Yank stuff imported to U.K in 70s

[Asimo]

I had to google Ford Edge. Wasn't worth the effort.

[cros]

As I have mentioned numerous times on here - RHD AMC Pacers were chain driven (steering) - the steering gear remained on the left and there was a chain behind the dash.

Scruff has this system on his steam-roller.

[BavarianRetro]

....

Unlike the GBU verdict of the Coupe Deville , which was only ever lhd, " As flash as a rat with a gold tooth"

How come I can remember that nearly 40 years on but can't remember any Shakespeare?

....

 

My favourite GBU summary was of the Maestro - "The perfect car for the 80s. 90 year olds will like it too."

[AMC Rebel]

I remember a bloke writing to complain about the 2cv being in the interesting section saying "the only interesting thing about that thing is it can turn over whilst keeping all four wheels on the ground"

[chaseracer]

He wasn't wrong.

[JeeExEll]

I remember the Mercury Monarch Ghia 5.0 right hand drive being advertised in the Ford Cars sales brochure around about 1980-82ish.

 

About the same time as the Mustang Ghia ad posted above.

[mercrocker]

 

 

 

 

Remembered this in my collection......Long before the Renault Alliance there was the Rambler-Renault (there used to be one in the Le Mans museum).   This 1966 leaflet is slightly later than the R-R but I wonder if these RHD cars were also built in France (think AMC had a Belgian assembly arrangement as well - or was that GM?)

 

Anyhoo, it seems likely that at least some of the RHD "Yanks" have never been within a country mile of Uncle Sam's back-yard.  

 

I have some Lendrum & Hartman brochures too, which don't specifically mention RHD but do suggest that a portion of their sales, at least, was UK delivery of GM cars to servicemen based here and, I guess, provide some service back-up before the cars were shipped home after the duty tour.   Assuming they wanted to pay the tax of course!    My own Grand Prix came from a Sergeant at Upper Heyford on his return to California (whereupon I discovered the misery of Cal-spec small block Chevy - GM didn't bother de-smogging the Pontiac engine)

 

On the subject of Jeeps (which we were earlier) its just occurred to me that the US Postal versions were RHD - to assist rural route deliveries to those road-side lunch boxes....

 

Fascinating stuff, all this. 

[Sheefag]

I had to google Ford Edge. Wasn't worth the effort.

 

I had a Ford Edge in Washington last week, it's actually a really good drive, albeit a little small for an American SUV, about the size of a Discovery Sport.

[Sheefag]

On the subject of Jeeps (which we were earlier) its just occurred to me that the US Postal versions were RHD - to assist rural route deliveries to those road-side lunch boxes....

 

 

Good point, the Grumman LLV successor to the USPS Jeep is still right hand drive and in widespread use.

 

http://blog.caranddriver.com/the-u-s-postal-service-is-going-new-truck-shopping/

 

[AMC Rebel]

<trivia> Some of those RHD AMC Postal jeeps had a VAG pez engine </trivia>

 

There was an electric model too.

[AMC Rebel]

 

Remembered this in my collection......Long before the Renault Alliance there was the Rambler-Renault (there used to be one in the Le Mans museum).   This 1966 leaflet is slightly later than the R-R but I wonder if these RHD cars were also built in France (think AMC had a Belgian assembly arrangement as well - or was that GM?)

 

Anyhoo, it seems likely that at least some of the RHD "Yanks" have never been within a country mile of Uncle Sam's back-yard.  

 

 

 

AMC did indeed have a plant in Belgium - well it was a Renault plant of course, but as far as I can establish, they only built LHD stuff there.  The RHD AMCs that came here were either made in USA or Canada - although AMC did do some conversions over here (like the chain drive Pacers) using specialist small scale engineering outfits.

[sierraman]

Any pics of the chain drive itself?

[warren t claim]

There's a former car showroom in my home town that still has the circular Rambler sign on the side of the building.

[Shep Shepherd]

I remember the Mercury Monarch Ghia 5.0 right hand drive being advertised in the Ford Cars sales brochure around about 1980-82ish.

 

About the same time as the Mustang Ghia ad posted above.

 

I used to see a metallic green RHD Monarch in the Dover area quite often in the late 1990s and early 2000s

[Magnificent Rustbucket]

I used to see a Mercury Monarch Ghia in Lymm, Cheshire fairly regularly in the early 1990s. It was about ten years old but in good condition and metallic brown with a red interior - and RHD. I liked it. I had forgotten they existed!

[Sheefag]

Ecoboost is 2.3 4 pot turbo.

 

The Expedition I'm driving at the moment has a 3.5l V6 Ecoboost, it flies.

[danthecapriman]

I used to see a Mercury Monarch Ghia in Lymm, Cheshire fairly regularly in the early 1990s. It was about ten years old but in good condition and metallic brown with a red interior - and RHD. I liked it. I had forgotten they existed!

The Mercury Monarch was the posher version of the US style Ford Granada, they're almost exactly the same car. I like them, good looking and usually well specced for a mid size car.

So if they did a RHD Monarch I wonder if they did a RHD (US) Granada? Given we had our own Granada at the time...

[eddyramrod]

IIRC Scouse comic Tom O'Connor had a Monarch, which may well have been RHD.  He used to live round the corner from me in Southport and I would walk past his house often on the way to sign-on.  The car was white, wearing TOC 16.  I wonder if it still exists.....

[Formula Autos]

Good point, the Grumman LLV successor to the USPS Jeep is still right hand drive and in widespread use.

 

http://blog.caranddriver.com/the-u-s-postal-service-is-going-new-truck-shopping/

 

When the Grumman was introduced a load of the RHD Jeeps came to the UK. I can remember reading a "drive the ads" mini feature in the back of an issue of Classic Cars in about '88 IIRC that mentioned a firm (might have been Bauer Millet) bringing a load over. The one the mag tested was still in US Postal Service livery, but the rougher ones were going to be refurbished to customer specs, and they expected most to be in olive drab. My Father-in-Law's well into military vehicles and these things do crop up for sale now and again, from what he tells me. They're not WW2 spec, more like the ones seen in the background of many an '80s US action show, such as the A-team.

[martc]

IIRC Scouse comic Tom O'Connor had a Monarch, which may well have been RHD.  He used to live round the corner from me in Southport and I would walk past his house often on the way to sign-on.  The car was white, wearing TOC 16.  I wonder if it still exists.....

 

According to https://vehicleenquiry.service.gov.uk/ "Vehicle details could not be found" which is a shame.

[eddyramrod]

That probably just means the number is now on a 530d and the Monarch, if it survived, now wears an age-related N suffix.

[DodgeRover]

TOC 16 is now on a Honda CRV with 3 applicable recall notices..

[Sir Snipes]

I remember thinking the writing was on the wall for Bauer Millet when I saw the place was plastered with Abarth logos and full of Fiat 500s......

[NorfolkNWeigh]

TOC 16 is now on a Honda CRV with 3 applicable recall notices..

Still owned by Tom, apparently.

http://www.motoringassist.com/motoring-advice/motoring-fun/stars-and-their-cars/stars-and-their-cars-tom-oconnor/

Also mentions a Mustang , so that Monarch wasn't his only Yank.

[JeeExEll]

Three pics courtesy of Trigger, I was looking at the Sweeney and Professionals threads earlier. These are from the Professionals.

A rhd from 67.

 

Edit, I've made an error. It's a Chrysler Valiant and I think it's from Oz.

[JeeExEll]

[JeeExEll]

[mercrocker]

This was in Sweeney S3 No. 7 "May"

 

LHD but on a contemporary UK plate..... 

 

 

[eddyramrod]

This is seen quite a bit in an early episode, driven by Dudley Sutton.  Later in the episode he's running away on foot and Regan gives chase in the bronze Consul, the only time he's ever seen to drive it.

[barrett]

I think most US manufacturers built rhd versions of at least some of their ranges after the war, South Africa has always been a big market for US stuff. I really like seeing stuff that was imported in the 70s and given a new reg regardless of how old the car is, like this excellent scruffy Cord that Bonhams sold recently. I love that one of the most beautiful, desirable cars of all time has a raised digit reflective plate like an Allegro or whatever. Some idiot will probably take those off now.