Facelifts we didn't get in the UK

[D.E]

More a rebadge than a facelift, but the Yaris Mk 2 lived on for a bit longer as a Daihatsu Charade:

[Noel Tidybeard]

On 09/07/2024 at 14:58, Muniphobia said:

With the different lights they no longer follow the line of the bumper/wheelarch and doesn't look as neat, must have cost to retool for the different lights and the sheet metal changes and I don't think it would have produced any more sales

see also crocus mk3 facelift

[Muniphobia]

When VW took over the Dodge Argentina operations they made the Avenger until 1991 and gave it another facelift to make it more VW like

[MiniMinorMk3]

Hindustan Contessa (FE Victor)

[Muniphobia]

The Vauxhall Viva HB was also sold is Canada as the Envoy Epic which had a twin headlamp treatment

In Australia it was sold as the Holden Torana but with single round headlamps

[Datsuncog]

On the topic of Vauxhalls, the Viva HC went largely unchanged in the UK for its entire lifespan between 1970 and 1979, but while a mid-70s facelift was proposed and then nixed by Vauxhall, the same design did make it onto South African built HCs - badged as the Chevrolet Firenza - from 1975 on:

After the facelift, the car was known less excitingly as the Chevrolet 1300/ 1900, depending on engine size.

Possibly it was an early effort by GM to harmonise Vauxhalls with their Opel equivalents - the front end treatment looks quite similar to the early/mid 70s Commodore B/ Ascona B models, to my eyes anyway.

These two were also built and marketed under the Chevrolet name in South Africa, so showrooms in the mid-70s would have had a 'corporate nose' thing going on across the range.

[Datsuncog]

As an aside, and more as a unique development than a facelift, in 1976 GM South Africa's design office also married up the rear pressings of the Chevette hatchback body with the front half of the facelifted HC onto a shortened floorpan, to produce the Chevrolet 1300/ 1900 Hatch:

Which was, apparently, given serious consideration for a UK launch too, hence the promotional pics on an R-reg.

Ultimately, top brass at Luton also quashed this idea, which is a pity as I think I looks quite good.

It's also meant to be possible to retrofit the older HC front end onto a Hatch, basically giving you a Viva Hatchback.

I'd kinda like to import one of these and take it along to a classic car meet, then watch everyone lose their minds...

[sheffcortinacentre]

Ford were toying with a similar MK2 escort I believe atleast one full size one was made (probably only a mock up.

[Datsuncog]

2 hours ago, sheffcortinacentre said:

Ford were toying with a similar MK2 escort I believe atleast one full size one was made (probably only a mock up.

I'd still like to know who was behind this creation, which seems to involve a Mk1 Escort with bits of Capri to the rear...

Seems to be French; probably coachbuilt rather than FoMoCo? Twin fuel fillers is an unusual feature.

[ETCHY]

6 hours ago, Datsuncog said:

I'd still like to know who was behind this creation, which seems to involve a Mk1 Escort with bits of Capri to the rear...

Seems to be French; probably coachbuilt rather than FoMoCo? Twin fuel fillers is an unusual feature.

The Ford Quasimodo ?

[hairnet]

big butt and i cant deny

[Muniphobia]

BL Australia facelifted the 1800 and called it the Austin Kimberley

There was also a single headlamp version called the Tasman

 

They condered using the Australian bodyshell as a base for a Vanden Plas for the UK market and they made one prototype that still exists

 

[Wibble]

On 19/07/2024 at 13:17, Datsuncog said:

As an aside, and more as a unique development than a facelift, in 1976 GM South Africa's design office also married up the rear pressings of the Chevette hatchback body with the front half of the facelifted HC onto a shortened floorpan, to produce the Chevrolet 1300/ 1900 Hatch:

Which was, apparently, given serious consideration for a UK launch too, hence the promotional pics on an R-reg.

Ultimately, top brass at Luton also quashed this idea, which is a pity as I think I looks quite good.

It's also meant to be possible to retrofit the older HC front end onto a Hatch, basically giving you a Viva Hatchback.

I'd kinda like to import one of these and take it along to a classic car meet, then watch everyone lose their minds...

I may be a bit late to the party, but there’s something about that, that looks very much not a Chevette rear. Glass, C pillars and more looks just wrong to me.

[Datsuncog]

4 hours ago, Wibble said:

I may be a bit late to the party, but there’s something about that, that looks very much not a Chevette rear. Glass, C pillars and more looks just wrong to me.

No, it's not the front of a Viva and the back of a Chevette glued together, cut 'n' shut style - but as far as I can tell the rear hatch, the slam panel and the rear valance are standard GM T-car/ Chevette hatch items, first seen on Brazilian built models in 1973.

The pressing including the C pillar seems to have been modified from the rear section of a 2-door HC (arches and fuel filler are pure HC), while the side rear windows seem to be unique to this model.

The chrome strip running up and over the rear of the roof may well be a trim piece hiding a joint between the original Viva roof pressing and the new metalwork accomodating the hatch.

Everything from the B-pillar forward looks to be HC Viva.

[Wibble]

8 minutes ago, Datsuncog said:

No, it's not the front of a Viva and the back of a Chevette glued together, cut 'n' shut style - but as far as I can tell the rear hatch, the slam panel and the rear valance are standard GM T-car/ Chevette hatch items, first seen on Brazilian built models in 1973.

The pressing including the C pillar seems to have been modified from the rear section of a 2-door HC (arches and fuel filler are pure HC), while the side rear windows seem to be unique to this model.

The chrome strip running up and over the rear of the roof may well be a trim piece hiding a joint between the original Viva roof pressing and the new metalwork accomodating the hatch.

Everything from the B-pillar forward looks to be HC Viva.

Thanks, I think you’re correct on all points.