Vehicles with an unusually long production period

[MorrisItalSLX]

The Volvo 240 ran from 1974 to 1993, It’s worth remembering the 140 was essentially the same car and ran from 1966 to 1974.

The Volvo 140/240 ~ 1966 - 1993

[R Lutz]

What I'd love to  understand with these long production runs is the state of the tooling. 

[Dan the van]

Royal Enfield Bullet.1948 to present.(I think).Rented one when I was in India early nineties.I quite liked it.

[St.Jude]

3 hours ago, lesapandre said:

Yes the Russian UAZ van. Very popular design but few seen in the west. In production in various forms from 1958 to present - still sold new in those places where Russian goods are not embargoed. It's the oldest four-wheel road vehicle still in production I think.

There is a video, somewhere (I can't remember where) which gives you a guided tour of one of these brand spanking new. Think it was filmed this year.

It makes you think if this was the van that gave birth to that mantra of "No Airbags, we did like real man".

[grogee]

15 hours ago, LightBulbFun said:

they actually stopped making them for a time, and then started making them again,

Maestro? 

BLARG 83-95ish

Apple, then Ledbury (or possibly the other way around) 

[bigstraight6]

13 hours ago, SiC said:

Fiat 500

Not just the old, classic original. 

The new one has been in production since 2007 without any major chassis or even major cosmetic changes. A 17 year production run, that still is in production, for any modern car is a very long time. I don't even know of any replacements they've got planned for it either?

I can't think of any other mainstream car still in production that is as old as it?

In 2021 they had made 2.5 million of the things too. The classic was 4 million, so it won't be long surely before it'll get to that level. Even the classic was in production for 18yrs, which the new gen will be nearly there now.

I’ve got one of these as my daily commute car, it’s nice to drive for a small car and very cheap to run, they still seem to be selling well from all the newly registered ones I see daily.

[DSdriver]

15 hours ago, bigstraight6 said:

DL beat me to it with the incomparable Renault 4, the Bedford TK had a good run..

Bedford TJ also, first introduced in 1958, they were still making them for the African market in 1986

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Bedford_TJ_1966_Castle_Hedingham_2008.JPG#/media/File:Bedford_TJ_1966_Castle_Hedingham_2008.JPG 

[bangernomics]

Dunno, you may be right, but I think they still make something in the same style.  

Are you confusing them with ikea.

[bangernomics]

They were shit in 1959, and the improvements they made over the next 40 years were 95% related to legislation change, and they were never much better in 1999. 

Opinions differ.

They were an innovative package.

I had at least 20 of them over the years.

[somewhatfoolish]

2 hours ago, R Lutz said:

What I'd love to  understand with these long production runs is the state of the tooling. 

Responsible manufacturers have toolmakers regularly checking jigs, fixtures, press tools etc against masters or measuring wear and have programmes of replacement or refurbishment, BLARG just had Bobs in brown dustcoats packing out worn fixtures with bits of fag paper and cardboard.

[MrBiscuits]

These deserve a mention. 1974 (sherpa) through 2005 (Pilot). The rear sheet metal basically the same as the sixties J4. I think there was a Turkish version too that might still be made.

[New POD]

21 minutes ago, bangernomics said:

Opinions differ.

They were an innovative package.

I had at least 20 of them over the years.

I had only 4.  Ignoring my Dad's advice. He had a new one in 1959. 

Innovative yes. Bodged. Also yes. 

[Stinkwheel]

15 hours ago, New POD said:

They were shit in 1959, and the improvements they made over the next 40 years were 95% related to legislation change, and they were never much better in 1999. 

So similar to pretty much all ‘peoples’ cars over the years. 
2CV, Beetle, Morris Minor,  Model T, Renault 4, Fiat 500, Trabant etc all built to a price, all flawed in some way and all called shit at some point or another by someone or another. 

[LightBulbFun]

8 hours ago, Spottedlaurel said:

Nissan Cedric/300C estate, Y30 series:

There are a few instances of Japanese cars where the estate version ran alongside its successor for a while (1980s Corolla and Mazda 323 for example), but this one was launched alongside its saloon sister in 1984 and managed to survive for four successive generations, finally ceasing production in 1999. Sadly we only got it for just four years.

along similar lines the Forth Generation Ford Falcon the one that started out looking like a Granada remained in production in Ute form  through various face lifts until 1999 I think

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ford_Falcon_(Australia)#Fourth_generation_(1979–1999)

[bangernomics]

I had six beetles and a t2 so guilty of those rotten things too.

Actually liked working in the beetles.

[Stinkwheel]

4 minutes ago, bangernomics said:

I had six beetles and a t2 so guilty of those rotten things too.

Actually liked working in the beetles.

I bloody hated them, only had one, a fully restored 1971 1300, after the engine had to come out 3 times in 3 weeks for different 'faults' that kept happening. I gave up and sold it for a profit.

[MiniMinorMk3]

Renault 12/Dacia 1300/Dacia 1310 1969 to 2006

[MiniMinorMk3]

Mercedes G-Wagon, 1979 to ?

[Timewaster]

20 hours ago, New POD said:

They were shit in 1959, and the improvements they made over the next 40 years were 95% related to legislation change, and they were never much better in 1999. 

Well they were very much a BL product with everything that comes with that.

But I was reminded of their qualities yesterday, when one looking just like the one in the picture appeared around a roundabout heading straight for me before flicking left like a bluebottle down the next exit.

I'd sort of forgotten they could do that.

[Richard_FM]

9 hours ago, somewhatfoolish said:

Responsible manufacturers have toolmakers regularly checking jigs, fixtures, press tools etc against masters or measuring wear and have programmes of replacement or refurbishment, BLARG just had Bobs in brown dustcoats packing out worn fixtures with bits of fag paper and cardboard.

I heard one visiting representative from one of the Japanese manufacturers was surprised by such activity, & mentioned how his company remade tooling if it wore out during a production run.

[GeordieInExile]

14 hours ago, MorrisItalSLX said:

The Volvo 240 ran from 1974 to 1993, It’s worth remembering the 140 was essentially the same car and ran from 1966 to 1974.

The Volvo 140/240 ~ 1966 - 1993

Their fellow Swedes, Saab, only really made three cars before the GM takeover as well:-

92/93/96 - 1949-80

99/90/900 - 1968-94

9000 - 1984-98

(And then the Sonnett on top, TBF, and a badge engineered Delta.)

[Stinkwheel]

8 hours ago, Richard_FM said:

I heard one visiting representative from one of the Japanese manufacturers was surprised by such activity, & mentioned how his company remade tooling if it wore out during a production run.

And thats why the japanese took BL's market share away from them in a nutshell

[artdjones]

The Raleigh Superbe. I don't know if you can buy them new any more, but they were made for at least 60-70 years. My father used one as his primary means of transport. 

[tooSavvy]

21 hours ago, R Lutz said:

What I'd love to  understand with these long production runs is the state of the tooling. 

I believe the Capri (later as in 2.8i) had 'chroming/flashing' of tooling edges....

🚙💨

[lesapandre]

Peugeot van - the J7/J9 range. From 1965 to 1991 in France and thence to 1999 when production finally stopped in Turkey - 34 years. Various engines and trims over the years.

[grogee]

1 hour ago, artdjones said:

The Raleigh Superbe. I don't know if you can buy them new any more, but they were made for at least 60-70 years. My father used one as his primary means of transport. 

What is the little cylinder mounted to the seat tube for?

Snuff box? 

[lesapandre]

 The Hillman Avenger - 1970 in the UK to 1988 when production finally stopped in Argentina by which time it was badged a VW!

[lesapandre]

1 minute ago, grogee said:

What is the little cylinder mounted to the seat tube for?

Snuff box? 

Batteries for the lights. Modern lightweight LED rechargeable lights are a world away from what was available in the past.

[grogee]

3 minutes ago, lesapandre said:

Batteries for the lights.

Of course! Silly me. 

[lesapandre]

12 minutes ago, grogee said:

Of course! Silly me. 

Either that or they were fitted with a friction dynamo on the back wheel. Both a whole lot of faff involving wiring and bulbs - that generally went wrong in numerous ways. Sometimes the past is indeed rubbish.