Cars, Lasses and Lads - A Photo Sharing Thread

39,035 · December 25, 2023

10 hours ago, Metal Guru said:

Maybe more like what the Corsair might have turned into if they had continued with it after 1969.

16 hours ago, ETCHY said:

You know compared to a Cortina that was a bloody brave jump wasn't it !?

Ford did quirky over 20 years before with the Taunus P3.

3,118 · December 25, 2023

30 minutes ago, MiniMinorMk3 said:

But was it? It was still a front engine rear wheel drive car, when nearly all had gone to front drive long before. The body was sort of brave, but Rover had done the big saloon/hatchback thing a few years before, and Renault and Citroen had been doing the smooth look for years. I think Ford were just playing catch up as always and still not committing to the most up to date thinking. And then compare the Sierra with the Audi 100 of the same year, and the Ford looks a generation behind.

Yes I'd agree that front engine rear drive was utterly conventional ( old fashioned even). But to take an aerodynamic concept car like Probe 3 & turn it into a production car is pretty brave. Don't forget this was a boggo fleet car & initially reaction wasn't great .

Most fleet cars were also saloons so whilst hatchbacks had been done the SD1 & others were bigger cars & not really in that sector ( I've not forgotten the Alpine though). For Ford to go hatch only in that market was a leap ( Vauxhall didn't go hatch only with fwd Cavalier).

The Audi was more advanced in many ways but still a 3 box saloon & looked more 'normal'.