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Forgotten Cars


Missy Charm

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3 hours ago, MantaGTE85 said:

Didn't Crusaders have chrome bumpers? I thought only base Cortinas had black.

Crusaders did have stainless steel bumpers, although I imagine by now it’s a case of what can be found in good condition that fits.

Crusaders were pretty popular, I think Ford were slightly taken aback by the demand for them over the summer of ‘82. 

There was even one sitting on the stand at the 1982 Motor Show, which should have been all about the new ‘jelly mould’ replacement. Maybe someone at Ford HQ was feeling nostalgic. 

Carousel’s are much rarer, there were a sort of glorified ‘L’ spec whereas Crusaders were fully loaded, velour, wood veneer on the door tops, pile carpet, radio cassette, pure hedonism 😀

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On 3/17/2023 at 10:22 AM, lesapandre said:

Screenshot_20230317-101917_Chrome.jpg.9682c21f4efe1aaa45d06c4abf03f268.jpg

Always amusing how manufacturers seem to shamelessly copy each other - I think the Vel Satis came first?

Add Vel Satis to this list of disappeared cars - very very few in UK in first place.

Funnily enough - just got the glossy brochure through the door for 'Classic Car Auctions' and there's one in their upcoming list
https://www.carandclassic.com/car/C1558661
Better pictured on the Interweb but there's just a 'something' about glossy brochures on decent paper.... (gifferdom has arrived)

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On 3/17/2023 at 11:01 PM, AnthonyG said:

Not sure if these were ever ‘on sale’ to the public here, I think fleets could have some if they were really interested.

I mean, if you asked hard enough I’m sure Toyota G.B. would have taken your money, at least on a lease, but unlike the Insight they weren’t actively retailed to private customers. 

The above probably also applied to the hydrogen powered Mirai(?), ostensibly available for a few years in the 2010s, at around £50k for a weirdly styled car the size of a Corolla, and which you could only refuel in 6 places in the country or suchlike - well demand was pretty minuscule I imagine. 

Mk1 Prius was definitely sold to UK general public, I drove a press car in 2000ish.

It shat its power steering in Leicester but all was well after a CTRL+ALT+DEL restart.

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On 3/18/2023 at 8:35 AM, Dyslexic Viking said:

I think you are right about that. But think all sold in Norway was petrol.

When dad got in contact with his WW2 Belgian friends in 1966 - we were at RAF Bruggen at the time - they replied and urged us to visit them at La Hulpe in the outskirts of Bruxelles.  We drove there (not far) in dad's Victor FB estate.  After lunch, the friends took us to the Atomium, which was interesting, but far more interesting was the car, a Volga (petrol) like the one pictured.  It was comfortable and solid in a brutish, archaic way and remains as the the only Russian car I've been in. 

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1 hour ago, EyesWeldedShut said:

Funnily enough - just got the glossy brochure through the door for 'Classic Car Auctions' and there's one in their upcoming list
https://www.carandclassic.com/car/C1558661
Better pictured on the Interweb but there's just a 'something' about glossy brochures on decent paper.... (gifferdom has arrived)

"The name Vel Satis is a composite of elements of the words Velocity and Satisfaction"...really?

Loads for sale in France from 500€ upwards...

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41 minutes ago, Skut said:

98-01 Suzuki Alto.  I had one off Mr Shitpeas for quite a bit.  I only saw one other in the entire time we had it.   Quite a likeable little car but rust was getting a hold in a big way. Clutch, CV joint woes and a break in sealed it's fate.  

547922839_AltoZen.thumb.png.d2c880e5334e0a73b721973046cbd56e.png

I got one as a hire car in1999. (Fiesta or similar , yeh right). Drove it round the block and demanded something better.

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On 3/14/2023 at 7:38 AM, GrumpiusMaximus said:

The MK1 Mitsubishi Space Wagon, whereby the styling department looked at a brick and collectively passed that over as the clay model:

Mitsubishi Space Wagon D05 - Classic Car Review | Honest John

When I was at Primary School, our neighbour two down had one and used to take me to school in it a couple of times a week.  My memories are vague but also that it was grim.  This same neighbour also ended going to study to be a Vicar.  Last I heard of her, she'd had an affair with the more senior Vicar...

https://www.kentonline.co.uk/kent/news/no-regrets-say-married-priests-a48477/

You've reminded me of the Datsun Prarie; local newsagents owned one. Blue with a blue interior too... 

https://classics.honestjohn.co.uk/reviews/nissan/prairie-m10/

 

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On 3/18/2023 at 4:06 PM, MantaGTE85 said:

Didn't Crusaders have chrome bumpers? I thought only base Cortinas had black.

Single colour Crusaders had chrome bumpers and black grille, two tone had body colour grille and black bumpers. I’ve never owned a Crusader but drove quite a few as hire cars, I actually preferred them to the fancy new Sierras that were on the rental fleets at the same time. Much plusher inside than a 1.6 L dangly mirrored 4 speed and drove identically on the motorway.

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38 minutes ago, AnthonyG said:

Is that picture in a breakers’ yard? Surprised it wasn’t sold on for salvage, although I suppose that does look like a total loss. 

Yup. Still such a shame it wasn't given another chance. I don't know how stripped the shell is  by now. Engine's for sale here:

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/165652649574?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-127632-2357-0&ssspo=OFRhPSGuQ2S&sssrc=2349624&ssuid=FV05_6LQQo2&var=&widget_ver=artemis&media=COPY

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On 20/03/2023 at 22:26, High Jetter said:

It was known on here, IIRC

It was indeed, involving one of the most epic collection capers ever to feature on the site followed by a sudden and only-partially-unexpected high-profile exit by the owner which roughly coincided with the car headbutting a lamppost (iirc) and losing, thus sealing its fate.

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Not a car I forgot but one I refused to believe ever existed. When I was at primary school, my mum's Metro got hit by what she insisted was an Allegro convertible and the owner said was the only one on the road. In those pre-internet days I had never heard of such a thing and mum not being a car person I assumed she was mistaken. Fast forward many many years and this appeared at the BL Autumn Rally.

LLX 390P - 1975 Austin Allegro 1300 SDL Crayford convertible

She was right all along!

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