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What and when was the last proper bASe car sold in the UK?


timolloyd

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All this talk of the bASe Mondeo has got me thinking - when was the last time any of us could walk in to a showroom in the UK and buy a proper base model?

 

I guess base models are still available now, but let's face it, even the most humble Dacia or whatever is going to have a passenger door mirror, some airbags and a radio.

I remember going to the motorshow in 1989-ish and my Dad showing me the FSO stand, and pointing out the model on display had a blanking panel where a passenger mirror might fit.

 

So, what's the newest car you've driven, that's been missing the most standard stuff?

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The bottom of the range Sandero just has the bare bones, no stereo, and now a 3 cylinder engine, clockwork windows, and white bodywork, no spare wheel or jack, just the legally required airbaggery etc, but it is only £6k

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Fiat are pretty much the minge bags of auto manufacture, if it's not mandated by law they'd delete it for a base model.

The 750 panda didn't even have opening rear windows, let alone such fripperies as a clock.  Windy front windows, non locking petrol cap, no rear wash wipe (or a blanking panel on the boot interior apart from sisley 4x4's) and power steering was never ever an option.

Adjustable drivers mirror (no passenger one) from the outside, non dipping interior mirror, rubber carpet, no radio or cigar lighter, heating controls with no night time illumination are all included (or not!)

Probably lots of other shizz I've forgotten about too. 

 

At least they came with a full size spare wheel without gouging 50-100 quid for the privilege.

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Interestingly executive/premium stuff like S90/5-series/e-class/A6/etc don't really have poverty spec levels anymore. Even the base models come with satnav, full climate, heat seats, etc. Even base Mondeo's and Insignias come with full climate/cruise/etc.

 

This is where we'll really notice the absence of Hendry and his knowledge on trim levels. :(

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I once bought a 1993 VW Polo 'Fox' for £75, that was real poverty spec. Luckily only bought it to break for spares for another Polo I had.

Yeesh, I owned a Polo Fox for a bit as well. Some of the equipment deletion just seemed plain vindictive - like the sound deadening on the bulkhead, and the plunger switch to operate the courtesy light on the passenger side. No radio, fag lighter or clock as originally supplied, of course. Brutally basic motoring!

 

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I'd formerly had a fully loaded* Genesis version that went and got itself TWOC'd, so sadly knew exactly where the tacho, clock and trip odo ought to be...

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Just posted this elsewhere but the original Ford Ka was bASe.  Old 1.3 Kent-derived engine, no power steering, no central locking, keep-fit windows. Only 'modern' thing was the radio and that was just a cassette.  It did have passenger mirrors and the like.  No ABS but it did have a drivers airbag.

 

I absolutely loved mine and I miss it enormously.  You are fondly remembered, Penelope.

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I've seen some pretty basic Volvo 850s for sale before...four windy windows and blanking plate heaven on the dash.

 

2.0 10v engine is probably as miserable as you can get for one of those, although sadly probably too sufficient to be classed as baSe.

 

Sent from my GT-I9505 using Tapatalk

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Definitely the only proper base is the Sandero Access. If it has any kind of ICE or electric windows then its not a base.

 

My 2000 Corsa B Envoy only had a radio cassette but even that wasnt a proper base because of that and the fact that it had a clock.

 

My mum had what I would consider to be one of the last proper base models, a G reg Metro city. No clock, radio, parcel shelf read wash wipe and even the centre face vents were deleted. The equivalent Fiesta base at the time even had a radio.

 

The Polo Fox is definitely a proper base too.

 

Wish Hendry was here, he would 100% be able to tell us the date and spec of the last proper base model car.

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Interestingly executive/premium stuff like S90/5-series/e-class/A6/etc don't really have poverty spec levels anymore. Even the base models come with satnav, full climate, heat seats, etc. Even base Mondeo's and Insignias come with full climate/cruise/etc.

 

 

there's a properly pov M-Reg Audi A6 just up the road from me, it's cream - almost berlin taxi esque and has wheeltrims. I think that kind of thing was killed off by the growth of people carriers, folk with big families had better options

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Yeesh, I owned a Polo Fox for a bit as well. Some of the equipment deletion just seemed plain vindictive - like the sound deadening on the bulkhead, and the plunger switch to operate the courtesy light on the passenger side. No radio, fag lighter or clock as originally supplied, of course. Brutally basic motoring!

 

attachicon.gifP1030731.JPG

 

attachicon.gifP1030735.JPG

 

 

Consider yourself lucky: the current "6R" Polo (in 1.4 85hp* spec) doesn't even have a temperature gauge.... 

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