Cars you didn't know existed until very recently.

[cros]

The Opperman Stirling was a development of the Unicar from the company that produced the one wheel drive Motorcart.. Not a bad effort, it featured independent suspension and was said to have bothered BMC who were about to launch the Mini. At first it used a rear mounted 2 stroke but got a lot more promising when the company opted for the excellent Steyr flat twin, later fitted to Invacars. Unfortunately it did what it said on the numberplate after only a couple were built.

[cros]

I was pleased that Citroen weren't first in the field with that one seater van conversion featured earlier. Here is the 1952 Bond Mini truck which they shamelessly copied.

Of course, the French company were unable to emulate the Bond's sophisticated wire cable steering and superb 197cc Villiers economy. The ignorant might mistake that floor mounted lever for the gears, but it is, of course, for starting the engine.

The Minicar family had no reverse gear, though it had a dodgem-like turning circle due to the engine being attached to, and pivoting with, the front wheel. To enable one to reverse an optional extra was offered in the form of a ratchet spanner- you could easily reach out and fit it to a nut in the centre of the rear hub. Once in place a couple of pulls would usually suffice to get the little shitheap up to the curb.

[TataBobu]

Someone's got a Tesla S estate and it doesn't look half bad; conversion made by a company called Qwest Norfolk apparently.

 

 

According to this Romanian bit of news, it's for the dogs.

[cros]

ΔΔΔ I'd rather have a Bond Mini truck.

[MorrisItalSLX]

Apparently (according to the owner), this beastie badged as a Verté Tempest is an Australian Ford (ford logo on the dash confirmed this) powered by an LPG only straight 6;

 

20180129_142008 by RS, on Flickr

 

20180129_142019 by RS, on Flickr

Wowzers! That’s fantastic!

 

*goes off to do further research*

[overrun]

Good gravy, that's quite the spot. 

 

 

Didn't think there'd be much call for an AU series Ford Falcon ute on these fair shores... even rebadged and running on LPG. Interesting that DVLA claim a 2005 manufacture as well as first UK registration date - this is the 1998-2000 pre-facelift version of the AU, with the all-new BA Falcon arriving in 2002, so they would have been well out of date by the time Verté started importing them in '02. There's bound to be a story in there somewhere...

 

Falcon AU ute details.png

 

2000_Ford_Falcon_(AU)_XL_utility_(25769377680).jpg

 

 

Still, quite a spot! And a tenuous AC link to Zelandeth's fleet, too...

 

 

What a Utey! Would. 

Also, I guess this has the infamous Barra motor?

[matara]

Just read this about a Porsche budget car developed for a competition by the Chinese government for a cheap car for the Chinese market:-

 

 

https://www.carthrottle.com/post/nrjzvgd/

[Tayne]

According to this Romanian bit of news, it's for the dogs.

Yes.

Here’s the fully charged episode.

 

https://youtu.be/Ydb9TW3Bmh8

[Tadhg Tiogar]

Just read this about a Porsche budget car developed for a competition by the Chinese government for a cheap car for the Chinese market:-

 

 

https://www.carthrottle.com/post/nrjzvgd/

 

Looks a bit too much like the Daewoo Lanos

[cros]

Budget car? Looks like typical bougoise over-indulgence to me, just look at all those unnecessary wheels for a start. What would Porche know about building a budget car, whereas Sharps Commercials..

 

Just attach with 4 bolts to anything you fancy, (piano, granny's armchair) and off you go.

[LC Torana]

Reminds me of the "Smith Flyer", by Briggs & Stratton.

IIRC, instead of a clutch, you lowered the driven wheel with a lever until it just touched the ground, and controlled the amount of slip to get the thing moving.

 

Intriguing idea.

[flat4alfa]

Another of theirs, the XEF. It's like someone has cut bits of pictures of other cars out a magazine and glued them together.

Another pictures; in this one they've kept the 80's Merc rear lights, BMW 2002 rear quarter lights & c-pillars, and Fiat doors, but changed the Merc front end for something between an Ital and a Disco 1.

 

I thought this was all potatoshop.  I was wrong

 

http://www.classiccars121.be/index.php/1984-gurgel-xef/

 

 

1982-86 Gurgel XEF

[Tadhg Tiogar]

I thought this was all potatoshop.  I was wrong

 

http://www.classiccars121.be/index.php/1984-gurgel-xef/

 

I'm guessing the designer of this horror wasn't too hot on the idea of getting the proportions right.

[cros]

"The Beautiful Miluira Retro Electric Roadster from Japan"

 

Barbi's joined the VCC. Absolute dogsmuck.

[Dan_ZTT]

Just caught up on the Tesla estate. So much wanting.

[Tadhg Tiogar]

Just caught up on the Tesla estate. So much wanting.

 

Actually looks better than the hatchback.

[Exiled_Tat_Gatherer]

Want to like that Gurgel twice......... so bad it's great!

[dozeydustman]

Anyone else heard of the Talbot Wind?

 

[vulgalour]

Heard about the Talbot Wind today and was going to post it in here.  You can blame serial Simca fettler Scmick over on the blue forum for the knowledge.

[pshome]

Anyone else heard of the Talbot Wind?

 

talbot_1100_vf2_wind_concept_by_heuliez_1.jpg

good try, but cant beat the 504 'Loisirs'

[Felly Magic]

How the hell did people get in to the back seat in that 504? The bulkhead looks to still be in place, what a bizarre thing

[Tadhg Tiogar]

similar simca LCV base to the Rancho ... Heuliez are a coachbuilder in that there French France ...

 

They were a coachbuilder. Not any more. Although there is another firm of that name which builds buses. Not sure if related to the defunct one.

[flat4alfa]

Anyone else heard of the Talbot Wind?

talbot_1100_vf2_wind_concept_by_heuliez_1.jpg

 

There are some fantastic* staged photos of this with some awkwardly-posed models.  Well worth a look

 

[Junkman]

 

Yes, this was a regular production model available to the public. But only 250 were sold.

It was followed up with a two rotor model and the engine later became available in the Samara s well.

 

[cros]

Not really belonging here, sue me etc., but when they had their outboard division Perkins built an experimental diesel Wankel, something that was not at all easy to pull off. Well someone had to say it.

 

[quicksilver]

 

Yes, this was a regular production model available to the public. But only 250 were sold.

It was followed up with a two rotor model and the engine later became available in the Samara s well.

 

I'm pretty sure Sam Glover owns one of them there Wankel Ladas. Goodness knows where he found it.

[Tadhg Tiogar]

I'm pretty sure Sam Glover owns one of them there Wankel Ladas. Goodness knows where he found it.

 

Those must have been an entertaining drive; freakish performance from a car meant for the proletariat. I read somewhere that the Soviet police used them.

[Junkman]

Initially only the police used them. They became available to the public later.

A Lada never was a car for the proletariat. You had to be very privileged to get one.

[Tadhg Tiogar]

...A Lada never was a car for the proletariat. You had to be very privileged to get one.

 

Nomenklatura, then.

[somewhatfoolish]

What else are they to do when some plonker takes them to a damp Welsh beach for surfing...

Presumably they're listening to their Talbot rust vigorously in the salt sea air...