Demise of the two door family saloon.

[warren t claim]

Remember when you could buy a less doors version of most family saloons?

 

Can you even get the latest Focus in 3 door form these days?

[Leyland Lawrence]

I love two door variants. I still haven't got to grips with photos but the Volvo 242 always looked quite nice.

 

It looks ok when you click on it...

 

[chaseracer]

Can you even get the latest Focus in 3 door form these days?

 

Nope.  More-door hatch and estate only.

[warren t claim]

This is pure filth.

[skattrd]

I'm also a fan of the 3 door estates as well. The only ford I actually like is the 3dr scrote estate, any/all of them.

A Volvo 262 is quite high on my want list, a few places above the 242.

[chaseracer]

Remember the early 80s, when Ford & GM did 3-door AND 5-door estate versions of the Scrote & the Kadett/Ashtray? What was that all about...?

 

 

 

 

[HMC]

Novas spring to mind. 2-3-4-5 door variants, as did saab with the 900 of the time. Presumably they thought there were still enough motorists from the pre hatch era knocking about for whom only a 2 door boggo spec saloon would do.

[Junkman]

I remember 2-door family saloons for which no 4-door counterpart existed.

 

 

 

 

I is old.

[warren t claim]

Oddly enough, the French never made two door versions of their family cars like the Renault 9,12,14,16,18 and 20/30 and there was no two door Citroen GS or CX.

[r.welfare]

It seems VW are the only manufacturer who persist with a two (ok, three) door version of a family hatchback without pretending it's a snazzy coupe these days (shame on you GM, Kia, Renault).

 

I wonder if the 2-door Mk2 Granada (and Opel Rekord E, for that matter) were worth tooling up for, given both were not renewed at facelift time.

[londonm]

That orange beemer looks lovely.

[Junkman]

I wonder if the 2-door Mk2 Granada (and Opel Rekord E, for that matter) were worth tooling up for, given both were not renewed at facelift time.

 

I wouldn't think so. I think they were predominantly intended for the German market and squarely aimed at OAPs, hence most of them were incredibly giffer spec. For the Grandad a Ghia version wasn't even offered.

However, I always viewed it as a missed chance that they didn't offer it as a convertible. I bet that could have yielded quite a few sales.

[NorfolkNWeigh]

Also,when did people start calling 2 doors coupes? I've got an e30 316 2 door that is amazingly rust free so in a moment of madness decided to advertise on an e30 forum,for added scene and enfusarset time wasting . And to a man,well boy actually, they refer to it as a coupe!

On ebay at the moment ,somebody is advertising a 'Cortina 2000GT coupe',on clicking it's not some exciting Taunus/ Cortina hybrid just a 2 door Mk3, nice as that may be its not a 'kin coupe!

[chaseracer]

Oddly enough, the French never made two door versions of their family cars like the Renault 9,12,14,16,18 and 20/30 and there was no two door Citroen GS or CX.

France, being a predominantly Catholic country with a higher birth rate, needed more doors to get the sprogs (and Grandmere, and a barrel of vin ordinaire, and possibly some livestock) into the motor. In Germany, a mostly Protestant land, things were different.

 

Just a theory, like...

[warren t claim]

 

Imagine VW making a 2 door Pisshat now?

[phil_lihp]

 

For misery-spec motoring, a beige 2 door Cavalier with the 1.3 engine could add a sensible, if depressing, car to your driveway.  I'm fairly certain the Insignia is not currently available with a saloon, 2 doors, a 1.3 carb engine or beige paint but I have been wrong before.

 

On the other hand, as in my 2028 thread, there is this pretty little thing:

 

 

One of the few moderns I do actually like, although nowhere near enough to spunk £££ on eye-watering finance deals for one.  It's sold as a Coupe, but it clearly owes its heritage to the Vauxhall Nova 2dr saloon.

[r.welfare]

I think the Insignia is still available as a saloon, surprisingly. Ford dropped the saloon version of the mk4 Mondeo a couple of years back.

 

Those 2 door Cavs were only available for 2 years I think, 81 and 82, and I think only 1300cc in base or L flavour. Anyone know if the 2 door lasted long on the Continent? I know Ford made 2 door Sierra hatches available into the post 87 facelift for mainland Europe.

[Shep Shepherd]

^

 

I've seen late model 2-door Asconas in Germany a few times; their body-colour grilles and deep front bumpers give them away

 

[mouseflakes]

Always liked the 2-door ADO16s  - were they the poverty versions? Estates were only 2-door I think - same with the Allegro?

[NorfolkNWeigh]

The E30 two and four door saloons share the same outline and front and rear screens.

From the e36 onward the two door is classed as a coupe because the screens are at more acute angles and the roof is lower.

The wheelbase and all the engineering below the beltline are the same though.

 

Ok,based on that , i suppose there is an argument to call e30 M3's coupes due to the different rear window/ boot. If calling it a coupe makes my beige 316i auto worth more ,then that's what it's going on ebay as !

[Station]

Yum!

 

 

I see a two door RR in van format parked up on my way home.

[Spiny Norman]

My old 'Zon.

 

Suited being a 2 door I thought, being a 2 door always seems a bit more sporty somehow.

 

 

Liked these too.

[sheffcortinacentre]

the mk4-5 shape taunus was avl in all trim & eng specs above 1.6 as a 2dr inc S & ghia, also i'm sure mk2 granada 2dr was avl as a ghia.

 

the cortina was avl in rhd to same spec in ireland (this is how crayford managed to get them for conversion).

 

sierra 3dr was avl in higher spec in facelift.

[Junkman]

the mk4-5 shape taunus was avl in all trim & eng specs above 1.6 as a 2dr inc S & ghia, also i'm sure mk2 granada 2dr was avl as a ghia.

 

No, it wasn't.

[Junkman]

First generation 3-series was 2-door only.

 

[ChinaTom]

It probably doesn't count, but the USA version of the Renault 9 (Alliance) did come as a 2 door.

[dollywobbler]

Warren mentions Renaults. The French indeed seem to like more doors with the 11 being perhaps the only (non-supermini) break from the norm.

[Barry Cade]

I remember these as a kid in Germany- competition for the Granada?

 

 

 

Ad one of my all time favorite cars EVAH.

 

[Claphamrangie]

Our French cousins also did a 3 door Pug 309

 

 

[ChinaTom]

^ Hey, we had them too. I had a 3 door GE for a morning when my 405 was in for service.