Weird trim levels

[Bren]

There was a 1.7 mk2 Granada pictured here once. Maltese I think, with the old V4. Replaced in the range in 1982 with a Pinto'd 1.6.

 

Anyway, here's a GODDAMN COMMIE ROOSHIAN example. Looks miserable.

When the MK 3 came out in '85 a povo spec 1.8 was added to the range - i know this because my old man looked at one at Doughertys of Runcorn.

 

It must have been slower than a broken clock.

[af1]

I had a citroen zx that had keep fit windows but an electric sunroof and one electric mirror!

 

As you would expect, I loved it

[AnthonyG]

When the MK 3 came out in '85 a povo spec 1.8 was added to the range - i know this because my old man looked at one at Doughertys of Runcorn.

 

It must have been slower than a broken clock.

 

These were a brief tax efficient special, for some reason 1.8 was cheaper than 2.0 for whatever company car tax rules existed then. There was a Carlton 1.8 as well, in the face lifted Mk1 '82 to '86 model, not sure about the Mk2.

 

Don't forget the 2.0 SD1, and the early Rover 820e, when discussing povo executive models, also the base CX and 505s. plastic fantastic!

[Magnificent Rustbucket]

One type of car which seems to have disappeared which I rather liked was the big car/big engine/base trim combo.

 

Think Granada 3 litre Ls and some of the late 70s big BMWs & Mercs with keep fit windows and the like. Why do they assume that just because I like a big car with a bit of power that I also want air conditioned mudflaps and three position memory electronic sun visors?

 

Ha yes! My grandparent's next door neighbour had a W116 in the late 70s with keep fit windows and seats trimmed in  a cloth more usually associated with deck chairs.

[chaseracer]

...one of the last Sierras, which instead of the usual 1.6 pinto, had an injected 1.6 cvh lump. Weird spec as well with alloy wheels, Cosworth type rear spoiler, tilt/slide sunroof but keep fit windows and no central locking...

 

Oh god, the 'Azura'.  One of THE most unpleasant buckets of shit it has ever been my misfortune to 'drive'...

[Bren]

These were a brief tax efficient special, for some reason 1.8 was cheaper than 2.0 for whatever company car tax rules existed then. There was a Carlton 1.8 as well, in the face lifted Mk1 '82 to '86 model, not sure about the Mk2.

 

Don't forget the 2.0 SD1, and the early Rover 820e, when discussing povo executive models, also the base CX and 505s. plastic fantastic!

The 2.0 sd1 is better than you would imagine.

[rml2345]

These were a brief tax efficient special, for some reason 1.8 was cheaper than 2.0 for whatever company car tax rules existed then. There was a Carlton 1.8 as well, in the face lifted Mk1 '82 to '86 model, not sure about the Mk2.

 

Don't forget the 2.0 SD1, and the early Rover 820e, when discussing povo executive models, also the base CX and 505s. plastic fantastic!

I think you could have a 1.8 MK2 Carlton, which must have been hysterically grim as the 2 litre wasn't exactly a ball of fire.

[Felly Magic]

We were lucky not to get the 1.0 3 pot Skoda Fabia mk1, I bet that was an utterly miserable car to drive, because the 1.2 was utter shit to drive, and totally gutless.

[tooSavvy]

^^^^^^ Fabia 'booted'... seen some about??

 

TS

[Felly Magic]

Yup the base spec model saloon, most normally aspirated dizzlers or 1.4 wheezeomatics. Ugly as sin

[Vince70]

I think there was a 1000cc Povo spec MK1 escort for the export market for a short period of time between 1968/70...

 

Also ford made an 1100 Auto version which didn't last too long as it was underpowered.

I had a 1300 Auto and that was bad enough as using kick down just meant a change in engine note and nothing else.

[Felly Magic]

Bedford CF automatics! And yes I have seen a dizzler automatic camper van. 

[Shep Shepherd]

The Volvo 240 was available for a time with a 1784cc engine in certain markets, such as Greece. I presume that they were mainly used as taxis and were no doubt utterly miserable.

[chaseracer]

I think there was a 1000cc Povo spec MK1 escort for the export market for a short period of time between 1968/70...

 

940cc tax dodge, for the same Italian market that supported 2-litre V8 Ferraris...

 

http://www.turbosport.co.uk/showthread.php?t=123854

[ChinaTom]

Only 13 1.4s sold?! I remember the 1.4 405 being sold (nose buried deep in What Car? new car data section in the early-mid 1990s). The 405 I believe is pretty lightweight for a D segment car so I reckon that performance would have been acceptable.

 

Fiat were selling the Bravo based Marea saloon with 1.2 litre (82 bhp) in other markets.

The Pug dealer in Market Deeping used to have some very weird GE spec 405 1.4's for courtesy cars. I had one for a week and I remember being surprised how much fun it was. I remember manual locking, windows, but a pop-up sunroof. That may have been aftermarket though.

 

Thinking back to Sierras, back in mid 80's there was a massive range - I remember the business spec for the L wagons. I recall you could have a 2.0iS or the 2.0iGLS which I suspect was like a chance to have an injected 2.0 in an L (or maybe LX) spec or a GL spec. But I can't remember any real discernible difference in the spec - both had diy windows and diy sunroof.

 

I also had a Nissan Pulsar GS (H774HEW) once - the N14 gen Sunny shape with a carb 1.6 engine. It had about 110 bhp and really was a hoot to drive. It seemed to be SLX spec and  I have never seen another in UK

 

Other specs that surprised me upon seeing them:

 

BMW 725

Merc S260 (and I believe you can have a current S class with a non-hybrid 2.1 diesel now - bet that shifts...)

Renault 11 TCE for plutocrat spec 1108'ness

Renault 11 GTX for beggar-spec 1721'ness

Renault 18 TX for beggar-spec 1998'ness

A1 base-spec Senator with diy windows and not-even-velour cloth

 

The most recent double take was a XV10 Camry coupe in Phom Penh.

[Hendry]

More recent misery spec motors include:

 

Kia Rio 1.4 '1' this had a decent double din stereo with USB socket, aux in and iPod control, abs, traction control but no central locking or electric windows.

 

Vauxhall Corsa D 'Expression' which I believe they still make, central locking (not remote) CD player, electric (but not heated) door mirrors, CD player and keep fit windows, Ford do a Fiesta Studio which is similar.

 

Vauxhall Astra H 'Expression' 2006 car but still featuring a radio cassette player.

 

Vauxhall Agila 'Expression' this just had a radio tuner not even a cassette and electric door mirrors.

 

As has been mentioned a few times the French seemed to have a knack of electric sunroofs on pretty much any spec, base, top spec, those with or without electric windows, they do a similar thing with front fogs which usually only come on higher spec cars with alloys etc on other makes of car.

 

My dads old Vectra was a weird spec, 'Energy' special edition base on the LS/Life base model but being a special edition had smoked headlights and tail lights from an SRi, leather steering wheel, colour coded door handles and 16" alloys over the LS/Life spec but was missing the 12v socket, steering wheel audio controls, front centre armrest and rear heater vents/ducts from the LS/Life spec but also had a trip computer, check control and graphic info display screen which wasnt standard on that spec or even offered as an option and I've never seen another Energy spec with one.

 

Citroen Saxo 'Spree' I'm sure this was the only Saxo to come with a 1.0 engine, all other poverty Saxos like the X, East Coast, Forte, etc all had at least 1.1 engines, also the only Saxo with completely unpainted black textured plastic bumpers, the rest were at least partially painted.

 

Ford Escort mk6 'Osprey' I'm sure this was a Scotland and either northern England or Northern Ireland only special, it was a base model 'Encore' but with a 16v engine as opposed to the 1.3 the Encore usually had, the 6 spoke alloys from the Escort Ghia, and the boot spoiler from an Escort Si/GTi/RS2000 etc and I'm sure only in amparo blue/pepper red, and I'm not sure if they also had or just the S reg 1 my dad nearly bought in 2000 but it had a 'pop up' sunroof rather than tilt and slide factory sunroof.

[NorfolkNWeigh]

I think you could have a 1.8 MK2 Carlton, which must have been hysterically grim as the 2 litre wasn't exactly a ball of fire.

Yes you could,I know this because the firm I worked for had an E plate 1.8. GL Auto as a pool car. Not only was it dangerously slow it had the worse headlights of any car ever, can't remember what the problem was ,but they were replaced for some reason and the old units sat on top of a cupboard for years.

[Split_Pin]

The last MK7 ish Escorts with black bumpers were called Encores. They dropped them in about 1998 to let the run out models soldier on.

[fordperv]

Oh god, the 'Azura'. One of THE most unpleasant buckets of shit it has ever been my misfortune to 'drive'...

Don't forget the Sierra (chicken) chasseur

[fordperv]

 

The 1996 escort 1.4 freedom was terrible as well

[Felly Magic]

What about the Sierra Sapphire Classic that was around in 89/90? Totally base spec 1.6 Pinto, and only had a radio, no cassette, no sunroof, when they facelifted the Sierra, they upgraded the 'classic' by fitting a tape deck and a sunroof. 

[sheffcortinacentre]

the mk2 & 3 Cortina was avl as an 1100 in northen Europe in the early 70's. + mk1 transit with 1500 V4 cologne. mk1 Granada was also avl with the 1.7 V4 cologne.

[Ghosty]

re: Nissan Pulsar, if it was a Pulsar wouldn't that mean it was non-UK? Shite equivalent of Tiidas or something?

[mat_the_cat]

The Kangoo is a bit of a weird spec. too, but one which fortunately suits me perfectly. Absolute base spec, no carpets, wind-up windows, (laughably cheap) plastic everywhere, even the door cards are plastic, no glovebox lid, just a radio (no tape/CD). But with AC, a heat reflecting windscreen and the most powerful diesel engine.

[dangerousdave]

my dad used to have a mk7 escort encore 1.8 td estate it went well but so dismal black bumpers steel wheels keep fit windows all round he regretted getting it especially considering it replaced a Nissan bluebird 2.0 gsxi auto

 

I also remember when proton first launched in the uk you could get them with only 1 door mirror which seemed odd in the early 90,s even to me as a child

[Felly Magic]

Base model High-and-dry Ponies were just as miserably spec'd as the base Protons, only 1 door mirror as standard, no rear wiper....I think Terry Wogan came as standard though in glorious push button AM/FM ness

 

Non injection Favorits had a similarly misely spec version, no rear wiper or radio, but twin door mirrors and rear head rests, known as the 'Forum'. Was normally in dismal grey or sea bottom green

[Noel Tidybeard]

re: Nissan Pulsar, if it was a Pulsar wouldn't that mean it was non-UK? Shite equivalent of Tiidas or something?

pulsar was jdm/murican version of what we called sunny

[Asimo]

I would get my wallet out today for a big 2 door barge with steelies, vinyl, rubber mats and keep-fit windows if it could be had with 4+ litres of power and no "connectivity" media shit. I'd take the heater option though.

[NorfolkNWeigh]

I would get my wallet out today for a big 2 door barge with steelies, vinyl, rubber mats and keep-fit windows if it could be had with 4+ litres of power and no "connectivity" media shit. I'd take the heater option though.

In 1990 one of the associate directors at work just scraped into a 4.0 XJ6 by living with a manual box,steel wheels, cloth seats no aircon or sunroof and even no rear headrests. It was dark non metallic blue and when he left after 6 months no one else would have it,so it became the chauffeurs pool car- result! We caned it stupid for a couple of years, I even took it on one of those security* ( fucking about doing j- turns with a failed copper who pretended to have been in the SAS) driving courses at Bruntingthorpe .

[Anglevan]

I have a feeling the e36 saloon was launched with grey bumpers as they were easier to recycle or some such nonsense. I think you had to pay extra or buy an "SE" model to get some paint.

when the e36 came out in 1990 they all had grey bumpers. If you ordered a white or silver one the grey was lighter. All other colours the grey was darker. In true autoshite fashion bmw even supplied genuine grey aerosol paint cans to paint them.