Cars you didn't know existed until very recently.

[Pieman]

Was in Barcelona recently and saw one of these, admittedly a rather battered example. 

 

 

Renault Talisman.  According to Wikipedia it is not sold in RHD markets "due to the decline of the traditional saloon market" - what they mean of course is people won't buy it because it's not an Audi.

[vulgalour]

The oxymoron that is a streamlined Volvo, in this case the PV36 "Carioca" of the mid-30s.

 

[RayMK]

Yet another car that I did not know.  Interestingly random wiper parking in that line-up.

[Snipes]

Was in Barcelona recently and saw one of these, admittedly a rather battered example.

 

 

Renault Talisman. According to Wikipedia it is not sold in RHD markets "due to the decline of the traditional saloon market" - what they mean of course is people won't buy it because it's not an Audi.

Does that mean Ireland didn't get them?

[davocano]

I knew about the Corolla Verso and the Yaris Verso but not the Avensis Verso.

 

No camera to hand because sod's law.

[Mrs6C]

The Nobe three-wheeled electric car with super lovely retro styling, from Estonia. I want one!

 

https://mynobe.com/

[JeeExEll]

The Brazilian FEI X3.

Powered by a Dodge V8, first car I've seen which had an air-brake.

 

 

Looks like some sort of early 70s experimental car from Lotus or maybe Jensen.

Or an early 80s kit car.

[Tadhg Tiogar]

Nissan Pao?

 

Story supposedly is that someone at Nissan wanted to recreate the Fiat 127. Probably the same fella who came up with the S-Cargo as a retro-nod to the 2CV....

[Mrs6C]

Nissan Pao?

 

Story supposedly is that someone at Nissan wanted to recreate the Fiat 127. Probably the same fella who came up with the S-Cargo as a retro-nod to the 2CV....

Yes. I saw one of these in town today!

[Mrs6C]

Was in Barcelona recently and saw one of these, admittedly a rather battered example. 

 

 

Renault Talisman.  According to Wikipedia it is not sold in RHD markets "due to the decline of the traditional saloon market" - what they mean of course is people won't buy it because it's not an Audi.

It is rather reminiscent of the VW Arteon, both nice-looking cars IMHO.

 

[egg]

The Nobe three-wheeled electric car with super lovely retro styling, from Estonia. I want one!

 

https://mynobe.com/

 

So do I. But maybe my budget is more colliday chariot. I didn't know about this one-off until 10 mins ago.

 

[Mrs6C]

I saw one of these in town today. It was bright red and it was very nippy indeed...

 

https://www.preloved.co.uk/adverts/show/117455113/the-all-new-cabin-car-8mph-mobility-scooter-with-heater-in-s.html

[LightBulbFun]

Funny how invalid carriages are sorta going full circle...

 

(not being rude there! The DVLA refers to modern mobility scooters as invalid carriages...)

[Datsuncog]

I knew about the Corolla Verso and the Yaris Verso but not the Avensis Verso.

 

No camera to hand because sod's law.

 

Funny, I'd never heard of the Avensis Verso either until I saw one go through the local banger auction in January.

 

 

Made £400. Probably a decent old thing for the money.

[JeeExEll]

Had forgotten about these.

 

 

 

 

I only remember the 120Y B210 vans being available here, and a few local businesses bought them. Late 70s Sunnys too. Maybe Datsun did Bluebird 160 or 180 vans too but they must have been rare in the UK.

Most of this era of Datsuns scrapped by the mid / late 80s.

 

And a slightly later Skyline with a little window to look out of. Or in to.

[Snipes]

I love the split swage line and how it matches the line of the rear wheel arch. I'm surprised they haven't shoe-horned into some modern awful SUV or something.

[bunglebus]

Chrysler Pacifica

 

 

Seat Arona

 

 

Hyundai iX20

 

 

Jaguar XJL

 

 

Facelifted Chrsysler 300c

 

[egg]

From a search, they have been mentioned on AS before - but the Replicar Cursor - made in Kent - in fact just a couple of miles from where I grew up in the 80's is new to me - how I've never heard of them before, I don't know!

 

 

[davocano]

Since I've started paying more attention to modern cars, I have discovered there is a slightly taller Golf, called the Golf Plus. I fail to see the point of it.

 

This particular example doubles as a bird lavatory.

 

[quicksilver]

IIRC the advertising tagline for the Golf Plus was actually "like a Golf but bigger". If that's the best they could come up it says it all really. In other VAG news, I don't think I had ever seen a Seat Arona before but there were two of them parked opposite one another at work this afternoon. Not bad looking cars but I don't like the name as it's too similar to the old Seat Arosa.

[myglaren]

Barazooi.

 

Is what was splattered on the bonnet.

behind me in traffic so nofoto.

 

The letters seemed mis-spaced the "I" miles away from the last "O" and the first "O" had some kind of an accent making it look almost like a "Q".

 

Was a big, white shabby looking Landroverish thing.

Can't find an image of one.

[vulgalour]

myglaren:  I thought you might have meant a Santana since they're quite Land Rover-y and in looking for examples I found a car I didn't know about.  Bonus.

 

I give you the Santana 300.

 

It's not a Suzuki Vitara, honest.

[stormee]

Since I've started paying more attention to modern cars, I have discovered there is a slightly taller Golf, called the Golf Plus. I fail to see the point of it.

 

This particular example doubles as a bird lavatory.

 

golf_plus.jpg

This is particularly popular among the older generation, my dad has one, easy entry and driving position are the reasons to buy one. If you don't like Benz's B-class, this is your car.

[myglaren]

myglaren:  I thought you might have meant a Santana since they're quite Land Rover-y and in looking for examples I found a car I didn't know about.  Bonus.

 

I give you the Santana 300.

 

It's not a Suzuki Vitara, honest.

Seemed even bigger and uglier than that with the name spelled across the front Range Rover style.

Didn't see a badge on it.

[holdyerhandout]

Since I've started paying more attention to modern cars, I have discovered there is a slightly taller Golf, called the Golf Plus. I fail to see the point of it.

 

This particular example doubles as a bird lavatory.

 

golf_plus.jpg

And that one has been replaced by this the 'sport van ' which I only found for the first time when I thought this rental Golf is 'kinda funny looking'.  I can't imagine what sport it'sgood at other than top hat wearing

 

 

 

[martc]

golf sv.jpg

And that one has been replaced by this the 'sport van ' which I only found for the first time when I thought this rental Golf is 'kinda funny looking'.  I can't imagine what sport it'sgood at other than top hat wearing

 

They're used for ferrying this lot too and from Ascot...

 

[Datsuncog]

One that popped up today in the results page while conducting an online search for something totally different...

 

 

 

Fairchild ESV (Experimental Safety Vehicle)

 

Nope, me neither.

[martc]

Just had a quick google about the Fairchild ESV - lots of details here... https://www.hemmings.com/blog/article/fairchild-republics-experimental-safety-vehicle/

 

In the 70's there was increasing concern about people being impaled inside their own cars during accidents and many auto and technological companies had a stab at a 'safe' car, the ESV being one of them. A notable feature was the extending front bumper...

 

[LightBulbFun]

reminds me of this MGB GT

 

 

https://www.flickr.com/photos/quicksilver_coaches/27075562820

 

http://www.mgb-stuff.org.uk/ssv.htm

 

im curious how they implemented the copy the lights thing...

[Datsuncog]

Hey, thanks for that link - some really great info there.

 

Seems that the Fairchild, rather than being a car manufacturer's concept of a safety vehicle, was a concerted attempt by the State of New York to partner with an aircraft manufacturer to see whether jet aircraft safety principles could be applied to passenger vehicles. It was never intended for sale, but rather the two examples built (at a cost of $2.2m each) were tested to destruction in the furtherance of data to pass on to other manufacturers in the hope of improving road safety and lowering the horrendous death tolls of the late 1960s and early 1970s.

 

So, amongst others, the following innovative features and devices we take for granted today were introduced, developed or otherwise proven beneficial on the Fairchild ESVs:

• airbags;
• anti-lock brakes (certainly commercially available before this, but largely on sports and specialist cars like the Jensen Interceptor FF);
• high-level brake lights;
• extension of beefy A-pillars further in front of occupants, to avoid them bending inwards and stabbing the luckless driver and passenger;
• padded interiors using soft plastics, rather than painted steel and chrome trim all over the dashboard to turn the fascia into a landmine for occupants in the event of a smash;
• dash binnacles where all system lights go on at startup, self-test and switch off if all's ok - but remain lit if there's a problem. Based on the system used for jet fighters, your EML woes all started here, folks.
• five-point aircraft-style harness for child seats;
• head restraints for all seats;
• positioning of the fuel filler on the side of the car, rather than the centre of the rear panel.

I remember seeing pics of BL's ESVs from the mid-70s (the Marina with a 'pedestrian scoop' front end remains a favourite), and also Fiat's attempts at the same (one of which spookily predicts the FSO Polonez) - as well as the Bricklin, which as far as I know was the only ESV marketed as such which made it into volume production, however shonkily...