Cars you didn't know existed until very recently.

[martc]

Meitan - didn't know about those until 20 secs ago! Just look at the names of these... the 'push scooter' is probably the most honest name ever given to an ultra- cheap two-wheeler, whilst the 'power scooter' is the least honest.

[JeeExEll]

 

There's a catalogue for these somewhere on the net.

[quicksilver]

21 hours ago, LightBulbFun said:

Body type comes back as a Scooter

so my best is it some sort of cheap chinese moped of some kind?

wait until you start banging in reg's wholesale into the DVLA checker you come across some weird shit!

im still wondering what the hell a "Y9" is or what the hell a ROFSUPPLIER is https://autoshite.com/topic/32723-invacar-model-70-acquired-and-general-ramble-thread-index-on-page-1-phase-2-finding-a-suitable-driving-schoolinstructor-getting-lessons-and-a-licence-dhss-parts-book-digitised/?do=findComment&comment=1868017

or most recently whatever this is!

 

That would appear to be one of the three Hillman Imp-based Voodoo kit cars, as described at https://www.imps4ever.info/specials/voodoo.html. Being blue I suspect it's the one in the first photo on that page.

[LightBulbFun]

6 minutes ago, quicksilver said:

That would appear to be one of the three Hillman Imp-based Voodoo kit cars, as described at https://www.imps4ever.info/specials/voodoo.html. Being blue I suspect it's the one in the first photo on that page.

very interesting  interesting that its 1977 registered id of expected it to be 1971-1973 from when they where built!

"VOO1S" is actually not its original plate, its original plate is WLA295S, so I wonder if things were fudged to show a Aug 1977 DoFR so whoever owned it could put the VOO1S plate on it!

it has a very short VIN number which backs up it being a low production/1 off thing

and the body type comes back as "sports" but curiously enough colour comes back as blue and orange...

[MorrisItalSLX]

12 hours ago, LightBulbFun said:

and the body type comes back as "sports" but curiously enough colour comes back as blue and orange...

[myglaren]

Fisker Karma - heard of but never seen.

Turned up in "In The Order Of Disappearance"

Looked like a BMW

[myglaren]

On 10/1/2019 at 7:49 PM, Aston Martin said:

I keep seeing Cupras. Which is a brand that will be dead in about 3 minutes.

My eldest lad has had one for 3 or 4 years.  Slightly insane.

I said I thought it was quick - he said that was comfort mode, see what happens when I push the Cupra button.

?

[Skut]

The Russian Dragon Astero seems to have been a production car and appears to be some offshoot of UAZ. 

There's virtually no English language info on them so translating info takes time.  This helpfully burnt out example suggests its plastic panels over a crude looking but probably quite strong frame.

The interior is Rover 400 wood fillets gone mad and the seats fold flat ala Maxi. 

 

[lesapandre]

Early Trabants - including a van.

[Pieman]

On 10/5/2019 at 9:34 AM, Joey spud said:

Spotted this at a prestige merc dealer on Dubai plates.

After a quick google it's a G63 AMG 6x6 of which only 130 were made and cost £370k back in 2016.

Of course it's on Dubai plates, nobody from outside the Middle East would want or need to be seen anywhere near something like that.

[JimH]

Off topic but not too far off topic. Cars I Thought Existed But Can Find Absolutely No Evidence of Them Anywhere.

In earlish 1989 I read a one page first impressions review in What Car? (yeah, yeah, I know) of the Fiat Tipo Abarth. This was some years before the 16V Tipo appeared and the way it was written about was that it was to be the official hot Tipo rather than a pay a few quid for some wheels and embossed headrests that Abarth is today. The numbers talked about where about 140 flat out and about 7ish to 60which if true would have made it a bit more powerful than the 16V we eventually got.

Thing is that there seems to be nothing on the subject anywhere which leads me to believe that I might have dreamed it. Anyone know anything else about it?

 

[vulgalour]

Perhaps it just never made it to the UK market?

[JimH]

You reckon that's for real? It looks like a later 16V with a slightly out of place badge on it but I'm hardly an expert on any Fiat Tipo.

[vulgalour]

This is the for sale ad, that suggests it's an original Abarth.

https://www.autobelle.it/it/a/Vendo_FIAT_TIPO_2000_16V_ABARTH_66401.xhtml

That said, it's the only example I can find at all, anywhere, so who knows?  It's in Italy so perhaps the chances of it being genuine are higher and they were a home market only deal, or perhaps it's all bollocks.

[JimH]

I have little or no interest in the Tipo on account of it being a right ugly old mutt. Other than a brieftest drive in a 16 valve I've no experience of driving any Tipo. I do not wish to own a Tipo and I have little interest in the history of the Tipo. I have no idea why the existence/non-existence of this car has bothered me a bit since the early 90s.

[Amishtat]

Or have I just never noticed one before? Annoyingly shaky shot of a Honda Lago or Iago 

[bunglebus]

Been on here a couple of times, about as common as an honest politician.

[face]

On 10/13/2019 at 7:56 PM, myglaren said:

My eldest lad has had one for 3 or 4 years.  Slightly insane.

I said I thought it was quick - he said that was comfort mode, see what happens when I push the Cupra button.

?

I read that VAG are potentially going to drop the 'Seat' name and replace it with 'Cupra', in a move to push the brand more upmarket. Whilst at the same time, relegating Skoda to a more cheaper position.

Quote

The possible rebranding of Seat forms part of a wider plan for further differentiation between each of Volkswagen’s key volume car brands. Nothing is official yet, although Diess indicated Skoda is set to adopt a more budget-oriented role and Seat may be taken further upmarket in a future-proofing move for both brands.

Read more here

[Tartan58]

3 minutes ago, face said:

I read that VAG are potentially going to drop the 'Seat' name and replace it with 'Cupra', in a move to push the brand more upmarket. Whilst at the same time, relegating Skoda to a more cheaper position.

Read more here

Interesting, to me Skoda currently seem to be a step above Seat in terms of quality and spec . Seat seem to aim for the younger market with sportier trim levels and certainly the base spec Seats are less well equipped and cheaper than the equivalent Skoda product in the current range.

Ok so I'm a bit of a Skoda fanboi now being on our third on the trot for family duties but it saddens me that they might be going down market. Over the last few years I've felt that Skoda is kind of like the new Saab (don't shoot me) by that I mean it's the thinking man's choice rather than following the crowd and getting an Audi or VW.

[TataBobu]

13 hours ago, Amishtat said:

Or have I just never noticed one before? Annoyingly shaky shot of a Honda Lago or Iago 

 

You never seen one, even if there is one on those beige walls right here. It's a Honda Logo.

[face]

35 minutes ago, Tartan58 said:

Interesting, to me Skoda currently seem to be a step above Seat in terms of quality and spec . Seat seem to aim for the younger market with sportier trim levels and certainly the base spec Seats are less well equipped and cheaper than the equivalent Skoda product in the current range.

Ok so I'm a bit of a Skoda fanboi now being on our third on the trot for family duties but it saddens me that they might be going down market. Over the last few years I've felt that Skoda is kind of like the new Saab (don't shoot me) by that I mean it's the thinking man's choice rather than following the crowd and getting an Audi or VW.

Yeah I pretty much see the current situation as you do.

Be a real shame if we lost the Seat name I think.

[Sudsprint]

On 10/10/2019 at 1:31 PM, JeeExEll said:

 

Ideal for half inching those spare cases of plutonium nobody wanted when Sweden changed over to wind farms.

[bunglebus]

Spotted this today - didn't seem to be an Axiom - Doovla says Microcar

 

20191015_111904 by RS, on Flickr

[martc]

3 hours ago, bunglebus said:

Spotted this today - didn't seem to be an Axiom - Doovla says Microcar

It's the new name for Ligier - purveyor of 'sans permit' cars and formula 1 chod since Adam was a lad. The things are literally glued together - watch this video - and marvel at the robots at work. I wonder who's to blame for the fantastic bumper/wing alignment shown at 2:54 man or machine?

You can buy one from one of the 45 dealers in the UK - glad to see well known former Reliant fettler Michaels of Selby are amongst them.

http://micro-car.co.uk/index.php

[Remspoor]

Microcars in Spain and France can be driven without divers licence. In the Netherlands they are classed as a "moped" thus they can take to some cycle lanes, along with, well cycles.

Morris JE, once known as Morris Commercial.

https://www.morris-commercial.com/

[vulgalour]

From that automotive powerhouse, Liechtenstein, I present to you the Jehle Saphier.

 

[STUNO]

Surely that should be called the Jehle  BOXCAR ?

[Timewaster]

1 minute ago, STUNO said:

Surely that should be called the Jehle  BOXCAR ?

You'd look a right Willy driving it. 

[quicksilver]

2 hours ago, vulgalour said:

From that automotive powerhouse, Liechtenstein, I present to you the Jehle Saphier.

 

That's so wedgy it looks like a giant wheeled doorstop. Was it designed by Harris Mann when he was off his tits on LSD?

[62 Austin]

...Microsomething Datseewatsee.

D-A-I-H-A-T-S-U Trimobile Microcar, 1959, 305 2-stroke. Here's the scam on them:

"Has 545 miles and extremely motivated seller.

Also the American version had a split rear window and a crane incorporated in the hood emblem. The Trimobile was manufactured from 1959-1963 with three wheels and after 1964 was made with four wheels for safety reasons. With a 305 two stroke speeds may* reach 45 MPH. They wear street legal with suicide doors, side curtains, and a moon roof, which most micro cars had for the simple reason if you were involved in an accident you could climb out the top."

 

*down a mineshaft