A Life In Cars

This is the life story of Richard “Dickie” Sutherland, a Baby Boomer growing up in Adelaide, South Australia during the golden era of the motor car.

His memoirs are told using the small stories of the many cars that accompanied him throughout the decades.

And as the years roll on, his story starts to include the car stories of his son Nicholas.

Explore the stories

The First Pedal Car

Long before I was born, my brother and sister had a brand new pedal car.

Pedal Cars
Dickie

A4 Wagon

Finding the Prado to big around town, Jenna and I decided to downsize to a sport wagon that would satisfy all needs.

Audi
Nic

Adelaide to Sydney

Christmas holidays Road trip to Sydney Three in a Morris Mini Minor, what a geat idea. The Diary is as it was, basicaly a Fuel and milage record with added coment made adhock developed into a Diary. Today the suprising relationship of prices and cost

Mini
Dickie

Dad’s Cars in the 60’s

Australia’s first successfully mass produced car. For a low cost, four door, six-passenger family car, with excellent performance and comfortably accommodated 2 adults and 3 or 4 children on two bench seats.

Holden
Dickie

Holden HR Station Wagon 1967

HR Holden Station Sedan, the only new car; the Family cars and work horse; the Classic car for all occations, three generation; A Family Car.

Holden
Dickie

Bruce the RX8

The time had come for a second car and it was going to be another rotary or nothing.

Mazda
Nic

See all of the stories

About A Life In Cars

Cars have been a strong and influential theme running throughout my life. They have not been my whole life as such, but they have been a central focus.

They have also been a centre point for my working life and hundreds of adventures along the way. Cars have influenced my thinking, my interests, my career and my family life.

So yes!

You could definitely say that “I’m a car guy.”

And thus, cars are the common thread that binds my life’s story together. A Life In Cars is my life story recounted using all my car stories as the central theme of the story.

I describe the experiences, the people and the places along the way. The cars I owned, the cars I experienced, the cars that ‘should have been,’ and the notable car-related moments in my life.

I hope you enjoy the stories and I hope that my story might help you rediscover old memories and emotional ties, just like I have during the process of writing them all down.

You are also welcome to leave a comment below each story, as a way to extend my story or as a place to share your tales.