Scots drivers prefer their first car to first love

For most of us, our first motor may not have been a £100,000 Audi R8 like Harry Styles, or a £90,000 Range Rover Evoque like Justin Bieber, but new research has revealed that our first car, even if an old banger, holds a very special place in our heart.

In a survey of 1,000 parents carried out by car website NFDA Trusted Dealers, more than three quarters of people in Scotland (76 per cent) revealed they looked back more fondly on their first car than their first kiss (65 per cent). First loves came even lower, with just over half of people in Scotland (56 per cent) surveyed saying they looked back fondly on their time with their first boyfriend or girlfriend.

When asked to describe their first car, almost a third (29 per cent) of all parents in Scotland said their car was an unreliable old banger which they loved, with only three per cent saying they regretted their rust buckets.

When asked to compare their affection for life ‘firsts’, cars were only just pipped to the post by wedding days, which received more than three quarters of people’s votes (79 per cent).

When it comes to buying your first car, the research showed the bank of mum and dad to be far more generous today than 20 years ago. Only 16 per cent of parents in Scotland said they’d had help to finance their first car, whereas today, almost two thirds said they had helped their own child buy their first wheels.

Londoners are the most generous parents in the UK, with more than half (55 per cent) of parents saying they had financed a new or used car for their kids, while Yorkshire lived up to its thrifty reputation, with just 22 per cent contributing to their child’s motor.

Neil Addley, managing director of NFDA Trusted Dealers, said: “Cars play a big part in people’s lives and as we can see, we have a special place in our hearts for our first wheels, whether rusty or racy.

“The figures from the survey illustrate that people emotionally invest in their cars.”

“The rise of PCP deals has opened up far more opportunities for parents to opt for new cars, but our research has shown the vast majority still prefer to buy a used model for their kids. As such it’s vital to ensure the right financial and mechanical checks are undertaken.”