We’ve all had a first car, and many of us remember ours with a distant-reaching ache.

Mine was a 1986 Jaguar XJ. It had been junked by the former owner, left to rot on the shop lot. Once I saw it, I knew instantly that when I got my license, I’d drive it.

My dad begrudgingly got it running. The hood was flaking clearcoat badly, which made it look like an old hooptie. But I knew its potential.

I worked a long weekend sitting my three young cousins so my uncle, who was a painter, could take my aunt on a calming reprieve. He refinished the panel for me.

When it was done, boy did that car shine…and purr!

Anyway, I promptly sideswiped a vintage 70s Ford Mustang while pulling out for high school lunch period.

The lady who owned the Mustang – the original owner – was squawking so persistently about the fender bender that the responding police officer made her sit in the back of his cruiser.

She argued with him the whole way to his car, telling him it was me who deserved to go inside, not her. He slammed the door on her, shaking his head while walking back to me for my statement and insurance.

That part was pretty funny, but the whole thing really wasn’t.

I had to go to traffic court, and the Jag was ruined for good. As for the Mustang, the owner was cooperative enough to let my dad take it to the shop and fix it back up. It wasn’t a cheap repair, either.

When MotorBiscuit tossed a simple question on Facebook, “Describe your first car in five words or less,” our followers didn’t hesitate

Within hours, hundreds of readers fired off their confessions, love notes, and therapy sessions, all wrapped up in micro-sized nostalgia.

As a page moderator, I watched the responses pour in like spilled oil: messy, loud, and full of heart.

The Fast and the Fondly Remembered

Some people treated the question like their high school reunion. “69 Dodge Dart SS, fast.” “1971 Firebird, awesome.” “64 Impala Super Sport 283.”

Look, they don’t make em’ like they did then. These cars clearly burned rubber and spun memories.

Another proudly recalled a “1968 Camaro SS/RS 396/375 4-speed,” while someone else flexed with a “1970 ’CUDA 383, almost new.”

A few couldn’t let go of the ache, while others can’t shake the bitterness

“Wish I still had it.” “Fun to drive.” “Strength through joy, people’s car.” “Mine.” “Sweet.” “Bad ass.” “Awesome.” “The bomb.” “Freedom!”

Others got cryptic but charming: “V o l v o.” Simple, proud, and weirdly elegant. Exactly like the car itself.

That first line popped up again and again: a chorus of former youth haunted by the one that got away. Me too, folks. And by the way, I can totally say “former youth” because I am one, now…

Of course, not everyone’s first car was a legend.

“Hunk of Junk.” “Piece of junk. Young, dumb, full of it.” 

One driver summed up their misery with “Horrible white Ford Taurus.”

Another bragged-slash-confessed with “47 Chevy 25$.” Adjusted for inflation, that’s still a bargain with a death wish attached.

Legends and labels

Plenty of answers read like automotive roll calls from a muscle car museum: “66 Chevelle SS.” “1972 Ford LTD.” “66 GTO FAST 400.”

Then there were the ones that sounded straight out of a Springsteen verse: “Fast black 56 Ford Victoria.”

Or this beautifully oddball favorite: “Hot Rod Edsel w/ 390 Interceptor.” Proof that even Ford’s most awkward child had its diehards.

Two-word wonder

This one might be the most satisfying statement in car ownership history. “Paid for.”

Whether it was a mint Camaro, a rusting Taurus, or a coupe held together by hope and zip ties, one thing was clear: first cars never leave us. They stalled, rattled, and leaked, but decades later we still remember exactly how they made us feel…in five words or less. “Wish I still had it” is probably my best answer, too.