Oddball Euro saloons

[NorfolkNWeigh]

4 minutes ago, lesapandre said:

Alfa Romeo 6. 1979-86. 3-litre.

I’m sure I’ve told this tale on here before.

In 1986 there were 3 of these at the Alfa showroom at Staples Corner, priced at £8500 each , which was just about the same price as the XR3i company car I had and was about to replace. I can still hear the bloke from our lease company laughing now…

[NorfolkNWeigh]

On 26/02/2025 at 23:37, AnthonyG said:

This would have been because the Australian built cars would not have incurred any import taxes, being from a Commonwealth country (the old ‘Imperial Preference’). Both the square boxy Valiants and the later coke bottle style ones were sold here, from 67 to 74. Same for the equivalent Ford Falcons, also Australia sourced, although these weren’t available through regular Ford dealers, unlike the Valiants which you could order from any Chrysler UK dealer.

For the same reason - preferential import tariffs - most ‘American’ cars sold over here officially in the 1950s/1960s were actually assembled in Canada. 

All this came to an end when we joined the EEC in 1973, and the fuel crisis at the end of that year was the coup de grace for these Aussie tanks. 

As for the Chrysler 180/2 litre, as mentioned above this was designed by Rootes around the same time as the Avenger, and a variant with a V6 engine was planned as the Humber replacement (presumably using the name, as it survived on the Arrow Sceptre until 76). These plans were shelved at the very last minute, apparently the machinery for the engines was already being installed or something silly. The car was hastily rebranded as a Chrysler (although I think early ones on the French market were named Simca) and production moved to France and then Spain. Like everything else ‘Chrysler’ still made in early 1980, the very last Spanish ones were badged as Talbots.

They seem to be a bit of an iconic car over there now, as most Spanish films or TV shows set in the period feature one. 

Don’t forget the 180s that went the other way and became Centuras.

[Blue 850]

 

The Monica with a Chrysler V8 launched right in the middle of the 1970s OPEC fuel embargo,  Production figures range from 7 to 40

[eddyramrod]

Fairly sure the Isle Of Man Motor Museum had at least three Monicas when I was over there ten years ago!  Various stages of disrepair/restoration/maturity though; certainly not all ready to exhibit.  It's a really interesting and eclectic collection!

[artdjones]

How about a Glas 1700. Apparently a very good car, but the company were undercapitalized, so got taken over by BMW, who are still building cars in their factory at Dingolfing now.

[MiniMinorMk3]

On 26/02/2025 at 13:11, MiniMinorMk3 said:

Glas 1700

 

2 hours ago, artdjones said:

How about a Glas 1700. Apparently a very good car, but the company were undercapitalized, so got taken over by BMW, who are still building cars in their factory at Dingolfing now.

 

[MiniMinorMk3]

3 hours ago, Blue 850 said:

 

The Monica with a Chrysler V8 launched right in the middle of the 1970s OPEC fuel embargo,  Production figures range from 7 to 40

 

2 hours ago, eddyramrod said:

Fairly sure the Isle Of Man Motor Museum had at least three Monicas when I was over there ten years ago!  Various stages of disrepair/restoration/maturity though; certainly not all ready to exhibit.  It's a really interesting and eclectic collection!

This was posted on youtube a couple of weeks ago.

 

[Spottedlaurel]

4 hours ago, artdjones said:

How about a Glas 1700. Apparently a very good car, but the company were undercapitalized, so got taken over by BMW, who are still building cars in their factory at Dingolfing now.

After BMW stopped German production it appears that the Glas lived on in South Africa. In my John Powell photos archive I have a shot of this 2000 SA which found its way to Cheltenham where it was possibly used as a taxi/private hire car:

Also sold as Cheetah in what was then Rhodesia.

As a complete aside, the timber taxi office building was present until 2021 but has since been removed: https://maps.app.goo.gl/C4UASFkbJrzgdpcQ7

[artdjones]

1 hour ago, MiniMinorMk3 said:

 

 

Oops, flicked by too quickly. 

They are a great "what might have been". 

9 minutes ago, Spottedlaurel said:

After BMW stopped German production it appears that the Glas lived on in South Africa. In my John Powell photos archive I have a shot of this 2000 SA which found its way to Cheltenham where it was possibly used as a taxi/private hire car:

Also sold as Cheetah in what was then Rhodesia.

As a complete aside, the timber taxi office building was present until 2021 but has since been removed: https://maps.app.goo.gl/C4UASFkbJrzgdpcQ7

Considering Glas had little money, they produced a very well realised car. Nothing about them looks amateur. Cr

[sierraman]

7 hours ago, Blue 850 said:

 

The Monica with a Chrysler V8 launched right in the middle of the 1970s OPEC fuel embargo,  Production figures range from 7 to 40

Another one I can remember from 90’s Practical Classics, a guy was restoring one from a bare shell. 

[HMC]

Euro - tick

saloon- tick

oddball - tick

 

[HMC]

4 hours ago, Spottedlaurel said:

After BMW stopped German production it appears that the Glas lived on in South Africa. In my John Powell photos archive I have a shot of this 2000 SA which found its way to Cheltenham where it was possibly used as a taxi/private hire car:

Also sold as Cheetah in what was then Rhodesia.

As a complete aside, the timber taxi office building was present until 2021 but has since been removed: https://maps.app.goo.gl/C4UASFkbJrzgdpcQ7

Brilliant photo. That must be quite an archive?

[Six-cylinder]

On 26/02/2025 at 16:45, neil72 said:

90s oddball Maserati that sat on this driveway for a few years and then went when the house was sold.

I went through thinking I was going to get away without being branded in this group, but no you had to publish a BiTurbo Saloon!

They were not supposed to be an oddball choice, but a mainstream competitor to up market BMW 3 series's.

[sheffcortinacentre]

1 hour ago, HMC said:

Euro - tick

saloon- tick

oddball - tick

 

Seen that at gaydon 

[hairnet]

fiat duna saloon

south america

[hairnet]

peugeot 301

good job they didnt bring them here you have to suffer teh puretech apart from the diesel

[artdjones]

There were lots of Fluences (Mégane 3 saloons) sold here in Ireland.

[captain_cal]

Iso Fidia. John Lennon had one, you know.

Not quite Euro in the sense we are talking but funky nonetheless.

And who can forget the wonderful, classically handsome Faeces?

[Spottedlaurel]

11 hours ago, HMC said:

Brilliant photo. That must be quite an archive?

I only bought a fairly small portion, mostly concentrating on the Japanese makes, and still have some to scan. He managed to capture some amazing things, and also others which must then have been very mundane but are now really rather interesting.

[artdjones]

The Autobianchi A111

[sierraman]

13 hours ago, HMC said:

Euro - tick

saloon- tick

oddball - tick

 

This was typical of their thinking, wasting time/money on something nobody would want. 🤣

[lesapandre]

3 hours ago, sierraman said:

This was typical of their thinking, wasting time/money on something nobody would want. 🤣

Some European markets for a long time preferred booted cars - even small ones. Hence the thread.  Having a booted in the range would probably have sold for BL and allowed better market penetration.

But that effort looks a bit lame. The body design team was led by David Bache or Roy Axe at that point.  Clearly done for not a lot - and they would have had an eye to keeping pressing costs low , so probably uses the existing Metro roof. So design was likely very constrained with what they could achieve.

https://www.aronline.co.uk/people/people-roy-axe/

Reminiscent of the first go at the Maestro.

An intriguing 'might have been' - the Renault 5 for example had a booted version. You in effect get two cars for the price of one.

A full fat Vanden Plas with boot, funny grille, wood trim and leather seats would have been nice and interesting. Perhaps they could have called in Princess.

[Metal Guru]

On 26/02/2025 at 09:18, lesapandre said:

The Chrysler 180 and associated Talbot Tagora spring to mind - though the former did better in parts of Europe - lots of diesels in Spain at one time (I think there was assembly there).

Whilst Chrysler were misunderstanding and trashing their Rootes acquisition in the late 1960's they discontinued the slow selling and antiquated 'Loewy' big Humbers (Hawk and Snipe) and then imported some V Series Chrysler Valiants as a 'like-for-like' replacement and sop to the dealer network for the UK market - they probably sold one or two at best.

The Valiants sold into the UK market were assembled and imported from...Australia - such is the sometime madness of multi-national corporations

What was wrong with the Chrysler 180?  It looked similar to its rivals , Cortina and Victor but was much rarer on the road.

My Dad got a Mk3 Cortina in 1976 but he never even looked at the Chrysler.

[artdjones]

20 minutes ago, Metal Guru said:

What was wrong with the Chrysler 180?  It looked similar to its rivals , Cortina and Victor but was much rarer on the road.

My Dad got a Mk3 Cortina in 1976 but he never even looked at the Chrysler.

They were really half a class up from the Cortina. The 160 wasn't sold in the UK, just the 180, which was a 1.8, as the model designation would imply. So no 1.3 or 1.6 like the Cortina.

[lesapandre]

They dumped the Humber brand for which it was intended and introduced the Chrysler name - which had very little prestige in the UK.

In that segment Ford had the superb Granada and the big Vauxhalls were also available - as were the BLMC offerings of Triumph and Rover for a little bit more money. So it was a crowded marketplace for 'executive cars'.

They were all 4-pots when sixes were avaliable to most of the rivals - and no performance version.

They were pretty crude inside - nastily plastic - were not particularly economical or quick and got so so reviews. They also looked a bit too much like the Avenger - buyers don't want an expensive car that looks like a cheaper car - and the look was dated.

Really the Chrysler equivalent of the Austin 1800 - a car answering a demand that did not actually exist.

Residuals would have been awful with depreciation and I can't imagine many fleet buyers taking the bait.

So they sold about 2000 a year in the UK.

[quicksilver]

5 hours ago, sierraman said:

This was typical of their thinking, wasting time/money on something nobody would want. 🤣

Actually, for once BL didn't waste too much time on such a folly. They only had enough money to produce either this or the five-door hatchback and in a rare outburst of common sense made the right decision to go ahead with the five-door and abandon the saloon. The odd thing though is that the prototype made in 1979/80 now has wheels from the 1984 facelift model.

[MiniMinorMk3]

Citroen SM Opera by Henri Chapron. 7 were built.

[MiniMinorMk3]

Only ever a prototype

[NorfolkNWeigh]

3 hours ago, Metal Guru said:

What was wrong with the Chrysler 180?  It looked similar to its rivals , Cortina and Victor but was much rarer on the road.

My Dad got a Mk3 Cortina in 1976 but he never even looked at the Chrysler.

The Hunter would have been Chrysler’s offering in that market segment in 1976, the180/2Litre were priced as Granada ( and prior to 75 Consul) competitors.

[NorfolkNWeigh]

2 hours ago, lesapandre said:

They dumped the Humber brand for which it was intended and introduced the Chrysler name - which had very little prestige the UK.

In that segment Ford had the superb Granada and the big Vauxhalls were also available - as were the BLMC offerings of Triumph and Rover for a litte bit more money. So it was a crowded marketplace for 'executive cars'.

They were all 4-pots when sixes were avaliable to most of the rivals - and no performance version.

They were pretty crude inside - nastily plastic - were not particularly economical or quick and got so so reviews. They also looked a bit too much like the Avenger - buyers don't want and expensive car that looks like a cheaper car - and the look was dated.

Really the Chrysler equivalent of the Austin 1800 - a car answering a demand that did not actually exist.

Residuals would have been awful with depreciation and I can't imagine many fleet buyers taking the bait.

So they sold about 2000 a year in the UK.

Stolen from @triggers excellent archive, as usual.