of stuff been on recently, isn't there, with movies, and I think the interest in Formula One has gone up a scale, but there's as a result, I think there's a lot of sort of stuff coming out on TV of what's happened in the past. And you know, I look back at that sort of mid-70s Formula One, and it's amazing, you know, sitting at Woodcoat at Silverstone, watching the cars going round, going into the garages, interacting with the mechanics as a punter. I mean, you're just so far away from that now. I physically got asked to leave the Williams garage by Frank Williams, you know, and I thought he was a grumpy sod for for not for not letting, you know, and I was like, I don't know, seven or something like that, eight years old, you know, and it's just amazing to have that sort of recall or or the experience of real superstars of our sport, you know, of that sport.

I wonder if perhaps F1 and I don't watch F1 closely at all anymore, but I wonder if it's now a case of the sport is a little bit more interesting off the track than it is on the track. I don't know, but with all the documentaries and stuff.

Yeah, I I do know what I don't want to be cynical and old man about it, you know, it's better in my day. I I think you've got always look forward, you know, and and it isn't the same sport, but it's not to say it's not incredible, and you know, the drivers are amazing, and I look back at Lauda and Fittipaldi and PK and Mansell, and those guys and Senna, of course, those guys, as sort of you know, amazing characters. But I think you know, my kids will be looking back at Verstappen, you know, and and how I love Lewis Hamilton by the way, but but they'll be looking back like I look back on those those guys. I think they're amazing guys, I think they're absolutely incredible. So, yeah, I kind of enjoyed it. It was a bit more gladiatorial, perhaps, but that's because I'm an old fart, maybe. I don't know.

Different kinds of athletes now, aren't they? I think it's fair to say.

Yeah, no, definitely, definitely that. Um, yeah.

Yes, I think um obviously a lot's changed, isn't it? With with regards to that. It's kind of it was a bit more hairs on your chest motoring, wasn't it? Back then, it was kind of James Hunt beer for breakfast. That's it, yeah. Probably with a couple of blonde bombshells in his car and then punched someone in the paddock.

I mean, the cigarettes were incredible. I mean, but you wouldn't have had the sport if it wasn't for Philip Morris, you know, it was it was absolutely clear, but the thank God that's moved on, right? I mean, you it's it I can remember um I you know, I think it's Ecclestone saying that there won't be a Formula One without Philip Morris, but of course someone else pops up, don't you? And then he was there with a cheese manufacturer on his cars, you know. It's sort of it changed, you know, it's it's it's quite interesting how it pans out. But um, but yeah, motor rec motorspive thing for us. Um touring cars used to love the capris. Um, my dad got a capri, three-litre S Capri. I was beside myself when that turned up with uh with the Ricaro seats with the the mesh of fishnets, fishnets in it, yeah.

Um literally like he's ticking off everything fast forward at this stage, Rob, isn't it? I'm intrigued how it goes as he gets older.

Yeah, he went off piste a little bit because he um between the Cortina and the the Capri he went to Triumph and we had uh Dolomite 1850 and then a Dolomite sprint in um British Racing Green, a classic Dolomite sprint in British Racing Green, and I thought that was really unusual because my only cars that I'd been in or sort of used to had the blue oval, and there's this sort of weird English thing came along with 16 valves and a little button on the gear selector for overdrive. Overdrive, yeah. I just used to think that was really cool. Now sitting up front, a little bit older, I was allowed to sit up front and the the lovely wooden dash and stuff. So that was cool, but yeah, when the time came, 1978, VJH 80S was the car number plate, and I had he um upgraded the number plate on the car, and so on the car when it was delivered at a like a pressed steel number plate, really cheap, nasty thing. But he upgraded that. He thought that was but I had those plates on my on my bedroom wall as a result, so I just remember the number plate ever since. Um, but yeah, that was that was very cool. Um but it was interesting because uh it was at this time um he'd worked, he was in a um manufacturing for a company called Lansing and Bagnalls. They made forklift trucks, they were like a premier manufacturer of forklift trucks, and in Basingstoke where I live, people worked either for Lansing Bagnalls or Smith Smith's Industries, you know. It was a bit it was a bit like that in in the town, and um, so they're a big, big employer. Um, all dad's social network, mum and dad's social network were around the sort of the work social club, and you know, and and then there was little car clubs and sports clubs, but big sports mum and my dad as well played a lot of cricket and football. I never picked any of those skills up, sadly. Um yeah, so he he he worked with a a chap, in fact, become best friends, who was racing a 356. And this guy is quite famed in Porsche circles. Uh his name was uh John Lucas, um Lukey. And uh I thought his boat was amazing, but he was an absolute character. Yeah, you know, you say character, you know, a little bit on the edge sometimes, you know. You know what I mean? Yeah, they're not following all the right rules, perhaps. You know, he was one of those characters, a brilliant guy, and uh that was my kind of first uh real connection to the P car. Um and it then just you know took took off for me. It went absolutely crazy. Uh dad joined the club and would help John Lucas um DeSelver Lucas, his name was very very flash. Um, he prepped the car. Dad built him a trailer, literally designed and built a car trailer for John. Uh, and we used to follow that Porsche series around the UK. Oh wow. What sort of era was this, Rob? This for me was late 70s, okay, definitely into the early 80s. And uh you can Google, in fact, I'll send you some links of this car he was racing, and then his daughter raced. His daughter was just a few years older than me. But can you believe this guy was racing in the Porsche series? Uh type A 356 career with a forecam in it. Wow. And he was drilling holes in this car to take weight out of it. It was, I mean, my dad was there quite often, you know, in the middle of the night, this little garage in uh in Basingstate or just outside Basingstate, um, prepping this car and and trying to take as much weight out of it as possible. I think there was running about 170 grake horsepower.

Okay.

Amazing, amazing. You you there are a few photographs of of the car on um on the internet with um a certain set foochis on this car, which I happen to have in the garage, which is uh those wheels, yeah. Oh wow, yes, so they've got a bit of history in it. And John Lucas Lukey was uh quite renowned for engine building. So the engine in my dad's car then, but but mine now, I'm fortunate to say, yeah, was built by John Lucas. So um it's got a bit of Providence as a result of this. But it's this this um Carrera he was driving, it was right-hand drive, the only right-hand drive car they made. Um, and it was exported from the factory to Kenya. How John ended up with this car, I've got absolutely no idea. But it was at that point in time where they weren't worth anything, they weren't that special.

So, um what sort of money is one of those now? They're like what half a million pounds or more.

They talk about an engine rebuild being about a hundred grand, don't they? On the forecam. I mean, it it's yeah, silly money, probably more than that, I would say. Yeah. Um, but yeah, so my claim to fame is I've been driven around the uh a paddock in one of those in a 550 spider as well, which was incredible.

Cool.

Um, and I've gone to a circuit in a 2.7 RS, which became my absolute favorite car, and still to this day is my my sort of dream car. I don't think I'll ever get to 73 RS. Um, yeah, so he's you know, that we were in a little crowd of these people with completely oily nails kind of kind of thing, and just tinkering with old Porsches the whole time and um sleeping in the back of their Volvo estates and you know, whatever at each race event, Snetterton and um Alton Park or whatever. And yeah, we used to follow them around. It was just for me, it was just heaven. I was just in Porsche, sort of heaven from that from that early, early sort of I should say late 70s, early 80s.

Um did your mum ever get involved or did she pack the sandwiches and send you off?

No, pack sandwiches and off she'd go. So mum's a bit of a princess, she's a wonderful lady, she's very poorly at the moment, sadly. They're in the late 80s, and but no, she wasn't a driver. Um, dad uh tried to persuade her to pass a test, which she did do, but she was a bit scary in the car, if I'm honest with you. So she liked the passenger seat and being picked up and dropped off, and that was mainly my dad's job was to to run her around, still is exactly the same now. But uh no, we we would be packed off um, you know, camping kit in the back of the whatever car uh dad had at the time, and we'd hang out at the circuit. We'd go down to Le Mans. Used to go down to Le Mans in that period of group C's, which was incredible, you know, absolutely amazing. But yeah, that was pretty amazing memories, really, you know. And that's when he got hold of the the white 356 that I've got now.

Did he buy that as a toy or did he kind of have to make a choice that was going to be his sensible car?

Well, no, much to my mum's utter dismay. Um, as I say, they weren't wealthy people, but it was a toy, it was something that he bought to to tinker with.

Yeah.

Um, you know, he had access through through his friendship group, he had access to all the right bits and pieces that perhaps we wouldn't the, you know, today, you know, you know, it was a different kind of world with Porsches then. You had the top end, but the bottom end, it was didn't have to be super rich to grab this stuff. And the car was a bit of a dog, you know. He put it right, he got it up speed, repaired all the rust in it, and that was his hobby, that was his thing, you know, which was really cool. So and and just kept it, used it quite a lot, you know. As so traveled down to Le Mans and used to take it around to the circuits and stuff with his mates. So it got properly used, wasn't a garage queen as such, but yeah, it's it's cool. Does it get used at all now, Rob? Not as much as it should. John. So last year, as I said to you, my dad just getting to a point in his life where those things becoming really hard work for him, just losing a bit of interest in that. So he sort of handed the reins to me to make sure it gets used and looked after properly. Yeah, yeah. Um, so yeah, you know, probably every other weekend take it out for a little run. I mean, it is a little bit fragile, it probably could do with a rebuild, um, to be honest with you. Yeah, I'm I'm kind of saving up for that at the moment, really. I've got loads of bits. Dad just over the years got, you know, virtually another engine. Oh wow. Um, you know, it's it'll take the sting out the tail. I've just biding my time a little bit, I've been using it this summer. Um, Dad's Goodwood. And so you involved with Porsche day to day then, Rob? What's your no, no, purely a love. Yeah. Um, so we we I met Andy when I bought a 944, which was, you know, when I got to that sort of point in time and I was um past my tests. Um, and you won't be surprised to know my first car was a Ford, but uh yeah, it was a Ford Mark I Ford Escort, but uh but the car, you know, at the time was that I thought I could afford, I will be able to afford one of those one day, was uh a 944, and I still absolutely love them today. I think they're one of the most sorted cars, beautiful looking, the right shape, and you know, unusual that the engine configuration, that massive four-part. It was never the right time to buy the car with commitments with houses or families or you know, all the usual stuff. But uh one drunken evening I made a bid on on that nine four. I mean, there is a bit of a story there. I don't know if I should tell it, but this is the time and the place to do it.

Is it?

Oh my god, it is so it's it only goes out to two listeners, so it's fine.

As long as one of them's not his wife.

Yeah, well, I know. So I was out in London. I I I travel up into London now and then I've got a social circle there. I was out with a few beers with mates, and uh on the way up, I've been looking at um not collected cars, what was it? Um one of the the auction sites. Actually, I tell her I completely lie, just reverse out that a little bit. A few weeks early, I'd gone to look at this car and really like the guy who's selling it. Uh, really like the car, but I just decided no, it's not the right time. And it went. Um I got a text from this guy, we'd we'd sort of hit it off, and he said the guy who bid on the the auction has let let him down. So it's back up on the auction. I was thinking, oh, that's too good to be true. So anyway, uh Thursday night, out on the beers with my mates up in London. I'm on the train home. It wasn't late, like nine o'clock finish on the on the auction. I've put a bid in. I've got home, gone to bed, woken up in the morning to a congratulations text. And this is the Thursday before Christmas I've bought this bloody 944. Um, without telling the wife, without no one knew. I mean, it was a complete silly sort of situation. I can remember I had this sitting on the side of the bed with my wife. I've got a confession love. You know, it was one of those things, and she's going, What on earth is he going to tell me? You know, he's just come back from London. Yeah, what were you doing last night? Sort of conversation. Do you know what? She was so cool because she just went, It's about time you bought something. You've been on about it for years, and I'm sick of hearing about it. So she she was very supportive. So uh sure enough, two or three days later, this thing got delivered, and you know, never looked back. And that's when I think the sort of spring afterwards, yeah. We met Andy down on the south coast somewhere. Um, you know, I finally made a commitment, you know, after literally 30 years of procrastination. It was you know, and I I I love it. And took it straight round to to see my dad, you know, and he was he's he was he's just absolutely really pleased for me, you know. He's really, really pleased that I'd made the commitment finally. Um, but yeah, so you know, everything we do in the family. I've got two sons, one's 26, uh and one's just as done his GTS E16, and they're both absolutely obsessed with cars. Um, and it's all my dad's fault, basically. It's you know, we we just used to be the whole time with cars. And he's had you know, he continued with his car uh journey. He went from the uh three-litre S Capri to an Audi Quattro, okay, but not the Audi Quattro. At the time of the original Quattro with the wide arches, they made what they called a quattro coupe, which was a sort of toned-down version, yeah. But four-wheel drive, five-cylinder, absolutely gorgeous car. And uh, I was not for six um when he, you know, made a commitment to it, albeit it was weird because uh looking around with him, and he we went out in a 320, a six-cylinder 320 BMW, which I thought was I think it was E20, E21. Um, not quite a 323, it was uh it was a 320. And um that was the car. I was thinking we've we've got to get a BMW. This is this is amazing. But he came back with the Audi. And Audi's were really unusual in the early 80s, you know. They weren't the kind of commonplace that you see today, they weren't the mark that you see today. They the quattro put it on the on the map and and the rally success that they had with that. You know, I thought that was really cool, Car, really interesting. Um, but that started our journey, and I think you know, the whole Audi Volkswagen Porsche, they're all kind of in that that family, and that started our journey around uh around those sort of German marks. Um, and dad's never sort of gone away from that since. Um so yeah, he went from that one to a Schrocko GTI, which was awesome. Um, and I bought a Mark I golf GTI at that time as well. Um I've been through about six golfs uh over the years, and he went through where he had the the Shrocko, and then he got um a Mark II eight valve GTI and then a 16 valve blue 16 valve just before the big bumper version. Okay, yeah. Really lovely car. But he had a bit of an incident, he got stolen, which had never happened to him before. So that was quite an impact on my dad. Actually, he was that was it was a it was a real downer for him when that when that got stolen.

Did he get it back?

He didn't, no, he didn't get it back. Um, I can't remember what he went to after that actually.

The Audi and the VW were they through dealerships as well, or did he start shopping?

Yeah, yeah, the um Martins of Bayesian State was the sort of local VW out because they were they were in the same showrooms in those days. Okay. They sort of split at uh but yeah, Audi and VW was in the same dealership in Basin State back then. Um the GTIs were just amazing at that point, and um we did a lot of traveling around again together in in the GTIs to different events, Grand Prix and and stuff like that.

So I was just gonna ask obviously all those forwards at the start.

Do you have any idea, Rob, why he kind of just moved completely away from those into Germany or I think the the Porsche drive, you know, the fact that he was in this sort of circle of friends that all had the P car. Yeah, I think that drove him a little bit towards the Audi. I don't know, it was a really prestigious car. I mean, the neighbours were, you know, we they still live in this same little little house that I lived in as a as a kid in a little council estate in Basinsdale. And the Audi was so unusual. I mean, people didn't even know what the what the brand was at that point. And again, you know, his love for competition, I think the rally success, the car that the the group Bs were having at that point, and the this thing came out of nowhere. Um, the five cylinders, really, really unusual sort of engine configuration and four-wheel drive. I think he was just so taken with the with the technology that yeah, I think that was a sort of epiphany in a way, as a it was a change from the forward.

Yeah, I think perhaps as well the fast forwards maybe seen as a bit of a young man's game, certainly back in the day. And then as you sort of progress, you go into sort of more refined possibly, yeah.

Yeah, also, you know, that that three litre S was it's almost a bit of a pinnacle. I I I you know, maybe you know, from a personal point of view, I 2.8 was lovely, of course, but you couldn't get much better than than that. And uh so I think he just maybe just got a bit bored and wanted to have a look at around at something else. And the connection with the German brands came with these sort of social circle, and yeah, um, yeah, I think it just came from from that. But he's certainly not gone back, he went Mercedes, that's what he's driving now, and I tease him for it um all the time because I'm not a massive Mercedes fan, but uh we love the German brands, don't we?

Did he deliberately go for say the GTI or the sporty one because he was kind of an enthusiastic driver? Was he kind of he was one to give it?

Yeah, he would drive hard. Yeah, and and it was fantastic. He's a great driver. Even now he's you know, he's a lot slower than he was, and he's lost a bit of confidence. Yeah, he used to be a spirited driver, so he'd like a car that he could uh he could drive well. Yeah, yeah. Never did any sort of track days or racing. Um, probably a bit of street racing when he was when he's young, not that I admit it. But he told me about uh he bought a brand new uh Mini Cooper when they were properly a Mini Cooper and rolled it in the Hampshire countryside. So uh I think he's always been a bit of a he liked the right hand pedal a bit too much, angry. But yeah, always always quite spirited. Yeah, so definitely it was all about driving dynamics and and enjoying the drive with his cars. Yeah.

Do you think in hindsight there's kind of particular cars he wish he'd bought? Everyone, I suppose, wishes they'd bought that four-cam Porsche for not a lot of money. But maybe there was kind of opportunities which came up, which Yeah, possibly.

He was quite structured, Dad. He's quite, you know, it was like every three years, you know, and it it was yeah, I don't know.

Did the old cars go back to the dealership?

Yeah, usually. Yeah, so he didn't sell them on the drive or anything. No, no, he didn't do that. He it was always sort of trade it back in and get the next best thing, yeah.

Yeah, yeah. Are there any from your dad's history, Rob, that you would love to get your hands on again? Potentially, oh that's a great question. Get yourself on bangers and cash down the auction and uh yeah.

I think the blue 16 valve GTI, I would definitely have one of those.

Um, yeah, Helios Blue, would it be?

Helios? Yeah, yeah. Three big bumper. So didn't have the big bumpers, but it was very early 16 valve one of those. I think I'd definitely like that. Yeah, right wheels on it, and I I the Capri. I'd have the Capri tomorrow if I could, definitely. Yeah, I think I was at that age, you know, what 10 or something like that, 10 or 12, and that that just it was like a rocket ship to me. It was just amazing, and it was the signal amber colour, so solid but really deep, sort of yellow. Okay, top of a show-off car, right? You know, everybody saw it coming down the street. So I he dropped me off at school. I thought I was the bees' knees, you know, and you know, the other kids would come and have a look at it, you know, the brown check interior, you know. John, that would be the one I think the capri, yeah.

Nice, sounds good. I always think uh we chat to my brother and say, Oh, it'd be lovely to have all the cars that we used to own, my dad used to own. Maybe when we croak it and get up to those pearly gates, there'd be like an old scrapyard of all the vehicles just lined up.

Yeah, they'd be like all lined up. Yeah, that'd be amazing, wouldn't it?

Yeah, prefer that to some relative, right?

Not so unreliable, right? Yeah, yeah. No, I I it's funny. I I you know, I again it's like the Formula One discussion, you've got to keep looking forward. But I mean, I do like older cars, I I do hanker, I think we've passed the peak. Look, there's nothing wrong with electrification. You could argue one way or another whether it's the right thing or not, but um for me, they're not they're not interesting, they're heavy, and you know, I don't have a uh draw to it, even the really cool, quick ones. You know, I'd rather spend the money on a GT3 or an RS or something, you know, from that's 20 or 30 years old. Um, but that's just me. I I think what my kids are like they're big petrol heads, they're big into their cars, um, they're interested in the technology, but they're not passionate. Um, so I was looking at I bought Ford Escort, um, the 944 is what I wanted, of course, but I couldn't afford that. But he doesn't really have that that sort of his hankering is for a 997 GT3, you know, which is 20 years old, you know. So it's it's sort of you know, it's weird, isn't it? I I think I think the passion for cars is changing, probably for the right reasons, it's changing. Yeah, I I so my dad's got uh uh Mercedes 4x4 uh A class thing. He's had it longer, it's been the longest ownership of any car. Okay, and I think that's just a reflection of his, you know, he's got to that point in his life, you know, where he's as I say, can't be bothered really. But I'd love to take him down a showroom and get it traded in. I'd love him to go and buy a new car, drive my mum nuts. But I'd just love to see his face on that sort of come on, let's go and trade it in on something ridiculous for an 87-year-old, you know, he's sort of let's get him a test drive at least in some C63 or whatever it is now. I think it would be a mer he he does like the Mercedes brand. And I mean they make beautiful cars, don't they?

I think I think that is the retirement brand, isn't it?

I think it is, yeah. You go either that or if you play golf, you've got to go down the Jack route. But yeah, I'm not I'm not going that far yet. No, certainly not. Certainly not. So my my dad's always been one of those guys, he he likes to surprise you. So now just turn up at your door, and it's sort of it's quite endearing and a little bit annoying, you know. It's lucky we're in, dad's, or you know, um, but it just turned out and he he did this a few years ago. Um, it just turned out. I bought new cars on all right, people now, and outside is this gleaming black, completely inappropriate. I'd drove my mum nuts, Mercedes coupe, two-door, ten leather interior. You know, so his cars always had a practical element to it, you know, hatchback or you know, something you could, and this thing turned up and you can't hardly get in the backseat, there's no boot. And I'm like, what that what sort of era are we talking, Rob?

90s, yeah. The W124. No, later. I I know the one you mean, yeah. About 97 to 2000 and early 2000s, probably.

Yeah, they weren't the best builds. It's what Mercedes, so the 124s were, I think they were the last of the real Mercedes, but when they had that period with um it's like their gap year period. It was the Chrysler yeah, yeah. They don't yeah, they don't want to talk about it, but it was that period, and I was like, What you what the hell you bought that for? But he's like, you know, big wheels on it, and off he off he'd go. It was it was fantastic, you know. I don't know if he's had a brainache that that's someone.

I remember the um the model before the W124 was actually a really nice coupe. My my parents used to have a news agent, and this guy, Mr. Barker, his name was, he used to come in and park outside. He had a gold one um with like matching tan interior, I think it was. Absolutely stunning car. He always used to buy um local newspaper, it was the news, the local Hampshire paper, and a quarter of sweets, forget what they were now, always the same every day. That car, I remember we used to see him put up. He'd get in and had the automatic seatbelt thing that came out. Yeah, the lever. Yeah, it just used to sort of come. We're like, what is going on there? That's incredible. Yeah, it's 1993, and he's got hovering seat belts. But no, that was a that was a good memory of that vehicle, that's for sure.

Yeah, they're they are lovely. The Mercedes is is a is a fantastic brand, and it's just funny how you connect with some and not others. Um, yeah, I mean, I love an old Merck like you've just described, but I'm not a modern Merck guy.

No, same, yeah.

Yeah, so really, really interesting is the drive that you have in life is is sort of developed out of your childhood, isn't it? And and you know, and I look at my car history, and I'm sure my son will say something similar to me when I'm old and had enough. I think you either go completely the other way, you completely sort of want to do everything that is completely different to your parents, or you follow the same path. There's no sort of mid mid-ground, you know.

Yeah, yeah.

Um, so I probably yeah, I probably could have gone worse with cars than I have done. And I'm planning to do that over the next few years now.

You know, that's that's some catching up to do.

I've got some catching up, yeah. I've got some catching up to do. But uh, yeah, maybe I need to do that. Get my dad down the showroom. I think that sounds like a plan for this weekend or something. Yeah, yeah. That's uh I'd be so cool for you know a guy of his age to be walking in because he's quite he's he's yeah, he's tired, he's he's sort of had enough, but he still can you know has an attitude, he still can sort of negotiate or have a have a real sort of opinion on things, you know. So I'd be it'd be great to take him into a showroom and try and get some money out of his pocket, I think.

Maybe just say you're going down the supermarket and then just swerve into the dealership on the way there.

Yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah, that'd be a great idea.

But well, you have to keep us posted on that as to uh yeah, what you're getting him into. Yeah, I would no, I absolutely will. Fantastic. Thank you very much, Rob. Hopefully that wasn't too painful for you.

No, no, not at all. It's really really nice. I mean, it's nice to talk about your dad, isn't it? I mean, he you know, if you're close to him like I am, only child, you know, it's a it's a nice topic. He's a he's a great guy. I love him to meets cool.

Well, yeah, thank you very much for sharing your story with us. And um, yeah, I look forward to getting it all together and playing it to you and we can uh put it out. Super.

All right, gents. Well, it's lovely to meet you, John. You too, Rob. Thanks. That was an absolute pleasure. That's really good. And I've heard your voice so many times. It's nice to meet the the man himself. Um the and of course, Andy. Um, I think this is a brilliant podcast, brilliant, and so I congratulate you on sort of coming up with that idea. Wish you best of luck.

See you later. Right, cheers. See ya. Cool. That was good, wasn't it? Yeah, yeah. Quite emotional at times, wasn't he? I think.

Yeah, I guess there's um I suppose there's an element of um, yeah, no one lasts forever, do they? And obviously, he's looking at his dad getting older. And I suppose there's kind of yeah, and obviously also with his mum as well, kind of sitting looking at that, thinking, well, yeah, at some point he's kind of going to be without those people in his life.

Yeah.

And um, yeah, it was it's quite touching, really, that he wanted to kind of do that as a bit of a celebration for his dad and see for his dad to be able to kind of hear that and stuff.

Yeah, I could definitely relate to the um idea of kind of going down the dealership and maybe just seeing if he can get his dad to get involved one last time. That sounds like a good idea, I think.

Um I guess he's got to be a bit careful of what he wishes for because he could end up with it. That's the thing. It could be the last one, and he goes and gets himself into a Kia or something, and he's just oh I'm stuck with that. Can't ever sell it was my dad's last car.

That would be funny, yeah. But there's a hell of a lineup, wasn't it, of um cars that Rob's dad has owned.

Yeah, absolutely. Yeah, obviously starting with kind of the uh the Fords, the old school Fords obviously popping up a lot, aren't they? And I suppose that's also down to um I guess the the demographic and the age of the people we're talking to, generally speaking, kind of people who are in I guess 40s, 50s, that sort of age. Um, yeah, some cool stuff though. Lotus Cortina. Yeah, really nice. Was that his or his dad's friend? Dad's friend, wasn't it?

I think dad's friends, yeah. And then Capri for Rob's dad.

Yes, yeah, yeah, that's a nice one.

A couple of GTI.

Yeah, yeah. The Audi Quattro, obviously not the not the Y Body, but um And good to hear that Rob's children are getting themselves involved as well in the in sort of the petrol head scene. Yeah, I've met his youngest son, and yeah, he comes along to quite a few years of the Porsche things. And they did a big European tour, I think earlier in the year they did either Le Mon or classic Le Mon and then they went to Nurberg Ring and stuff like that.

Nice.

So um yeah, they kind of really got involved with it. So um, yeah, definitely I think they'll be following in his footsteps.

Yeah, sounds like it. Yeah.

Doing doing Grandad Proud. Exactly. Yeah. So um, yeah, really good one. Really enjoyed it. Yeah. I guess, yeah, give uh a shout out to anyone who might have kindly bought us a coffee in the last few weeks.

We got a lovely review, didn't we, from um Woodsy, his name is. Yes. No, it's a really nice review, it sort of makes it all worthwhile, doesn't it? Someone's kind of enjoying it with us.

Yeah, and I think obviously people listen to it and do enjoy it. If you can spare a minute or so to type something out on your phone onto iTunes or Apple Podcasts, then it just means that they're more likely to put us in front of other people so the podcast can grow. We've got more chance of getting kind of yeah, bigger names or whatever in the future and uh Jensen. Jensen, Ian Wright. All the big ones. So, yeah, okay. Thank you very much, John. Thanks, Andy. We'll uh yeah, roll the credits. Thanks for listening to My Dad's Car Podcast. If you have enjoyed this episode, please click subscribe, leave us a review, and follow us on social media. If you'd like to support us further, you can buy us a coffee or sign up to give us a monthly bump start. You'll find details on our website, mydadscar.cadyuk. Bye for now.