Cars you didn't know existed until very recently.

[warren t claim]

No pics but earlier today I saw a late model Focus with a boot sporting Irish plates. 

[artdjones]

6 hours ago, warren t claim said:

No pics but earlier today I saw a late model Focus with a boot sporting Irish plates. 

The saloon version has always been available here.

[bunglebus]

If you say you already knew about these, I'll assume you're lying

[High Jetter]

Favellous! 

[Madman Of The People]

On 7/17/2022 at 5:12 PM, OM646 said:

Some Premier prototypes actually got Renault badging, but by the time it went on sale, Renault had already sold everything off to Chrysler 

But the story doesn't end here. The AMC team was ingenious enough that they went to shine doing the future Chrysler cars, and as a result, the LH Platform has some Renault DNA in it 

 

(BTW, the Eagle range also had the Medallion, that actually got sold with Renault badging for a while 

 

To give you some idea of how hasty the last-minute rebranding of the Premier was, this early dealer training video should give you some indication.

"The film you are about to see was produced using early prototype vehicles prior to the recent decision to adopt the Eagle emblem.  Based on that decision, production models of the Premier will display the Eagle emblem in place of the early "diamond" emblem wherever it appears."

Notice the word "Renault" was never mentioned!

 

 

As for the Medallion, this was a Federal-bumpered Renault 21 imported from France.  It was launched Stateside in late 1986 as a 1987 model as a Renault Medallion.  After the Chrysler takeover, it too became an Eagle.  It was dropped after 1989 due to poor sales.  Running examples of either the Premier (or it's short-lived Dodge Monaco twin) and the Medallion are near nonexistent today.  I have not seen either one in years, probably decades in the case of the Medallion.

 

[egg]

20 hours ago, bunglebus said:

If you say you already knew about these, I'll assume you're lying

I didn't. But interesting to note the marque debuted in 1942 in Lyon, which is France under Nazi occupation. Edit: NB, Lyon itself would have been in the Vichy France 'free zone'

Digging around, it seems electric vehicle development was precisely because of the occupation...Peugeot did it too

Quote

In 1941, faced with German occupation and gas rationing, Peugeot developed a small electric car called the VLV. The name is short for Véhicule Léger de Ville, which translates to English as "light city vehicle."

https://www.greencarreports.com/news/1128952_spurred-by-gas-rationing-peugeot-made-hundreds-of-electric-cars-during-wwii#:~:text=In 1941%2C faced with German,World War II-era relic.

[Madman Of The People]

I should also mention how Francois Castaing played a pivotal role in both the story of the Premier and the Chrysler LH cars which followed, not to mention the Jeep Cherokee XJ.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/François_Castaing

In short, Castaing was a Renault engineer sent to AMC in 1980.  He joined Chrysler after their buyout of AMC and became Chrysler's Vice President for Vehicle Engineering.  Castaing's contributions were instrumental to Chrysler's successes in the 1990s.

 

[OM646]

3 hours ago, Madman Of The People said:

I should also mention how Francois Castaing played a pivotal role in both the story of the Premier and the Chrysler LH cars which followed, not to mention the Jeep Cherokee XJ.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/François_Castaing

In short, Castaing was a Renault engineer sent to AMC in 1980.  He joined Chrysler after their buyout of AMC and became Chrysler's Vice President for Vehicle Engineering.  Castaing's contributions were instrumental to Chrysler's successes in the 1990s.

 

That's the name! Castaing is the main reason why the LH platform has a lot of the essence of the R25 in it

[Sham]

[Yoss]

2 hours ago, Sham said:

I assume that is some sort of US GM product with a Saab grille, not something specifically designed by Saab? 

[horriblemercedes]

5 minutes ago, Yoss said:

I assume that is some sort of US GM product with a Saab grille, not something specifically designed by Saab? 

Along with the Buick Rainier, it's the replacement for the Oldsmobile Bravada

[Madman Of The People]

1 hour ago, Yoss said:

I assume that is some sort of US GM product with a Saab grille, not something specifically designed by Saab? 

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saab_9-7X

The 9-7x used the body panels and side window profile from the discontinued Oldsmobile Bravada with a new nose clip incorporating the Saab grille.  Unlike the Saabaru 9-2x, GM actually took the trouble to move the ignition switch to the centre console!

 

[Madman Of The People]

 

Here's an even rarer Saab SUV, the 9-4x.

 

 

What is it?  It's a rebodied second generation Cadillac SRX built in Mexico.  Only 814 units were built before Saab went bankrupt, making this one of the rarest Saabs ever made!

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saab_9-4X

 

[ProgRocker]

All this chatter about the R'nault based AMC's, what about the 1990s  Eagle Talon? Pretty looking small coupé iirc. 

[D.E]

1 hour ago, Madman Of The People said:

 

Here's an even rarer Saab SUV, the 9-4x.

 

 

What is it?  It's a rebodied second generation Cadillac SRX built in Mexico.  Only 814 units were built before Saab went bankrupt, making this one of the rarest Saabs ever made!

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saab_9-4X

 

I spotted one last week!

An interesting bit of trivia is that most of them seem to have remained in stock for years and eventually got sold to their "first owners" long after Saab died. This one I saw, for example, is a 2017 car according to the plate.

 

[warren t claim]

6 hours ago, Yoss said:

I assume that is some sort of US GM product with a Saab grille, not something specifically designed by Saab? 

At least it's not a rebadged Lancia Delta. 

[Yoss]

54 minutes ago, warren t claim said:

At least it's not a rebadged Lancia Delta. 

Well I didn't know that either. But it's hardly a car I didn't know existed it is literally a Lancia Delta with a Saab badge on the back. 

And it is just on the back, it still says Lancia on the front. How utterly pointless. 

[Madman Of The People]

12 hours ago, ProgRocker said:

All this chatter about the R'nault based AMC's, what about the 1990s  Eagle Talon? Pretty looking small coupé iirc. 

 

The Eagle Talon was born of a collaboration between Chrysler and Mitsubishi, known as Diamond Star Motors.  In addition to the Talon, the DSM project also spawned the Plymouth Laser and the Mitsubishi Eclipse.  Renault had no involvement with DSM.

Chrysler very quickly ridded itself of any Renault ties shortly after the acquisition of AMC.  Production of the Alliance/Encore (R9/R11) was halted immediately upon the buyout.  Imports of the Medallion (R21) ended a year later.  However, it took a few years to get the LH cars ready to replace the Premier.  Although the LH cars may have been inspired by the R25-based Premier, they relied exclusively on Chrysler engines and technology.

Once the Renault based cars were gone, Eagle continued with a mix of rebadged Mitsubishis and Chryslers.  By 1998, Eagle was shut down and the Jeeps which shared the showrooms with Eagles were transferred over to Chrysler showrooms.  I think Eagle was only ever intended to be a temporary stop-gap to buy time for Chrysler to consolidate the former AMC-Jeep dealers with Chrysler-Plymouth dealers.

 

[Remspoor]

Toyota Probox. A very ordinary looking vehicle that really should be in Europe. Made by Daihatsu. It is really really poverty spec. inside.

An imported a later model for sale on Auto trader. Listed as a Toyota Tacoma.

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202206106668007

[Dyslexic Viking]

1 hour ago, Remspoor said:

Toyota Probox. A very ordinary looking vehicle that really should be in Europe. Made by Daihatsu. It is really really poverty spec. inside.

An imported a later model for sale on Auto trader. Listed as a Toyota Tacoma.

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202206106668007

 

It is very similar to the older Daihatsu Gran Move. So maybe also Daihatsu sells this as the Gran Move?

[Remspoor]

5 hours ago, Dyslexic Viking said:

 

It is very similar to the older Daihatsu Gran Move. So maybe also Daihatsu sells this as the Gran Move?

I will wait for someone more knowledgeable to confirm this. I, at present, cannot find any link between the two.

[GR8 PL8 M8]

7 hours ago, Dyslexic Viking said:

It is very similar to the older Daihatsu Gran Move. So maybe also Daihatsu sells this as the Gran Move?

The ultimate old person car. Gran Move. It moves your gran.

[lesapandre]

Not a car but a sketch design by Robert Opron of a 2CV pick-up. I'm not sure if this was ever produced - but very nice.

[Madman Of The People]

 

Here's another oddball US-market SUV for you to enjoy: the Volkswagen Taos.

What is it?  It's a Seat Ateca with a Volkswagen nose.

Hencho en Puebla, Mexico, of course.

 

[Rusty Pelican]

A Daimler and Cresta love child 

[sheffcortinacentre]

22 hours ago, lesapandre said:

Not a car but a sketch design by Robert Opron of a 2CV pick-up. I'm not sure if this was ever produced - but very nice.

Some more utilitarian ones where made I believe.

[bunglebus]

8 hours ago, Rusty Pelican said:

A Daimler and Cresta love child 

DVLA calls it a Daimler Replica - presumably built when you could just tell them anything and they issued you a logbook to suit.

Any more pics?

[Mr Pastry]

33 minutes ago, bunglebus said:

DVLA calls it a Daimler Replica - presumably built when you could just tell them anything and they issued you a logbook to suit.

Any more pics?

I think that is a re-creation of an actual Daimler prototype, so it is what it says it is.

[lesapandre]

Yes it is an original Cresta bodyshell with original Daimler bits grafted on - it has one of the Daimler V8 engines fitted. Some enterprising enthusiast created a few years ago.

http://www.daimler-dn250.net/main.htm

Wasn't a bad idea from Daimler and as a commercial mash-up project it probably had legs - William Lyons did exactly the same thing with the Mk2 body, as soon as he bought Daimler, to produce the 1962 Daimler 2.5 - they sold quite well. So the idea was certainty in circulation at the time.

I like these modern recreations. I'd like to see a Wolseley 8/180 made - that's the Austin 3-litre tub with the Rover V8 in it and Wolseley trimming. There was a prototype made running round Longbridge in the 60's but it never made production - now that would have been some car. 

The original was scrapped and never made it into preservation with the other BMC prototypes.

[Rusty Pelican]

Another mashup