It’s March / April 1992, you have £2k to buy a saloon or hatch….

[Peter C]

Last in this popular* series, pick a saloon or hatchback.

I’m with @Wibble and I’ll go for the Cortina.

[Timewaster]

What Car there,  suggesting that a Cavalier and an Uno are interchangeable prospects.

And that a BX is a saloon.

 

They really were printing any old rubbish by this time.

I must have bought every copy from about 1985 to around this time when I gave up on it 

[EyesWeldedShut]

I'd have to go for a Citroen BX saloon - never knew they existed- did they?

If they didn't then I would go back in time and have another Stanza - really boring car that couldn't hold fifth at 70 on an incline but worth it just to wallow in that early 1980's blandness.

[EyesWeldedShut]

3 minutes ago, Timewaster said:

And that a BX is a saloon.

Awwww - I'm destroyed - I was all 'cars you never knew existed' for a second

[somewhatfoolish]

BX for a hatch and the Stellar for a saloon pls; guaranteed to arrive as comfortably as at departure.

[Timewaster]

7 minutes ago, EyesWeldedShut said:

I'd have to go for a Citroen BX saloon - never knew they existed- did they?

If they didn't then I would go back in time and have another Stanza - really boring car that couldn't hold fifth at 70 on an incline but worth it just to wallow in that early 1980's blandness.

Remember "Double the Stanzas....?"

[brownnova]

I think it would have to be BX for the Hatch (followed by the Cavalier) and I think a Peugeot 505 as a saloon please (followed by the Volvo)

Which betrays more of a liking for French vehicles than I realised! 

[Dyslexic Viking]

Mazda 323 and Volvo 240

[sierraman]

I’ll have either the Stellar, Cortina, Solara or the Sierra. 

[Conan]

If I could go back to the time when the Mazda 626 GC parts were cheap and plentiful I'd have another one in a heartbeat. Purely on the driving experience. It drives like something not merely acceptable but good from the mid 90's. Not the number metrics like performance (although it was alright) or fuel efficiency (although it was par) as it's average for its age, but things like the steering ratio, handling balance, suspension geometry, chassis stiffness, power band, etc. made it so modern feeling for a car introduced in 1982. Good parts quality, reliable drivetrain, decent interior space etc. are just bonuses. But spare parts are so hens teeth there's no chance of running one as an actual daily driver in 2024.

[warch]

6 minutes ago, Conan said:

If I could go back to the time when the Mazda 626 GC parts were cheap and plentiful I'd have another one in a heartbeat. Purely on the driving experience. It drives like something not merely acceptable but good from the mid 90's. Not the number metrics like performance (although it was alright) or fuel efficiency (although it was par) as it's average for its age, but things like the steering ratio, handling balance, suspension geometry, chassis stiffness, power band, etc. made it so modern feeling for a car introduced in 1982. Good parts quality, reliable drivetrain, decent interior space etc. are just bonuses. But spare parts are so hens teeth there's no chance of running one as an actual daily driver in 2024.

Important point. One of the rationales behind the purchase of my mid 80s Astra hatch (currently having a little welding done) is that Vauxhall parts are still available and widely interchangeable with contemporary or earlier or later models. It shares lots of parts commonality with the Nova and Cavalier for example. 
 

 

[MorrisItalSLX]

Citroen BX and Volvo 240, respectively.

[Peter C]

Voila, a Citroen BX saloon.

[Conan]

2 minutes ago, warch said:

Important point. One of the rationales behind the purchase of my mid 80s Astra hatch (currently having a little welding done) is that Vauxhall parts are still available and widely interchangeable with contemporary or earlier or later models. It shares lots of parts commonality with the Nova and Cavalier for example. 

This is so much a consideration for running any old chod today. My T130 Corona got waaaayyyyyyyy better part support than the GC 626 despite being much older because of parts interchangeability with the Corolla, Crown, Cressida, etc. I guess it's not as bad as the Solara or Stellar though. Same level as Bluebird, Audi 80 and Regata, perhaps.

It's a miracle some of these cars manage to survived the pre-internet proliferation days. Even then, when most parts had to come from Eastern Europe online seller (No point looking for them in Japan because there's none) and usually the last handful in stock, it's not looking great.

There was a decent N10 Pulsar/Cherry for sale recently that I really really wanted to save, and it was CHEAP because no one knew what it was, and accordingly, there's virtually no parts support for it. Unless I'm ready for it to be a lawn ornament for months from simple things like brake piston or handbrake cable, there's no way I could get into something like that again.

I'm sad now because it's applicable to like 35-40% of the cars in OP.

[somewhatfoolish]

This is what it was like trying to run a 1920s car in the 60s, if you weren't lucky enough to have a scrapyard with the same model to pick bits off or rich enough to have a donor you had to improvise or walk. 3D printing is ok for trim stuff but it's not affordable yet for making metal components and it's not likely to be for quite a while.

Semi-relevant anecdote; circa 1960 dad was offered a Rolls Royce 20/25 limousine in exchange for £10 and his Ford E83 van by a fellow student. Perhaps sensibly he declined, both for the thought of trying to get spares for it and the quadrupling of his fuel bill, never mind not having a spare £10.

[Markeh]

Leaning towards the BX in hatch land, torn between the Audi, the BM, the 505 and the Volvo on the saloons.

[tapir]

Mazda 323 for me

[Stinkwheel]

This is a tricky choice, I have owned several cortinas and BX's so probably would swerve them just because. Nostalgia says Stanza as my Dad had a brand new X plate one, so its the nostalgia for the bland that wins out. One surprising memory is that Dad rated the Stanza as a far better an car than the Bluebird he got to replace it. That bluebird single handedly stopped him buying anymore Datsuns/Nissans so he swapped to a new 1989 Audi 90 2.2 5Cyl, now that was a GOOD car.

[EyesWeldedShut]

7 minutes ago, Stinkwheel said:

This is a tricky choice, I have owned several cortinas and BX's so probably would swerve them just because. Nostalgia says Stanza as my Dad had a brand new X plate one, so its the nostalgia for the bland that wins out. One surprising memory is that Dad rated the Stanza as a far better an car than the Bluebird he got to replace it. That bluebird single handedly stopped him buying anymore Datsuns/Nissans so he swapped to a new 1989 Audi 90 2.2 5Cyl, now that was a GOOD car.

The Stanza I drove was a 1983 1.6GL from my FiL who had moved 'up' to a Bluebird - I think it was a 2.0l or a 1.8l? . He hated that from the get go too.
He bought a new 3.4? Jag out of a showroom in Surrey instead and placated the MiL with a set of matching hide luggage from said dealer. I think the suitcases cost as much as the Stanza was worth by that time.

 

[Stinkwheel]

11 minutes ago, EyesWeldedShut said:

The Stanza I drove was a 1983 1.6GL from my FiL who had moved 'up' to a Bluebird - I think it was a 2.0l or a 1.8l? . He hated that from the get go too.
He bought a new 3.4? Jag out of a showroom in Surrey instead and placated the MiL with a set of matching hide luggage from said dealer. I think the suitcases cost as much as the Stanza was worth by that time.

 

Its interesting how different owners views can be so different on the same car. Dad liked the Stanza a lot, hence going for its replacement Bluebird after. He said the bluebird wouldnt pull the skin off a rice pudding and handled like a barge (all compared to the Stanza)

Amazingly a couple of years after he sold the Stanza we parked next to it in a Devon car park whilst we were on a family holiday. Bit of a twilight zone moment as we lived in either wales or the midlands at that point

[grogee]

Mazda 323: Always wanted one. Don't know why, I think it's because I think they look smart and the interior is a bit futuristic. 

Volvo 343: For when I'm having a crash. 

Cavalier: For carrying stuff or people around. 

BX: For floatyness over 2024 post-apocalyptic roads. 

[MantaGTE85]

Mazda 626 because of the tune the dash plays when I've left the lights on.

[Zelandeth]

Uno for a hatch and Volvo for a saloon please.

Wouldn't say no to the Colt either - no experience with them, but if they're half as decent a car as the Proton which followed I'd happily have one as an unexciting but utterly dependable daily.

[SEATMad]

Hatchbacks - Defiantly the Colt, lovely little cars. Followed up with the Talbot Horizon, Nissan Stanza and the Mazda 323. 

Saloon - Hyundai Stellar, Mazda 626, Talbot Solara. The Regata would be in with a shout as well. 

[yes oui si]

Chevette and e21, ta. 

[Ronkey]

It would be the Mazda 323. My mum had a 1981 1.5GT twin carb version which was frequently borrowed as it was properly quick albeit sketchy on Stromil tyres. The best gear change of any car I've driven.

Finally died due to corrosion. We found out just how bad it was after a driver's seat mount fell through the floor 😬

[HMC]

Stanza 1.6 please, chuck in some isopon and you’ve got a deal

[Popsicle]

Mk2 Cavalier for the hatch and a toss up between the Volvo 240/Peugeot 505 with the saloons.

[Macscrooge]

Sensible head on:  Volvo 240 and Volvo 360 (I know the article says 343 but I actually bought an ‘84 360GLS in 1991 for £1,700).  
Slightly less sensible head on: Pug 505 and Citroen BX16 (my ‘90 16RS was £2k in 1996)

Disappointed there’s no Renault 21. 

[Peter C]

2 hours ago, HMC said:

Stanza 1.6

Apparently they had really heavy steering and PAS wasn’t an option.