h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

A colleague at work sends their child to a private school (the sort where the annual fees are just short of my annual wage), and was discussing cars for children. Her son has recently turned 17, and now drives about in an 02-reg Vauxhall Corsa, nice, but not flash.
A mate of his, however, has *very* rich parents. He passed his driving test on his 17th birthday, having taken lessons on private land. For his birthday he was given a top of the range, all extras fitted Range Rover V8! (For those who don’t know, we’re talking £80,000+) Unfortunately for him, regardless of what his parents could afford to pay, there was not an insurance company in the land who would insure a 17 year old to drive one of those. His parents, resourceful as ever, sent the car back to the garage for a slight modification. He is now the proud owner of the world’s only top of the range, fully loaded Range Rover, with a 1.4litre engine out of an undisclosed hatchback!!

In comparison, another of the lads there was bought a 12 year old Renault Clio by his slightly wiser parents. Within a week he had reversed it into the car of the people over the road. His dad paid off the other people, and told his son that as it was his first bump, he would pay, but future bumps would be his own responsibility. As a reminder of this, his dad had the nice red Clio repaired – with a bright green wing panel!

My favourite was another of his mates, who had dropped subtle hints that he too wanted a car for his birthday. On the morning of his 17th he was presented with –

A cactus! His parents told him that if he can prove to them that he can look after that, they might consider buying him a car!

makes yer want to throw up£80,000 mmm! if I spend £4.17.6p per day, it should last me a bit

Unfortunately my daughter, at 21, is very reluctant to learn to drive, so I end up driving her many places.

There was one case in the paper here last year where the parents bought their daughter a hot hatch on her 17th birthday.

Sadly, the girl overturned it and lost her life on her first trip out.

* * *

I cycled/bussed everywhere until I could afford my first car - a £300 10 year old Austin Allegro, which I bought at the age of 22 or 23. Not only was it physically impossible to break the speed limit, but I taught myself rudimentary motor mechanics through replacing most of the components over the next few years.