Random Rammle

[barrett]

In an attempt to redress the Shite Balance, here is a collection of non-specific rubbish automotive abortions.

 

Exhibit A: A Renault 9 Limo. I'll say that again - a Renault 9 limo. Okay, so it's actually an AMC Alliance and we all know that Americans are liable to suffer huge failiures of taste...but.... come on!

 

'What could possibly top that?', I hear you ask? Well, it's not easy I grant you.... but I belive that - just maybe- this FIAT MAREA LIMO DROP-TOP may do it

did I mention it's a taxi?

 

okay okay, they're all mouth and no class - for a proper shite limo you need something really nice to start with, and then go on improving it with subtle mods that will make people gasp in amazement... I give you:

 

Now all this luxury is fine, but how about adding some practicality too? Only one solution really, which would be obvious to anyone

 

Practical sure, but hardly sporting. I think I have the answer

 

Too much practicality eh? How about something that has no discernable use whatsoever?

 

And finally (for now), something which is genuinely amazing. Handsome, useful, sporty, and a little bit unhinged. Flavia break

[trigger]

^ Now that's the shite I'm talking about!, That Lanica Looks right lush as well.

[eddyramrod]

'What could possibly top that?', I hear you ask? Well, it's not easy I grant you.... but I belive that - just maybe- this FIAT MAREA LIMO DROP-TOP may do it

did I mention it's a taxi?

 

And finally (for now), something which is genuinely amazing. Handsome, useful, sporty, and a little bit unhinged. Flavia break

And there's another Marea beside it, which suggests a fleet! AAAAAAARGH! Lancia's cool though, I do like a pretty and elderly estate car.

[Guest]

Those weird open-top Mareas are some kind of specialist taxi they have in some hot foreign place, they do other ones, they've got a name. Wish I knew what they were called now.

[eddyramrod]

Looks like somewhere in Italy, so "Il shite?"

[barrett]

I always assumed those taxis were down Malta way, or something like that. Obviously built to appeal to the 'shite tourist' in the same way the Cuban government run fleets of restored 50s yank tanks.

Anyway, here is some South American chod. Apologies for the quality of some of these pics but info on this stuff is really hard to find if you dont speak spanishish. The scope of bizzare stuff the churned out is immense, someone should so an English-language book on this stuff. I think most of this is from Brazil....

 

Ford Corcel II GT. The Corcel was the mid-range Ford, kinda like the Cortina/Taunus, available in hugely varying trim/spec options. I'm guessing this one is a top of the range jobbie. Reckon it looks pretty tasty myself

 

And a conversion of the same into a cabby. Looks a bit like a Granada from this angle?

 

VWs are of course the mainstay of Brazilian transport, and have been for decades. This is based on a Passat, but it's not a standard factory car. I believe it was series produced though, rather than a one-off

 

And a couple of Passat estates.... the 3-dr one is pretty handsome, the 5-dr with the raised roof is odd but endearing. I love stuff like this

 

Hey! Raoul! I see you've got youself one of those Lancia Beta Spy... hold on, is that a Chevette?

 

If England wasn't so bloody dreary, this would probably be a fun thing to blezz about it, picking up 'chicks' and listening to awful 90s reggae.

[eddyramrod]

Oh Barrett, you'll love the Turkish-occupied part of Cyprus! It's full of late-added Fiat and Renault estates that we didn't get anywhere else. Probably sold the tooling, like they did with Lada... You can still rent a Renault 9 there too!

 

I like those Fords too, btw.

[Volksy]

Did you know M. Barrett that the Corcel is infact based on a Renault 12?

[Formula Autos]

I believe the bodystyle exhibited by the Marea is actually known as "Landaulet". Some actual limos (and not bodged Fiats) are described this way in classified ads in the wankier classic car mags (mags wot I read, I have to admit).

[chaseracer]

 

You can close the thread now...

 

[barrett]

Ha! It wasn't a competition to find the shite-est car ever, although if was you may have just won!(gives me a thread idea actually)

 

Eddy - I would love to get over to Cyprus one day, my family is Greek-Cypriot but i've not been over since I was a babe-in-arms. In the mean time, take photos of every weird old tatmobile you see, they will be much appreciated here!

 

Formula Autos - You'd be right, the 'half-convertable' with the front part of the roof intact is a Landaulet. Bastardised of course by the Americans with those silly 'Landau' options, ie. a vinyl roof and fake hood irons...

 

Volksy - I had my suspicions! behold:

This is a '68 version, i'd say the origins are pretty obvious here....

ALthough a couple of years later they'd done this nice coupe version, which hid them rather better

 

And here we have the entire 1975 line-up from Ford Brazil. Strange to think you could buy a 1966 Galaxie 500, a Renault 12-based Corcel I and a newfangled Maverick all at the same time....

 

Now, some VWs. Most 'foreign' VWs were originally rejected Wolfsburg designs. Somewhere I have some fascinating shots of VWs rejected prototypes all gathered together in glorious technicolour. I'll try and dig them out later.

Anyway, this started life as a proposal for the Typ31 1600

 

and another

 

This one, however, I believe is a home-grown concoction, a strange mix of Brazilia, 411 and Passat...

 

Surely the ultimate Brazilian shite is this? Imagine getting one of these over here and replacing all the trim with UK-spec Avenger stuff. It would be a continual source of confusion to almost everyone. Looks bloody great IMHO - the Dodge 1800

[eddyramrod]

In the mean time, take photos of every weird old tatmobile you see, they will be much appreciated here!

Already on top of it my friend!

These two turned up at an event in April, at Paphos Harbour. The black one is an Opel; Kapitan, I think, nice condition. The other is a Holden, which was a bit unexpected! Long way from home, and looking like it was driven here!

This one isn't in Cyprus, it's in the Imperial Palace Collection in Las Vegas. It's a Rolls-Royce, with a body by Frua. It's just so.... odd.

[Formula Autos]

 

Plus ......

 

 

Equals

 

 

[Tayne]

,

[barrett]

lofflorl

 

That Roller has always intruiged me, I mean how could he get it so wrong?? Frua is probably my favourite stylist, I cant think of another car he did that I don't like the look of....but that....poor bloke must've been ill at the time.

 

edit -just so you know, I mean the silver one. The green one is a great looker imho. Also just realised that I've been to that collection in Vegas. I bought a book about the Dodge Challenger/ Plymouth Barracuda in the bookshop. Any more piccies Eddie?

[Negative Creep]

I think that looks really smart

[garethj]

Hey! Raoul! I see you've got youself one of those Lancia Beta Spy... hold on, is that a Chevette?

 

That made me ROFL

 

And the Sierra limo with rear wheel spats made me sick in my mouth a bit

[eddyramrod]

Any more piccies Eddie?

Hundreds! I don't want to swamp everyone, I'll feed them in gently.

[Formula Autos]

How could he get it so wrong?? Frua is probably my favourite stylist, I cant think of another car he did that I don't like the look of....but that....poor bloke must've been ill at the time.

Frua's finest, in my humble opinion - The AC 428 (in this case Tara King's car from The Avengers):

 

[eddyramrod]

Nice one Formula!

[michiel]

I think those Mareas are Capri-based (the isle, not the Ford). I like this more:

 

[eddyramrod]

That's tasty! Cue Peter Ustinov... action!

[cms206]

I think that looks really smart

+1. Definately liking that, I'd have one for sure. Much cooler than a rusty Caddy any day...*

 

(*not an RR bash, honestly!)

[Clevtrev]

Surely the ultimate Brazilian shite is this? Imagine getting one of these over here and replacing all the trim with UK-spec Avenger stuff. It would be a continual source of confusion to almost everyone. Looks bloody great IMHO - the Dodge 1800

 

If you want to confuse everyone, then surely this bastardised Avenger should do the trick.

[Formula Autos]

There's more than a hint of Ital about that VW/Avenger. Was this look unavoidable if you updated a '70s design with essential '80s styling cues such as black plastic trim, big plastic bumpers, square headlights and a slatted grille?

 

[Mash]

I think those Mareas are Capri-based (the isle, not the Ford). I like this more:

 

Cheers Michiel, that saved me searching!

 

There was an article on these in Your Classic some years ago IIRC.

[eddyramrod]

Formula, yes, I'm very much afraid it was. Give me the slim chrome bumpers all day every day...

[michiel]

Cheers Michiel, that saved me searching!

 

There was an article on these in Your Classic some years ago IIRC.

I knew it was something to do with Italy & isles, so I just googlemapped Italy and looked along the coast until I thought 'that's it!'

[Marshall]

VW Apollo

 

[Formula Autos]

VW Apollo

 

That's just a 2 door Escort Mk4 shell, isn't it? Or perhaps Ford UK might have called it a 2 door Orion (had they sold it)?