Missed Opportunities: Cars that ALMOST made it to America, but didn't

[Madman Of The People]

Part 6: Ford Grand C-Max.

 

Yes, that's a Ford Grand C-Max with US-style side markers in the headlamp assemblies.  America was slated to get this in late 2011 for the 2012 model year.  Then, just weeks prior to the launch date, Ford announced they had changed their mind.  Definitely a missed opportunity, if you ask me.

Built alongside the Kuga and Transit Connect at Ford's Valencia, Spain factory, the North American Grand C-Max was to have been available with a choice of either a naturally aspirated 2.5 litre engine or the 1.6 EcoBoost Turbo, same as the US-spec Transit Connect.  Had it gone on sale, the 1.6 EcoBoost version would have been the most fuel efficient seven passenger vehicle in North America.  Way to throw away those bragging rights, Ford!

The Grand C-Max would have had a critical advantage over its nearest rival, the Mazda 5, thanks to that seventh seating position.  North American Mazda 5s were only ever offered as six-seaters thanks to some moronic regulatory issues.  But Ford addressed those issues and was able to overcome them.  Like the Mazda 5 sold outside of America, the Grand C-Max's middle seat folded into one of the outboard seats.  Clever stuff!

The loss of this vehicle from the US market was a crushing blow for me, personally.  I once owned a Mazda 5 (which I passed down to my daughter in 2019, who's still driving it to this day) plus a first-generation Honda Odyssey (Honda Shuttle in the UK) before that.  Prior to its cancellation, the Grand C-Max was very high on my list of potential future purchases.  Beyond that, Ford walked away from a golden opportunity to create a whole new market niche in America.  I certainly can't be the only person in this hemisphere who wants a family-friendly load-lugger that isn't a big as a house?

Although we did get the short wheelbase C-Max, it would have been nice to enjoy the extra versatility of the grand.  Plus, the shorty C-Max was only available in the US as a standard hybrid or the "Energi" plug-in hybrid.  Packaging in these was terrible.  Ford had to raise the rear cargo floor and eliminate the spare wheel to make room for all those hybrid batteries.  The Energi's load bay, in particular, was so compromised it rendered the boot almost completely unusable.

For reference, Here's the boot of the C-Max Energi.  Yes, they really had to raise the floor that high!

 

The standard C-Max Hybrid boot was only slightly better.

 

I once test drove a C-Max but bought an Escape (Kuga) instead, because the C-Max's boot was so compromised.  It was that, plus lingering doubts over the longevity of the hybrid batteries, that put me off the C-Max.  Whereas a Grand C-Max, without all the hybrid gubbins, would have been ideal for my needs.  

Ford could have offered North American consumers something unique in the form of the Grand C-Max.  But they threw away that chance.  Pity.

 

[horriblemercedes]

1 hour ago, Madman Of The People said:

Part 6: Ford Grand C-Max.

I certainly can't be the only person in this hemisphere who wants a family-friendly load-lugger that isn't a big as a house?

 

Presumably not - there must be quite a few in Britain and Ireland for a start

[Madman Of The People]

In Part 1 of this series, I mentioned the Renault Espace was shown at the 1985 Chicago Auto Show, a show I used to attend every year, having been born and raised in Chicago.  Well, I've finally found a photo of the Espace at that show.  Not a very good one, unfortunately, but you can still clearly see Espace beneath the Renault sign.

 

As a bonus, I also discovered this WGN-TV (Chicago's very own Channel 9!) 1985 Chicago Auto Show Special!  No mention of Renault, unfortunately, but plenty examples of long-forgotten weapons-grade Autoshite to drool over.  

 

 

Who can resist the allure of the Oldsmobile Calais, Chrysler LeBaron GTS, Volkswagen Golf, Chevrolet Camaro IROC-Z, Mitsubishi Galant (look out, Audi!), Pontiac Fiero, Mazda 626, Dodge Aries, Volkswagen Jetta, Nissan Stanza, Buick Century, and Mercury Topaz?  The presenters describe almost every one of these American and Japanese shitboxes as being "European" in look and feel, but I don't see anything at all European about them.

 

[Madman Of The People]

Part 7: Rover 800 Series R17 facelift.

 

By 1991, Sterling Motor Cars, Inc. (formerly Austin Rover Cars of North America) were in pretty dire straits.  Sales had slowed to a trickle but the company assured its dealers that refreshed models were on the way, including a svelte-looking new coupe developed specifically with North American customers in mind.

The 1992 model year facelift of the Rover 800 Series (codename R17) sought to keep the aging design fresh by extensively restyling the front and rear ends of the car, as well as the interior.  In order to keep development costs in check, Rover were forced to retain the car's existing middle section, including the doors.  Although Honda offered to share the new Mk II Legend's platform with Rover, Rover's majority stakeholder (British Aerospace) didn't want to invest the funds required to develop an all-new model.  However, years of austerity made Rover's engineers and designers masters at the art of face-lifting aging designs and the results of their handiwork on the R17 800 Series look quite pleasing to the eye.

Meanwhile, across the pond, Sterling had begun advertising the soon-to-be-replaced 827 as the "Sterling by Rover" in preparation for the phasing-out of the Sterling name and switching to Rover branding for the newly refreshed 1992 models.  However, in August of 1991, Rover announced it was abandoning the North American market for the third time in twenty years.  Coincidently, this announcement came the very same week Peugeot announced it was ceasing its North American operations.  Alas, we never got to experience the new and improved 800.

I can't help but feeling if Rover had fielded a full model range they would have stood a better chance in America.  I think adding the R8 200 and 400 series cars would have boosted Sterling/Rover's fortunes considerably.  Plus, the cars should have been sold in the same showrooms as the Range Rover, which became an instant hit from the moment it landed in the US in 1987, the same time as the Sterling.  Selling Sterlings and Range Rovers through two separate sales channels made no sense whatsoever.

 

[Lacquer Peel]

Even Clarkson liked the R17 800.

I think the 800 coupé was developed with the USA market in mind. 

[Madman Of The People]

Part 8: Renault Alpine GTA V6 Turbo.

 

In the mid-1980s, Renault's fortunes in America were sinking fast.  After the initial success of the Kenosha, Wisconsin-built Alliance and Encore (R9 and R11, respectively), sales were falling as reliability issues began to rear their ugly heads.  The 1985 introduction of an optional 1.7 litre engine placated potential customers who were unimpressed with the lacklustre 1.4 litre unit and a newly introduced Alliance convertible provided some much-needed glamour.  Something need to be done, so AMC/Renault embarked on a three-part plan to branch-out into more upscale market segments with higher profit margins.

First came the 1987 debut of the Renault Medallion saloon and estate, a federal-bumpered Renault 21 imported from France, and intended to replace the slow-selling Renault 18i saloon and "Sportwagon."  Step two was to be the rollout of the 1988 Renault Premier, a heavily Americanised Renault 25 built at an all-new, state-of-the-art factory in Brampton, Ontario.  However, by the time the Premier was ready for launch, the Chrysler buyout of AMC had just taken place and the car was renamed the Eagle Premier at the last minute.  The third part of the plan was to be the most ambitious of all.  Renault intended to sell a $40,000 rear-engined, turbocharged sports car conceptually similar to the Porsche 911 in the same showrooms as Jeep Cherokees and bargain-basement Renault Alliances.  Madness!

Adding to the madness, Renault spent $30 Million to make the existing European Alpine GTA conform to US DOT and EPA requirements.  The most noticeable change was up front.  European models had recessed headlights with clear covers, whereas the American version received pop-up units with rectangular sealed-beam headlights.  Naturally, bumpers were also redesigned, growing bigger than their Euro counterparts.  Other modifications included a larger air intake beneath the front bumper, a third brake light moulded into the rear spoiler, side-impact beams concealed inside the doors, a larger fuel tank, and uprated suspension and brakes to deal with the American model's increased weight.

Renault even teased the Alpine in magazine ads...

 

Interestingly, the US model's pop-up headlights strongly resemble the units fitted to the later Renault Alpine A610 sold in Europe.  Many other features developed for the American GTA also found their way into the A610.

So, having spent $30 Million on making the Alpine US-legal, you know these guys were serious!  Further proof of that seriousness came when, in 1987, Renault hand-assembled 21 pre-production US-spec Alpines.  With everything in place, the launch of the 1988 Renault Alpine GTA V6 Turbo in North America was ready to go!  But events taking place in corporate boardrooms in Detroit, Kenosha, and Paris (plus an assassination) suddenly derailed those plans.

After Renault boss Georges Besse was was assassinated by a French militant group, the new management had little patience for the company's loss-making  North American subsidiary.  With Chrysler's buyout of AMC from Renault in 1987, Renault abandoned the US and Canada.  As a part of the buyout deal, Chrysler had to continue selling the Medallion (now rebranded as the Eagle Medallion) and buy a certain number of V6 engines from Renault for use in the Eagle Premier.  Chrysler also had the option to sell the Alpine as the Eagle Alpine and Chrysler seriously considered doing so.  However, the newly renamed Jeep-Eagle dealerships never took delivery of any turbocharged French sports cars.  Instead, Chrysler chose to go with their longtime Japanese partner, Mitsubishi, and sell the much more affordable Eagle Talon, a rebadged Mitsubishi Eclipse.  From a purely business standpoint, you can't argue this was a much more sound financial decision.  But, from an enthusiasts point-of-view, America really did miss out on a very interesting car.

So what happened to those 21 pre-production US-spec Alpines?  Alpine kept them at the factory until 1992 when they decided to sell all of them except the first and last one built.  Those two are still in the Alpine museum in Dieppe.  13 others still exist in the hands of private collectors.  Sadly, six were destroyed.  These six cars were apparently used as development mules for the A610. 

 

[Richard_FM]

Nice to read, Renault seemed like Rover to be jinxed not to succeed in the USA!

[sheffcortinacentre]

Or was rule by incompetence 

[Madman Of The People]

Part 9: Citroen XM.

 

In a previous instalment of Missed Opportunities, I covered the aborted plans Peugeot Motors of America had for the 1993 model year launch of the Peugeot 605.  But did you know PMA had another, even more interesting car waiting in the wings for US consumers to buy?  In addition to the 605, America was also due to get the 605's platform mate, the Citroen XM V6.  

Sharing the same 3.0 litre V6 engine and four speed automatic transmission with the 605 made the task of federalising the Citroen XM easier.  In preparation for Citroen's return to the New World, Peugeot Motors of America established a new sister company, Citroen Cars USA, Inc.  The new company was located in the same office building in Lyndhurst, New Jersey which, at the time, served as Peugeot's US headquarters.

In the summer of 1991, it was reported that Peugeot/Citroen's New Jersey office received a large shipment of Citroen dealer signs.  This was further proof the launch of the Citroen XM Stateside was imminent.  To this day, I still wonder whatever happened to those dealer signs?

Of course, we know how this story ends.  With the August, 1991 announcement Peugeot was leaving North America, Citroen's dreams of crossing the Atlantic we over before they had even began.  But there is an interesting epilogue to this tale...

Another New Jersey-based company, CXA Auto, had been importing a small number of Citroen CXs for years.  The the CX being phased out of production to make way for the new XM, CXA needed to find a new business model.  This led to a handful of Citroen XMs being imported by CXA in the early 1990s.  The cars were sourced from a Dutch Citroen dealer then, as part of the labourious federalisation process, were retrofitted with UK-spec MPH speedometers, a BMW catalytic converter, and headlamp units borrowed from the then-contemporary Pontiac Grand Prix!

Here's a CXA-imported XM with those Pontiac Grand Prix headlamps.  Note the tacked-on side markers and the "filler" pieces between the headlamps and the grille...

 

It is estimated around twenty XMs (including one XM estate) were imported by CXA Auto before the company was dissolved.  That solitary XM estate supposedly lived its life on Long Island, New York until it finally succumbed to mechanical issues.  It is believed the owner still has the car and is keeping it in storage.

 

[Snipes]

9 hours ago, Madman Of The People said:

Part 9: Citroen XM.

 

In a previous instalment of Missed Opportunities, I covered the aborted plans Peugeot Motors of America had for the 1993 model year launch of the Peugeot 605.  But did you know PMA had another, even more interesting car waiting in the wings for US consumers to buy?  In addition to the 605, America was also due to get the 605's platform mate, the Citroen XM V6.  

Sharing the same 3.0 litre V6 engine and four speed automatic transmission with the 605 made the task of federalising the Citroen XM easier.  In preparation for Citroen's return to the New World, Peugeot Motors of America established a new sister company, Citroen Cars USA, Inc.  The new company was located in the same office building in Lyndhurst, New Jersey which, at the time, served as Peugeot's US headquarters.

In the summer of 1991, it was reported that Peugeot/Citroen's New Jersey office received a large shipment of Citroen dealer signs.  This was further proof the launch of the Citroen XM Stateside was imminent.  To this day, I still wonder whatever happened to those dealer signs?

Of course, we know how this story ends.  With the August, 1991 announcement Peugeot was leaving North America, Citroen's dreams of crossing the Atlantic we over before they had even began.  But there is an interesting epilogue to this tale...

Another New Jersey-based company, CXA Auto, had been importing a small number of Citroen CXs for years.  The the CX being phased out of production to make way for the new XM, CXA needed to find a new business model.  This led to a handful of Citroen XMs being imported by CXA in the early 1990s.  The cars were sourced from a Dutch Citroen dealer then, as part of the labourious federalisation process, were retrofitted with UK-spec MPH speedometers, a BMW catalytic converter, and headlamp units borrowed from the then-contemporary Pontiac Grand Prix!

Here's a CXA-imported XM with those Pontiac Grand Prix headlamps.  Note the tacked-on side markers and the "filler" pieces between the headlamps and the grille...

 

It is estimated around twenty XMs (including one XM estate) were imported by CXA Auto before the company was dissolved.  That solitary XM estate supposedly lived its life on Long Island, New York until it finally succumbed to mechanical issues.  It is believed the owner still has the car and is keeping it in storage.

 

Those head lights are still a remarkably good fit!

[Madman Of The People]

 

Here's the Pontiac Grand Prix those headlights came from...

[Tayne]

That front end reminds me of an SM.

 

 

[Madman Of The People]

Part 10: Volkswagen ID.7.

 

Introduced in Europe in 2023, Volkswagen revealed the ID.7 was to join the ID.4 Stateside sometime in 2024 as a 2025 model.  By May 2024 Volkswagen announced a delay in the ID.7's journey across the Atlantic.  In January 2025 Car & Driver magazine reported VW's decision to cancel the ID.7's North American launch entirely, citing the "ongoing challenging EV climate" as the reason for the decision.

I assume that "challenging" climate was a reference to the softening demand for EVs overall and sales of Volkswagen's ID.4 being less than spectacular?

Volkswagen never revealed US pricing but it was expected to land somewhere between $50,000 and $60,000 for a single-motor, two-wheel-drive saloon.  A dual-motor, all-wheel-drive version was to have come later.  Given the fact American VW dealers were already having a hard enough time moving the slow-selling ID.4, I'm certain the majority of them breathed a sigh of relief when Volkswagen finally announced the ID.7 wasn't coming their way, after all.

 

[Madman Of The People]

Part 11: Smart Coupe and Roadster.

 

Smart entered the Canadian market in late 2004 with the original micro-sized City Coupe.  When the sporty coupe and roadster joined the City Coupe in Europe, Smart announced it's intentions to sell the pint-sized sports car in Canada and the USA.  But the car failed to find an audience in Europe and, despite the arrival of a more powerful Brabus edition, sales fell short of expectations.

DaimlerChrysler teased Americans with the Dodge Slingshot concept car, which was a Smart Coupe with a restyled nose.  However, it soon became apparent such a car was even more unlikely to succeed in America than it did in Europe.

 

By late 2005, the decision was made to cease production of the coupe and roadster.  So although the second generation Smart ForTwo did make it's way to the US for the 2008 model year, we were denied the sportiest model Smart is ever likely to make.  Granted it would never have sold in any meaningful numbers in the land of Ford Excursions, but does everything need to sell in huge quantities to be considered worthwhile?

 

[Snipes]

Reminds me of the Pontiac Solstice.

[Madman Of The People]

Part 12: Citroen BX.

 

In the mid-1980s, Peugeot Motors of America were riding high.  Well, comparatively speaking, at least.  1984 sales had topped 20,000 units for the first, and last, time ever.  The 505 station wagon joined the existing saloon for 1984 and was a hit with well-off families looking for an alternative to the usual Volvo estates.  Throw in a few final-year 604 luxury saloons into the mix and 1984 was a good year for Peugeot's tiny American outpost.

PMA wanted to build on this small success and further broaden their appeal.  To accomplish that goal, they needed some more new models.  But what kind of new model?  It was determined something slightly smaller and more affordable than the 505 was just the thing to take PMA to the next level.  So how about the 305, a car that looked like a shrunken 505?  Well, the 305 dated back to 1977 and was showing it's age by the mid-'80s.  Clearly, that car wasn't up to the job.  The 405 was still a few years away, so PMA began looing at the Citroen BX, which had just been unveiled in Europe.

Grey-market Citroen importers CXA Auto also took a good look at the BX and modified one to meet US regulations.  That's the red car you see in the photo above.  CXA determined bringing the BX into Federal compliance was a job too big and too costly for a small shoestring operation such as theirs.  But PSA Peugeot-Citroen could certainly do it themselves.

 

This was the first prototype for an American specification BX.  The American version was to do away with Citroen's famous hydropnumatic suspension, at least on the base models.  Citroen designed two suspensions for the BX; a "version hydraulique" and a "version mechanique", the later of which was intended for North America.  The gigantic bumpers and the four square sealed-beam headlights completed the BX's American transformation.

 

The American BX prototype was further refined with this second version, which looks much less clumsy than the earlier one.  This prototype was built in February of 1985 and shipped to the United States for testing in April of that year.  The results of those tests were never released, but we can assume the car must have done well enough to warrant further development because, in 1987, a consumer test was conducted with a prototype three-door coupe built to US specifications.  Note the Federal side marker lights in the photo below, now integrated into more tasteful Euro-style bumpers.

 

Despite all of this work, the BX never made it to America for reasons that aren't entirely clear.  I can only assume it was because, by the late 1980s, the 405 was ready to be launched on American shores.  However, this delay in bringing a more affordable car to Peugeot's US model range was a critical factor contributing to their declining fortunes in America.  By the time the 405 landed Stateside in 1989, PMA was in a much weaker market position then they had been a few years earlier.

Here's an interesting postscript to this story;  In the early 1990s, after Peugeot had ceased selling cars in North America, PMA were selling their Lyndhurst, New Jersey headquarters and downsizing to a smaller facility in nearby Little Falls.  During the clear-out of the old parts warehouse, a big stockpile of Citroen BX parts was discovered, untouched for several years.  Why is this significant?  Because nobody orders a huge shipment of spare parts for a car they have no intention of selling.  This tells me the Citroen BX came very, VERY close to going on sale in America.

Why it didn't remains shrouded in mystery.

 

[Snipes]

The federalised BX reminds me of the GpB rally car they built but hardly used. 

[andrew e]

Great thread! I’m ready to be corrected but I’m fairly sure the type approved federal Renault GTA rear tail lamps lived on in the US market Elan.

[Bear]

On 22/10/2025 at 09:00, Snipes said:

The federalised BX reminds me of the GpB rally car they built but hardly used. 

Almost as much overhang as a Monte Carlo SS Aero.

[Asimo]

On 22/10/2025 at 23:13, andrew e said:

Great thread! I’m ready to be corrected but I’m fairly sure the type approved federal Renault GTA rear tail lamps lived on in the US market Elan.

Definitely Renault GTA V6 rear lamps.

[Richard_FM]

On 22/10/2025 at 04:42, Madman Of The People said:

Part 12: Citroen BX.

 

In the mid-1980s, Peugeot Motors of America were riding high.  Well, comparatively speaking, at least.  1984 sales had topped 20,000 units for the first, and last, time ever.  The 505 station wagon joined the existing saloon for 1984 and was a hit with well-off families looking for an alternative to the usual Volvo estates.  Throw in a few final-year 604 luxury saloons into the mix and 1984 was a good year for Peugeot's tiny American outpost.

PMA wanted to build on this small success and further broaden their appeal.  To accomplish that goal, they needed some more new models.  But what kind of new model?  It was determined something slightly smaller and more affordable than the 505 was just the thing to take PMA to the next level.  So how about the 305, a car that looked like a shrunken 505?  Well, the 305 dated back to 1977 and was showing it's age by the mid-'80s.  Clearly, that car wasn't up to the job.  The 405 was still a few years away, so PMA began looing at the Citroen BX, which had just been unveiled in Europe.

Grey-market Citroen importers CXA Auto also took a good look at the BX and modified one to meet US regulations.  That's the red car you see in the photo above.  CXA determined bringing the BX into Federal compliance was a job too big and too costly for a small shoestring operation such as theirs.  But PSA Peugeot-Citroen could certainly do it themselves.

 

This was the first prototype for an American specification BX.  The American version was to do away with Citroen's famous hydropnumatic suspension, at least on the base models.  Citroen designed two suspensions for the BX; a "version hydraulique" and a "version mechanique", the later of which was intended for North America.  The gigantic bumpers and the four square sealed-beam headlights completed the BX's American transformation.

 

The American BX prototype was further refined with this second version, which looks much less clumsy than the earlier one.  This prototype was built in February of 1985 and shipped to the United States for testing in April of that year.  The results of those tests were never released, but we can assume the car must have done well enough to warrant further development because, in 1987, a consumer test was conducted with a prototype three-door coupe built to US specifications.  Note the Federal side marker lights in the photo below, now integrated into more tasteful Euro-style bumpers.

 

Despite all of this work, the BX never made it to America for reasons that aren't entirely clear.  I can only assume it was because, by the late 1980s, the 405 was ready to be launched on American shores.  However, this delay in bringing a more affordable car to Peugeot's US model range was a critical factor contributing to their declining fortunes in America.  By the time the 405 landed Stateside in 1989, PMA was in a much weaker market position then they had been a few years earlier.

Here's an interesting postscript to this story;  In the early 1990s, after Peugeot had ceased selling cars in North America, PMA were selling their Lyndhurst, New Jersey headquarters and downsizing to a smaller facility in nearby Little Falls.  During the clear-out of the old parts warehouse, a big stockpile of Citroen BX parts was discovered, untouched for several years.  Why is this significant?  Because nobody orders a huge shipment of spare parts for a car they have no intention of selling.  This tells me the Citroen BX came very, VERY close to going on sale in America.

Why it didn't remains shrouded in mystery.

 

From what I remember Citroen had problems convincing the DOT that the non-standard hydraulic fluid used in their cars needed to be dyed green to differentiate it from standard fluid, which was dyed to fit DOT regulations.

Even with gaining an exception I imagine the gadgetry in a BX would have scared off many a non-dealership mechanic from working on one!  

Like most US spec headlights they don't do anything for the BX's looks.

[Madman Of The People]

Part 13: MG F.

 

According to legend, BMW vetoed the Rover Group's plans to sell the MG F in North America because they didn't want the pretty British roadster to cannibalise sales from BMW's own newly introduced Z3.  While BMW did have the final say, there were other factors contributing to BMW's decision not to bring the MG F Stateside.

But let's begin by exploring the reasons why Rover wanted to sell the MG F in America in the first place.  For starters, MGs had been hugely popular in America right up until the moment the MG B ceased production in 1980.  Even well into the 1990s, the MG name still had a tremendous amount of brand equity in the American consciousness.  The sudden success of the Mazda MX-5 proved there was still a craving for a small, light, and affordable sports car, so there was a valid business case to be made for a new MG.

However, there were also challenges that needed to be overcome before the MG F could make it's American debut.  When the MG F was being developed, the Rover Group was still owned by British Aerospace, who were reluctant to spend one penny more than was necessary in their car-making subsidiary.  This meant the MG F had to be developed on a shoestring budget.  Production of the bodies were farmed-out to a company called Mayflower, who didn't have the manufacturing capacity to supply Rover with the quantities needed for a full-on assault on America.  Ramping-up supply to meet the expected demand would have required considerable investment and abandoning the low-volume production methods that made the MG F possible in the first place.  There was also the inconvenient fact Rover didn't have a dealer network in the New World, having dissolved their American Sterling operation just a few years  earlier.

I guess they could have brought it in through Land Rover showrooms and sold the car as a sort of sideline?  One thing is for sure; BMW dealers didn't want it in their showrooms, where the MG F would have undercut the more expensive, and much more profitable, Z3.  For these reasons, we were denied one of the best sports cars of the 1990s.

The good news is we can finally import an MG F today, thanks to the 25-year exemption.  Quite a few people have already done just that.  And the updated MG TF will be eligible to import in just a couple of years time.

They say good things come to those who wait...

 

[sierraman]

On 27/09/2025 at 16:42, Madman Of The People said:

Part 6: Ford Grand C-Max.

 

Yes, that's a Ford Grand C-Max with US-style side markers in the headlamp assemblies.  America was slated to get this in late 2011 for the 2012 model year.  Then, just weeks prior to the launch date, Ford announced they had changed their mind.  Definitely a missed opportunity, if you ask me.

Built alongside the Kuga and Transit Connect at Ford's Valencia, Spain factory, the North American Grand C-Max was to have been available with a choice of either a naturally aspirated 2.5 litre engine or the 1.6 EcoBoost Turbo, same as the US-spec Transit Connect.  Had it gone on sale, the 1.6 EcoBoost version would have been the most fuel efficient seven passenger vehicle in North America.  Way to throw away those bragging rights, Ford!

The Grand C-Max would have had a critical advantage over its nearest rival, the Mazda 5, thanks to that seventh seating position.  North American Mazda 5s were only ever offered as six-seaters thanks to some moronic regulatory issues.  But Ford addressed those issues and was able to overcome them.  Like the Mazda 5 sold outside of America, the Grand C-Max's middle seat folded into one of the outboard seats.  Clever stuff!

The loss of this vehicle from the US market was a crushing blow for me, personally.  I once owned a Mazda 5 (which I passed down to my daughter in 2019, who's still driving it to this day) plus a first-generation Honda Odyssey (Honda Shuttle in the UK) before that.  Prior to its cancellation, the Grand C-Max was very high on my list of potential future purchases.  Beyond that, Ford walked away from a golden opportunity to create a whole new market niche in America.  I certainly can't be the only person in this hemisphere who wants a family-friendly load-lugger that isn't a big as a house?

Although we did get the short wheelbase C-Max, it would have been nice to enjoy the extra versatility of the grand.  Plus, the shorty C-Max was only available in the US as a standard hybrid or the "Energi" plug-in hybrid.  Packaging in these was terrible.  Ford had to raise the rear cargo floor and eliminate the spare wheel to make room for all those hybrid batteries.  The Energi's load bay, in particular, was so compromised it rendered the boot almost completely unusable.

For reference, Here's the boot of the C-Max Energi.  Yes, they really had to raise the floor that high!

 

The standard C-Max Hybrid boot was only slightly better.

 

I once test drove a C-Max but bought an Escape (Kuga) instead, because the C-Max's boot was so compromised.  It was that, plus lingering doubts over the longevity of the hybrid batteries, that put me off the C-Max.  Whereas a Grand C-Max, without all the hybrid gubbins, would have been ideal for my needs.  

Ford could have offered North American consumers something unique in the form of the Grand C-Max.  But they threw away that chance.  Pity.

 

They were having a lot of problems at that point with the deck on the 1.6T leaking coolant into the cylinders that might be why. 

[sierraman]

6 hours ago, Madman Of The People said:

Part 13: MG F.

 

According to legend, BMW vetoed the Rover Group's plans to sell the MG F in North America because they didn't want the pretty British roadster to cannibalise sales from BMW's own newly introduced Z3.  While BMW did have the final say, there were other factors contributing to BMW's decision not to bring the MG F Stateside.

But let's begin by exploring the reasons why Rover wanted to sell the MG F in America in the first place.  For starters, MGs had been hugely popular in America right up until the moment the MG B ceased production in 1980.  Even well into the 1990s, the MG name still had a tremendous amount of brand equity in the American consciousness.  The sudden success of the Mazda MX-5 proved there was still a craving for a small, light, and affordable sports car, so there was a valid business case to be made for a new MG.

However, there were also challenges that needed to be overcome before the MG F could make it's American debut.  When the MG F was being developed, the Rover Group was still owned by British Aerospace, who were reluctant to spend one penny more than was necessary in their car-making subsidiary.  This meant the MG F had to be developed on a shoestring budget.  Production of the bodies were farmed-out to a company called Mayflower, who didn't have the manufacturing capacity to supply Rover with the quantities needed for a full-on assault on America.  Ramping-up supply to meet the expected demand would have required considerable investment and abandoning the low-volume production methods that made the MG F possible in the first place.  There was also the inconvenient fact Rover didn't have a dealer network in the New World, having dissolved their American Sterling operation just a few years  earlier.

I guess they could have brought it in through Land Rover showrooms and sold the car as a sort of sideline?  One thing is for sure; BMW dealers didn't want it in their showrooms, where the MG F would have undercut the more expensive, and much more profitable, Z3.  For these reasons, we were denied one of the best sports cars of the 1990s.

The good news is we can finally import an MG F today, thanks to the 25-year exemption.  Quite a few people have already done just that.  And the updated MG TF will be eligible to import in just a couple of years time.

They say good things come to those who wait...

 

This was Rover bear in mind that systematically made a mess of nearly everything it touched. Bad judgement and Rover went hand in hand. 😂

[danthecapriman]

I’m not sure an MGF could ever be considered a good thing or worth waiting for!😄

I used to work on them when they were new-ish, and absolutely hated everything about them. I can’t honestly think of any redeeming qualities about them.

[Snipes]

Spent a bit of time around MGFs and a fair amount more around MX5s way back when and I'd say they're different enough to both attract an audience. 

Just having the engine behind you is enough drama to differentiate them, even to normie punters. If I had to choose it would be an MX5, but only if it's a NA or an NB (mk1 or 2).

Shame the MGF never received the "Exige" treatment, but I suppose the Trophy kinda did that. 

[DSdriver]

All of this goes to prove that Trump is a complete hypocrite slagging off Europe for not buying US cars. (We all know he is a twat anyway).

[danthecapriman]

1 hour ago, DSdriver said:

All of this goes to prove that Trump is a complete hypocrite slagging off Europe for not buying US cars. (We all know he is a twat anyway).

Thing is though, US cars just aren’t available in Europe. There’s always been tiny numbers available through European dealers on and off but there’s just nothing/very little (besides the obvious like Mustangs or Camaro’s) available. 
If they want to sell US cars in Europe they need to start getting dealers up and running.

[PhilA]

That and American cars are generally not really very American any more. 

Vehicles like the F-150 kinda just do not really fit on the streets or in parking spaces, and city fuel economy figures would kill them off sharpish.

 

Horses for courses. European vehicles tended to do poorly on the roads here. A twelve mile long road at 7000' ASL with a constant 3% grade traveled daily pops head gaskets, bends conrods and warps brakes designed for driving conditions less arduous. 

Renault had the best luck with the Douvrin engine in 2.2 liter flavor, because it was mechanically simpler than the F series and the PRV V6. Longevity was poor and the somewhat lackluster performance of the "sporty" models injected into a segment populated by 250hp models - by American logic if you buy a sporty car and the price tag is more than the competition it had better well be quicker off the lights than the cheaper model. A lot were not without being run to the redline, something American Average Joe didn't like to do at the time. 

A lot of poor boardroom decisions, a lot of encrapulation in plastics and design, DoT contradictory rules and other nonsense meant that there wasn't a lot of room for a marginally sub-par vehicle from a struggling manufacturer (or indeed a well-to-do one either).

 

Phil

[danthecapriman]

3 minutes ago, PhilA said:

That and American cars are generally not really very American any more. 

Vehicles like the F-150 kinda just do not really fit on the streets or in parking spaces, and city fuel economy figures would kill them off sharpish.

 

Horses for courses. European vehicles tended to do poorly on the roads here. A twelve mile long road at 7000' ASL with a constant 3% grade traveled daily pops head gaskets, bends conrods and warps brakes designed for driving conditions less arduous. 

Renault had the best luck with the Douvrin engine in 2.2 liter flavor, because it was mechanically simpler than the F series and the PRV V6. Longevity was poor and the somewhat lackluster performance of the "sporty" models injected into a segment populated by 250hp models - by American logic if you buy a sporty car and the price tag is more than the competition it had better well be quicker off the lights than the cheaper model. A lot were not without being run to the redline, something American Average Joe didn't like to do at the time. 

A lot of poor boardroom decisions, a lot of encrapulation in plastics and design, DoT contradictory rules and other nonsense meant that there wasn't a lot of room for a marginally sub-par vehicle from a struggling manufacturer (or indeed a well-to-do one either).

 

Phil

Makes me wonder how a car like the BX would have fared over in the US?

Things like that suspension system, while (probably) a good idea on the roads of Europe and comparatively short distances involved and having the dealerships/mechanics/parts backup to help. Over in the US it’s not the case. I just can’t imagine that sort of car would last that well or end up being very popular because of the weird technology used on it.