CortinaDave Posted May 11, 2018 Share Posted May 11, 2018 Always been fascinated by the manufacturer test mules of forthcoming models... This was one of the Sierra mules built into some poor cortina estate. It had the sierra rear suspension fitted which is why it looks so low at the back. the cortina would have been brand new at the time but the mods help it look like a knackered 15 year old heap. Anyone know of any more... and do any still exist? JeeExEll, Inspector Morose, Dick Longbridge and 20 others 23 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Supernaut Posted May 11, 2018 Share Posted May 11, 2018 The test mule for the Ferrari Enzo drivetrain. Dick Longbridge, Faker, They_all_do_that_sir and 5 others 8 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aston Martin Posted May 11, 2018 Share Posted May 11, 2018 ^Beat me to it. .... So have the xj220 warren t claim, Supernaut, chaseracer and 11 others 14 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johngarty Posted May 11, 2018 Share Posted May 11, 2018 Have a Fiesta Banger Kenny, Lord Sterling, Conrad D. Conelrad and 10 others 13 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
somewhatfoolish Posted May 11, 2018 Share Posted May 11, 2018 Mules tend to get beancanned due to ZOMG product liability. Even preproduction stuff gets scrapped a lot due to it not meeting C&U regs or type approval etc. Nicola H 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cleon-Fonte Posted May 11, 2018 Share Posted May 11, 2018 BL had a spate of spy shots of their new cars appearing in magazines well before launch date, so the SD1 mules were very well disguised. warren t claim, Lord Sterling, JeeExEll and 7 others 10 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
colnerov Posted May 11, 2018 Share Posted May 11, 2018 Hi, Freelander test mule - Dunsfold Land Rover Trust has one. Normally test mules aren't sold on for tax reasons among others and are crushed, Some are kept as museum exhibits. Colin Lacquer Peel, danthecapriman, adw1977 and 10 others 13 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sir Snipes Posted May 11, 2018 Share Posted May 11, 2018 Any MG-Rover mules still kicking around? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sierraman Posted May 11, 2018 Share Posted May 11, 2018 There was the MGF mule that was a Metro. Apart from the SD1 and princess I can't think of any cars that have surviving pre production models. There was the SD1 in red that sat on a caravan site for years before someone at PC bought it and AFAIK it got restored. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JeeExEll Posted May 11, 2018 Share Posted May 11, 2018 1966 Cresta mule fitted with Oldsmobile Toronado 7-litre V8 and chain-driven front-wheel-drive trans.Sadly did not reach production. One built and written off.Story from Vauxpedia site ↓ http://files.uk2sitebuilder.com/uk2group53061/image/42v.vauxhallpc98000crestaviscountresume14.jpg chaseracer, Sir Snipes, danthecapriman and 6 others 9 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zelandeth Posted May 11, 2018 Share Posted May 11, 2018 Apparently one of my uncles worked at the scrap yard that BMC sent a lot of their prototypes etc to for destruction in what must have been the very late 70s. Makes enough sense given they lived just down the road from the place and I know he was indeed in the scrap metal trade at the time. Apparently it used to break his heart to smash up some of the stuff that came in. If I remember rightly the rule was that nothing larger than a shoebox was allowed to remain intact. So the approach was usually to rip it to shreds with the claw *before* dropping it in the baler. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aston Martin Posted May 11, 2018 Share Posted May 11, 2018 Any MG-Rover mules still kicking around?Every MG3. warren t claim, Banger Kenny, Paul Dupart and 3 others 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JeeExEll Posted May 11, 2018 Share Posted May 11, 2018 BL had a spate of spy shots of their new cars appearing in magazines well before launch date, so the SD1 mules were very well disguised. sd1p_1.jpgFantastic. I used to love seeing these pics when they appeared in the weekies Motor and Autocar, and in the monthly Car. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sigmund Fraud Posted May 11, 2018 Share Posted May 11, 2018 There was the MGF mule that was a Metro. Not just any Metro... a beige Metro van !!! warren t claim, danthecapriman, cpjitservices and 10 others 13 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roverageous Posted May 11, 2018 Share Posted May 11, 2018 There are a few Rover 75 test mules still around I think... Certainly remember one with the 1.9 fiat diesel that escaped the crusher. There was also a ZT tourer with Freelander 4x4 running gear that I *think* survived... Sent from my SM-G960F using Tapatalk oldcars 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MorrisItalSLX Posted May 11, 2018 Share Posted May 11, 2018 They sure ain't pretty things, are they? danthecapriman, Aston Martin, Banger Kenny and 3 others 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sierraman Posted May 11, 2018 Share Posted May 11, 2018 1966 Cresta mule fitted with Oldsmobile Toronado 7-litre V8 and chain-driven front-wheel-drive trans.Sadly did not reach production. One built and written off. http://files.uk2sitebuilder.com/uk2group53061/image/42v.vauxhallpc98000crestaviscountresume14.jpgCan imagine the torque steer in the wet in that! Jesus!!! JeeExEll and warren t claim 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
3VOM Posted May 11, 2018 Share Posted May 11, 2018 Can imagine the torque steer in the wet in that! Jesus!!!You don't need to think too hard to connect "1966 Cresta" "with Oldsmobile Toronado 7-litre V8" and "written off". txe4, Datsuncog, chodweaver and 6 others 9 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JeeExEll Posted May 11, 2018 Share Posted May 11, 2018 ^ Quote,"The engine produced 375bhp and 475ft-lb of torque, it was possible to shred the tyres in one go. In theory it was capable of 140mph but suffered from very severe scuttle shake at anything approaching 100mph", Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sierraman Posted May 11, 2018 Share Posted May 11, 2018 Bollocks of steel taking that over 100mph. I bet it felt like it would take off! warren t claim 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
timolloyd Posted May 11, 2018 Share Posted May 11, 2018 That Ferrari mule ended up looking like one of those shit MR2-based replicas! warren t claim 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tadhg Tiogar Posted May 11, 2018 Share Posted May 11, 2018 They sure ain't pretty things, are they? That's actually how it might have ended up if Anadol had designed it..... Lacquer Peel 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lord Sterling Posted May 11, 2018 Share Posted May 11, 2018 Bentley Continental test mule apparently: Banger Kenny, richardthestag, NorfolkNWeigh and 9 others 12 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sierraman Posted May 11, 2018 Share Posted May 11, 2018 Should have got to that stage and thought 'right heres the finished article' Aston Martin and JeeExEll 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
holbeck Posted May 11, 2018 Share Posted May 11, 2018 The MGF project had a whole fleet of interesting vehicles created for it. Before the Metro's, there were a number of Mk1 Toyota MR2's that were doctored to run K series engines and PG1 transmissions. The Metro's came after, and there were a few different versions dependent on the purpose. Some had the fibreglass lift-up rear body and others were pick-up style with a canvas tilt. Sigmund Fraud, warren t claim and Lacquer Peel 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PhilA Posted May 11, 2018 Share Posted May 11, 2018 Bentley Continental test mule apparently:Looks like a Bristol. A finished one. Phil Datsuncog, Nicola H, Aston Martin and 17 others 20 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrBiscuits Posted May 11, 2018 Share Posted May 11, 2018 Back in the early noughties Land Rover were using Ford explorers to test the Disco 3 powertrain. They basically lifted the body off and bodged it onto the Disco chassis. The company I worked for at the time made the box of tricks that converted all the new fangled CAN messages into signals that the explorer body electronics could understand. They were quite effective I think, hard to tell unless you saw the masses of wiring on the floor inside holbeck, Lacquer Peel and warren t claim 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mercrocker Posted May 11, 2018 Share Posted May 11, 2018 The A35-fronted Issigonis Mini mule.... Can't help thinking they should have kept that front to improve the current model.... adw1977, Lacquer Peel, warren t claim and 20 others 23 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Timewaster Posted May 11, 2018 Share Posted May 11, 2018 FB_IMG_1526039890628.jpg Always been fascinated by the manufacturer test mules of forthcoming models... This was one of the Sierra mules built into some poor cortina estate. It had the sierra rear suspension fitted which is why it looks so low at the back. the cortina would have been brand new at the time but the mods help it look like a knackered 15 year old heap. Anyone know of any more... and do any still exist?I love the way they carefully grafted the Sierra bumper and air intake presumably to test the cooling system. cobblers 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Hooli Posted May 11, 2018 Share Posted May 11, 2018 The A35-fronted Issigonis Mini mule.... orange-box-1.jpg Can't help thinking they should have kept that front to improve the current model.... Blimey those are early, it's before they reversed the head to fix carb icing. colnerov 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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