Barney Whelan, PR manager of the ESB, remembers his first car
What was your first car? Triumph Vitesse, 2 Litre, 6 cylinder-in-line, walnut dash, leather seats.
Was it new or secondhand? Secondhand.
Did you know how to drive when you bought it or did you learn to drive in it? Both.
What did you know about cars when you bought it? Nothing.
What advice did you get when you were looking for a car? You're buying someone else's trouble.
What did you pay for it? £350
What impact did running a car have on your pocket? I seemed to be able to manage the expense.
Was it hard to get insurance? No, it cost two and a half times the value of the car.
How reliable was it? I learned a lot about tappets, exhausts, carburettors and fan belts very quickly.
How did it change your life? It gave me tremendous freedom to move about. That was important to me at the time.
What was the longest trip you ever took in the car? To Fort William in Scotland.
What was your best memory - or most memorable moment - in the car? The engine froze in a blizzard and we had to use a gas heater - it looked as if it had come out of a Mad Max film - to unfreeze it.
What was your worst memory associated with the car? The gear stick came away in my hand on the dual carriageway - I was in first gear! Other motorists couldn't understand why I was going so slow.
How long did you keep your first car? 18 months and 18,000 miles.
Why did you decide to get rid of it? No exhaust . . . it exhausted me.
Did you sell it on for a better deal? At that stage £15 made a huge difference. I sold it for £305, having walked away twice!