Cars you didn't know existed until very recently.

[NorfolkNWeigh]

When I was 16 I hitchiked a lot and once got a lift from Spaghetti junction to the bottom of the M1 in an Asquith or similar . The driver moaned like fuck about how horrible it was to drive and I remember it being so slow I thought about asking him to drop me at a Services to get a better lift!

[STUNO]

A Volkswagen I have never heard of. Assumed it was a South American only model, but it seems to be German.

The seller has probably sealed it's fate by using a chain round the roof to lift it.

1979 VW Derby.      https://www.trademe.co.nz/motors/used-cars/volkswagen/auction-2413183945.htm?rsqid=7e62066be3fd4bfa8e2c0906764b1657-003

[The Vicar]

The VW Derby was sold in Ireland. Did you know it as the Polo saloon in the UK?

[bunglebus]

We had them in the UK, seen a few about. An old work colleague had one. Polo saloon essentially.

 

20170520_095044_zpsu0ha9ycm (2) by RS, on Flickr

20170520_095059_zpsjdyhv9um (2) by RS, on Flickr

[Vince70]

I had a lovely couple of owner low mileage one on a A plate a few 

8 hours ago, bunglebus said:

We had them in the UK, seen a few about. An old work colleague had one. Polo saloon essentially.

 

20170520_095044_zpsu0ha9ycm (2) by RS, on Flickr

20170520_095059_zpsjdyhv9um (2) by RS, on Flickr

 

[Vince70]

 

10 minutes ago, Vince70 said:

I had a lovely couple of owner low mileage immaculate Polo Saloon (badged as a classic)  on a A plate a few years back in metallic brown and I  ended up giving it to my brother and he wrecked it to my disgust.

It was a posh one as well as it it even came with headlamp washers.

 

 

[egg]

For unfathomable reasons, when I think 'VW Derby' the associated image stored in the old grey matter = Wimpy Brown Derby.

[vulgalour]

Wimpy Brown Derby sounds like something you'd find in the Urban Dictionary.

[steveo3002]

15 hours ago, Timewaster said:

I worked with a guy who has previously worked at Asquith. 

He said they were full of wob and woodscrew from the factory!

Although I think he had been sacked so perhaps not a reliable source. 

i worked there for a while , they werent nothing special like a factory made kit car i guess 

[face]

I took a particularly satisfying ‘Brown Derby’ first thing this morning.

[steveo3002]

https://wimpy.uk.com/food-stories/bender-bun

one for your urban dictionary

[lesapandre]

Mega Tjaffer - 1997....

[chaseracer]

There's a Visa under there, somewhere...

[lesapandre]

25 minutes ago, chaseracer said:

There's a Visa under there, somewhere...

May be AX based I think...and Dutch? 

[Pieman]

Mega became Aixam, and believe it or not, the above was the base for this...

 

[STUNO]

The Crowther, another failed NZ car to beat the world.  1974

Two were built, a utility ( the Toiler) and a two door saloon. The saloon has disappeared, but the Ute exists but not in running order. Bodies were fibreglass, engines apparently Renault and transmission Daf variomatic

The car to the right may be an earlier attempt by Crowther, a rotary powered car from 1969

Details are pretty minimal, so I may be wrong about anything except the word Crowther !!!

[Timewaster]

On 12/14/2019 at 11:32 AM, steveo3002 said:

i worked there for a while , they werent nothing special like a factory made kit car i guess 

Hmm, I think he was a Steve too. 

 

You're not a fat bloke who was forever being pursued by the csa and referred to the apprentice as Sausage Jockey are you? 

[hennabm]

On 12/13/2019 at 3:40 PM, bunglebus said:

I'm counting this because much as I knew about them, I didn't know who made them. Disappointed to find out they're made near me in Essex. Coming to a wedding/twee hipster shop near you soon. Asquith are the guilty company

 

The last one looks more like a Fleur de Lys than an Asquith.

The FDL was built in Newark by the son in law of the FDL pie man. It used Ford running gear but based on a purpose built chassis and body. It also used their own cast wheels (22" IIRC) rather than the lower sizes on the Asquith.

I was there in 1984/5 up to chassis number 18 and then left them to it. There all sorts of issues like leaky screen surrounds, cracking suspension mounts, upper steering column mounts to name but a few.  they were also very expensive. From memory they were around £16k each depending on spec whereas a "normal" Transit was around £6k.

The designer was quite a famous person - Len Terry who had helped design the first rear engine Lotus F1 car with Colin Chapman. Len died a few years ago and even he admitted the FDL was not one of his best designs.....

[chaseracer]

Len Terry?  Lola/Ford GT40 Len Terry?

Blimey.

[steveo3002]

47 minutes ago, Timewaster said:

Hmm, I think he was a Steve too. 

 

You're not a fat bloke who was forever being pursued by the csa and referred to the apprentice as Sausage Jockey are you? 

bit on the plump side now , but wasnt back then ...nah doesnt sound like me

i was in the paint shop with a chap called chris , there was like a line started with 2 guys making the body , then it came to the paint shop , then off for assembly an trim , was a chap there that daily'd a model A pick up too

[hennabm]

7 minutes ago, chaseracer said:

Len Terry?  Lola/Ford GT40 Len Terry?

Blimey.

The same one I believe.

[bunglebus]

 

Parati, old and new, Parati Surf and a Gol pickup

 

[bunglebus]

Ford Belina

 

 

[barrett]

On 12/15/2019 at 6:05 AM, STUNO said:

Details are pretty minimal, so I may be wrong about anything except the word Crowther !!!

I was about to type a reply about the saloon from memory but luckily I remembered its covered pretty well in Patrick Harlow's book NZ Manufactured Cars: a Cottage Industry, so here's what that has to say about it. This is one of those weird motors that has been haunting my consciousness since childhood for whatever reason. Ferris de Joux, the stylist, designed some cool cars and is worth looking up although there has been very little written about his long life and career.

[lesapandre]

33 minutes ago, barrett said:

I was about to type a reply about the saloon from memory but luckily I remembered its covered pretty well in Patrick Harlow's book NZ Manufactured Cars: a Cottage Industry, so here's what that has to say about it. This is one of those weird motors that has been haunting my consciousness since childhood for whatever reason. Ferris de Joux, the stylist, designed some cool cars and is worth looking up although there has been very little written about his long life and career.

Almost looks like a BMC take on an updated 1100. 

Presume they had a Leslie in the model range.

[martc]

[quicksilver]

Just stumbled across this, the 2017 JMC Teshun. A Chinese Mk3 Transit with a massive growth on its face.

[Formula Autos]

On 12/13/2019 at 4:17 PM, somewhatfoolish said:

Artisanaal Bereid? That Dick Strawbridge bought one and his loony wife converted it to a camper.

With what looked like (from the way the programme was edited at least) an unfixed chemical loo plonked in the back corner, allowing the Strawbridges to take a dump in full view of the other occupants of the camper van (and anyone passing, due to the windows) right next to their cooking facilities. Classy! 
 

Also, for all of Angel/Angela’s insistence on everything being “vintage” she seemed very accepting of what is very obviously an ‘80s pastiche of a vintage van. 
 

Anyway, back to obscure cars ......

[Blake's Den]

What about my Turner Ranger? Not technically a car as it is a tractor. But I'm seeing vans and trucks on these pages and it is car based.....

It is a 70's design by Ferguson Research. It uses a mid mounted 1098cc A series engine complete with four speed box. This drives longitudinally to Triumph Herald differentials to give all wheel drive. It also has four wheel steering!

It uses lots of BL parts: A35 steering box, mini pedals, Leyland 154 tractor hydraulics, mini engine and gearbox, Triumph diffs, mini track rod ends etc.

 

[Snipes]

That's a fantastic little odd ball. I don't  think the lack of dampners is so unusual with the hydrolastic? suspension. I remember a story  years ago of some kwik-fit geezer selling dampners as an "upgrade" to card that didn't have them as standard.