How Much Did You Pay for Your First New Car?

Rocking stories of the early stages of adulthood often trace back to significant purchases, such as the first car. Many of us have fond memories of that first new car, regardless of how small the budget was.

My First Car: A Journey from ’41 Plymouth to 1957 Studebaker

My first car, acquired when I was just 14 years old, was an ’41 Plymouth CPE that cost me $50.00. It needed a lot of work but by the time I was 16, it was running well, with a fresh coat of paint, new tires, and brakes, and a rebuilt engine. Though it was not a fast car as it had a flathead six-cylinder engine, it was all mine, and it provided me with great memories. I took girls on dates with it, drove to the beaches in Southern California, cruised on Saturday nights, and raced quarter-mile distances against other similarly under-powered cars. I did all the maintenance work myself, often being late for dinner by working on the car after school.

Second Hand but Cherished

Next on my list was a 1969 Ford Cortina, which I acquired for $1,695.00. Although I was excited to finally own my own car, the car's appearance was not to my liking - it was a white, boxy car with black interior and no radio. My parents added a radio to the car as a Christmas gift that year. Despite the car’s unimpressive design, I drove it to work and college, even kept it until marriage in 1971. Eventually, it was sold to my dad in 1978 when he bought a Pinto and traded in the Cortina.

Thrift and Classic: A Found 1951 Mercury Coupe

Another memorable car from my youth was a black 1951 Mercury coupe, which I purchased for just $25.00 from Coveny Ford in West Roxbury, Massachusetts. In 1963, I was 16 years old. My father had to sign the paperwork since I was the legal age of 18. This was a “wholesale” vehicle with over 200,000 miles on it. It looked like the car James Dean drove in “Rebel Without a Cause.” I wished I still had it!

Brother's Gift: A 1957 Studebaker Silver Hawk

My brother, 6 years older than me, bought me a 1957 Studebaker Silver Hawk when I was 16, about to turn 17, and ready to get my driver's license in New Jersey. The car was white, with red fake leather interior. My brother paid $350 for it in cash, and he selected the make and model as he was a car buff. This car had a flathead straight 6-cylinder engine powerful enough and a three-speed column transmission, which actually had 5 forward gears: 3 standard and 2 overdrive. I had the car for about three years until a minor accident that rendered it obsolete.

These early car experiences are priceless, for they help us remember the milestones of our youth and the choices we made. Cost aside, it is about the experience, the memories, and the sense of independence they bring.

Conclusion

Each of these cars played a part in shaping my young adult life. They may not have been extravagant, but they were significant to me. They carried me through my high school years, college, and early adulthood. Each journey, each payoff, no matter how modest, was part of a broader narrative of growth and independence.