Cars you didn't know existed until very recently.

[Tayne]

Ferves Ranger

 

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ferves

[AnthonyG]

On 15/12/2024 at 20:01, sdkrc said:

For the people who thought a MK1 golf was too luxurious 

This has the look of a prototype of the Mk2 Polo, although 1975 would be way too early for that given the Mk1 was launched in the same year. 

[artdjones]

7 minutes ago, AnthonyG said:

This has the look of a prototype of the Mk2 Polo, although 1975 would be way too early for that given the Mk1 was launched in the same year. 

It's just a concept car called the Chicco.

900cc 3 cylinder.

So not intended for production, but as you say, definite Polo 2 vibes.

[Datsuncog]

12 hours ago, AnthonyG said:

This has the look of a prototype of the Mk2 Polo, although 1975 would be way too early for that given the Mk1 was launched in the same year. 

Another point of note - the Mk1 VW Polo wasn't a Volkswagen design; it was a rebadged Audi 50, launched the year before in 1974. And like the K70, it was also something of a cuckoo in the VW nest.

The 50 was already in early development by NSU as a replacement for their aging rear-engined Prinz-derived models at the point the company was bought up by Volkswagen in 1969, and folded into their Audi-Auto Union division to form Audi-NSU-Auto Union AG.

The NSU name was apparently so tarnished by the brilliantly conceived but mechanically troubled Ro80 that VW Group decided not to launch any new cars under the brand, killing off the Prinz in 1973 and allowing the Ro80 to wither on the vine and finally expire in 1977.

Meanwhile NSU's brand-new K70 model was essentially bundled into a bag on the eve of its launch in 1969 due to the company's (very) sudden merger with Volkswagen (a tale in itself, leaving empty motor show stands and deeply confused customers and dealers), before reappearing again the following year wearing Volkswagen badging despite containing absolutely no components shared with any of the VW range.

The 50 project, on the other hand, had a longer lead-in and so received styling tweaks to give it a family resemblance to the recently launched Audi 80 and 100 models.

When a decision was made to build a version of the Audi 50 to be sold through Volkswagen dealers as the Polo, and to market it outside mainland Europe, no significant styling changes were made beyond the badging - although a saloon version of the 50 also proposed by Audi was eventually launched as the Volkswagen Derby in 1977.

Around this time VW's top brass decided that Audi should focus on building larger, higher end cars, so canned the slower-selling Audi 50 in 1978 while continuing Polo production with a minor facelift - so it's maybe not too surprising that VW's styling division were already working on their own fwd, water-cooled small car concepts such as the Chicco to replace the inherited NSU design as early as 1975, using lines less reminiscent of Audi.

[artdjones]

2 hours ago, Datsuncog said:

Another point of note - the Mk1 VW Polo wasn't a Volkswagen design; it was a rebadged Audi 50, launched the year before in 1974. And like the K70, it was also something of a cuckoo in the VW nest.

The 50 was already in early development by NSU as a replacement for their aging rear-engined Prinz-derived models at the point the company was bought up by Volkswagen in 1969, and folded into their Audi-Auto Union division to form Audi-NSU-Auto Union AG.

The NSU name was apparently so tarnished by the brilliantly conceived but mechanically troubled Ro80 that VW Group decided not to launch any new cars under the brand, killing off the Prinz in 1973 and allowing the Ro80 to wither on the vine and finally expire in 1977.

Meanwhile NSU's brand-new K70 model was essentially bundled into a bag on the eve of its launch in 1969 due to the company's (very) sudden merger with Volkswagen (a tale in itself, leaving empty motor show stands and deeply confused customers and dealers), before reappearing again the following year wearing Volkswagen badging despite containing absolutely no components shared with any of the VW range.

The 50 project, on the other hand, had a longer lead-in and so received styling tweaks to give it a family resemblance to the recently launched Audi 80 and 100 models.

When a decision was made to build a version of the Audi 50 to be sold through Volkswagen dealers as the Polo, and to market it outside mainland Europe, no significant styling changes were made beyond the badging - although a saloon version of the 50 also proposed by Audi was eventually launched as the Volkswagen Derby in 1977.

Around this time VW's top brass decided that Audi should focus on building larger, higher end cars, and canned the slower-selling Audi 50 in 1978 while continuing Polo production with a minor facelift - so it's maybe not surprising that VW's styling division were already working on their own small car concepts such as the Chicco as early as 1975, with lines less reminiscent of Audi.

The K70 was the antithesis of the Ro80. Rather boring in fact, though a good quality car if that didn't bother you. I suppose NSU were too invested in the Wankel engines at that stage. If they could have made a K80, that is, an Ro80 with maybe a 2.0 V6 instead of the rotary they would have survived. Because there wasn't a better saloon car being made in the world at the time. It's never really become dated. But the rotary obsession finished then.

The original Polo and Derby were pretty boring, liked to rust, and had terrible brakes that felt as if someone had put a block of wood under the pedal. VW kept the Polo servoless until the 4th version in 1994.

[bunglebus]

Clio Sportique camper. Not a one-off!

 

[High Jetter]

Ouch!

[somewhatfoolish]

Is it permanently attached? That's as depressing as Egg's "Vanlife" thing on the tat thread.

[DavieW]

I saw what can best be described  as looking  like a 1980s Toyota Landcruiser on a 74 plate today. Couldn't get close enough to see what it actually was. 

[Yoss]

1 hour ago, DavieW said:

I saw what can best be described  as looking  like a 1980s Toyota Landcruiser on a 74 plate today. Couldn't get close enough to see what it actually was. 

You mean like this? 

[Tayne]

3 hours ago, DavieW said:

I saw what can best be described  as looking  like a 1980s Toyota Landcruiser on a 74 plate today. Couldn't get close enough to see what it actually was. 

Do you mean something like this 2024 Landcruiser?

 

 

[DavieW]

It looked older than either of these. 

[Tayne]

70 series is still in production.

 

 

[lesapandre]

It is indeed. Not imported into the UK at all because of emissions.

[edit: see below seems someone is]

There is a dealer on Gibraltar who supplies all the NGO's etc. There may be a way to grey-import a 'nearly new' one.

They make some big V8's. About £60k last time I looked.

A proper vehicle not some mamby-pamby 4x4 - but for that reason UK buyers not allowed to have them - too useful.

Seen winning wars everywhere.

[Tayne]

You can get them into the UK.

 

 

[artdjones]

15 minutes ago, lesapandre said:

It is indeed. Not imported into the UK at all because of emissions.

There is a dealer on Gibraltar who supplies all the NGO's etc. There may be a way to grey-import a 'nearly new' one.

They make some big V8's. About £60k last time I looked.

A proper vehicle not some mamby-pamby 4x4 - but for that reason UK buyers not allowed to have them - too useful.

Seen winning wars everywhere.

[lesapandre]

They have to be a grey important or something. I'd be very careful in researching it - they are not European type approved as far as I know for the EU and UK especially around the emissions.

I may be wrong (I often am) 😅 

But if you can get hold of one really the only vehicle you'll ever need.

[lesapandre]

1 hour ago, Tayne said:

You can get them into the UK.

 

 

I've run the white one through the DVLA checker. Indeed UK registered.

Details below:

The CO2 status, Euro Status and RDE are blank. 

Vehicle Type Approval is set at not available.

The Revenue Weight is set at 3.5k -  the actual stated weight of a 70 of this type is around 2289kg.

Resident guru - any ideas how these are getting reg with DVLA @LightBulbFun  with the missing details? 

Are these for re-export for NGO use abroad or somesuch but needing to be UK plated under the Geneva  Convention? ie there is an exemption. Or is there some agricultural exemption?

Given the 'not available' type approved status - would this be a way to import a Cybertruck - about which there has been such a ho-ha recently? 😂

[LightBulbFun]

they have probably been put through an IVA like the Lada Niva's that where being imported before the war, or this bread loaf

https://autoshite.com/topic/5996-late-registration-madness/page/41/#comment-2463663

46 minutes ago, lesapandre said:

Given the 'not available' type approved status - would this be a way to import a Cybertruck - about which there has been such a ho-ha recently? 😂

in theory maybe, but given the weight of the thing makes it a HGV according to UK law, the whole getting it registered here is probably a bit different, I mean still an IVA

https://www.gov.uk/vehicle-approval/individual-vehicle-approval

but you would need a C1 licence at a minimum to drive it, and there are still construction and use regulations it would have to comply with, and I have no idea how many of those it does or does not meet and if it can be made compliant with any it might not be compatible with etc

[lesapandre]

Thanks @LightBulbFun an absolutely fascinating subject. 

So an IVA circumvents the emissions issue? Or are they obligated to apply individual mitigation to the vehicle? Costly.

I drive a 60 Series which is well exempt on account of its age...43. 😂

[MiniMinorMk3]

On 28/11/2024 at 17:13, MiniMinorMk3 said:

In a similar vein, here's the BMC Chiliean built fibreglass bodied Mini. Around 180 wee built in 1965.

This video turned up on Youtube with some of the story of the Chilean Mini that started at Peel on the Isle of Man.

 

[warninglight]

55 minutes ago, MiniMinorMk3 said:

This video turned up on Youtube with some of the story of the Chilean Mini that started at Peel on the Isle of Man.

 

I'm nearly certain I once saw an ado16 GRP shell in a book about the IOM. I'd long known about the Venezuela-built Minis and 1100s, and my oldest brother lived in Peel at the time, so I always hoped to find a GRP shell in a hedge somewhere around there. To this day it would solve a lot of my ado16 shaped problems.

[warninglight]

As if by magic, I've found the photo I took. Should have bought the book! It was in the shop on the Steam Packet ferry, wonder if I can track down a copy.

[New POD]

Some sort of bus/taxi just down the road from our hotel. 

[warninglight]

1 hour ago, warninglight said:

As if by magic, I've found the photo I took. Should have bought the book! It was in the shop on the Steam Packet ferry, wonder if I can track down a copy.

Just like that, I've ordered the book. What a time to be alive.

I visited the IOM Motor Museum on that trip in 2017, and met the owner. I might get in touch, see if any ado16 shells are known about.

 

[Tayne]

3 hours ago, New POD said:

Some sort of bus/taxi just down the road from our hotel. 

 

 

 

 

 

Some sort?

What kind?

Did it have a badge or name on the bonnet?

 

 

 

Its a Suzuki APV.

 

[barrett]

18 hours ago, warninglight said:

Just like that, I've ordered the book. What a time to be alive.

I visited the IOM Motor Museum on that trip in 2017, and met the owner. I might get in touch, see if any ado16 shells are known about.

 

According to the book (one of the worst books I've ever seen) they only built two GRP ADO16s as a pilot scheme but it went no further. I'd be amazed if one of them had survived, but stranger things have happened. I guess there are still a few Chilean plastic 1100s knocking about down there, for a really impressive shite repatriation road trip...

[warninglight]

Unless you go to some effort to get rid of them, they'll hang around. Not like they have a scrap value either...

[New POD]

On 23/01/2025 at 01:50, Tayne said:

 

 

Some sort?

What kind?

Did it have a badge or name on the bonnet?

 

 

 

Its a Suzuki APV.

 

Another one. It's a mazda 2 Saloon. Quite cool really. 

[New POD]

Some sort of Replica Cobra with a roof and seriously out of place rear spoiler.