What should be the next 'retro' car?

[Tayne]

.

[Albert Ross]

Well they are both fruit..............

[Polystratus]

As someone suggested recently, I think they should bring back the Mk2 Escort.

 

Don't bother with the 1.1 / 1.3 or the four door / estate, but shove something with 200 bhp in as standard. Don't need electric everything, make it as simple as the old one wherever possible, but use a simple to tweak modern ECU to control emissions etc.

 

What you need is a MK2 Escort body shell - like they have for Minis and MG's then have a kit so you can spec it up to how you want it.

 

 

 

I reckon this really works.

 

Yes it would but only if:

It was sold cheap enough say £4k

Had a BMW Twin motobike engine like the 1200 RT

 

However, given that a certain advance engineering department of a car manufacturer once said it was impossible to to design and create a two cylinder car engine, and that car manufacturers don't want to sell cheap and simple cars, it's not going to work because all it will be is something that looks like a 2CV but is actually a re worked Citroen C3, another VW 'Beetle'.

[Pete-M]

As someone suggested recently, I think they should bring back the Mk2 Escort.

 

Don't bother with the 1.1 / 1.3 or the four door / estate, but shove something with 200 bhp in as standard. Don't need electric everything, make it as simple as the old one wherever possible, but use a simple to tweak modern ECU to control emissions etc.

 

What you need is a MK2 Escort body shell - like they have for Minis and MG's then have a kit so you can spec it up to how you want it.

 

Funnily enough, I have one. It's over about 100 sq m at the moment though, which isn't ideal.

 

I am getting very tempted to build it into my perfect spec Mk2 though..

[seth]

A generic old sporty "Escort" would no doubt sell well. Could even be marketed on old rally successes. I expect it would have to be based on a lardy Fiesta floor these days, and massive bubble arches would be a necessity to get it over the wider modern track width.

 

Just looked. Modern Fiesta's wheelbase is 3.5" longer and its 6" wider than a Mk 1 Escort.

[barrett]

I really don't like 'retro' cars at all, but it might just be because all the retro cars would look wank whether they were supposed to look like something old or not. (Actually I take that back, I just remembered the new Lancia Fulvia. That is nice, and also the Zagato Alfa TZ3 is pretty nice too)

Anyway, someone else suggested this in another thread ages ago, but I really think an updated Datsun 120A coupe would look totally aces. I've been sketching some ideas but oddly when you take away all the nice 70s detailing and stick massive wheels on it it sort of looks like a generic modern sports coupe like an Aston or whatever, and also a bit like a late-60s Skyline. whatever.

[jnoiles]

I'd like to see an EH Holden. Original:

 

 

Ok, not typical fare here but I grew up downunder and have unrequited EH Holden ownership issues.

[chaseracer]

...a certain advance engineering department of a car manufacturer once said it was impossible to to design and create a two cylinder car engine...

http://www.fiat.co.uk/500twinair/?campaignid=111_q2q4_2010_fiat_maint_google_100301_101231&advertiserid=google&bannerid=twin_air&s3c_channel=internet&s3c_competitor=none&s3c_model=500&s3c_event=normal&s3c_type=paid_search&s3c_period=100301_101231&s3c_targeting=keywords&s3c_payment=cpc&s3c_brand=none

 

[Captain Mainwaring]

 

I'd buy one.

[406V6]

BMC 1100

[Albert Ross]

Renault Fuego or 18 Turbo. They're capable of doing it quite well, are Renault.

[Captain Mainwaring]

I love the 1100 and Fuego ideas. One wonders how they'd pull the 1100 off though...

[Negative Creep]

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Polystratus]

...a certain advance engineering department of a car manufacturer once said it was impossible to to design and create a two cylinder car engine...

http://www.fiat.co.uk/500twinair/?campaignid=111_q2q4_2010_fiat_maint_google_100301_101231&advertiserid=google&bannerid=twin_air&s3c_channel=internet&s3c_competitor=none&s3c_model=500&s3c_event=normal&s3c_type=paid_search&s3c_period=100301_101231&s3c_targeting=keywords&s3c_payment=cpc&s3c_brand=none

 

 

Just waiting to see if they release that with the Panda, Fiat did a Panda demostrator with a 2 cyl engine, read somewhere that it was VW said it was impossible to create a 2 cyl one.

[eddyramrod]

I love all the extra chrome on that TR6, you can't tell me Brussels would allow any of that on a new car, even a retro design! But oh boy: growling ohv injected straight-six driving the rear wheels; folding soft-top (could even be powered); wood and leather interior... mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm yes.

[fordnut]

Well Pete's prayers have already been answered:

 

http://www.shpengineering.co.uk/rsr-escort.phtml - the Sonny Howard RSR Escort - basically a road going National Hotrod / Fibreglass MK1 with a spaceframe

 

http://www.shpengineering.co.uk/retro-gallery.phtml

 

and whilst working at a recent Ford show I was given a flyer for a company who are going to start reproducing steel MK1 bodyshells, with the MK2 shell and panels to follow.

[Formula Autos]

^^^^^^ Not exactly road legal though.

 

What I had in mind was manufacturers building a new 'old' car, like BMW did with the MINI.

[Formula Autos]

Maybe even something like this?

A shonky rendition of a potential new Skoda Rapid

[messerschmitt owner]

 

I'd buy one.

I own one

[M'coli]

Having read the thread, the Escort argument is good, but wouldn't appeal to the target demographic. Anyway, Ford have already done the "next retro car thing" - the new Ka. Shame it looks nowt like the original

[Albert Ross]

This seems to be the right idea... all in 2d, but it's a start eh?

 

http://www.dmmultimedia.com/capri2006_01.htm

 

[Formula Autos]

^^^^^^^^^^^ That's the sort of thing I was after Albert.

 

Not sure about the frontal treatment on that one mind - the indicators are a little reminiscent of the Mk1 Fiesta. The general idea of a Capri for today's car buyers is something I like though. Presumably if such a thing were to be created it would have to be Focus based, as the Mondeo is pretty mahoosive these days. So no doubt FWD too (though if using a Focus RS as the base, it might be OK).

[Albert Ross]

There's always the treatment this got..

Silk Purse.

 

Sow's ear.

[Pete-M]

Well Pete's prayers have already been answered:

 

http://www.shpengineering.co.uk/rsr-escort.phtml - the Sonny Howard RSR Escort - basically a road going National Hotrod / Fibreglass MK1 with a spaceframe

 

http://www.shpengineering.co.uk/retro-gallery.phtml

 

and whilst working at a recent Ford show I was given a flyer for a company who are going to start reproducing steel MK1 bodyshells, with the MK2 shell and panels to follow.

 

Oooook. If they do a Mk2, I'd be very interested in a road legal one. With a V8, and big minilites.

 

That orange job is rather cute for a Mk1 though.

[Cavcraft]

The original Ka is definately one it's own. I cannot abide the things but they are unique. The 'new' ones look a million times better but also look pretty much like any new car to an extent.

 

Still got to be a modern Morris 1000 or pehaps A40 Farina for me.

[Negative Creep]

This seems to be the right idea... all in 2d, but it's a start eh?

 

http://www.dmmultimedia.com/capri2006_01.htm

 

 

 

Now that is absolute tits. Maybe they could base it on the Mustang or Falcon so it can be rwd?

[Guest]

Something to bear in mind is that in the "real" world, most of these old cars are either completely forgotten or deeply uncool. These re-done retro cars are (pretty much without exception) cars you would describe as strongly iconic - familiar to the majority of people. e.g. Mini, Beetle, Fiat 500, etc.

 

I reckon there is pretty much no chance of the Escort/Capri names coming back any time soon - ask a sample of "real" people what they think of them. Also doubtful that any manufacturer would bother taking the risk of basing a car on something the majority of people have never heard of, or bring back some old forgotten make.

 

Though I am faintly surprised that VW haven't made some retro camper van thing, they could sell them for daft money to cretins all day long.

[morris_ital_lover]

If someones producing/going to produce mk1 escort bodyshells could this lead to OMG DUTTON APOKALIPS? As people turn back their duttons into mk1 escorts again FTW?

 

m0rris

[face]

Something to bear in mind is that in the "real" world, most of these old cars are either completely forgotten or deeply uncool. These re-done retro cars are (pretty much without exception) cars you would describe as strongly iconic - familiar to the majority of people. e.g. Mini, Beetle, Fiat 500, etc.

 

I reckon there is pretty much no chance of the Escort/Capri names coming back any time soon - ask a sample of "real" people what they think of them. Also doubtful that any manufacturer would bother taking the risk of basing a car on something the majority of people have never heard of, or bring back some old forgotten make.

 

Though I am faintly surprised that VW haven't made some retro camper van thing, they could sell them for daft money to cretins all day long.

 

 

Quite, I can only really imagine a 2CV or Minor getting the treatment

[barrett]

Though I am faintly surprised that VW haven't made some retro camper van thing, they could sell them for daft money to cretins all day long.

 

Er, they do don't they? Granted it's made in Brazil or somewhere and not officialy imported but you can buy one, and they are something absurd like £25k