bigstraight6 Posted June 10, 2019 Share Posted June 10, 2019 That’s some find, and it’s incredible it flew through the MOT after all that time being laid up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shep Shepherd Posted June 10, 2019 Share Posted June 10, 2019 23 minutes ago, egg said: K reg, and Kent registered. Who were the original supplying dealer? Must make next year's calendar. Going by the rear number plate and the sticker on the tailgate, it was at one time sold by Colonial of Gillingham. No idea if they sold Penzas new, though. I imagine that most Sao dealers were small garages with one or two car capacity showrooms akin to the dealers of other 'budget' marques and rural Rover and Ford dealers of the time. I believe that the cars were imported by a subsidiary of Mazda UK, which is based in Kent and has been since the marque was first sold in the UK. Every photo of a UK model Penza I've seen online features cars with Kent registrations Burnside and egg 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spottedlaurel Posted June 10, 2019 Share Posted June 10, 2019 Did John Childs ever sell Sao? I know of them as they took my Laurel in as a part-ex against a Perodua in 2008, and Streetview shows they still had old Dacia and Yugo signage in place as recently as 2016. The sort of place that would have tried Sao.... egg, Shep Shepherd and ProgRocker 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shep Shepherd Posted June 10, 2019 Share Posted June 10, 2019 They were definitely the sort of Kent car dealer that would have sold Penzas new. Ditto outfits like Spand Motors and Westbrook Cars. The former sold Protons and the latter sold Ladas. egg 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trigger Posted June 10, 2019 Share Posted June 10, 2019 2 hours ago, SiC said: Didn't trigger track one of these down a year or so ago as well? This is the same one, Jude posted it on Facebook and knowing it's one of the Autoshite holy grails I posted it on here. I'm pleased it's been bought and has found a new home, just to find that Londsdale now! SiC, mk2_craig and egg 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dome Posted June 10, 2019 Share Posted June 10, 2019 I clicked on the Mazda 323 thread earlier and thought"it's good, but it's no Sao Penza." Then I saw this thread. I love this place! Dick Longbridge, Burnside, brownnova and 2 others 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brownnova Posted June 10, 2019 Share Posted June 10, 2019 This is what makes this place awesome! mk2_craig and dome 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wuvvum Posted June 10, 2019 Share Posted June 10, 2019 1 hour ago, Spottedlaurel said: they took my Laurel in as a part-ex against a Perodua in 2008 From the sublime to the ridiculous. I hope it was a Myvi at least - going from a Laurel to a Kenari would be a proper shock to the system. ProgRocker 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skoda_fan Posted June 10, 2019 Share Posted June 10, 2019 I can't believe what I've read here. Amazing save. Brilliant. Sudsprint 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
somewhatfoolish Posted June 11, 2019 Share Posted June 11, 2019 I now expect someone on AS will produce a 'barn fresh' Zworykin Pet or Contadini Lambrusco with original spaghetti harvesting equipment before the new year. Shep Shepherd, flat4alfa, stonedagain and 3 others 4 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stuboy Posted June 11, 2019 Share Posted June 11, 2019 didnt sao do other models? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
catsinthewelder Posted June 11, 2019 Share Posted June 11, 2019 I remember Embletons in Durham sold them alongside Kia Prides when Lancia pulled out of the UK. Top save. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shoddybanger Posted June 11, 2019 Share Posted June 11, 2019 Charming. This is a piece of obscurity I didn't even know to exist. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lovejoy Posted June 11, 2019 Share Posted June 11, 2019 Having lived/worked in Sarf Efrica for some time, I am very aware of the curious S.A. variants and unique vehicles produced there, so I can safely say I have seen another imported Penza, initially on SA plates, then re-registered on UK plates, driving round Bournemouth suburbs by a young lady, it must have been her daily, as I would often see it turn at lights on the A348. Hello Nigel, and "well done" ! nigel bickle and egg 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SRi05 Posted June 11, 2019 Share Posted June 11, 2019 Amazing find sir. You win the internet for today Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
martc Posted June 11, 2019 Share Posted June 11, 2019 'Sao' was a brand name of Samcor - the South African Motor Corporation, who still exist now assembling Fords (Ford once (still do?) own Mazda). Samcor also assembled the booted Mazda 323 sold as the Mazda? Meteor or Ford Laser in some markets. Automotive Holdings, a subsidiary of Mazda Cars Ltd, imported the Penza; there's an Automotive Group Holdings still registered in Orpington - I wonder if this is them? somewhatfoolish and egg 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flat4alfa Posted June 11, 2019 Share Posted June 11, 2019 1 hour ago, SRi05 said: Amazing find sir. You won the internet for life years ago, so not surprised in the least EFA Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flat4alfa Posted June 11, 2019 Share Posted June 11, 2019 Top Bickleing! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DoctorRetro Posted June 11, 2019 Share Posted June 11, 2019 Burnside, Spiny Norman, BlankFrank and 11 others 11 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve79 Posted June 11, 2019 Share Posted June 11, 2019 Sao Penza wiki page updated! https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mazda_Familia#Sao_Penza egg, LightBulbFun, chaseracer and 1 other 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LightBulbFun Posted June 11, 2019 Share Posted June 11, 2019 27 minutes ago, Steve79 said: Sao Penza wiki page updated! https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mazda_Familia#Sao_Penza you can cite autoshite as a source on Wikipidia?! LOL not complaining mind, the Wikipedia article for the invalid carriage/Invacar is in serious need of corrections and updates (sadly im not sure how to go about editing wikipedia articles LOL) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Datsuncog Posted June 11, 2019 Share Posted June 11, 2019 4 hours ago, catsinthewelder said: I remember Embletons in Durham sold them alongside Kia Prides when Lancia pulled out of the UK. Yup, I can remember a shopping centre up the road from me displaying a Kia Pride and Sao Penza alongside each other in the main concourse... I was about ten or eleven at the time. I found it a bit confusing since they were both plainly Mazdas, and neither Kia nor Sao were familiar manufacturers to me at all... the Kia, in particular, looked rather naff with its ersatz whitewall tyres. I've been trying to remember which local dealer sold them, and can only assume it was either Sammy Mellon - who were Mazda dealers in the 1980s, but were possibly transitioning to their current Hyundai dealership at that stage - or else Roy Paul Motors, who had recently lost their Volvo franchise and were grubbing about with SEAT Marbellas, Ibizas and Málagas c.1990 24 minutes ago, Steve79 said: Sao Penza wiki page updated! https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mazda_Familia#Sao_Penza That's a pleasing reference to see. Good going! Burnside and LightBulbFun 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LightBulbFun Posted June 11, 2019 Share Posted June 11, 2019 oh and for people browsing on a laptop/desktop and are wondering why they are getting the mobile site heres the desktop version https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mazda_Familia#Sao_Penza (just remove the m from the URL) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dead_E23 Posted June 11, 2019 Share Posted June 11, 2019 The importers were based in Tunbridge Wells, and also brought Mazda, FSO and Seat into the country. I am surprised it is not a place of pilgrimage, especially as the water from the Chalybeate spring in the nearby Pantiles is a cure for rust. egg, chaseracer and Burnside 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spiny Norman Posted June 11, 2019 Share Posted June 11, 2019 I've driven a Penza, a long time ago on holiday in Cyprus we rented one for a few days. I remember driving it on roads I'd never have considered taking my own car, and at one point we got lost on what started out as a dirt track and ended up as a military training site. We were 'encouraged' to leave by some armed soldiers. My memory of the car is that it took the kind of abuse only a rental car should ever endure, and apart from being full of red dust when we took it back, it survived the experience without protest. I still have a very blurry pic of it somewhere. Burnside 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Burnside Posted June 11, 2019 Share Posted June 11, 2019 Well done Nigel Bickle for once again saving another rare motor. Looks to have survived pretty well given it's lengthy layup too. Added Bonus for me is I can finally tick it off in my 1992 I Spy II Cars Book. Which I've had since I was about 8 years old. sutty2006, RayMK, egg and 17 others 16 1 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paulscavalier Posted June 11, 2019 Share Posted June 11, 2019 I remember when these first came out. Never saw one on the road though. Great find great save Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HMC Posted June 11, 2019 Share Posted June 11, 2019 I’ve got the same I spy book- IIRC - Toyota sera.............. Toyota would like to point out its use in some countries may not be legal - or something like that! top save btw Burnside 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spottedlaurel Posted June 11, 2019 Share Posted June 11, 2019 It's reminded me of this oddity I saw back in 2010, last MoT expired in 2016 and no longer on DVLA so presume scrapped: 1998 Ford Tracer 1.3 (Mazda 323) + 1991 Ford Sierra 1.6 Laser estate by Spottedlaurel, on Flickr Believed to have come from South Africa. ProgRocker, Lacquer Peel, Shep Shepherd and 9 others 12 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve79 Posted June 11, 2019 Share Posted June 11, 2019 The Sao Penza acquired celeb status in the early 90's when Rotherham defender Billy Russell was given the keys to one by a Jack Boswell from Bread looky likey by Kimberworth Service Station. Bet he was chuffed!!! face, stonedagain, UltraWomble and 13 others 10 1 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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