Cars you didn't know existed until very recently.

[Dyslexic Viking]

 

From what I understand, the i10 Grand is very popular as Taxi in South America and Asia so maybe built specifically for that in mind?

 

The regular versions are also common as Taxi and understand why they are cheap to buy reliable and durable.

[Volksy]

8 hours ago, somewhatfoolish said:

Impressive capacity for buttonback armchairs.

My old man rented cars for the drive to and from Heathrow for the family trips abroad. Being from Yorkshire, he always rented the smallest car, hoping for an upgrade when the family and luggage wouldn't fit. 

One time Hertz brought round a Mk1 Fiesta, and their was no chance of everything going in. He whinged and kicked up a fuss, and they brought round a 127 as an alternative... 

He grumbled away as he tried to load up the cases, and low and behold they all fitted. I guess the Fiat had a deeper boot as the spare was under the bonnet.

 

He was so impressed, he went out and bought one to replace my Mums 1980 Mini City the following week. 

 

[Sham]

We went camping in the 127. 3 people, and the tent and enough gear to get us through a week - including food in a 3 door city car. No roof rack, no trailer. All in the car.

Considering the alternatives around at the time... 

[adw1977]

On 28/07/2021 at 07:20, ProgRocker said:

You could still buy a 127 2 door saloon into the 1980s in base spec iirc

Yes, there was still a two door base model in 1983:

[MiniMort]

The Ford Otosan Taunus - effectively a Cortina 80 that was built until 1994!

[bunglebus]

Mk1 Orion rear lights if I remember correctly 

[Asimo]

[sheffcortinacentre]

13 hours ago, MiniMort said:

The Ford Otosan Taunus - effectively a Cortina 80 that was built until 1994!

There was a P100 too.

They now build transits only.

[Richard_FM]

Ford Otosan also made Mk4 Ford Escorts after 1990 IIRC.

[MiniMort]

13 hours ago, Richard_FM said:

Ford Otosan also made Mk4 Ford Escorts after 1990 IIRC.

According to their Wikipedia, the most reliable of sources, they made Escorts between 1993 and 1999. If they started off with a new car it would've been a facelift Mk5 but they only introduced the Cortina in '84 so Mk4 may be right

[Richard_FM]

6 minutes ago, MiniMort said:

According to their Wikipedia, the most reliable of sources, they made Escorts between 1993 and 1999. If they started off with a new car it would've been a facelift Mk5 but they only introduced the Cortina in '84 so Mk4 may be right

I read it in The Cars That Time Forgot, I presume the tooling was passed down from Ford.

[Spottedlaurel]

Sapphire stretch limo, scanned from a 1989 ad in C&S:

I couldn't find images of many others. I don't recall seeing any.

[Richard_FM]

4 hours ago, Spottedlaurel said:

Sapphire stretch limo, scanned from a 1989 ad in C&S:

I couldn't find images of many others. I don't recall seeing any.

I wonder if it was done by the same company that converted Granadas around the same time.

[MiniMort]

On 7/31/2021 at 12:39 PM, Richard_FM said:

I read it in The Cars That Time Forgot, I presume the tooling was passed down from Ford.

Yeah for the Cortina they got it all from Ford in Argentina who made the 'coke bottle' Taunus all the way to '84!

... And it even came in coupe form! 

[martc]

10 hours ago, Spottedlaurel said:

Sapphire stretch limo, scanned from a 1989 ad in C&S:

I couldn't find images of many others. I don't recall seeing any.

 

6 hours ago, Richard_FM said:

I wonder if it was done by the same company that converted Granadas around the same time.

Probably by Coleman and Milne, they're still with us and stills stretching Fords -

And, would you beleive, Teslas -

They also cut and shut Mercedes.

https://coleman-milne.co.uk/

 

https://coleman-milne.co.uk/

[LightBulbFun]

12 minutes ago, martc said:

 

Probably by Coleman and Milne, they're still with us and stills stretching Fords -

And, would you beleive, Teslas -

They also cut and shut Mercedes.

https://coleman-milne.co.uk/

 

https://coleman-milne.co.uk/

those Tesla ones are interesting

I imagine with fewer and fewer actual saloon cars on the market to adapt, it sort of makes sense they would, and also you obviously have the quietness of an EV

(I wonder if you could stuff extra batteries and seats in the Tesla one and make some funky long range Tesla estate car LOL)

I imagine the last thing you want at a funeral is the sound of a diesel engine clattering away

unless its a shitters funeral in which case there probably would be a 21 XUD salute  

[sheffcortinacentre]

9 hours ago, MiniMort said:

Yeah for the Cortina they got it all from Ford in Argentina who made the 'coke bottle' Taunus all the way to '84!

... And it even came in coupe form! 

They made them to 79-80 (no mk4) then straight to Mk5 Inc a coupe version. Engine is the Lima ohc not the pinto.

[Richard_FM]

10 hours ago, MiniMort said:

Yeah for the Cortina they got it all from Ford in Argentina who made the 'coke bottle' Taunus all the way to '84!

... And it even came in coupe form! 

Latin America is one places where cars seemed to be made for a long time after their home production ended.

[JeeExEll]

Car I didn't know existed until 15 mins ago.  The R5 Lectric Leopard.

Also available as a Strada (Ritmo) or, errrrm, a 'Corvette' thing  

(Maybe a battery-powered Beetle floorpan with a copy Corvette body??).

U.S. Electricar Corpoation sold around 400 cars in 1980 & '81 before going out of business.

[Leyland Worldmaster]

27 minutes ago, JeeExEll said:

Car I didn't know existed until 15 mins ago.  The R5 Lectric Leopard.

Also available as a Strada (Ritmo) or, errrrm, a Corvette.

Zoe's grandmother! 

[bunglebus]

7 hours ago, JeeExEll said:

Maybe a battery-powered Beetle floorpan with a copy Corvette body??)

Beetle wheelbase is 94.5 inches. Can't see them shortening it by such a small amount, maybe a purpose built chassis?

*edit* mono cock according to this https://www.aronline.co.uk/facts-and-figures/top-10s/electric-cars-1980/

[myglaren]

Passed a Peugeot with "606" on the bonnet.

Never heard of a 606.

 

 

 

 

Unfortunately it was just an embarrassment.

 

 

 

[bunglebus]

For a modern, i think they're a good looker

[Austat]

VW Karmann Ghia TC, one of the many interesting Brazilian VW models along with the SP2:

 

[bunglebus]

Brazil made all sorts of stuff the rest of the world didn't get to see, oddball type 3s, the SP2, Gol and those amazing half split half bay buses

[bunglebus]

This one's quite subtle unless you know how the side doors work on a normal split

 

[Richard_FM]

The Brasilia was another VW Brazil model rarely seen outside Latin America. 

It was essayed as a Beetle replacement in Germany & rejected, but the  Brazilian branch picked up the design.

[Austat]

[Austat]

Weren't there an option for Brazilian-market Volkswagens to be fitted with "Alcohol" engines? 

 

[Richard_FM]

I think in Brazil some cars can run on fuel made from sugar cane waste.