Cars you didn't know existed until very recently.

[EyesWeldedShut]

37 minutes ago, UltraWomble said:

Renault Sinpar

 

A rather captivating watch that - thank you. 
Sprightly wee motor wasn't it - and I've never heard of it either.
I think the French Army may have used a Kubelwagen type version?

[bunglebus]

[vulgalour]

Thanks to a Youtube recommendation, I'm now aware of the short lived Keller company.

 

Here's a playlist:

 

[yes oui si]

One of the perks of following ridiculous Brazilian car pages is the occasional oddity like a Corsa B Estate... C4 saloon looks weird yet interesting. 

[AnthonyG]

Check out the C4 wiki page, there were at three different designs of first gen C4 saloons, including two China only models, one of which looks very different from the original car:

[yes oui si]

12 minutes ago, AnthonyG said:

Check out the C4 wiki page, there were at three different designs of first gen C4 saloons, including two China only models, one of which looks very different from the original car:

Very mk7 golf front end there... 

[bunglebus]

Stopped at traffic light today behind a Kia Cerato. Can't say I've seen one before

[egg]

Well I never, there used to be a car manufacturer* in Herne Bay.

[barrett]

21 hours ago, egg said:

Well I never, there used to be a car manufacturer* in Herne Bay.

Indeed. I'm going to stretch the limits of my memory here, and I don't think there is a huge amount of confirmed information anyway, but alongside that very conventional Westcar the same firm built a car called a Heron, and later Westcar Colonial, which was a variation on the Marks-Moir car which was meant to be built in Australia. This is a really interesting thing - it's a plywood monocoque 'hull' with a mid-mounted engine in 1922. Obviously not the first time those things had been done but very much an unconventional design at the time. And it looked really cool, with a 'prow' for a nose

That's the Marks-Moir prototype (which was actually designed and constructed in England)

That's the only image I've ever seen of the Westcar version. That's the 'Westcar Colonial' I think, because it has no doors and four seats (obviously trying to add some integrity to the 'hull'). The bodies were built on the Isle of Wight, sent to Southampton and then by road to Herne Bay were they were built up by Westcar (although I don't think very many were actually constructed, of either type - between 50 and 100 in total iirc). I seem to remember Westcar is best known for constructing something like a tram that ran on Herne Bay pier (or somewhere else local)?? Mike Worthington-Williams was very 'into' the whole saga so I have inherited a fair bit of material, but I don't think he ever truly got the absolute full story. He first wrote it up in the 1960s in Kent Life magazine, I think, and even then it was all quite mysterious.

[barrett]

I've surprised myself by going to a bookshelf and immediately locating this!

Which includes some reasonably-priced new houses

And this. I wonder what the fragrant Mrs Jane Onrust-Kloosterman is up to these days?

But also this, which I hope you'll be able to read

[egg]

8 minutes ago, barrett said:

But also this, which I hope you'll be able to read

That's marvellous, thanks. We live in 'Heron ward' in the Bay. The football club also includes a Heron mascot along with the clocktower.

[horriblemercedes]

Has there ever been a car manufacturer in Redcar? If it, it seems like someone missed a trick there 

[sheffcortinacentre]

Reminds me of the Sheffield simplex of the same era (made a couple of miles from here) one of which survives & is displayed locally.

The only other know is I believe in Australia.

[Metal Guru]

13 hours ago, horriblemercedes said:

Has there ever been a car manufacturer in Redcar? If it, it seems like someone missed a trick there 

Henry Ford briefly  considered it to build Model Ts.

[bunglebus]

https://www.yankodesign.com/2024/01/12/vanderers-citroen-2cv-electric-mini-camper-van-is-a-retro-modern-van-for-adventurers/amp/

[Wack]

Volvo 262c. Looks like grandad and huggy bear had a go at car design 

[EyesWeldedShut]

1 hour ago, bunglebus said:

https://www.yankodesign.com/2024/01/12/vanderers-citroen-2cv-electric-mini-camper-van-is-a-retro-modern-van-for-adventurers/amp/

I think* I've read/seen on AS that the panels are available for the latest Partner/Berlingo - I cannot find the post though.

[bunglebus]

44 minutes ago, Wack said:

Volvo 262c. Looks like grandad and huggy bear had a go at car design 

I got to go out in one of those when I did my work experience at Volvo in about 1993. Cosy inside.

[adw1977]

46 minutes ago, Wack said:

Volvo 262c. Looks like grandad and huggy bear had a go at car design 

The 262C looks so weird, like a chopped 264.

262/264 brochure 1980

[ChinaTom]

The 780 continued the spirit. Nearly had one in Canada but owner wouldn’t sell to a Brit. This was a car dealer too!

[anonymous user]

2 hours ago, EyesWeldedShut said:

I think* I've read/seen on AS that the panels are available for the latest Partner/Berlingo - I cannot find the post though.

You member correctly, but I can't remember when

 

[quicksilver]

On 10/01/2024 at 11:55, egg said:

Stellantis gonna Stellantis - we don't have enough confusing cars - ok let's take the Alfa Tonale and put it under that famous upmarket* Dodge brand - I know, we'll call it 'the Hornet'. US/Canada only.

I think the USP of the Hornet is it comes in non-hybrid version.

Hornet - there's a name from the dim and distant past that Stellantis presumably own through a long series of mergers: Hudson > Nash > AMC > Renault > Chrysler > Stellantis. No idea why they chose that name as modern crossover buyers are unlikely to have any knowledge of the Hudson Hornets from 70-odd years ago.

I'd never even heard of the Alfa Tonale it's based on, come to think of it.

[Tayne]

Or the AMC Hornet (discontinued in’77).

 

 

[barrett]

2 minutes ago, Tayne said:

Tayne!

Blimey, blast from the past there. When did you get back?

[Madman Of The People]

Don't forget the 2006 Dodge Hornet concept, a B-segment MPV planed for release in 2010 but killed by the financial crisis and Chrysler's subsequent bankruptcy.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dodge_Hornet_(concept_car)

 

[bunglebus]

9 hours ago, adw1977 said:

The 262C looks so weird, like a chopped 264.

262/264 brochure 1980

It is

[Tayne]

5 hours ago, barrett said:

Blimey, blast from the past there. When did you get back?

When I bought a car off here the other day 

[artdjones]

On 18/01/2024 at 12:40, barrett said:

Indeed. I'm going to stretch the limits of my memory here, and I don't think there is a huge amount of confirmed information anyway, but alongside that very conventional Westcar the same firm built a car called a Heron, and later Westcar Colonial, which was a variation on the Marks-Moir car which was meant to be built in Australia. This is a really interesting thing - it's a plywood monocoque 'hull' with a mid-mounted engine in 1922. Obviously not the first time those things had been done but very much an unconventional design at the time. And it looked really cool, with a 'prow' for a nose

That's the Marks-Moir prototype (which was actually designed and constructed in England)

That's the only image I've ever seen of the Westcar version. That's the 'Westcar Colonial' I think, because it has no doors and four seats (obviously trying to add some integrity to the 'hull'). The bodies were built on the Isle of Wight, sent to Southampton and then by road to Herne Bay were they were built up by Westcar (although I don't think very many were actually constructed, of either type - between 50 and 100 in total iirc). I seem to remember Westcar is best known for constructing something like a tram that ran on Herne Bay pier (or somewhere else local)?? Mike Worthington-Williams was very 'into' the whole saga so I have inherited a fair bit of material, but I don't think he ever truly got the absolute full story. He first wrote it up in the 1960s in Kent Life magazine, I think, and even then it was all quite mysterious.

Looks like it might be a bit prone to roll.

[Missy Charm]

8 hours ago, quicksilver said:

Hornet - there's a name from the dim and distant past that Stellantis presumably own through a long series of mergers: Hudson > Nash > AMC > Renault > Chrysler > Stellantis. No idea why they chose that name as modern crossover buyers are unlikely to have any knowledge of the Hudson Hornets from 70-odd years ago.

I'd never even heard of the Alfa Tonale it's based on, come to think of it.

Au contraire: the Doc Hudson character from the 'Cars' films was based on a Hudson Hornet.  The name is probably more familiar to the lay audience than others from that time...  

[Richard_FM]

4 hours ago, bunglebus said:

It is

Body by Bertone from what I remember.