Lonsdale yd41???

[Guest]

[Guest]

[gricer]

Lord Bob Edmiston owns IM Group, current UK importer of Subaru, Isuzu and Great Wall. And until recently, Daihatsu.

 

Also former owner of Jensen and former importer of Hyundai and SsangYong cars.

 

He's very, very, very rich, and I can guarantee he has no Lonsdales tucked away anywhere.

 

As an aside, IM Group did own a Daihatsu Compagno, though I'm not sure what's happened to it now Daihatsu is no longer imported here. May have been sold. It was beautifully restored a decade or so ago.

[red5]

I work for a Colt dealer that sold (I think) Lonsdales as well. Certainly serviced them. One of the company names that appeared on various paperwork was Lonsdale Motors.

 

Had odd handling suspension set-up on them, always felt heavier than the equivalent Sigmas/Galants. 2.6 Auto estates were a beast, and very common (as far as Lonsdales go) locally.

 

Ah, the 80's, how I miss thee..

[Shep Shepherd]

I recall seeing a few Lonsdales in the Dover area when I was growing up, which makes sense, considering there was a dealer in nearby St. Margaret-at-Cliffe. The village also had a Renault dealer for many years

[mk2_craig]

 

Blimey. I walk along that road on my way to work every day. Car's not there any more though

[The Reverend Bluejeans]

I work for a Colt dealer that sold (I think) Lonsdales as well. Certainly serviced them. One of the company names that appeared on various paperwork was Lonsdale Motors.

 

Had odd handling suspension set-up on them, always felt heavier than the equivalent Sigmas/Galants. 2.6 Auto estates were a beast, and very common (as far as Lonsdales go) locally.

 

Ah, the 80's, how I miss thee..

 

I worked for a 'Bishi dealership in the mid 1990's. Apparently they were set to take on Lonsdale but it went tits up before the brochures arrived and had thre Sigma instead. The Lonsdale YD41 arrived in May 1983. Rear drive and based on the 1980 model Galant floorpan/engines, it was rebadged as the Mitsubishi Sigma in May 1984. At £5699, the 1600 was barely 100 quid less than the 1.6L Sierra, Passat and Cavalier, all around £5800. No wonder it flopped. At £4800 it might have had a chance.

 

Lonsdale didn't really die in '84 as Oz cars were still imported. The nineties Sigma was a great car - the (Jap built..?) saloon with 4WS and the multivalve V6 was nice, but the Oz built Sigma estate with the old 2v V6 was a proper motor.

[sierraman]

There must be at least one tucked away! Surely!

[SambaS]

BUMP for a real thread...

 

Hey I've noticed a lot of new people on here.

 

Trying to track down a Lonsdale, it's THE holy grail.. anyone got any leads?

 

I'm literally astounded that we haven't uncovered one yet.

[SambaS]

I got a Lonsdale boot badge !

 

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/321335013601?ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1497.l2649

[MrDuke]

Problem solved then - just find a Sigma and stick that on the back instead. Everyone else will believe it, and eventually, so will you.

[Asimo]

Buy a brochure and dream..........

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Lonsdale-1-6-2-0-2-6-Saloon-1982-83-UK-Market-Sales-Brochure-Mitsubishi-Galant-/171025133389

[shaun1706]

It's a very long shot but I have requested any info from the area where I last saw one in Denbigh, North Wales. A reply straight away but a 70's Sigma seen in Ruthin 2 weeks ago on the road!!!

[SambaS]

Glad there are others on the case!

[shaun1706]

Glad there are others on the case!

Too right. This is indeed turning into a Grail issue 

[sierraman]

I can't believe there are no examples of a Lonsdale on here. That would be a complete win at Autoshite if you got one. It does say on HML that a few are registered, where they are I don't know.

[John F]

Too right. This is indeed turning into a Grail issue 

 

Bad, wicked Zoot....

 

[Owain71]

Holy thread resurrection Batman (etc.)

 

I sourced this from the attic of a former dealership a fortnight ago - makes me smile just thinking that it had probably been sitting there since c. 1984!

 

 

Looking vastly better after a shampoo & rinse:

 

 

This will feature in the new Autoshite Northamptonshire showroom that is being built in Q1/2 2017 - watch this space!

[vulgalour]

If anything, that's even rarer than the initial reason for the post.  TOP SHITEING

[Wilko220]

Spectacular! I can't believe you don't just want to erect it on the front of your house...

[vulgalour]

Aren't there laws against that sort of thing?

[Alexg]

What a great find. Nice one!

[Skizzer]

Outstanding work. Looking forward to hearing more about the new HQ, too.

[SambaS]

NOYCE!

[Ghosty]

here's hoping that jogs someone's memory of a dealership...

[AMC Rebel]

Yeah true but I didn't know what else to suggest. Thought it might be a bit more accurate for unusual brands.

 

Less accurate in my experience - it doesn't know about any AMCs at all.

[timolloyd]

More memorabilia for sale: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Lonsdale-Car-Price-List-1983-YD41-Saloon-YD45-Estate-1-6-2-0-2-6-Engines-/252669265447?hash=item3ad4430627:g:DuoAAOSwOdpX1YNv

[Adrian_pt]

How many Left suggests 2 Lonsdales, one from 1982, one from 1983. There's 4 other cars badged as Lonsdales either SORN or on the road, but years suggests they're actually something else and it's a standard DVLA snafu. 

[sierraman]

Where the bloody hell are they. I'll feel in some way like my life is more complete if there comes a day I find one rotting in a shed or whatever.

[richbraith]

Last, and only, one I ever saw was a blue estate on a dealer's forecourt opposite where my grandad worked in 1989.  Amazingly I've remembered the reg plate correctly, A51DAL, it shows as being last taxed in February 1994.  So I think we can safely say that's long gone.  Apparently it was a 2.6.
It takes a special kind of special to remember the number plate of a car you saw once briefly 28 years ago.  I was 13 at the time.