Epic facelifts

[af1]

16 hours ago, davehedgehog31 said:

The Peugeot 405 has been produced in Iran in varying degrees of facelift for the last few decades.







You can still buy the IKCO Dena Plus which is based on a slightly modified 405 platform;

Since I discovered that the 405 was still made in Iran. I have often thought about how ‘fun’ it would be to buy a brand new one and drive it back. Unfortunately my Farsi isn’t very good. 

[808 Estate]

 

The Price is not right.

[JMotor]

Nanjing Yuejin Soyat, former MK1 Seat Ibiza.

[catsinthewelder]

1997 Dacia 1310, several facelifts in at this point.

Chinese Citroen c-Elysee sedan, launched in 2008 and still very much recognisable as a ZX.

[chaseracer]

19 hours ago, Erebus said:

Chinese Maestro

 

18 hours ago, Knotty Ash Towers said:

It's a Maestego, named after a town in South Wales...

It's a Monstro, is what it is... 😆

[Eyersey1234]

21 hours ago, D.E said:

@2cvspecial

[Verysleepyboy]

18 hours ago, catsinthewelder said:

1997 Dacia 1310, several facelifts in at this point.

Chinese Citroen c-Elysee sedan, launched in 2008 and still very much recognisable as a ZX.

I wonder if they still kept the passenger side only electric door mirror adjustment??

[Tommyboy12]

On 14/08/2025 at 01:14, SunnySouth said:

Does a Monty front end bolt straight onto a Maestro anyhow, or would that have required some design studio bodgery?!

 

It does bolt straight on! But you shouldn't...

Also. This is a worse Chinese Monstro facelift 

Also I think the underpinnings were still used up to a couple of years ago

[Surface Rust]

14 minutes ago, Tommyboy12 said:

It does bolt straight on! But you shouldn't...

Also. This is a worse Chinese Monstro facelift 

Also I think the underpinnings were still used up to a couple of years ago

I'd love to think he's rolling a 1275 A series in that, but even the Chinese would probably draw the line there. 

Question is, what does it have?

[JMotor]

Just now, Surface Rust said:

I'd love to think he's rolling a 1275 A series in that, but even the Chinese would probably draw the line there. 

Question is, what does it have?

If memory serves right. 

They used Toyota engine and gearboxes. 

[D.E]

18 minutes ago, Tommyboy12 said:

It does bolt straight on! But you shouldn't...

Also. This is a worse Chinese Monstro facelift 

Also I think the underpinnings were still used up to a couple of years ago

Bonus 307 saloon content in the background! Look at this sexy beast.

[JMotor]

23 minutes ago, Tommyboy12 said:

Also I think the underpinnings were still used up to a couple of years ago

They sure were.

This could be the ultimate Epic facelift of a car?

The Yema F10.

Then it's facelift lasted until 2014.

The F12.

Boy they got their monies worth out of that platform 😆.

[bunglebus]

On 14/08/2025 at 09:54, 808 Estate said:

The Price is not right.

Thank goodness you stopped at 2022

[artdjones]

10 minutes ago, bunglebus said:

Thank goodness you stopped at 2022

There have been worse.

[Snipes]

I'm assuming they supply the Chinese market with obsolete designs because they know anything more modern will get IP thefted?

[Conan]

6 hours ago, Snipes said:

I'm assuming they supply the Chinese market with obsolete designs because they know anything more modern will get IP thefted?

Nope. Plenty of "current" designs were being made in China even in the 90's and 00's.

The obsolete designs were only a (varied) combination of resource limitation and there being a buyer. Most of them weren't made by multi-billion pounds conglomerates, but relatively smaller businesses capitalizing on the then newly found demand.

The VW Santana shown upthread was absolutely modern when introduced in 1983, and people kept buying them until it was discontinued in 2013. There was no reason to stop making it.

The Maestro/Montego mashup was made by a company called Etsong. A venture that barely lasted 6 years and absorbed by FAW which made the Santana. It was a step slightly above a shed built car. It was all they could afford to make and still had some customer base.

[Bear]

On 13/08/2025 at 23:11, High Jetter said:

That doesn't look right

I think it's awesome, and like the Chevette+Kadett proper coupe shape and many other awesome mashups (VW PoloPassat with a front-mounted Beetle engine anyone) it's from South America.

 

[808 Estate]

With the Force vans, I think it weas a case of the Indians buying the complete production line from MB when they finished with it. Quite a popular van in India.

[D.E]

Quote

The facelifted Golf Mk4 (nicknamed as the Mk4.5) continued to be produced in Brazil until 2013.

[Wibble]

 

[EightMegs]

Chrysler sold their Argentinian subsidiary to Volkswagen in 1980 which led to Volkswagen facelifting the Avenger into the "Volkswagen 1500".

[Tommyboy12]

Brazilian Ford Ka MK1. If looks odd