Worst Rebadges In History

[boobydoo]

Yes from 1976 onwards.

When Chrysler threatened to pull out of the UK in 1975 which would have resulted in 1000s of job losses, the British government basically shat itself and came up with a rescue plan.

Big cash injection to keep factories open resulting in Avenger production to be moved to Glasgow to replace the defunct Imp therefore keeping the scots employed. Further cash to develop the Imp replacement (Chrysler Sunbeam) also to be built in Glasgow.

Chrysler Alpine production started in Coventry instead of importing them from France.

Hunter to be built in Ireland mainly in CKD form for Iranian market (Peykan).

 

Waste of time in the end, cos Chrysler pulled out in 1978 anyway. Sold the whole kit and caboodle to Peugeot for $1.

[155V6]

We were talking about some of the woeful SAAB/GM re-branding in another thread.

 

 

 

Baffling.

I saw a Cadillac-fronted Saab Estate the other day,didn't have a camera though

[Justin Case]

Vauxhall Agila

Opel Agila

Suzuki Wagon R

 

Now replaced by:

Vauxhall Agila

Opel Agila

Suzuki Splash

 

and in siimlar vein:

Daihatsu Move

Perodua Kenari

[Pete-M]

There's also this lot.

 

 

Obvious, but you can't have a thread about shite rebadges without it.

 

 

The Saab 600, class.

 

 

Audi 50 anyone?

[Guest]

That 9-2x thing is quite appealing in its own right, I wouldnt mind one, all the ability of an impreza without the shaven head

Too easy, not gonna do it.

 

Anyway, we're forgetting the BEST rebadge!

 

 

.....into.....

 

 

Admittedly, they changed pretty much everything.

[Pete-M]

They changed that much I didn't even realise they were related.

[aled]

That 9-2x thing is quite appealing in its own right, I wouldnt mind one, all the ability of an impreza without the shaven head

Too easy, not gonna do it.

 

Anyway, we're forgetting the BEST rebadge!

 

 

.....into.....

 

 

Admittedly, they changed pretty much everything.

 

i think you will find that the charmant was more related to the carina than the corolla

[Formula Autos]

How about FIAT's rebadging of the 132 to Argenta in 1981?

 

FIAT UK must have been horrified when the "little unpleasantness" kicked off a year later in The Falklands.

 

Or the rebadging of the Marina to Ital? - No-one was fooled, surely?

 

Also, I don't think anyone has yet mentioned the finest example of badge engineered Autoshite yet - the Peugeot 104/Citroen LN/Talbot Samba. This kept Talbot going until '86.

 

Would have posted piccies of all this lot, but couldn't get it to work, despite following the sticky thread on the subject.

[Guest]

i think you will find that the charmant was more related to the carina than the corolla

Nope, despite appearances it is Corolla KE70 based - the Carina is longer and heavier. My Charmant is the 1.3 pushrod model, you couldn't get Carinas with that.

[M'coli]

So is the Charmant OMG RWD NOT AE86 DRIFT etc.?

[Guest]

Amusingly, because the AE86 seems to be largely derived from the E70 models, it has a lot in common with it. Length/width/wheelbase are all identical, the majority of mechanical parts can be swapped around. Hence why Irish people drifted them all to death.

[uk_senator]

How about FIAT's rebadging of the 132 to Argenta in 1981?

 

FIAT UK must have been horrified when the "little unpleasantness" kicked off a year later in The Falklands.

 

Or the rebadging of the Marina to Ital? - No-one was fooled, surely?

 

Also, I don't think anyone has yet mentioned the finest example of badge engineered Autoshite yet - the Peugeot 104/Citroen LN/Talbot Samba. This kept Talbot going until '86.

 

Would have posted piccies of all this lot, but couldn't get it to work, despite following the sticky thread on the subject.

I`ve had an Argenta, nice place to sit while your trying to work out why theres no power getting to the ignition/starter/dashboard.

 

Best bits were the slide out brown perspex sunvisors front & sides & the red LED clock.

 

I`ve also had a 104, an LNA II AND a Samba... yep, I fell for it 3 times...

[Timewaster]

Pity, I always thought Rover's mini designs were better than BMW's:

 

 

 

 

Rover were clearly on drugs.

To be fair, the 2 door looked much better:

 

 

But that ACV concept coupe thing was a dog!

[aled]

i think you will find that the charmant was more related to the carina than the corolla

Nope, despite appearances it is Corolla KE70 based - the Carina is longer and heavier. My Charmant is the 1.3 pushrod model, you couldn't get Carinas with that.

a good mate of mine had a charmant 1.6 the same time as my perents had a 1.6 carina and both had the same engine, box axle and most of the interior dash was the same, altho the interior trim was a lot better in the charmant.

[fiatdaft]

some of the rebadging examples are a bit tenious as well,i would expect a rebadge to share at least some exterior panels!

[Formula Autos]

How about the Ford Orion to Escort Saloon as the worst rebadge in history?

 

Prior to that Ford managed to charge a hefty premium for the booted Escort. Actually admitting that it wasn't an Orion after all meant it fell to (more or less) the price of the hatch. Doh!

[fiatdaft]

and the sales figures for escorts went up as the booted one was now included in the stats.

[Alexg]

 

To be fair, the 2 door looked much better:

 

 

 

Still looks fresh - IMO

[Formula Autos]

The 5 door version looks like a half melted Daewoo Matiz.

 

Still, it looks as if it'd be roomy, which would be the point of the thing really.

[ChinaTom]

Mini Countryman? Thought it was a Daihatsu Sirion

[Negative Creep]

Does these count?

 

 

 

 

 

All together now: teeeeerrrrwat!

[155V6]

Poor Fiat ,the Chrysler reminded me of one I saw on Ovalchat.Someone said they reminded them of Rover P5s,so there was a photoshopped picture of one with Rostyles

[Twiggy]

 

Lancia Zeta = Fiat Ulysses / Citroen summat or other / Peugeot 806

 

Citroen Synergie...