Cars you didn't know existed until very recently.

[MorrisItalSLX]

I don’t think it is an Australian built example as the badging is wrong as you mentioned, Aussie Tina’s has individual CORTINA lettering along the edge of the bonnet, and ours would have all been RHD (to the best of my knowledge).

[cort1977]

Is that not just a fleet spec grille?    So American export model with later indicators?

[Datsuncog]

I think that might be the front end of the 'Standard' (i.e. base/fleet spec) version of the Consul Cortina - it didn't have the chrome grille fitted to the Deluxe/Super versions...

The one in your pic looks to have the later (1964 on) indicators, like so...

Although these two are Aussie spec (with the 'CORTINA' badging on the leading edge of the bonnet, just as MorrisItalSLX says), I'd say the LHD infers either European or (possibly) US spec.

Ford UK built LHD versions of the Consul Cortina for the continent, where it sold in limited numbers alongside the similarly sized but FWD Ford Taunus 12M P4 built by Ford Germany (and later in Belgium).

The Taunus P4 suffered a number of well-publicised teething problems, so it's possible that European Ford dealers kept a stock of the more conventionally engineered UK-built Cortinas with which to supply fleet customers who demanded reliability.

Confusingly, the Taunus had originally been designed in the USA as the Ford Cardinal, intended as a homegrown compact economy car to challenge the VW Beetle, but Ford US got cold feet and offloaded the design on the Germans, opting to import Cortinas instead through their English Ford Line Operations (EFLO) branch, which also brought over 100E and 105E Anglias. However, they remained fairly niche, with EFLO's best sales year being 1968 with just over 22,000 Mk2 Cortinas sold.

The introduction of the Ford Pinto in 1971 ended the sales of UK-built Fords in the US (though European-built Capri and Fiesta models were made to US spec and, later, Sierras and Granadas under the somewhat unsuccessful Merkur sub-brand).

However, I believe most of the US market Mk1s were fairly highly spec'd and/or sports (GT- and Lotus for 1966) models, in keeping with the luxury standards expected by customers across the pond. I can't find any pics of a Mk1 in Standard trim shown in US advertising (although a 'standard saloon' priced at $1,755 is mentioned as the entry-level model in the range)

Any pics of US-spec Mk1s also seem to show them fitted with bumper overriders, which may have been a federal safety requirement at the time for smaller cars like these - anyone know?

So I don't think this front end treatment has any particular geographic meaning, sadly, though is still a very interesting find nonetheless, because bASe.

I'm also wondering whether the AAA badge on REP66D might be a red herring? What's the story behind the pic?

[adw1977]

REP66D was built in 1966 but only registered in 2015, which is not surprising for left hand drive. 

Certainly a base "fleet" model, which makes it a real rarity as they seem to have been an even slower seller than the similarly chromless Anglia base. 

Apparently there was a fleet version of the Corsair too, but I don't even know what that looked like. 

[Datsuncog]

7 minutes ago, adw1977 said:

Apparently there was a fleet version of the Corsair too, but I don't even know what that looked like. 

If Ford's infamous bean-counters had their way...

[davocano]

7 hours ago, Datsuncog said:

I'm also wondering whether the AAA badge on REP66D might be a red herring? What's the story behind the pic?

I took this photo last Saturday at the Capel Classic Car & Bike Show in a part of Surrey that's actually leafy.

Yeah, that Triple-A badge.... it's gonna bug me.

So many folding chairs at this show and yet the owner I specifically wanted to buttonhole was making a great job of being invisible.

<sigh>

[bunglebus]

sucoF ST Estate?

 

20190819_065401 by RS, on Flickr

[sheffcortinacentre]

That's the fleet model grille.

Preface lift MK3 Cortina were also sold in Canada.

[NorfolkNWeigh]

I love that a major selling point is " American size nuts and bolts" None of that  faggoty, commie metric shit, no siree Bob.

Seems Rover missed a trick if they'd used Imperial nuts and bolts on the SD1s and Sterlings that went Stateside, the company would be bigger than BMW and Lexus, now.

[Pieman]

Spotted on Twitter this evening - a Daewoo Tico apparently.

[BL Bloke]

I was overtaken on the M54 by what I thought was a Mazda Bongo Friendee but it was actually a Ford Freda (same thing, different name).

 

[MiniMort]

8 hours ago, Pieman said:

Spotted on Twitter this evening - a Daewoo Tico apparently.

Aye they were built in several Eastern Bloc countries when they became capitalist. This one would’ve been built in the former Oltcit factory who’s name had changed to Rodae Automotive.

[TataBobu]

Registered in Constanta, that's a looooong way from home for the cramped copy of Suzuki Alto.

[Datsuncog]

8 hours ago, MiniMort said:

Aye they were built in several Eastern Bloc countries when they became capitalist. This one would’ve been built in the former Oltcit factory who’s name had changed to Rodae Automotive. 

Ah, that might explain why I found a model of one only last week in a model shop dump bin...

Various former Eastern Bloc models scattered through that little lot, including Ladas and Dacias: looks like that's one from the same range. Totally new one on me.

Imagine driving one of those all the way from Romania, only for someone to come along and bust the window...

[Supernaut]

A post in the grumpy thread went off on a tangent to Chinese-made Citroen C2s, and how they are different to the ones we know.

 

Different? Oh yes.

 

 

Yep, it's a Peugeot 206 badged as a Citroen!

[wuvvum]

16 hours ago, Pieman said:

Spotted on Twitter this evening - a Daewoo Tico apparently.

Didn't Bickle buy one of these recently?

[reb]

55 minutes ago, Supernaut said:

A post in the grumpy thread went off on a tangent to Chinese-made Citroen C2s, and how they are different to the ones we know.

 

Different? Oh yes.

 

 

Yep, it's a Peugeot 206 badged as a Citroen!

China is absolutely fantastic for stuff like that!

How about a VW Jetta King:

1980s Jetta with a 90s front end then facelifted at some point thereafter.

They made them in that form until 2013!

I'd buy one.

[vulgalour]

Just like the Santana which was in production for a similar amount of time and can still sometimes be seen littering Chinese dashcam vids.  There's also the long wheelbase Santana 2000, because the Chinese love a bit of rear seat legroom and don't give a shit about safety.  Sensible people, the Chinese.

[angle]

How about a Hongqi CA1021? Yeah, it's an Audi 100-based pickup truck. 

Or maybe a stretched hearse version? 

If you want to fall down the Chinese car rabbit hole, here you go:

http://chinacarhistory.com/

[vulgalour]

Shanghai SH760, there's a thing I just discovered while looking for info on Russian trucks, as you do.  From Wikipedia: " primarily for government officials not important enough to warrant a FAW Hongqi."  Started out based on a FSO Warszawa, which itself was a Polish license-built version of the Gaz "Pobeda" M20 from Russia.  As more prototypes were developed they switched to basing it on the Mercedes Benz 220.  The mash-up continued well past prototype stage, the 80s versions (SH760B) got Santana rear lights and, apparently, interior trim.  Unlike the Ford Falcons of 1980s Brazil, or the Hindustan Ambassadors of 1990s India, the Shanghai isn't built under license, it just nicks everyone elses ideas and mashes them together into a montage of a car.

[bunglebus]

Saw a Toyota Mirai tonight

 

[Timewaster]

6 minutes ago, bunglebus said:

Saw a Toyota Mirai tonight

I'm sorry to hear that. I hope you recover soon.

[Aston Martin]

I saw a 4008

[egg]

I knew these BSA 3-wheelers existed, but the automobile  magazine has filled in for me that these are a very early British front wheel drive car*, which hadn't occurred to me before.  Developed independently of the Alvis FWD set-up.

[Bfg]

^ used a bronze worm drive ..very similar to that then used on the post-war Sunbeam motorcycles.  Of course BSA owned Sunbeam bicycles and m/c's by this time, so to adapt the parts from one machine to the other was logical.   BSA also owned Lanchester cars which likewise used worm drive for smoothness in the drive train. 

 

[jumpingjehovahs]

This is a bit of an oddity, it’s a Subaru Sambar, which a Finnish company called Elcat converted in conjunction with Subaru.

This particular vehicle is the 202 version meaning it will do a heady top speed of 56mph and has a range of 50 miles.

Most of them were used by the Finnish postal service, this one is in Bristol.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[martc]

2 hours ago, jumpingjehovahs said:

Most of them were used by the Finnish postal service, this one is in Bristol.

 

Overseas delivery?

[egg]

Austin Rover dealer Bletchley Motor group converted Maestro vans in to pick-ups at an extra cost of £450. Called the Maestro Camion.

 

[quicksilver]

I stumbled across a car that shares my username: behold the 1983 Lincoln Quicksilver concept. Rather improbably it's based on a stretched AC 3000ME rolling chassis that Ford acquired for potential development into a Group B rally car so that makes it a mid-engined 4-door saloon! It was styled by Ghia and I see more than a hint of Citroen in the looks, plus a bit of Audi C3 Avant and maybe even some Yugo Sana.

 

Also, had circumstances been different the 3000ME itself could have ended up with an Austin Maxi engine and gearbox! The original Boanna Stables Diablo concept of 1972 was designed for the six-cylinder E-series from the Austin-Morris 2200, but that wasn't available yet so it had 1500 Maxi running gear. AC bought the rights but because BL were anticipating building millions of Maxis and taking over the world they couldn't spare any engines, so AC turned to Ford and the Essex V6 instead, probably a better choice anyway.

[JeeExEll]

^ In the late 70s that's what I imagined a 1990 Granada would look like. Drawings in schoolbooks, etc.