Cars you didn't know existed until very recently.

[bunglebus]

GWM Haval Jolion Pro spotted at the shops just now

[IronStar]

Alfa 33 apparently had a cabrio prototype, that they actually sold to someone. Missed opportunity IMO.

Would.

[Snake Charmer]

9 hours ago, IronStar said:

Alfa 33 apparently had a cabrio prototype, that they actually sold to someone. Missed opportunity IMO.

Would.

I like a prototype , still has that ever so concerned face though.

[quicksilver]

On 12/01/2026 at 18:03, D.E said:

Moskvitch Duet coupe...

 

That looks like a generic background car from a 1990s video game.

[Three Speed]

I had never heard of a Fiat 125 Samantha before I saw this one at Retromobile yesterday. 1967 apparently and yours do just 14000 euros. 

[Bmwdumptruck]

On 04/11/2025 at 14:50, warch said:

This is a new one on me. Remember Subaru, renowned for chavtastic awd rally bred performance saloons and estates. They also sold this, the Subaru Traviq

which was a rebadged Vauxhall Zafira

which featured all wheel drive, a 300hp turbocharged boxer engine and which was handbuilt by Prodrive at their Banbury workshop

Just did a quick search to see if any here in the uk and the first thing that came up was a description that said these didn’t get any Subaru running gear but just standard 4 cyl transverse front wheel drive as per the doner vehicle.  Got quite excited there for a second or two……

[Metal Guru]

20 minutes ago, Bmwdumptruck said:

Just did a quick search to see if any here in the uk and the first thing that came up was a description that said these didn’t get any Subaru running gear but just standard 4 cyl transverse front wheel drive as per the doner vehicle.  Got quite excited there for a second or two……

It wouldn’t look out of place in their current dull UK range only they’d make it worse than the Vauxhall by sticking a CVT in it.

[warch]

35 minutes ago, Bmwdumptruck said:

Just did a quick search to see if any here in the uk and the first thing that came up was a description that said these didn’t get any Subaru running gear but just standard 4 cyl transverse front wheel drive as per the doner vehicle.  Got quite excited there for a second or two……

Sorry about that, thought I'd try and sex it up a bit.

 

[myglaren]

[warch]

Looks like a micropenis (I imagine).

[RayMK]

22 minutes ago, warch said:

Looks like a micropenis (I imagine).

Never heard of it, but the internet says  it's a 1931 Czechoslovakian Wikov Kapka 35 chassis fitted with a special streamlined body.

[bunglebus]

Ladies and gentlemen, the Chery Tiggo. Various number available, no idea what the difference is

[motorpunk]

2 hours ago, bunglebus said:

Ladies and gentlemen, the Chery Tiggo. Various number available, no idea what the difference is

That could kick the front door down, bumrape the family hamster at the Sunday dinner table, and I still wouldn’t be able to describe it to the Police.

[IronStar]

39 minutes ago, bunglebus said:

Ladies and gentlemen, the Chery Tiggo. Various number available, no idea what the difference is

Size. Bigger numbers = bigger car.

I drove Tiggo 8 Pro and left positively impressed. 1.6 turbo petrol, 190bhp. Amazing value for money. The sole negative thing I have to say about it is autobox was on the slow side, think 7G tronic. I don't think it really matters in this class of cars, though. If someone removed the badge from the steering wheel, I would think I'm in Volvo.

If I needed a family 7-seater, I would probably buy one.

[sheffcortinacentre]

How many of these obscure brands will still exist in 5 years?

[AnthonyG]

Probably all of them, the Chinese had 10% of the market last year and may well get to 15% or more this year.

Chery is talking to JLR about assembling cars in the UK, and has just opened its European headquarters in Liverpool. 

You are more likely to see ‘known’ brands give this market up as not worth it anymore, like Mitsubishi bailed in 2020. It’s probably only the Jazz keeping Honda here now, for example. I could easily see some of the weaker Stellantis ones like Jeep and Alfa/Maserati jack it in, as they probably struggle to sell more than 2000-3000 cars a year. 

The Chinese now are at the same stage in the UK market the Koreans were in the mid 90s, and the Japanese in the early 70s.

[RayMK]

39 minutes ago, AnthonyG said:

Probably all of them, the Chinese had 10% of the market last year and may well get to 15% or more this year.

Chery is talking to JLR about assembling cars in the UK, and has just opened its European headquarters in Liverpool. 

You are more likely to see ‘known’ brands give this market up as not worth it anymore, like Mitsubishi bailed in 2020. It’s probably only the Jazz keeping Honda here now, for example. I could easily see some of the weaker Stellantis ones like Jeep and Alfa/Maserati jack it in, as they probably struggle to sell more than 2000-3000 cars a year. 

The Chinese now are at the same stage in the UK market the Koreans were in the mid 90s, and the Japanese in the early 70s.

Generally, I agree, although Mitsubishi apparently don't as they are back in the UK again.

[Bear]

On 30/01/2026 at 15:04, Three Speed said:

I had never heard of a Fiat 125 Samantha before I saw this one at Retromobile yesterday. 1967 apparently and yours do just 14000 euros. 

One sold on eBay last month, RHD, about £7K.

My dad nearly bought one. From the timing, I think he ended up with an Allegro instead 😕

[Bear]

56 minutes ago, AnthonyG said:

You are more likely to see ‘known’ brands give this market up as not worth it anymore, like Mitsubishi bailed in 2020.

Mitsubishi is returning to the UK market next year...

[RayMK]

12 minutes ago, Bear said:

Mitsubishi is returning to the UK market next year...

I read somewhere that they planned to return in summer 2026.  Have they slipped it into 2027 now?

[Bear]

33 minutes ago, RayMK said:

I read somewhere that they planned to return in summer 2026.  Have they slipped it into 2027 now?

More likely my brain hasn't acknowledged 2025 ending yet

[bunglebus]

Honda Vezel

[MrGTI6]

1 hour ago, bunglebus said:

Honda Vezel

Isn't that an HR-V?

[bunglebus]

3 hours ago, MrGTI6 said:

Isn't that an HR-V?

Going by the badge, grey import maybe?

[egg]

Martin Ford. Kentish, I think. I expect Barrett probably has one

[vulgalour]

Saw a photo of one of these and thought it couldn't possibly be real because of how massive the rear lights are.  Turns out, it's a real thing.  1960s Simca Jangada.

 

So far as I can figure out, it's a Brazilian market Simca. There's also the Esplanada and Chambord.

 

 

[High Jetter]

18 minutes ago, vulgalour said:

Saw a photo of one of these and thought it couldn't possibly be real because of how massive the rear lights are.  Turns out, it's a real thing.  1960s Simca Jangada.

 

So far as I can figure out, it's a Brazilian market Simca. There's also the Esplanada and Chambord.

 

 

Niche. Love the look of the Jangada

[Three Speed]

23 hours ago, vulgalour said:

Saw a photo of one of these and thought it couldn't possibly be real because of how massive the rear lights are.  Turns out, it's a real thing.  1960s Simca Jangada.

 

So far as I can figure out, it's a Brazilian market Simca. There's also the Esplanada and Chambord.

 

 

A saloon Chambard was at Retromobile. I particularly noticed the huge rear lights. Tres jolie.

[Missy Charm]

On 13/02/2026 at 23:24, vulgalour said:

Saw a photo of one of these and thought it couldn't possibly be real because of how massive the rear lights are.  Turns out, it's a real thing.  1960s Simca Jangada.

 

So far as I can figure out, it's a Brazilian market Simca. There's also the Esplanada and Chambord.

 

 

Those are strange cars.  The original design can be traced back to the Simca Vedette (or Vedette Marly in the case of the estate car), which was a large, French saloon car that used an early version of the Ford Flathead V8 for motive power.

Simca eventually started producing Vedettes in Brazil, under various names - Chambord, Esplanada, etc. - and powered them with an enlarged and revamped version of the Ford engine featuring hemispherical heads.  Transmission remained the same, however, with a three-speed manual.  

Eventually, Simca 'by Chrylser' rebodied the car to get something Ford-Galaxie-esque, as seen above, but didn't change the running gear.  That meant one could still buy, in the late sixties, something with 1930s underpinnings.  The other oddity is why Simca, being owned by Chrysler, continued to produce an ersatz Chrysler powered by Ford.  Surely they could have just, you know, made an actual Chrysler in the Brazilian factory.  

[chaseracer]

The Vedette was a Ford France design.  SIMCA bought the assets of Ford France in 1954, including the rights to the Vedette and the flathead V8, as well as the Poissy factory.