14th August 2019
Looking back at our first cars
It’s official – we’re ten years old!
Before we first opened the doors to our first garage in Northallerton in 2009, we – some of the directors – were working in other areas of the motor industry.
Craig, Tim, Alex and Paul had all been working at Massingberd, the Volkswagen Main Dealer, for many years before we were fortunate enough to turn “the idea” into a reality. Even though Vasstech was formed in 2009, Paul and Alex stayed at Massingberd for a while longer, before joining us in 2011.
So, in this, the final instalment in our series of commemorative 10-year blogs, we thought we’d look back at our first cars, before looking at the cars of our dreams!
Tim
First Car: Mini
Yes, my first car was a Mini.
The Mk V Mini was such a cool little car – even if it took the best part of eighteen seconds to get to 60mph and had a 1.0-litre engine.
Dream Car: Audi R8 V10
Every time I see an Audi R8 V10 drive into any of our branches, I can’t help but take a moment to admire it and think: “that is a nice car”. The R8 has a 5.2-litre V10 engine and offers a top speed of 204mph – it can do 0-62mph in less than 3.5 seconds! With 610bhp as well, it just sounds and looks fantastic.
Craig
First Car: Vauxhall Nova SR
I still can’t believe that I had a Vauxhall Nova SR as my first car. It could do 0-62mph in twelve seconds! The Nova SR had a 1.4-litre engine that offered 71bhp. It also had a top speed of 106mph (not that I ever got it to that, of course), so it was definitely a front-wheel-drive monster. Besides, I still have lots of great memories associated with it.
Dream Car: McLaren P1
And then there’s the McLaren P1 – the car of my dreams. We don’t see many hypercars coming through the doors at Vasstech, but that probably has something to do with the fact that there are only 375 P1s’ on the planet – each of which retailed at £866,000.
The P1 is a hypercar with a difference – and worlds apart from its predecessor, the F1. Powered by a single electric motor, the P1 is equipped with McLaren’s bespoke twin-turbocharged 3.8-litre V8 engine, which gives it a top speed of 217mph. The monster engine produces a 903bhp output and 664lb-ft of torque. The P1 is a beast – and that’s before we even mention the aerodynamic carbon-fibre body and seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox!
A guy can dream, right?
Paul
First Car: Second Generation Vauxhall Astra
My first car was a second-generation Vauxhall Astra hatchback. It was a 1986 model, and, even though I look back on it with fond memories, I didn’t keep it for very long! The Astra had a 1.2-litre engine and only had 55bhp – which served the purpose I bought it for.
Dream Car: Jaguar F-Type SVR
Working at Vasstech makes choosing a dream car very difficult. If I had to choose, though, there’s only one car that comes to mind: the Jaguar F-Type SVR.
Unsurprisingly, the F-Type SVR is on a completely different level to the Astra – including the £110,000 price tag! The Jaguar has a 5.0-litre V8 supercharged engine, 567bhp and boasts eight-speed automatic transmission! Not to mention that it can reach 60mph in under 3.5 seconds, and has a top speed of 200mph.
Frankly, it’s an amazing car – maybe I’ll have one, one day!
Alex
First Car: Second Generation Ford Fiesta
My first car was an orange, second-generation Ford Fiesta (except I couldn’t find a picture of it). It had a 1.1-litre engine, 50bhp and 61lb-ft of torque. It got me from A to B, which is all you really want when it’s your first car, after all.
Dream Car: Porsche Carrera 911
As Paul said, we’re often spoiled for choice when it comes to our dream cars – we see so many amazing vehicles drive through our doors every day! That being said, I know that I would always choose the Porsche Carrera 911, given the chance.
The latest 911 is one of my favourite cars of all time. It has a 3.0-litre engine and can reach a top speed of 190mph. With 406lb-ft of torque and 450bhp, you can’t deny that it would be fun to drive!