Failed attempts to crack the UK

[sierraman]

Checking How Many Left suggests a solitary Lonsdale is still out there. I think my life would be complete one day were I to stumble upon it. How on earth would someone go about tracking it down?

[inconsistant]

I prefer that we know it’s out there than to know where it is. 

[JMotor]

9 hours ago, Soundwave said:

The only other one I can think of is the Mk2 Astra, which was later resurrected and came back to the UK as the Daewoo Nexia. Although... they were actually reasonably successful at the time, plus the styling was mildly tweaked. So not sure that entirely counts.

As a Nexia owner. I REALLY wish they were still Astra based. It'd make finding certain parts easier 😅. 

But OH boy they did more than tweak the styling. The body shell is a bastard child that Daewoo came up with from the saloon and three door hatch. Changed a lot of other things too, near melted my head when most of the bolts were either 12mm or 14mm headed! 

[grogee]

3 hours ago, martc said:

 

 

 

 

[Aston Martin]

Infiniti

[Soundwave]

1 hour ago, sierraman said:

Checking How Many Left suggests a solitary Lonsdale is still out there. I think my life would be complete one day were I to stumble upon it. How on earth would someone go about tracking it down?

I've also been researching this mythical survivor on and off for a while now, the data out there is sparse and flawed... but from what I can piece together from HML and this: https://www.carlogbook.co.uk/mitsubishi/lonsdale/ , it looks like the possible survivor is an '83 registered car in white. Says the engine is "2998cc", but pretty sure that's an error - if I had to guess, I'd say it was the 2.6.

That's it, that's literally all I have on it. It could be tucked away in a garage awaiting rediscovery, or it could be an unrecognisable pile of oxidation in a hedge somewhere.

Beyond that, not really sure how you'd go about finding it unless you knew someone within the DVLA who had a relaxed attitude to data protection laws...

[sierraman]

6 minutes ago, Soundwave said:

I've also been researching this mythical survivor on and off for a while now, the data out there is sparse and flawed... but from what I can piece together from HML and this: https://www.carlogbook.co.uk/mitsubishi/lonsdale/ , it looks like the possible survivor is an '83 registered car in white. Says the engine is "2998cc", but pretty sure that's an error - if I had to guess, I'd say it was the 2.6.

That's it, that's literally all I have on it. It could be tucked away in a garage awaiting rediscovery, or it could be an unrecognisable pile of oxidation in a hedge somewhere.

Beyond that, not really sure how you'd go about finding it unless you knew someone within the DVLA who had a relaxed attitude to data protection laws...

If only! In my head I’ve got it that perhaps it’s in some old fellas garage. Supposedly it’s white and it’s done 74,000 miles. 

[Sheefag]

22 minutes ago, Aston Martin said:

Infiniti

My Wife drives a G37S. Great car, poorly marketed.

[Sheefag]

Cadillac. Twice if my memory serves me correctly.

Once in the late 90s with the Seville DTS

and again in the mid 2000s with the CTS.

And of course the Cadillac version of the Saab 93, The BLS

I've driven both the DTS and the CTS, they are much better cars than you might think. In fact, I've really liked every Caddy I've spent time with.

 

[Rocket88]

5 minutes ago, Sheefag said:

Cadillac. Twice if my memory serves me correctly.

Once in the late 90s with the Seville DTS

and again in the mid 2000s with the CTS.

And of course the Cadillac version of the Saab 93, The BLS

 

Think they had a half arsed attempt with this abomination……

[MiniMinorMk3]

12 hours ago, Split_Pin said:

Can anyone think of another car that the original manufacturers stopped making and selling in the UK but was subsequently put back into production abroad and then sold again in the UK with little success?

The Dacia Denem was one.

I'm not thinking of the Ledbury Maestro as they were small volume kits, but I am sure there are others.

Lancia Beta Monte Carlo. Had dodgy brake I think so had to be re-engineered to rust as good as a regular Beta saloon.

[Rocket88]

3 minutes ago, MiniMinorMk3 said:

Lancia Beta Monte Carlo. Had dodgy brake I think so had to be re-engineered to rust as good as a regular Beta saloon.

Taken out of production for two years to “ fix the brakes”….. which involved the highly complex and well engineered solution of……. removing the servo…….

[Soundwave]

Back in the 90s, before they started peddling re-hashed Daewoos, Chevrolet attempted to get into the UK market. They sold the Corvette and Camaro in LHD form only. They didn't sell well because... well, LHD and more expensive than better cars that weren't LHD.

So with that in mind, they tried flogging the Blazer SUV with its steering wheel on the correct side. There's one tootling about local to me, never been able to get a photo of it though. So here's a Google image instead:

However, even with RHD it still didn't sell especially well. So they went away for a bit, and came back in the mid-00s with the aforementioned Daewoo cast-offs, and it's been downhill ever since.

[MiniMinorMk3]

11 hours ago, inconsistant said:

AROnline: Towards the end of 1979, with the Metro’s launch still almost a year away, Islington-based dealer London Garages Limited offered the Innocenti range in limited numbers, and offered the option to convert the car to right-hand drive.

That's a picture of the later 1984 De Tomato Turbo with the 3-cylinder engine from a Daihatsu Charade.

 

Here's the Innocenti Mini De Tomaso with the old 1275 a-series 

 

[wuvvum]

3 hours ago, NorfolkNWeigh said:

There were at least two on here at one point, Breadbin had one as did the fella with the Messerschmitts, I think.

Skattrd definitely had one, it made an appearance at the FOD once.

[Rocket88]

11 minutes ago, MiniMinorMk3 said:

That's a picture of the later 1984 De Tomato Turbo with the 3-cylinder engine from a Daihatsu Charade.

 

Here's the Innocenti Mini De Tomaso with the old 1275 a-series 

 

James Ruppert ( of bangernomics fame) has got one…….

[NorfolkNWeigh]

10 minutes ago, Soundwave said:

Back in the 90s, before they started peddling re-hashed Daewoos, Chevrolet attempted to get into the UK market. They sold the Corvette and Camaro in LHD form only. They didn't sell well because... well, LHD and more expensive than better cars that weren't LHD.

So with that in mind, they tried flogging the Blazer SUV with its steering wheel on the correct side. There's one tootling about local to me, never been able to get a photo of it though. So here's a Google image instead:

However, even with RHD it still didn't sell especially well. So they went away for a bit, and came back in the mid-00s with the aforementioned Daewoo cast-offs, and it's been downhill ever since.

There was at least one with a 2.0 Omega  engine  fitted, never read anything about it at the time but it turned up on Autotrader at about 5 years old. 
Similarly, I remember two different RHD Lincoln LSes being advertised on Autotrader. Again don’t know if they were thinking about selling them here or just part of S-Type  development.

 

[chaseracer]

@eddyramrod had a Blazer similar to the one above.

[5speedracer]

3 hours ago, sierraman said:

Pegaso Troner, a mid size tractor unit designed to compete with Iveco and Scania, supposedly parts were a twat to get hold of so it didn’t do well. Happily one still survives in Northern Ireland awaiting restoration. 

Occasionally in rural areas of Spain you sometimes see Pegaso trucks despite being out of production 20 odd years. 

Pegaso were at that time owned by a company called Enasa who also briefly owned Seddon Atkinson. They needed to modernise and entered a joint venture with DAF to develop a cab that was used on the DAF 95, Pegaso Troner and Seddon Atkinson Strato. Just as they were getting going with the new cab Enasa was bought over by Iveco who understandably wanted to use their cab and also killed off the Pegaso name as they assumed owners would just move to Iveco, they didn't.

Mind you the cab was so good that DAF are only now finishing orders for trucks using cosmetically tweaked versions of what is the same basic cab from 1987.

[HillmanImp]

36 minutes ago, Sheefag said:

My Wife drives a G37S. Great car, poorly marketed.

I think the styling let them down a bit but that's subjective I guess.

Your wife Dave might like it, as do many others but no matter how good a car it is, I think it didn't look 'premium' enough for the polo shirt/Louis Vuitton bag wearing uk target market for them to lob a huge monthly pcp payment on. 

[inconsistant]

13 minutes ago, HillmanImp said:

Your wife Dave

Lol

[Lankytim]

53 minutes ago, Soundwave said:

Back in the 90s, before they started peddling re-hashed Daewoos, Chevrolet attempted to get into the UK market. They sold the Corvette and Camaro in LHD form only. They didn't sell well because... well, LHD and more expensive than better cars that weren't LHD.

So with that in mind, they tried flogging the Blazer SUV with its steering wheel on the correct side. There's one tootling about local to me, never been able to get a photo of it though. So here's a Google image instead:

However, even with RHD it still didn't sell especially well. So they went away for a bit, and came back in the mid-00s with the aforementioned Daewoo cast-offs, and it's been downhill ever since.

I had one a few years ago. Bought with a blown drivers side head gasket which was pretty straightforward to fix. Overall it was in really good shape and reminded me of a big Vauxhall Frontera. The almost exclusively American Blazer FB community were amazed when they saw a RHD Blazer and there was much interest in it.  The 4.3 V6 engine could only manage late teens MPG and it’s thirst, expensive road tax and a lack of brand awareness made about as saleable as a hairy white dog turd. American car enthusiasts hate them too, especially as it’s a U.K. market car so not a “real yank”. Eventually it was broken up and scrapped. 
 

If it wasn’t so terrible on fuel It might live on. There are so many similar vehicles that do the same job more efficiently. Even with LPG it would be too expensive to run. 

[MiniMinorMk3]

53 minutes ago, Rocket88 said:

James Ruppert ( of bangernomics fame) has got one…….

I have some in miniature

[Split_Pin]

46 minutes ago, 5speedracer said:

Pegaso were at that time owned by a company called Enasa who also briefly owned Seddon Atkinson. They needed to modernise and entered a joint venture with DAF to develop a cab that was used on the DAF 95, Pegaso Troner and Seddon Atkinson Strato. Just as they were getting going with the new cab Enasa was bought over by Iveco who understandably wanted to use their cab and also killed off the Pegaso name as they assumed owners would just move to Iveco, they didn't.

Mind you the cab was so good that DAF are only now finishing orders for trucks using cosmetically tweaked versions of what is the same basic cab from 1987.

There's a picture of a pre-launch Iveco Eurostar in an old Truck magazine I have that's wearing Pegaso badges. Presumably a stillborn project to appeal to loyal Pegaso customers.

There was a Troner abandoned at the Scottish Vintage Bus Museum for many years. The owner had fucked off to America and just left it there. I took a shonky photo of it about 10 years ago although its probably long gone now.

[MiniMinorMk3]

Daihatsu Campagno 1964

 

[martc]

15 hours ago, egg said:

I had to dig about a bit, but yes, Lloyd 600's were sold in the UK. I have no idea about the success of that venture

http://www.lloydselig.com/autocar030857-lloyd.pdf

Several of the smaller German makers had a go at the UK market in the '50's and '60's. Most with little success - I think import duty was a big problem as well as unfamiliarity.  Below is a pic I posted in the people posing with cars thread. Note the UK spec DKW - another rarity.

DKW were part of Auto-Union along with Audi, Horch and Wanderer, later merging with NSU. NSU were another nearly made it in the UK company with the Prinz and Ro80.  Note the Auto-Union badge; seen in the visitors car park of all major purchasing departments to this very day.

Borgward , who made the Lloyd cars above, had a go in the UK as well but I think their expense killed them...

I've a feeling Frazer Nash (of car fame) were the importers of several German brands at the time, including those above and BMW (whatever they are).

[PhilA]

3 hours ago, Soundwave said:

Back in the 90s, before they started peddling re-hashed Daewoos, Chevrolet attempted to get into the UK market. They sold the Corvette and Camaro in LHD form only. They didn't sell well because... well, LHD and more expensive than better cars that weren't LHD.

So with that in mind, they tried flogging the Blazer SUV with its steering wheel on the correct side. There's one tootling about local to me, never been able to get a photo of it though. So here's a Google image instead:

However, even with RHD it still didn't sell especially well. So they went away for a bit, and came back in the mid-00s with the aforementioned Daewoo cast-offs, and it's been downhill ever since.

We had the S-10 at work. Pick-up truck version of that, with a Truckman top on.

It's almost as if GM did no market research outside of "do they have cars there?". The one we had was gutless but would cruise 55 and return upper 20's UK MPG. The interior was assembled from the standard GM hole-in-the-panel parts-bin method used until 2007; the fit and finish was poor even by American standards.

They could probably have improved the way it went, given that the American version was designed to run on 87 AKI fuel- standard UK fuel is 93 AKI, the top tier here.

4/10 Could Do Better

 

Edit: I see that one says Hydrogen on the bowtie up front- I seem to recall a hybrid/alt-fuels drive using the Blazer platform. Maybe that was part of it?

[bunglebus]

2 hours ago, martc said:

 

Borgward 

There are a few around, seen the odd Isabella coupé, notably in an Ongar fuel station. There was also a terminally rusty one disintegrating on a farm near where I grew up, I remember sitting in it

[lesapandre]

Big NSU poorly received in UK (and all other places). Finished NSU as an independent manufacturer.

[Missy Charm]

Does the Fisker Karma count?

I seem to remember there being various newspaper articles suggesting it would 'definitely' come here, but another source suggests only two actually made it.  Fisker have gone bust but the car lives on in China, the rights having been bought by one of their manufacturers.