The "They forgot to stop making them" thread

[Mr Pastry]

For that matter you could argue that the Sprite/Midget went on far too long.  Introduced a year before the Mini which was technically streets ahead, and really a far better sports car, even in pre- Cooper form.  

[Norbert]

3 minutes ago, NorfolkNWeigh said:

In 1970 you could buy a Farina Morris Oxford and indeed a Minor 1000 from the same company that would also sell you a Range Rover or Triumph Stag or an XJ6. But their second biggest seller had been in production since 1959, I bet nobody in 1970 thought they’d still be throwing them together in 2000.

I bet folk in 1970 thought that by 2000 Longbridge would be producing something akin to George Jetson's car - complete with flying abilities. Also, wasn't the A35 van still about in 1970 (or only recently discontinued )...

[Mr Laurence]

Interesting that most of the examples we can think of are BMC/BL/ARG cars...

[NorfolkNWeigh]

The 1963 Bedford HA outlived it’s Viva saloon sister and the HB and HC Viva. It also outlived it’s supposed replacement; the Bedford Chevanne to be replaced in 1983 by the Astravan.

[bangernomics]

In Canada, you could still buy a new Mk IV VW Golf and Jetta even though the new Mk V was already on sale.
The City Golf and City Jetta continued in Canada (with slight styling tweeks) throughout the newer Mk V production run.
 

 

 
 
 

The SA market had CITI golfs that were mk1’s with mk2/3 interiors

[bangernomics]

The 1963 Bedford HA outlived it’s Viva saloon sister and the HB and HC Viva. It also outlived it’s supposed replacement; the Bedford Chevanne to be replaced in 1983 by the Astravan.

I remember these being everywhere as a kid of the 70’s

[chaseracer]

4 hours ago, bunglebus said:

Another air cooled VW - the bay window type 2 got replaced in 1979 by the T3 "wedge" but carried on in South America until 2013...

Passed one of these (60 plate) on the M5 this morning - looked like the press tools for the body panels were well past their best.

[chaseracer]

2 hours ago, RayMK said:

...Fiat 125 being replaced by the Fiat 132 in 1972 while the 125 morphed elsewhere into the Polski Fiat 125, FSO 125 etc.   

Kinda...

The P-F/FSO used the 125 shell, but the floorpan and many oily bits were from the earlier Fiat 1500.

[MorrisItalSLX]

6 hours ago, Norbert said:

(as an aside, wasn't there a facelift of the original front too, sort of "there used to be a full height grill here but now there isn't, honest" kind of affair?)

The 4th generation Falcon had 4 facelifts, 2 when the whole range was in production and then 2 more on just the commercial variants.

XB - 1979

XE - 1982

XF - 1984

XG - 1993

XH - 1996

[catsinthewelder]

Incedentally the Brazilian built VW type 2's were slowly modernised from the older split screen model on the bits you could see but never received the 2nd generation underpinnings so that 60 plate one was less advanced than a European model from 1968.

Another car that won't die is the Kia Pride.  Apparently launched in Mazda, Ford and Kia identities at the same time in 1986 it was replaced by the comedy saloon Mazda 121 in 1991, by the Ford Aspire and Kia Avella in 1993 but kept going as a Kia until 2000 and a Ford until 2002.  Apparently still in production in Iran where they have made a 4 door saloon and a C15 style van.

[loserone]

41 minutes ago, catsinthewelder said:

C15 style van

Would!

[catsinthewelder]

Alright, now I look at a bigger picture it's more like a MK2 Caddy but you get the idea

[Three Speed]

I’d like to mention the last version Ford Crown Victoria which was produced (with a styling change) from 1979 to 2012. 4.6 litre V8, separate chassis - old school.  Ran out of road when the updates to keep the design legal were  no longer viable. 
We had a 2000 model from 2000 to 2004. Wish I still had it. Bulletproof.

[Spiny Norman]

At the other end of the scale to the Ladas and Hillman Hunters is this, the stalwart of processions both mayoral and funereal. the Daimler DS420 launched in the 60s. The old style Rolls Royce Phantom was listed until the early 90s too.

 

[MorrisItalSLX]

The Daimler DS420 reminded me that the Jaguar XJ SIII V12 continued to 1992, after the XJ40 was released in 1987.

This was done as supposedly the Jaguar engineers designed the XJ40 engine bay such that BL couldn’t fit the Rover V8 in and thus void Jaguars need to develop new engines. This meant the V12 XJ40 needed extensive design revisions to work.

[andy18s]

Just watched a video about the history of the Vauxhall Cavalier, in which it claims the GM 2900 platform ised for the mk3 Cav is still being used in the Chinese Nevs 9-3

 

[bunglebus]

9 hours ago, catsinthewelder said:

Incedentally the Brazilian built VW type 2's were slowly modernised from the older split screen model on the bits you could see but never received the 2nd generation underpinnings so that 60 plate one was less advanced than a European model from 1968.

They used the split body with bay window front/rear grafted on for a long time, fantastically ugly beasts, and I want one

There's also the South African Fleetline, a bargain basement split that went on into the mid 70s alongside the bay window

Easily spotted by the pressed VW badge on the nose

[adw1977]

Vauxhall Chevette stayed in production until 1984, the same year it's supposed replacement, the Mark 1 Astra, also went out of production. 

[holbeck]

10 hours ago, Spiny Norman said:

the Daimler DS420 launched in the 60s. 

Which is on the floor pan and underpinnings of the Mk X Jag!

[wuvvum]

Being pedantic, the Renault 4 didn't outlast the Mk2 R5 - it went out of production when the Twingo was introduced in 1992, the Supercinq lasted another couple of years after that. 

[Walter White]

Seeing the Falcon ute through the ages reminded me of Mitsubishi motors Australia manufacturing Colt and Sigma. Assembled at Tonsley Park, South Australia into circa 1985/1986 model dependant. 

 

[UltraWomble]

I believe until only a year ago the Chinese were still flogging people the Picasso

And you can buy the same facelifted one new still in Brazil and Argentina 

 

[RayMK]

Has anyone mentioned the Indian automobile industry yet?  Their Standard motor company assembled UK models but gradually incorporated locally sourced components, their production runs not necessarily coincident with the UK model runs. Hindustan perhaps more famously carried the 1950s Morris Cowley several decades further than the Uk albeit with variations under the still recognisable skin.  Premier also dabbled with Fiat 124s. Indian examples of cars based on the Fiat 1100, Rover SD1, Vauxhall Victor FE and some Reliant offerings also lingered with varying success by Indian companies.  Even now, the Indian Royal Enfield company is making motorcycles derived from the long gone UK marque. They are available in the UK.  My brother has traded in his recent Yamaha for a brand new Royal Enfield 650 twin.

[Richard_FM]

8 hours ago, adw1977 said:

Vauxhall Chevette stayed in production until 1984, the same year it's supposed replacement, the Mark 1 Astra, also went out of production. 

Vauxhall kept the Viva in production until 1979, in spite of the overlaps with the Chevette & Cavalier.

Peugeot seemed to have lots of overlaps with older models not being phased out until  the new ones were established in production.  404 & 504, 304 & 305, 104 & 205, and 305 & 405.

Toyota had both the 2nd and 3rd generations of Corolla in production for a few years, just like Datsun with the Cherry E10 & F10.

[martc]

5 hours ago, RayMK said:

 Even now, the Indian Royal Enfield company is making motorcycles derived from the long gone UK marque. They are available in the UK.  My brother has traded in his recent Yamaha for a brand new Royal Enfield 650 twin.

The Royal Enfield 650cc Interceptor is a brand new design from the ground up (designed in the UK). However, the very recently discontinued (31/3/20) 500cc Bullet can trace it's roots back to before WW2... you can still buy them while stocks last. I think the 350cc Bullet is still being made for the Indian market (again a pre-war design). But both Bullets engines are a 2007 design by AVL in Austria.

I may be biased here but I think the absolutely fantastic Moto Guzzi V7 is the only motorbike in current production which has a clear traceable history (of both frame and engine) over several decades. The V7 is a direct evolution of the original V35 of 1979. In fact if Lino Tonti, the designer of both the original engine and frame, was to see a brand new V7 today he would immediately recognise his handiwork.

To extend the topic a little, how would the original designers react to their creations today? Issignosis would recognise the shape of a new MINI but not it's size or in fact not much else. Same for Ferdinanad Porsche seeing a new Beetle, but if he caught the train to Stuttgart he may be a little more chuffed with the way Porsche has progressed. Soichiro Honda would recognise his Cub and would be proud with the progress of his across the frame fours. Edward Turner would immediately see the lineage in a new Bonneville, but there is absolutely nothing in common with the original ones (apart from the name).

 

[ProgRocker]

9 hours ago, adw1977 said:

Vauxhall Chevette stayed in production until 1984, the same year it's supposed replacement, the Mark 1 Astra, also went out of production. 

Wasn't the Nova/Corsa A the actual replacement for the Chevette? Still a year or so overlap. 

I thought more the Astra/Kadett replacing the Viva given that they were both built at Ellesmere Port. 

 

[dozeydustman]

1 hour ago, ProgRocker said:

Wasn't the Nova/Corsa A the actual replacement for the Chevette? Still a year or so overlap. 

I thought more the Astra/Kadett replacing the Viva given that they were both built at Ellesmere Port. 

 

I think in only Britain; in Europe it was the Kadett D that replaced the Shove-it shaped Kadett C.

[dozeydustman]

1 hour ago, ProgRocker said:

Wasn't the Nova/Corsa A the actual replacement for the Chevette? Still a year or so overlap. 

I thought more the Astra/Kadett replacing the Viva given that they were both built at Ellesmere Port. 

 

Also it continued to 1989 as the Daewoo Maepsy in South Korea.

[sierraman]

The MGB, by 1981 it was a laughing stock, it looked stupid by this point and was so off the mark compared to the early sixties ones. Compare them to cars around at the time and they were just irrelevant. 

Rover 100, apparently in the late 80’s the Metro was really profitable for them, instead of channeling it into a new design they just kept going, tacking bits on to it until 1997 when it just looked ridiculous.

[NorfolkNWeigh]

11 minutes ago, sierraman said:

The MGB, by 1981 it was a laughing stock, it looked stupid by this point and was so off the mark compared to the early sixties ones. Compare them to cars around at the time and they were just irrelevant. 

Rover 100, apparently in the late 80’s the Metro was really profitable for them, instead of channeling it into a new design they just kept going, tacking bits on to it until 1997 when it just looked ridiculous.

The GBU sum up for either the MGB or Spitfire in the late 70’s was;

” O death, where is thy sting?”

To this day that and Jules saying “ The path of the righteous man...” are the only bits of the Bible I know.