BMW E12 5 Series have become very rare to see in traffic. But seeing this one reminded my of how badly I wanted one at the time, preferably a Europe-only M535 with 210 hp. But even the US-spec 528i with a creamy-smooth 173 hp 2.8 L inline six was about as brisk as it got in 1978 for a genuine sport sedan. No, for me it wasn’t primarily a Yuppie status symbol; it was just the finest car of the type that I desired at the time. Actually, in 1978, I hadn’t yet become a Yuppie; that would be a couple more years. Actually, as a high school dropout, I could never really be a card-carrying Yuppie.
So what new car did you most lust after when you were 25?
When I was 25 I was a full time college student, had three part time jobs, and a wife. There was no time to think about cars except to keep our 1971 VW Type III running and fixing whatever junk my father let me use (1966 Mercury Comet and 1963 Olds Fiesta wagon). But when I was 20 my dream car was the Jaguar XK-E coupe.
25 for me covered 1993-94. I actually owned a car I lusted after, a 1985 Lincoln Mark VII LSC. I’d graduated college in late ’91 and was working in IT, so swinging a used Lincoln in ’92 wasn’t an issue.
New cars? I can think of a few:
– 1994 Lincoln Mark VIII. Took a test drive in one, pure performance. Alas, too rich for my blood and wallet.
– 1994 Chrysler LHS. The LH cars were a GIGANTIC change from K Cars Motors, like night and day. Almost pulled the trigger on a lease after driving one, but big shock, the dealer didn’t have any cars on the lot that met the ad #’s of x down, y a month. More like y+z a month.
– 1992/93 Cadillac Seville. Like the LH cars they blew the previous generation cars away like a hurricane. WAY too rich for me back then.
– 1994 Mustang. Retro lust, didn’t love ’em when new, bought a 2000 Mustang in ’99 as my first new car. Time will be kind to the SN95 platform I think.
I took a few days to think about it. Ironically I had purchased my first car when I was still 25, but just before turning 26. It was a blue 2006 Honda Accord Exl sedan with a 4 cylinder engine and an automatic transmission, that was purchased used in early 2008. After finishing College I didn’t have any student loans and I had started working. Around here it seemed like the older kids would buy fun cars like the Mustang, Trans Am or some other sports car as their “25 car”, while ditching their old four door buckets. Insurance in Ontario, Canada is expensive and was said to decrease at the age of 25.
Although I wouldn’t mind owning a classic such as a late 60s Mustang or Camaro, the Porsche 911 Carrera is still one of my dream cars of all time. I told myself that I wouldn’t buy a luxury brand until I did well career wise. I had researched a whole lot of cars and eliminated quite a few from a list. So I went with a more practical choice and I still have my Honda Accord after 8 years.
I was 25 in 1997. I remember these five:
1996 Caprice 9C1 LT1
1997 Chevy Suburban
1997 Lincoln Continental MK VIII
1997 Lexus LS 400
Any Ford truck or van with the Triton V10 engine.
2005-06 was age 25 for me. And while leagues out of my price range, the new car I was most lustful after at that point would be a big Audi. Couldn’t decide at the time whether the W12 A8L or the V10 S8 was the more desirable option, being different flavors of the same thing. Absolutely gorgeous either way–the D3 A8 was and is a stunning car.
At the time I owned my ’96 Mark VIII, one of my dream cars from a younger age, so I was pretty happy with my real-life ride too.
Toyota Tacoma. White 4 cyl, Extended Cab, 5 spd w/ 4X4. Black Wheels were a requirement.
Wanted one since I was 14 and the 1st gens were still out. Then the 2nd Gen happened…
Finally ‘special ordered’ a new Tacoma SR (with factory black wheels) in 2015 😀
Love it everyday!!
When I was 25 (this would be 1994) the car I lusted after most, was a Miata. Considering I had absolutely NO money, I knew I wouldn’t be getting one. What I seriously did want, was my mother’s ’88 Grand Am. Hers was a “Quad 4”, 5-speed base model, so it was way faster than anything I’d owned up to then. Plus she had it since new, so I was familiar with it’s history-important to know, compared to all the beat-up used cars I had. I had an Escort and a Honda Prelude that were both frequently-broken money pits before this, and her car had been completely reliable since she got it. Plus it was in great shape. She said she’d sell it to me for about half of what the trade in was, and all I had to do was come up with a couple thousand. Which was hard, since I was trying to start my photography business, and had no $… but needed a reliable car to get to jobs, which was difficult with the crummy cars I had up to then. I ended up getting it (with a small loan from a bank-18% interest!!) but keeping it for 8 more years, and putting over 100K on it. All it needed while I had it were brakes, a clutch and the battery, too, so it was a really good vehicle for me.