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Every family has cars, some long gone, some inherited by children or found in grandpa’s garage decades later. A vehicle’s pedigree is at least half the fun when discussing family cars. It could be something rare or a just a favorite old station wagon the family took on a trip when you were a child.
The Weekly Driver Podcast, Episode 2 – Cars We’ve Owned
In episode 2 of The Weekly Driver podcast, co-hosts Bruce Aldrich and James Raia discuss our first cars and other vehicles we’ve owned through the years. We also discuss our families’ cars, old Volkswagen models to Ford Falcons, tough old Buick sedans to a few “lemons” we’ve owned and wouldn’t mind owning again — just for nostalgia.
My first vehicle was a 1962 Volkswagen Bug. I purchased it from close family friends in 1972 for $500. It was the only vehicle I ever worked on. Old Volkswagens were simple machines, and I learned how to change the oil and spark plugs. I knew how to adjust the valves, and I kept the car pristine.
Bruce’s family drove across the United States from California to the New York World’s Fair in a 1958 Volkswagen Van. His father also bought a 1959 VW Bug new. Bruce inherited the car, restored it and still drives it on occasion. My mother, grandmother and I drove from San Francisco to visit my sister in college in Riverside, California in a 1973 Volvo 144 sedan. It was heavy and slow, but it was safe, even with an 18-year-old-driver (me) who thought he knew everything behind the wheel.
We hope you enjoy the episode and we encourage and appreciate your comments. Cheers, James and Bruce. Email contact: james@jamesraia.com.
James Raia
A sports, travel and business journalist for more than 45 years, James has written the new car review column The Weekly Driver since 2004. In addition to founding this site in 2004, James writes a Sunday automotive column for The San Jose Mercury and East Bay Times in Walnut Creek, Calif., and monthly auto review and wellness columns for Gulfshore Business, a magazine in Southwest Florida. An author and contributor to many newspapers, magazines and online publications, co-hosted The Weekly Driver Podcast from 2017 to 2024.