It could have bloody worked - cars which could have been...

[MiniMort]

When I was bored and in Lockdown 1 I decided to use Automation to see what a Leyland Princess estate would've looked like. If I'm honest I quite like it

[Dick Cheeseburger]

1 hour ago, MiniMort said:

When I was bored and in Lockdown 1 I decided to use Automation to see what a Leyland Princess estate would've looked like. If I'm honest I quite like it

That actually works!

[Dick Cheeseburger]

I do wish the Honda EV looked sharp and fresh like the concept, rather than the blobby, Fiat 500-esque production car. It's ok, but could have looked so much better. 

 

[SpareSnare]

This could have worked though...

Yep, slightly longer doors and that would've looked pretty good.

Always thought the Maestro glasshouse to be very similar to the Astra MK3, which was generally considered a decent looking car. At least at the time.

Sent from my Nokia 5.3 using Tapatalk

[montytom]

3 hours ago, Dick Longbridge said:

I do wish the Honda EV looked sharp and fresh like the concept, rather than the blobby, Fiat 500-esque production car. It's ok, but could have looked so much better. 

 

I think the rear quarter of the concept car looks awfully like a citroen saxo

[Tamworthbay]

12 minutes ago, montytom said:

I think the rear quarter of the concept car looks awfully like a citroen saxo

I think the whole thing has a lot of Mk1 Golf about it, but that is no bad thing.

[Dick Cheeseburger]

25 minutes ago, Tamworthbay said:

I think the whole thing has a lot of Mk1 Golf about it, but that is no bad thing.

I think that's why I loved the concept so much. It looked fresh yet had lots of familiarity about it. And not in a Fiat 500 way. 

[Tamworthbay]

3 minutes ago, Dick Longbridge said:

I think that's why I loved the concept so much. It looked fresh yet had lots of familiarity about it. And not in a Fiat 500 way. 

I think it’s a cracking design and much better than the production version. I love the new 500 though, I think it was an act of genius.

[Dick Cheeseburger]

36 minutes ago, Tamworthbay said:

I think it’s a cracking design and much better than the production version. I love the new 500 though, I think it was an act of genius.

Yes, the new new 500 is a huge improvement on the original new one. 

[Tamworthbay]

48 minutes ago, Dick Longbridge said:

Yes, the new new 500 is a huge improvement on the original new one. 

Oddly enough I was drooling over a Topolino only this morning. Sense says the low speed will limit its use age though.

[bunglebus]

19 hours ago, Dick Longbridge said:

I do wish the Honda EV looked sharp and fresh like the concept, rather than the blobby, Fiat 500-esque production car. It's ok, but could have looked so much better. 

 

I really like that - on the outside. Retro-ish looks thoroughly ruined by the Cinerama dashboard 

[Steve79]

On 6/15/2020 at 6:51 AM, Sir Snipes said:

3 door Bluebird, also not sold here. Maybe built here i can't recall.

 

[JeeExEll]

The ADO 71 coupe with frameless door windows and air-con.  The Wolseley was to have the option of a transverse Rover V8.

The coupe model was abandoned only a week before full production was due to start as they couldn't stop the black paint from peeling off the Marina Lotus door-handles on test-cars (as can be seen even on this car).

So near yet so far. 

 

[chaseracer]

Couple of months or so early.  Sorry... 😉

[Lord Sterling]

On 1/7/2021 at 3:02 PM, MiniMort said:

When I was bored and in Lockdown 1 I decided to use Automation to see what a Leyland Princess estate would've looked like. If I'm honest I quite like it

There was something similar but never made production:

1978 Austin Princess "Glassback" Triplex:

[JeeExEll]

Top spec 2-door coupe models were to have lift-out roof-panels (vinyl-covered), the Wolseley Vitesse V8 Targa.  It's sister model was to be badged the Princess Topless.

[somewhatfoolish]

2 hours ago, JeeExEll said:

The ADO 71 coupe with frameless door windows and air-con.  The Wolseley was to have the option of a transverse Rover V8.

The coupe model was abandoned only a week before full production was due to start as they couldn't stop the black paint from peeling off the Marina Lotus door-handles on test-cars (as can be seen even on this car).

So near yet so far.  Very frustrating.  Oh well, never mind.

 

How TF would they fit a RV8 transversely in there? That's a more likely reason for binning it that peeling paint on the door handles. Given BL struggled to get cars out the door with the same brakes on either side peeling paint doesn't even register.

[JeeExEll]

The CF Shorty town van.

Unfortunately they discovered it was hopeless at transporting long ladders.

Very frustrating.  Oh well, never mind.

[chaseracer]

Excellent front tyre wear though, especially under acceleration.  Steering lightened up a lot too...

[JimH]

A lost idea or two is now great loss. Sure a Princess estate might have been nice or perhaps a three door BX would have been groovy but the course of history would hardly have been altered.

The one coulda shoulda for me is if BAE could have hung onto Rover for a few more years to let the Ronda thing happen properly. There was something good happening there that was lost. 

[StescoG66]

10 hours ago, Steve79 said:

like that a lot

[JeeExEll]

Another rubbish quick photochop but it gives some idea of what an 'Abbott Farnham' Capri might have looked like.

3-litre rival to the Scimitar.  They'd have to relocate the petrol tank though, it's normally upright in the boot behind the rear seat.

[Macscrooge]

I remember seeing  - in Sheffield in the '90s - a 5-door W126 S-class.  Possible even this one as it was the same pale met green.  The hatch panel from the rear had a look of Rover 800 to it and the car looked really rather good.

(photo pinched from curbsideclassic.com)

[JeeExEll]

That Merc was on ebay in the last year or two, in a poor state.  There are pics of it in one of the threads on here. It did use actual Rover hatch and pillars. I think it works well too.

[neil1971]

From memory, I've got a feeling that Merc was raced at the Stan Woods meeting in 2019?

[JeeExEll]

Wonder what a Datsun Cherry would look like with TR7 rear.

[Macscrooge]

3 minutes ago, JeeExEll said:

Wonder what a Datsun Cherry would look like with TR7 rear.

I don't want to like that.  However......

[Sham]

That TR7 looks better in the third picture.

[Asimo]

On 10/01/2021 at 17:02, somewhatfoolish said:

How TF would they fit a RV8 transversely in there? That's a more likely reason for binning it that peeling paint on the door handles. Given BL struggled to get cars out the door with the same brakes on either side peeling paint doesn't even register.

Rover V8’s have been fitted to Princess transverse gearboxes - in a mini Clubman!

So no insurmountable problem in the huge engine bay of a Princess.

[NorfolkNWeigh]

3 hours ago, JeeExEll said:

Another rubbish quick photochop but it gives some idea of what an 'Abbott Farnham' Capri might have looked like.

3-litre rival to the Scimitar.  They'd have to relocate the petrol tank though, it's normally upright in the boot behind the rear seat.

I want to see the fastback Zodiac estate that you must have created to make this.