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Cars you didn't know existed until very recently.


philibusmo

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We'd better have the Hafei Lobo in here then.  It's actually not that bad looking really.  Rather than looking like a cheap copy of something else it actually looks like a decently thought out bit of design and stands on its own visual merits.  At least it does in this iteration.

 

hafei-lobo-06.jpg

 

hafei-lobo-04.jpg

 

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I love this sort of specification. Amongst its gems  ..

 

"particularly suitable for passenger cars and light weight vans.    Weight (with electrical starting equipment but less flywheel) : 361 lb"   ..That's the weight of my complete motorcycle ! :wacko:

 

"Shipping - Gross weight : 5 cwt. "  ..excuse me but that's 560 lb  :shock:

 

"when the petrol engine is removed the diesel can be accommodated " oh.. it's not in addition to the petrol engine then ! ? :-(

 

" have completed and exhaustive series of tests "   .. 43bhp in such a heavy car would be indeed be exhaustive :oops: !

 

"tests ..over the past five years "   !  Amazingly Perkins is still in business, despite being bought by Massey Ferguson in 1959 and much later by Caterpillar.  

 

 I might smile but Perkins produced a very successful engine :

Wiki tells me : Perkins' 1.6 litre (99 cubic inch) P4C engine, producing 45 or 60 hp (45 kW), was popular in Europe and Israel for taxis and commercially driven cars during the 1950s and early 1960s; many cars, including American imports, were retrofitted with these engines for taxi use, with kits made by Hunter NV of Belgium. Perkins engines were also used as standard factory equipment in Jeeps and Dodge trucks in the United States in the 1960s. They also continued to be popular in European trucks from their original customer, Commer and other companies. 

 

:-D

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Oo Oo Oo I found another one!!

Made for the Oz market (this one is fully restored in NZ) for the grand sum of $7500 (about 4300 of your quids)

The Morris Major Deluxe sedan 1961

1500cc of raw POWERRRRRRRRRRRR

post-17864-0-24276700-1491336041_thumb.jpg

 

Coincidently I got a pay rise of $8.5 k yesterday (should I tell the wife?!

;-)

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e566ac8e3e6959d1b196d605d5546f2e.jpg

 

TagAZ Aquila.

 

Now built in France under a new name: http://www.mpm-motors.com/en/

http://boitierrouge.com/2016/11/29/mpm-motors-ps-160-une-voiture-francaise-a-larriere-gout-de-vodka/

https://www.leboncoin.fr/voitures/1093345060.htm?ca=12_s

 

I really wonder how on earth they can supposedly sell it for 8,500 Euros and make a profit.

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..not sure it's so bad a package with Mitsubishi 1.6 litre + 5 speed box, and with a three year guarantee. The design target price was 13,000 and now to get (advanced) orders in (the markets are always skeptical at first) they have a 'launch offer at 8 500 €ttc'.   

 

The multi-tubular frame is easy to dip protect and the composite body is easy to replace in the event of a minor fender bender (..keeping insurance costs reasonable for the younger / second car customer).  We used exactly the same in 1980 with the Steven's Cipher. That used the Reliant 850cc all-alloy engine & mechanicals (Tony Stevens is very patriotic), but after the financiers pulled out - he redesigned it for the overseas market. He built a coupe version with the 1.6 Mitsubishi motor.! 

 

Seems like the Japanese liked the idea, and so when someone else came along they've given it their blessing. Start up costs and the first few years (repaying interest on loans) are the hardest, so I really wish them the very best.  It's tough to compete with the big boys.  If I had the money I'd be tempted just to support them.

 

The PS160 is smart insomuch as it went for four doors and a half decent boot capacity, to appease the mother with kids, and then dad at the weekend who wants to enjoy a little more driving fun than his company car offers.

 

That's my two-penneth worth anyway. ;)

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Behold the Bohse Eurostar, essentially a Lada Riva with much of its bodywork lopped off and replaced with plastic panels to create a latter day Citroen Mehari.

 

Now I'm aware of their existence, I'd love one to punt around in during the summer.

 

attachicon.gifBohse.jpg

 

Indeed, that is so bad I actually want one; the bastard offspring of a dodgem car and Postman Pat's van. How do you get into the back seats without trepanning yourself on the rofl bar?

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