Prototypes.

[freebird]

Fiat 2500 circa 1973

Renault 16 circa 1963

Citroen/Fiat project based on Fiat 127 floorpan

Jag, obviously..

Van den Plas styling attempt

Vauxhall super saloon

Mike Hawthorne involved in this, the project died whern he did

Renault 5

MK1 Cavalier looking better than the production model, maybe

Circa 1935 Beetle

[dollywobbler]

One of my favourite prototypes is this one. They should have built it!

 

Same project, but Pininfarina rather than Michelotti. Beautiful. Both of these are Mini based.

[Pete-M]

That Mk1 Cav reminds me of this.

 

 

It shouldn't, but it does, and that is wrong. They should have gone with it, I reckon, because the front of the production Mk1 Cav ain't pretty.

[freebird]

That convertible is lovely!! The front end looks like MG1100 and the back, for some reason, reminds me of a moke!

Pete, thats what i thought when I saw the Cav, just wondering how far apart the Cav and SD1 were in terms of development and whether somesort of skullduggery took place because, theres not much doubt that they all look spookily similar with the same ideology behind it.

Was the Cav designed here or Germany? Was that and the Chevette the last of the independently, British, designed Vauxhalls? I assume the Kadett/Astra was the first "GM Europe car for the masses?"

[dollywobbler]

S'pose I really should post this one up.

 

The 2CV prototypes (well, actually pre-production!) stashed away in a barn for decades to hide not from the Nazis, but Citroen who ordered them scrapped!

 

We had some ace quirky Citroen prototypes on the NEC Classic Motor Show stand a couple of years ago. (Was it really two years ago already? Blimey!)

[Cavcraft]

Fiat is horiffic yet ace at the same time. It also manages to look more like an FSO than an FSO!

[freebird]

Fiat is horiffic yet ace at the same time. It also manages to look more like an FSO than an FSO!

Ummm, I think you may be onto something.....

[kinkersaab]

The mk1 Cav is just lovely. Major WANT!

[shaun1706]

All of a sudden I have a strange liking for the FSO Polonez Her indoors would kill me without a doubt, but.......

[HillmanImp]

 

I assume that was the prototype for the Visa?

[freebird]

All of a sudden I have a strange liking for the FSO Polonez Her indoors would kill me without a doubt, but.......

My mate had one back in the 80s, when they were still being made.

They wernt bad cars TBH, very agricultural but they were basic, cheap family cars.

There used to be a dealer in Rayleigh Essex who used to sell them with chrome alloys and go faster stripes IIRC, i dont think they were factory issue more dealer optional. Id love to see one now, they actually looked pretty cool.

[freebird]

 

I assume that was the prototype for the Visa?

I believe it was, i shall try and find it again, there were a few other pics of it. IIRC, the Fiat 127 formed the floorpan and the rest was Citroen.

EDIT:http://www.citroenet.org.uk/prototypes/projet-y-ta-vd/projet-y.html

[Volksy]

Were Citroen trying to get into bed with everyone in the '70s?

 

 

Slag.

[HillmanImp]

Were Citroen trying to get into bed with everyone in the '70s?

 

 

Slag.

 

They are French. They were liberated a long time before the Brits. Did you never watch Euro trash?

[Cavcraft]

All of a sudden I have a strange liking for the FSO Polonez Her indoors would kill me without a doubt, but.......

 

Hello mate, how's tricks all well I hope?

 

Shame you can't get a time machine, travel back a few years and visit that grotty car dealers on the way into Flint. They were an FSO dealers for a while but never seemed to shift too many of them.

[MK5 Escort]

I love the styling of the Vauxhall Super saloon. Very neat indeed. Mid-late seventies to hazard a guess...? Hmmm...I'm not that keen on the Mk1 Cav front end to be honest.

 

I'd like to see the interior of the Fiat 2500. Horrendous on the outside with acres of plastic cladding, but I like the look of those integrated headrests! Very early K10 Micra-esq!

 

As for that Citroen...

[Shep Shepherd]

I've always liked this:

 

 

Sadly, nothing came of it, as not long after it was produced, FSO came to an agreement with FIAT to make the 125.

[eddyramrod]

^^Anyone else seeing a strong 604 influence in that, especially round the back end?

[Shep Shepherd]

^^Anyone else seeing a strong 604 influence in that, especially round the back end?

 

Perhaps Peugeot were influenced by it? The prototype dates from 1964

 

I can also see echoes of the design in the Wartburg 353 and the GAZ 24

[eddyramrod]

A shame they never produced that. I would certainly be looking for one now. I wonder what the spec was supposed to be? Looks like it should have a 2.5-litre OHC, all-aluminium straight six, with a three-on-the-tree and optional auto. Count me in!

[Shep Shepherd]

It apparently did have a 2500cc straight six. Not too sure about the rest of the spec, though.

 

The car still survives and is on display at the FSO museum in Poland:

 

[freebird]

^^Anyone else seeing a strong 604 influence in that, especially round the back end?

I couldnt see that TBH, the first thing that sprung to mind though was one of these..

It was certainly the back end that made me think of the Simca 1301, then again, looking at the back end of the Simca makes me think of Dolomite.

Thats the problem, all cars looked the same then

[eddyramrod]

It apparently did have a 2500cc straight six. Not too sure about the rest of the spec, though.

 

Ooh, that was a good guess! I didn't know about that at all, I was just speculating. Excellent news that it survives, and that FSO have their own museum!

[shaun1706]

All of a sudden I have a strange liking for the FSO Polonez Her indoors would kill me without a doubt, but.......

 

Hello mate, how's tricks all well I hope?

 

Shame you can't get a time machine, travel back a few years and visit that grotty car dealers on the way into Flint. They were an FSO dealers for a while but never seemed to shift too many of them.

 

All is well indeedy, trust you are OK too Billy

 

Thinking about the FSO started me thinking about Lonsdales again and now those 80's Stellas!!! What the heck happened to them??

[RedSparrow]

Wartburg P760

 

 

A collaboration between Wartburg and Skoda in the 1970s. Wartburg dropped it and it went on to become the Skoda Favorit!

 

Moar: http://www.autosoviet.altervista.org/main-english.htm

[Pete-M]

I'm gutted they didn't do these as I'd have to have one.

 

 

This is a Fiat / SEAT thing that I doubt even most of you lot would lust after... although... no. You would.

 

[Timewaster]

What a brilliant thread!

 

Can I throw in another FSO that WhatCar? featured almost every month for years, alas it never arrived.

FSO Wars.

 

What does it remind you of?

[freebird]

What a brilliant thread!

 

Can I throw in another FSO that WhatCar? featured almost every month for years, alas it never arrived.

FSO Wars.

 

What does it remind you of?

Talbot Horizon. Infact the back looks 100% Horizon.

Possibly an early ish attempt by the French to create a "Cheap" European car by finding a cheap Eastern european partner like they later did with the Logan?

[RedSparrow]

What a brilliant thread!

 

Can I throw in another FSO that WhatCar? featured almost every month for years, alas it never arrived.

FSO Wars.

 

What does it remind you of?

 

Cover up the front and it looks a lot like a Horizon.

[Albert Ross]

What a brilliant thread!

 

Can I throw in another FSO that WhatCar? featured almost every month for years, alas it never arrived.

FSO Wars.

 

What does it remind you of?

 

Mk1 Astra