Shortest Run Shite

[Pillock]

Ok, so we have the occasional thread about the cars that have been in production since the 14th century, rebadged a hundred times, and are more prevalent than ants. What about the other end of the scale, what properly marketed mainstream cars are there that were launched in a blaze of hype, only to silently disappear from the radar having sold minute amounts?

 

Renault are quite good at this.... they sold less than 9000 Avantimes in two years globally. Sold though every dealer in their network but four-figure sales? POOR!

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But not quite as bad as the Vel Satis, which managed to shift just over 3000 cars in the UK in three years. Ooops.

 

Ford Cougar - 12000 cars in two years. For a Ford, that's shit.

 

Vauxhall Signum. Launched with no publicity in 2003, vanished in 2008. How often do you see one?

 

Rover Streetwise?

[warren t claim]

City Rover?

[Lankytim]

Those Signums are all over the place in Stoke!

[messerschmitt owner]

smart roadster

 

first made 2003

last made November 2005

 

43,143 made, 7,000 sold in UK.

 

There's a Signum in Gloucester with the reg S16NUM

 

 

Saw two city rovers a few weeks back - both on the M42

 

I would so have an Avantime ...

[ChinaTom]

Sintra must have been a slow seller too. Was the Grandeur ever sold without having to "special-order" it? If so that will probably win the bun.

 

Lonsdale?

[pogweasel]

Mmmm, Vel Satis...

Very um, challenging to look at, super sumptuous inside and of course liable to grenade it's powerplant or go into total electronic meltdown at vast expense at any moment. CLASS.

[Pillock]

Yeah, I'd so so have a Vel Satis. Except I'd never register it in my name, so at the first sign of electrical trouble I'd just leave it in a layby on the A47 and walk away.

 

Vauxhall Sintra is a good one.... there was a guy up the road had one, thought I saw another one but turned out it was the same one he'd flogged on. So I've seen one, twice.

[Cavcraft]

I've seen a few Rover Streetwise about, quite funky and might have one one day.

 

Vauxhall Sintras were unbelievably shit.

 

How about the Rover 211? I actually nearly bought a brand new one once because they were incredibly cheap.

[In The Pit]

Can I be the first to mention that Autoshite favorite the Talbot Tagora, I was gonna say the Ford Fusion but a quick check before I posted this revealed to my suprise that its still being made, I never see any on the road, unless of course they just blend in with Fiestas so I don't notice which could be the case. Ford Probe must have been another low seller for Ford and never a common sight either now or in the 90's.

[seth]

Peugeot 605? Surely they only sold about 4 of them?

 

VW Phaeton.

[Pillock]

I was going to limit it to cars you could walk into any dealer.... do they sell the Phaeton at your local VW dealership or have they tried to upmarket it by having specialist sellers? Not really a mainstream model....

[CreepingJesus]

Cavalier convertible? You can see the logic - the Astra ragtop's a respectable seller, so lets have one a bit bigger. Fine in principle, but not borne out in practice.

Could say the same for the Mk2 Fiesta convertible. Altho' Ford subbed the conversion out, it was in the brochures. More so than it was in the dealers.

Saab 9-2x? Subaru SVX? Mazda 929/ Montrose?

I'm also tempted to include any Japanese Kei performance car which was ever imported officially. They always get the same review in the car mags, but seem conspicuous by their absence. Like the Daihatsu Cuore Avanzato TR-XX (I think... ); got great reviews, but when I enquired at a Daihatsu dealers, they couldn't seem to be arsed. Wouldn't bode well for sales, would it?

I'm sure I read that Phaeton buyers were taken out to Wolfsburg to be 'presented' with their car, then it was shipped back individually, to their door. Rather than suffer the ignominy of being lined up on a car transporter with sundry Golfs etc.

[fiatdaft]

2nd gen fiat croma must be up there aswell.

[Station]

See a few of those Signums and Streetwises. Those Renault failures are proof some people have no taste, they look awesome.

[MK5 Escort]

Speaking of convertible supermini's, what about the Corsa rag top? I can count on one hand the amount I've seen.

 

The only time I really see Ford Fusions are parked up in disabled parking bays, usually with badly kerbed wheels...

 

On a slightly separate note, I really liked the Ford Cougar. Certainly the true spiritual successor to the Capri. A car which deserved a lot more credit than it was given, in my opinion.

[CortinaDave]

I have a cougar - and I quite like it! Mondeo mechanics in a sharper suit. I can understand why the Probe did badly but I dont understand the failure of the Cougar - its a good package. Mind you, I was buying it for a grand at 9 years old, I'd never have paid 20 odd K or whatever for one.

[Gompo]

I was going to say Croma..

 

I dont see the Laguna Coupe lasting very long although it actually doesnt look that bad; significantly better than the saloon anyway.

 

Subaru Tribeca?

 

I'm sure there's others but struggling at the moment.

[scooters]

various XMs were very poor sellers in the UK but did quite well across Europe -

 

I had a wonderful series 2 2.0l turbo VSX on petrol - leather the works - citroen only sold 12 of them

 

great car though - regret selling her

[Pillock]

City Rover?

 

Normally I'd agree with you, but on a 26 mile journey yesterday I saw three of them! All in the same "can't be bothered metallic blue", all being driven by wrinklies. And they were all going the same way so I know it wasn't one car three times. Perhaps Club CityRover had a meet on in Lincolnshire?

[chaseracer]

various XMs were very poor sellers in the UK but did quite well across Europe -

 

I had a wonderful series 2 2.0l turbo VSX on petrol - leather the works - citroen only sold 12 of them

 

great car though - regret selling her

I had two XMs - wonderful machines. Do you have any more UK sales figures for them?

[155V6]

Chrysler Crossfire?

[scooters]

various XMs were very poor sellers in the UK but did quite well across Europe -

 

I had a wonderful series 2 2.0l turbo VSX on petrol - leather the works - citroen only sold 12 of them

 

great car though - regret selling her

I had two XMs - wonderful machines. Do you have any more UK sales figures for them?

 

I had a document with the car that had all the uk sales figs for the different types

Sadly it went with the car. Very low sales figures tho.

[chaseracer]

Chrysler Crossfire?

SLK in a cowboy hat...?