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Cars you didn't know existed until very recently.


philibusmo

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Speaking of which (Latin America), the Ford Corcel and Ford Del-Ray were based on Renault 12 underpinnings.

Corcel 1     By order_242 from Chile - Ford Corcel 1400 Coupe 1972, CC BY-SA 2.0,  commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=41811092.  

Corcel 2     commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Ford_Corcel_II_Itanhaém.jpg#/media/File:Ford_Corcel_II_Itanhaém.jpg

Del-Rey    By order_242 from Chile - Ford Del Rey 1982, CC BY-SA 2.0, commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=34728310

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6 hours ago, bunglebus said:

The weirdo I'd love to import is the Taunus SP coupe from Argentina 

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Comes in MK3 flavour too but I prefer the 5

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The Taunus TC Coupe was built in Europe until 1975, so plenty of MkIII 'tina style ones over the channel. No MkIVs though.

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On 10/6/2023 at 2:01 PM, MiniMinorMk3 said:

1976 Alfa Romeo New Yoik Taxi Concept by Ital Design

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Looks like a cross between an Espace and a Toyota Space Cruiser, probably influenced both.

Shades of the Lucas electric hack.

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Apparently did it in a week, although 24 hours of that was continuous driving so I'm guessing speeds weren't too high!

On a completely different note, I've heard of BYD but not the Dolphin so was surprised to see it win an award.

https://www.autoexpress.co.uk/news/361181/byd-dolphin-carbuyer-car-year-2024

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In 1955, French President René Coty, an elderly man with health problems, was recommended Citroën’s hydro-pneumatic suspension by his doctors. Consequently  a Citroen Traction 15/6 limousine was built by Franay and used to ferry the French president about.

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Later it was inherited by de Gaulle who liked it so much that he ordered a convertible by Chapron. Note it's successor circling like a shark in the photo above.

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A Traction van made in Denmark, reminds ne of the Moggy Thou vans they made a decade later.

Lots of info here https://www.curbsideclassic.com/curbside-classics-european/automotive-history-the-citroen-15-six-traction-royalty-genealogy-101/

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17 hours ago, martc said:

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The Isuzu Nagisa ('Beach') 1991. Four wheel drive and a  3.2 litre V6 engine, although it looks like it could float I can't find any pictures of it on water.

Definitely amphibious . It’s got a bow like a boat and looks like an outboard motor at the back, so it might be a good bit faster than an Amphicar.

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But there's no pictures of it on water...., it might have all the gear but I won't be convinced that it is an actual amphibian until I see a picture of it on water.

And this picture doesn't count -

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On 18/10/2023 at 06:56, martc said:

 

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Later it was inherited by de Gaulle who liked it so much that he ordered a convertible by Chapron. 

That was the one where de Gaulle had a special button in the back in case it started raining.

If it did he would push the button and the rain would stop.

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On 14/10/2023 at 11:16, catsinthewelder said:

Apparently did it in a week, although 24 hours of that was continuous driving so I'm guessing speeds weren't too high!

On a completely different note, I've heard of BYD but not the Dolphin so was surprised to see it win an award.

https://www.autoexpress.co.uk/news/361181/byd-dolphin-carbuyer-car-year-2024

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In case you were wondering, BYD are a battery maker. In fact, they make batteries for Tesla.
This is rather ironic that they've in turn decided to become a manufacturer of EVs because Tesla themselves didn't really want to be a manufacturer originally - the idea was that they would put the battery technology together with their motors and running gear and sell it to other manufacturers. But the other manufacturers weren't that interested, so Tesla decided to do it themselves.

I'd argue that Tesla are still the "Apple" of the EV industry, but like Apple, they're also expensive and fairly mundane. But they definitely do it best.

Anyhow, going back to it, the Dolphin and the Seal will shortly be seen on these shores. This is the Seal. It costs more than the equivalent Tesla. Yet these Chinese EVs were supposed to be cheap 🤷‍♂️
 

BYD Seal 2023-3.webp

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On 09/10/2023 at 22:02, somewhatfoolish said:

Shades of the Lucas electric hack.

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Having worked at the Lucas Advanced Research Centre in Solihull back in the 90s, I can imagine that the full weight of Lucas Industries went into it, with a couple of apprentices from Lucas lighting (sold to Carello in 1989?), at least one person each from Car Brakes at Fen End, the alternator plant at Holford drive and maybe someone from Lucas Yuasa in Foremans Road Tyseley. Maybe the project was led by someone from switchgear at Burnley or someone from Aerospace Control Systems. 

They probably had a budget equivalent to £450 in todays money. 

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Never heard of the Triumph TRS before last weekend. Only 3 made for LeMans, the other 2 live in the US. Based on a road going TR, can’t remember which one, lengthened, longer gears for top speed, massive fuel tank. 
 

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On 28/10/2023 at 23:56, DavieW said:

Not so much as "didn't know they existed", more of a "never seen one before", Aston Martin Rapide. It was f'ing huge. 4 doors and a big (6litre?) V12. 

 

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Exactly the same thoughts here when I saw my first one a couple of months ago

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I quite like the look of those Rapides from the outside. I like big super-saloons built in small numbers, and by the standards of modern cars its a pretty clean, unfussy design (if a little bland), but then I looked inside one and it really put me off. The transmission tunnel is almost wider than the seats, it's like a 90s TVR or something in there, plus it goes all the way through and disects the rear seats. Not only is it all hideous, it looks deeply uncomfortable. There were two normal-sized people in the one I was looking at and honestly it looked like they'd be more confortable in an MG Midget

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30 minutes ago, Dyslexic Viking said:

Mazda 1300 coupe

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The saloons were fairly common over here, the coupe and rotary versions far less so.  Like most Japanese cars of that period, they dissolved remarkably quickly. However, many other marques were only 6 months behind in their ability to rust.

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2 minutes ago, RayMK said:

The saloons were fairly common over here, the coupe and rotary versions far less so.  Like most Japanese cars of that period, they dissolved remarkably quickly. However, many other marques were only 6 months behind in their ability to rust.

The saloons were also common here but have never seen a coupe before. And they rusted like most back then, I've heard that these had very thin bodywork which couldn't have helped.

But they come up for sale here now and then as saloons so some have survived.

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1956 Armstrong Siddeley in rare LHD form with body by Giovanni Michelotti - a one-off based on the Sapphire 234 chassis - for a Spanish buyer apparently.

A more credible effort than AS's own gawky design for the 234. 

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