It was the early 1990s when Parker was at the peak of his career, playing in a Sir Alex Ferguson side that was dominating England's top tier in a bygone era.
"Back then, we had two training grounds at United," Parker, 54, explains.
"One was The Cliff and then we had another at Littleton Road which is just a bit further into Salford. No one ever wanted to take their cars there, so they'd hide their keys."
A lack of luxury facilities meant the United squad had to transport themselves between the two bases.
"What the players used to do is get all the keys and take your car over there because it was your car that ended up getting soaking, wet or muddy," the former midfielder says.
"So many players jumped in with other people and would arrive at Littleton Road absolutely shocked that their car was sitting there.
"If you had cloth seats they'd get absolutely soaking, especially with those winters in Manchester."
Not everyone was targeted, though.
"You wouldn't have taken Bryan Robson's car, not in a million years," Parker says. "You wouldn't touch Paul Ince's because you just knew he'd never stop until he got you back.
"If he wasn't going to get you back physically, he'd get you back verbally. Once he was in your head, he was there for life."
Little over two decades on and Parker is taking SunSport for a spin in his wife's Mini Cooper S just a month after undergoing a hip replacement.
"This is fiery," he says, but resists the temptation to put pedal to metal. Parker's preference when it comes to cars is for something smart, though.
Mercedes has long been his favourite but it was a while before he was able to afford one.
Parker started his career at Fulham in 1982 and treated himself to a white 1.6-litre Ford Capri for £1,300 after his first paycheck.
It was a step up from the set of wheels he started with.
"I would have been about 18," Parker recalls. "I bought this old Ford Escort for £100 off my mate. It had a gearbox that started smoking when you went over 40mph."
Yet that wasn't the most memorable motor he's ever had.
"I bought myself a Lancia Beta. They called it a fastback. It was a four-door car but it was quite long and had a hatch on the back. It was the worst car I ever got," he says.
"The fella who sold it must have seen me coming because I ended up with a Fred Flintstone car because my foot went through the floor.
"It was quick, and sounded it. But it was a nightmare of a car. My foot went straight through the floor panel, it was that rusty.
"I had to get rid of it quickly. I had to part-ex it. They must have got it and thrown it straight away."
The sleekness captured Parker's attention but public perception was always something that concerned him.
After Italia 90, when Bobby Robson's England side had been a penalty shootout away from a World Cup final, Parker was worried about how he'd be viewed.
"Just after coming back from the World Cup I had a chance to get a Porsche 911," he says, pulling onto a country road.
"I seriously thought about getting it but I was really worried about how I was going to be seen by everybody.
"Suddenly coming back from Italia 90' and driving around in a 911… that bothered me. So I ended up getting a BMW and thought that was better for me. I felt more comfortable."
During his career, Parker was fortunate to benefit from club sponsors.
At QPR, it was Ford. "I was driving around in XR3is and RS Turbos. I was very fortunate to be doing that," he says.
And then at United, sponsor Audi gave him a Quattro.
"When I got my own car I was driving a Saab convertible," he says. "I was one of the first people to get one.
"It was black with black leather and white piping on the leather. It was a bit dudey, to be honest. I think it was the age I was at."
Times, Parker says, have changed with most footballers nowadays driving top-of-the-range motors due to inflated wages.
But there must have been some nice cars at United?
"Sparky, Mark Hughes, loved his cars," Parker says. "He would have the Range Rovers, he had the Porsche, a big four-door Porsche, and then he had the 911s.
"Back then it wasn't so much about cars, even with the players at United there wasn't big, flash cars."
Perhaps they were hidden as well as the keys.
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Paul Parker will be appearing at @MHMMediaGroup Manchester United Legends Event on January 29th at the Stockport Plaza.
Tickets available at stockportplaza.co.uk/whats-on/an-evening-with-manchester-united-legends/
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