Jump to content

Automotive Unicorns


TheClutchBasketPodcast

Recommended Posts

Approx 43k on the roads in 2003 (which was MK1 and MK2/facelift) and now approx 10% of that total.

But if we ignore the mk 2 such was around yr2000, is only about a thousand in total including SORN and 150 taxed on the road.

Incredible when you think by 2000 they'd sold 24000 of the buggers!!!!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Lonsdale.........doubt that any survive in the uk.........attachicon.gifLonsdale~YD41~(2).jpg

The Lonsdale story has it all; Internationla mystery , political shenanigans, failiure tempered by just swapping the badges of unsold cars and flogging them as something else.

As an aside I never knew the Sigma ( YD41/ Galant) was made and sold by Chrysler in Australia, not Mitsubishi or that it was sold as a Dodge in America.

The long production run and numerous factories all over the World churning them out under different Marques must mean there were loads of the feckers around, can't remember seeing even a Colt Sigma for at least 25 years.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

As an aside I never knew the Sigma ( YD41/ Galant) was made and sold by Chrysler in Australia, not Mitsubishi

Chrysler Australia had connections with Mitsubishi since 1971. Mitsubishi bought one third of Chrysler Australia in 1979 and took full control in 1980, thus becoming Mitsubishi Australia. Mitsubishi Australia ceased local production in 2007.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

That's an amazing information, thank you so much! Also, Aussie market stuff is fascinating, so this is definitely going into the episode. I will have to read the whole post more carefully when I get home later.

 

No worries, I lived out there for a while and became fascinated by this rich seam of cars I hardly knew anything about... I first heard about the P76 in the April 1991 edition of Classic and Sportscar, I think, where it was mentioned as a bit of a joke. Then I saw one in the metal in Queensland in 2002, and was actually quite taken with them...

 

I still seem to be permanently locked out of my Flickr account (thanks to Yahoo), but here's a few pics I took in a scrapyard in New South Wales in 2006 which you're welcome to use. The single headlight one is an ultra-rare base model, just to cap it all.

 

post-17915-0-30898400-1548678799_thumb.png

 

https://www.flickr.com/photos/datsuncog/2541668309/

 

post-17915-0-57100600-1548678810_thumb.png

 

https://www.flickr.com/photos/datsuncog/2541667445/

 

Autocar's website did a brief feature on the P76 last year, too:

 

https://www.autocar.co.uk/slideshow/britain%E2%80%99s-great-v8-aussie-disaster

 

If you do find yourself with an interest in Australiana, I'd highly recommend 'Golden Miles: Sex, Speed & the Australian Muscle Car' by Clinton Walker for an entertaining read through the history of some the fantastic creations that came from Down Under.

 

I'd totally rock a Chrysler Valiant CL/CM - especially in wagon format.

 

https://www.flickr.com/photos/datsuncog/2541647137/

Link to comment
Share on other sites

VW K70, first of the water cooled?

I had one. Managed to get it back on the road for a couple of years before selling it. It was one of only about 12 RHD cars known to exist at the time (1991/2) - a fella named Stephen Bood in Wolverhampton was the guru for this model.

 

Only 800 RHD cars ever built, out of 211,127, so that gives a taste of how popular it was over here.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Actually, just realising I was a bit rambly last night (at 2AM, typing on my phone) - it was specifically the P76 Force 7 that sprang to mind when I saw 'Automotive Unicorns'.

 

post-17915-0-39763500-1548683168_thumb.jpg

 

post-17915-0-78530100-1548683201_thumb.jpg

 

 

I mean, hey, a 4.4 litre V8 5 seater 2dr hatchback, topped off with a BL plughole badge, the majority of which were crushed by their own maker before they'd even left the factory gates, is surely worthy of the term...

 

post-17915-0-85117600-1548682557_thumb.jpg

 

post-17915-0-53708900-1548682570_thumb.jpg

 

 

This car was Lord Stokes' own personal conveyance.

 

post-17915-0-50576000-1548683514_thumb.jpg

 

post-17915-0-62521400-1548683494_thumb.jpg

 

Brought over to the UK and originally wearing the registration 1FDM, after it was sold (but the private plate retained) it became TXC465M. A few years ago it returned to the southern hemisphere.

 

post-17915-0-69265200-1548682132_thumb.jpg

 

post-17915-0-54779200-1548683149_thumb.jpg

 

 

Yet apparently it wasn't the only P76 to hit these shores - this one appears to be wearing an L-suffix plate, suggesting a very early car, maybe even a pre-production version sent over to the UK for BL evaluation:

 

post-17915-0-29322800-1548682242_thumb.jpg

 

(Right, I'll give over about this now!)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The brief is a little bit blurred but some oddities, common as mucks and were never going to works that might have some interesting tales are:

 

Could have been so good but the dice were loaded against it from the start: Panther Solo

They came, they saw, they conquered, they were completely forgotten: Datsun 120Y

Ball hoofed firmly into the back of their own net: Alfa Romeo 33

Dear Lord, what were they thinking: The Mk6 Escort RS2000

Well that was never going to work was it?: Perm one from Peugeot 605, pretty much any large Renault ever although I would probably vote for the Safrane, the aforementioned Tagora, the Phaeton or the Maybach,

Platform sharing, time wasting: Fiat Croma, Alfa Romeo 164, Saab 9000, Lancia Thema

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Mk1 Tigra

Three have appeared on eBay in the past six months.

 

Shit I'd forgotten all about those!!!!

 

Tried to help someone over in the blue once with one he couldn't get started but he was one of these idiots who believed what the pub gossips told him and continually ignored what I told him was wrong, having had an identical issue on a Corsa with it being the same car etc. I even sent him eBay links for the parts that would have cost him £60 and a few hours work (bear in mind he'd just had the engine replaced so wasn't averse to working on cars) but no, he knew better and his mechanic* told him it needed xy and z. Still wasn't running 4 months after the original thread and numerous hundreds in money thrown at it. But then, there's no helping some people.

It was the immobiliser box on the side of the engine is anyone cares, which I doubt they would!!!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I had one. Managed to get it back on the road for a couple of years before selling it. It was one of only about 12 RHD cars known to exist at the time (1991/2) - a fella named Stephen Bood in Wolverhampton was the guru for this model.

 

Only 800 RHD cars ever built, out of 211,127, so that gives a taste of how popular it was over here.

 

 Hi, My mate bought a '72 K70 back in the early 80s, I say bought 'ended up with' would be a better description, it came from a trade in at a local Vauxhall main dealer needing a clutch.  It gave sterling service for a number of years considering he used to drive it like he stole it.

 

 Colin

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Actually, just realising I was a bit rambly last night (at 2AM, typing on my phone) - it was specifically the P76 Force 7 that sprang to mind when I saw 'Automotive Unicorns'.

 

attachicon.gifLeyland P76 Force 7 - Home On Th' Orange.jpg

 

attachicon.gifLeyland P76 Force 7 - yellow.jpg

 

 

I mean, hey, a 4.4 litre V8 5 seater 2dr hatchback, topped off with a BL plughole badge, the majority of which were crushed by their own maker before they'd even left the factory gates, is surely worthy of the term...

 

attachicon.gifLeyland P76 Force 7 - Zetland, crushing 1.jpg

 

attachicon.gifLeyland P76 Force 7 - Zetland, crushing 2.jpg

 

 

This car was Lord Stokes' own personal conveyance.

 

attachicon.gifLeyland P76 Force 7 - ex Lord Stokes 3.jpg

 

attachicon.gifLeyland P76 Force 7 - ex Lord Stokes 4.jpg

 

Brought over to the UK and originally wearing the registration 1FDM, after it was sold (but the private plate retained) it became TXC465M. A few years ago it returned to the southern hemisphere.

 

attachicon.gifLeyland P76 Force 7 - ex Lord Stokes.jpg

 

attachicon.gifLeyland P76 Force 7 - ex Lord Stokes 2.jpg

 

 

Yet apparently it wasn't the only P76 to hit these shores - this one appears to be wearing an L-suffix plate, suggesting a very early car, maybe even a pre-production version sent over to the UK for BL evaluation:

 

attachicon.gifLeyland P76 - London.jpg

 

(Right, I'll give over about this now!)

 

Amazing stuff. The pics of the p76 are particularly apt for a car that was a massive failure. Why were they crushing them at the factory? Poor quality not passing QC?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I always saw the Arna as a unicorn car (probably not those words per se, but for the purpose of this topic).

We've all had the hilarious 'Japanese styling, Italian build' jokes but these were meant to be some sort of lifeline for Alfa Romeo in a trying time, released a short while before the inevitable Fiat takeover, which probably was an indirect result of the Arna. Fiat had originally opposed the Nissan and Alfa Romeo venture as it was feared an 'invasion' would threaten their own sales.

 

Seeing one today in Italy is itself an event, seeing one here is unheard of.

 

Personally I think the Cherry suits the Alfa trimmings.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The brief is a little bit blurred but some oddities, common as mucks and were never going to works that might have some interesting tales are:

 

Could have been so good but the dice were loaded against it from the start: Panther Solo

They came, they saw, they conquered, they were completely forgotten: Datsun 120Y

Ball hoofed firmly into the back of their own net: Alfa Romeo 33

Dear Lord, what were they thinking: The Mk6 Escort RS2000

Well that was never going to work was it?: Perm one from Peugeot 605, pretty much any large Renault ever although I would probably vote for the Safrane, the aforementioned Tagora, the Phaeton or the Maybach,

Platform sharing, time wasting: Fiat Croma, Alfa Romeo 164, Saab 9000, Lancia Thema

 

Yes to all of this!

 

I was already considering the Lancia Thema 8.32 considering what a preposterous though process it must have been to lead to that actually happening.

 

I also have very little knowledge about Panthers apart from having a vague recollection of the older Morgan looking cars. That is a rabbit hole that I will have to go down.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Amazing stuff. The pics of the p76 are particularly apt for a car that was a massive failure. Why were they crushing them at the factory? Poor quality not passing QC?

Apparently, the cars were crushed because they'd stood for a year after production had been halted and Leyland didn't want (another) world of pain with warranty claims... and yes, many of them had failed QC, in fact at one point more failed than passed!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Does anyone have any suggestions for cars that were actually very good but had a fatal design flaw leading to them being massive failures?

Austin Maxi. A promising and innovative design let down by that awful cable gearchange on the first ones. I wouldn't say it was a massive failure but it was nowhere near as successful as BL hoped.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Some more P76 and Force 7 resources here:

http://www.wikiwand.com/en/Leyland_P76

 

Photo of the 'fill yer boots' drum variety here:

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/90/Leyland_P76_with_44_gallon_drum.JPG/1024px-Leyland_P76_with_44_gallon_drum.JPG

 

Not meaning this to look like a list of my/Six-cylinder's cars, but it appears we have managed to acquire a motley collection of scarce oddities between us, over the years! :-)

 

Citroen Visa - used to be zillions, but now very rare in the UK, only around 80 examples all in and up to half of these-ish on the road. It was their 40th anniversary last year. We have three on the road, one off the road, one for spares and another that really belongs to another AS member and will get back onto the road in due course...

 

Citroen LNA - about 4 or 5 RHD known, I think. Ours is a scruffy old thing, returned to the road recently from a rolling shell and a few boxes of bits.

 

Oltcit / Citroen Axel - never RHD and never imported officially into the UK. rare everywhere these days, although has a bit of a cult following in Romania. It was the product of a Citroen & Romanian government joint venture, using the original design for the Visa, created before the Citroen<>Peugeot get-together required the Visa to be based on a Peugeot platform. There are about half a dozen or so (comprising both types) over here now, all personal imports. I think ours was the first imported and the only one in the UK for a few years.

 

Triumph Herald coupe - not many left. Mine is the earliest surviving 1200 coupe from 1961.

 

Alfa Romeo Giulietta from the 1980s. Mine is my second, a 2 litre car. The first was a 1.8.

 

Maserati Bi-Turbo 4 door - not common but there are three or four on AS. Mine is a 425.

 

Maserati Quattroporte II - the original Bertone design with Citroen suspension. There were only ever 13 produced. There is one in the UK that turns up to the Silverstone classic festival most years. It's not ours! :-)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...