For many of us, buying a car isn’t just a transaction. It’s a memory. The smell of your parents’ Holden Commodore on the way to school, the sound of a Toyota LandCruiser starting up before a camping trip, or the Ford Falcon that carried the whole family up and down the Hume. Cars stick with us, not just for their metal and mechanics, but because they become part of the family story.
And in a lot of cases, those stories stretch across generations.
From first car to family wagon
It usually starts the same way. Someone in the family picks up a trusty first car, often a hatchback or sedan that promises reliability and low running costs. Later comes the upgrade: a bigger, safer SUV or wagon as kids and camping gear begin to fill the back seat.
By the time the kids themselves are ready for their licences, they’ve grown up in those cars, and they know what works. That’s why you’ll often see families sticking to the same makes and models over time. What was dad’s station wagon becomes the daughter’s learner car, and eventually the son’s trade-in becomes mum’s downsized runabout.
Aussie icons that go the distance
Australia has a proud history of cars that seem to last forever, passing from one set of hands to the next. A few standouts include:
Holden Commodore
Once the king of the Aussie road, beloved for its space, durability and ease of maintenance.
Ford Falcon
A classic that ferried generations of Australians to school, sport, and summer holidays.
Toyota LandCruiser
Synonymous with outback travel and coastal adventures, known for being nearly unbreakable.
Toyota Hilux
So tough it became part of the national lexicon, the go-to for tradies and often an heirloom in the classic father and son business.
Subaru Outback and Forester
Family staples for those who balance city commutes with weekend trips down the coast.
Find your Outback or Forester
All of these cars didn’t just earn a reputation for reliability; they earned a place in the Australian family album.
Why generations stick with the same brands
There’s a simple reason families return to the same vehicles again and again: trust. If a car has taken you across the country without fuss, or handled years of school runs without skipping a beat, why would you look anywhere else?
In a way, these vehicles become part of a familial tradition, not polished and hidden away, but lived-in, road-tested, and handed down. The “family car” isn’t always shiny, but it carries a lifetime of stories: first driving lessons, road trips, even the dog’s paw prints on the back seat.
Looking ahead
Today, the tradition continues, though the cars are changing. Hybrids and EVs are slowly joining the mix. One day kids will inherit not just a set of keys, but maybe a charging cable too. What won’t change is the idea that a car is more than a way to get from A to B. For many Australians, it’s a shared piece of family history.
