Cars you didn't know existed until very recently.

[Yoss]

50 minutes ago, DavieW said:

I didn't know Triumph made a 2 door 2000/2500. 

 

 

22 minutes ago, somewhatfoolish said:

They didn't, it must be some kind of homebrew. The door looks stretched so it's not a lash-up, a lot of work must have gone into that.

I had seen pictures of it before but a long time ago. The side glass must be specially made but as Triumph side glass is flat that's not too hard to do. 

One thing I hadn't noticed before is the lack of quarter lights with mirrors fitted in their place. Very modern. 

It looks OK but no better than the normal four door which, to my eyes, is just about the best looking four door saloon ever made. If you already have that I don't really see the point of messing with it. 

[somewhatfoolish]

A bit like the Rover 75 licker who made that 75 coupe; impressive workmanship but it's hard to see what the point was.

[Bmwdumptruck]

On 18/08/2024 at 20:45, Jazoli said:

That is just a rebadged Captur, same as my missus's

And a rebadged Clio?? 

[lesapandre]

Variations on a theme:

Ford/Jaguar did a prototype 2-dr XJ40 in the early '90's. Did not get beyond this one study in the metal - which survives in preservation as part of the Jaguar collection.

[adw1977]

I imagine two door versions of large UK cars like the 2000 and the XJ40 would only be useful for export.  In the 70s you could buy two door Granada saloons and Rekords in Germany. 

Possibly also in the US where these cars would be seen as quite compact.

[lesapandre]

However...

Some manufacturers went the other way.

Standard/Triumph prototyped a 4-door version of the Herald...the design was not used in the UK - but produced for a time in India under the Standard name. There was also a 4-dr Herald estate made in India.

[Snake Charmer]

I saw this a few years ago, very well converted.

[Bear]

Would a 2-door Triumph 2000/2500 be relatively easy using Stag parts?

[Muniphobia]

Triumph did build a Stag Coupe, which still is around, I saw it a few years ago at a car show at Warwick Castle

[bunglebus]

That looks all kinds of wrong 

[lesapandre]

7 minutes ago, bunglebus said:

That looks all kinds of wrong 

It's the remaining 'in-house' effort both the Michaelotti prototypes were scrapped.

[LightBulbFun]

the Lada Nadezhda, if wikipedia is to be believed  a homegrown Russian people carrier based on the Lada Niva! not sure how much Niva is actually in there mind

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

[bunglebus]

The Trivette

The TriVette, like so many other weird 1970s cars, featured a fiberglass body over a welded frame. Twenty-seven examples were built in total between 1974 and 1978, and 25 of those were equipped with engines from the Fiat 850 as well as some of the Italian car’s running gear. The other two TriVette examples received turbocharged Volkswagen engines. This used example features the four-cylinder Fiat 850cc engine driving the rear wheels via a four-speed manual transmission. In its prime, the engine was good for 58 horsepower and 47.7 foot-pounds of torque. That may not sound like much grunt, but the TriVette weighed just 1100 pounds. According to Hot Rod’s April 1975 test, the trike made the dash from zero to sixty in 9 seconds and completed the quarter-mile in 16.5 seconds at 82 MPH. Road Test had less luck, recording times of 12.9 seconds and 18.89 seconds in their January 1976 issue

[Metal Guru]

44 minutes ago, bunglebus said:

The Trivette

The TriVette, like so many other weird 1970s cars, featured a fiberglass body over a welded frame. Twenty-seven examples were built in total between 1974 and 1978, and 25 of those were equipped with engines from the Fiat 850 as well as some of the Italian car’s running gear. The other two TriVette examples received turbocharged Volkswagen engines. This used example features the four-cylinder Fiat 850cc engine driving the rear wheels via a four-speed manual transmission. In its prime, the engine was good for 58 horsepower and 47.7 foot-pounds of torque. That may not sound like much grunt, but the TriVette weighed just 1100 pounds. According to Hot Rod’s April 1975 test, the trike made the dash from zero to sixty in 9 seconds and completed the quarter-mile in 16.5 seconds at 82 MPH. Road Test had less luck, recording times of 12.9 seconds and 18.89 seconds in their January 1976 issue

Those headlights can’t be legal?

[lesapandre]

8 minutes ago, Metal Guru said:

Those headlights can’t be legal?

Classified as a motorcycle and US made so possibly.

[adw1977]

Headlights in the rear wheelarches is certainly a different solution!

[somewhatfoolish]

On 15/04/2024 at 10:11, MiniMinorMk3 said:

1971 Fiat 132-S Flares by Michelotti

Looking for more pics of this Michelotti FIAT I fell into an internet rabbithole; the photographer was obviously given an assignment to photograph concept cars for a coffee table book and has had a grand old time hiring models and in one instance dragging an irreplaceable car up a quarry somewhere with a dirty great loader shovel, it's gone about as well as you'd think although Mario and Luigi look confident*. No doubt the thing is now worth squillions and not allowed out of whatever air-conditioned museum/garage it's in.

 

[GeordieInExile]

On 26/08/2024 at 00:03, Bmwdumptruck said:

And a rebadged Clio?? 

Iirc the outline of the Renault badge is still visible underneath where they've stuck the Mitsubishi one!

[bunglebus]

Hobbycar B612, a Peugeot engined amphibian

[MiniMinorMk3]

On 26/08/2024 at 18:44, LightBulbFun said:

the Lada Nadezhda, if wikipedia is to be believed  a homegrown Russian people carrier based on the Lada Niva! not sure how much Niva is actually in there mind

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

Looking into the Lada MPV these turned up. I never knew they did a four door Niva.

Basic

Lounge

Urban Facelift

Crew Cab Pick Up

[sheffcortinacentre]

Did loads of versions.

[High Jetter]

12 hours ago, MiniMinorMk3 said:

I never knew they did a four door Niva.

Five door, shirley? 😀

[sheffcortinacentre]

 4 Dr hatches ( not 5 drs!).

[Lord Sterling]

On 26/08/2024 at 19:44, LightBulbFun said:

the Lada Nadezhda, if wikipedia is to be believed  a homegrown Russian people carrier based on the Lada Niva! not sure how much Niva is actually in there mind

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

I love the fact that only the Russians can make a modern car look like a random concept car from the 1980s.

[RoadworkUK]

On 27/08/2024 at 22:26, bunglebus said:

Hobbycar B612, a Peugeot engined amphibian

I remember the first time I saw this in Top Gear mag, spotting the Alfa 164 rear lights and immediately loving it.

[Bmwdumptruck]

Saw this on facebook. One off special or pre production model?  Nice though

[Aston Martin]

Subaru Traviq. Japan only.

 

 

[Supernaut]

1 hour ago, Aston Martin said:

Subaru Traviq. Japan only.

 

 

On the other side of the coin, you could get a Chevrolet Forester in India.

[MiniMinorMk3]

15 hours ago, Bmwdumptruck said:

Saw this on facebook. One off special or pre production model?  Nice though

That looks like a Vicarage conversion to me. Vicarage have been restoring Mk2 Jags since the late 1980's and will build you a bespoke Cabriolet Mk2 and looks like they will do a Daimler to..

 

Vicarage Jaguar MK2 Convertible - Smallman Hall (smallman-hall.com)

[AnthonyG]

On 18/08/2024 at 20:45, Jazoli said:

That is just a rebadged Captur, same as my missus's

Yep, Mitsubishi have returned* to Europe with some rebadged Renaults. LHD markets only.

Possibly because dealers in France/Germany/wherever have better legal options if a well-established brand decides to just FRO after 40 years? i.e. give me a product to sell or I will sue your arse off. 

The long-established Hereford Mitsubishi dealer now sells KGMs, which appear to be rebadged Ssanyongs. No idea what KGM means/stands for and if that’s just for the UK or across Europe.