Tennessee Shite: 19 June 2025 Update!

[Madman Of The People]

Speaking of British taxis in America, here's a 1975 Austin taxi I spotted for sale in Florida last year.

 

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Back in Nashville now. Here's something else you don't expect to see Stateside.

 

 

 

Other oddity spotting in Nashville is this Dutch-registered Citroen CX car carrier!

 

 

 

Although these were officially sold here, you don't come across a Peugeot 504 Estate very often. Don't ask me what the lights on top of the roof are for?!?

 

 

 

Pontiac Grand Prix with seldom seen "Off Road" option!

 

 

 

Chrysler 300 Limo. Why? Because we can, dammit!

 

 

 

As long as I'm sorting through my old photos, how about some junkyard shots?

 

1988 Peugeot 505 Estate. Note US-spec sqaure sealed beam headlamps set inside clear plastic bezels.

 

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1975 Volvo 164 with battering ram bumpers.

 

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1973 Mercedes Benz 450 SLC.

 

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1979 Fiat 124 Spider.

 

 

 

1977 Mercedes Benz 300CD Coupe.

 

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1984 Volkswagen Vanagon, as the T3 was known as over here.

 

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1976 Mercedes Benz 280S.

 

 

 

1984 Peugeot 505 Saloon.

 

[michiel]

Other oddity spotting in Nashville is this Dutch-registered Citroen CX car carrier!

 

[eddyramrod]

Don't ask me what the lights on top of the roof are for?!?

 

 

I would imagine they are meant to be visible to following traffic over a trailer of some sort.

 

I spotted an A-series Mini in San Francisco, right at the top of one of the big hills.... which my rental Suburban had just lugged up! How much runup a Mini needs for that, I can't begin to imagine!

[Taff]

the citreon pick up on dutch plates? possibly the Andy Saunders "assorta transporta"? there can't be too many of them around!!

 

http://www.andysaunderskustoms.co.uk/de ... Transporta

[chaseracer]

Other oddity spotting in Nashville is this Dutch-registered Citroen CX car carrier!

 

 

http://lanemotormuseum.org/

 

There must be a connection, shirley...?

[Taff]

Other oddity spotting in Nashville is this Dutch-registered Citroen CX car carrier!

 

 

http://lanemotormuseum.org/

 

There must be a connection, shirley...?

 

pic of andy's, can't be that many of them, surely?! last i heard of this one, it was in the hands of a Citreon collector in Belguim

 

[Madman Of The People]

There's hardly any quality shite about at the moment, so here are some more from the archives.

 

Elecric cars may be all the rage these days, but they're nothing new. The Zagato Zele was sold in America as the Elcar 1000 in the 1970s.

 

Spotted on a revilving plinth outside an automated car wash.

 

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I'm guessing the owner of this carwash is some kind of electric car nutter because, when I was passing by a few weeks later, there was a different one on the stand. This one is a 1974-77 Sebring-Vanguard Citicar, one of many small electric cars that popped-up during the aftermath of the 1973 Arab oil embargo.

 

As you can see, the weather was a lot less miserable on this day, too!

 

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In other, non-electric news, the Defender 90 is a rare beast in the US.

 

 

 

Even rarer still is this 1993 Defender 110. This was the only year the 110 was available in America and only 500 individually-numbered examples were sold in the US (plus 25 similarly individually-numbered examples in Canada). This is number 421 of 500. All were painted white.

 

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That Defender 110 is eclipsed in size only by this MASSIVE civilian-spec Hummer H1.

 

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And another one......

 

 

 

Personally, I really don't like the Hummers at all. I'd much rather have this tasty Series II LWB.

 

 

 

What I don't want is this uglified Honda Accord. Yuck!

 

 

 

Crap shot of an AMC Gremlin X on the back of a low-loader. The X was the fast one, apparently.

 

 

 

And now, for something a little less shite, an all-original Volvo 850 T-5R.

 

 

 

And just to show you lot that Tennessee isn't all shite (well, most of it is, really.), here's a vintage Corvette.

 

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[Madman Of The People]

That 110 has been converted to automatic and has newer alloys (possibly taken from a Discovery).

The Series 2 is actually a Series 3, probably a personal import after the official ones stopped in '74.

 

 

Ooooh, I hadn't noticed that autobox conversion. Our 1997 model year Defender 90s (last year the Defender was sold here) had the 4.0 V8 from the Discovery mated to an automatic but all previous US-spec Defenders were indeed 3.9 manuals. The 500 110s brought over in 1993 had plain steel wheels but the 1994-95 and 1997 Defender 90s (There was no 1996 model) came with some snazzy-looking alloys which, if you ask me, always seemed a bit too flash for a Defender.

 

I wonder why anyone would convert this Defender to an automatic?

[chaseracer]

 

Tissier conversion... http://www.oto6.fr/6roues/6rouestissier.htm

 

How's your French?

[Gompo]

Is there more or less room in a 90s Jeep Wrangler compared with a 90s SWB Defender?

[Gompo]

Is there more or less room in a 90s Jeep Wrangler compared with a 90s SWB Defender?

 

 

Are you considering a purchase?

 

 

No, mere curiosity. I was wondering about the size of the 'average' American and how they'd fit in a Defender compared with a Wrangler. I've been subjected to 3000 miles or so as a passenger (front and 2nd row of seats) in a Defender over the past 12 months.

[Madman Of The People]

I've been a bit lazy posting photos recently, but here are a couple of oddities I've spotted in the last few weeks.

 

Lincoln Blackwood. A posh Ford F150 for the well-heeled redneck! Problem is there's not very many of those about, so it was a huge flop.

 

 

 

 

Then there's the Mitsubishi Raider. We don't get the L200 over here. Instead, Mitsu sells a rebadged Dodge Dakota which only three people have ever bought. I wonder where the other two are?

 

 

 

That's all for now. I'll post some more as soon as I can arsed to get them uploaded.

[M'coli]

That 110 has been converted to automatic and has newer alloys (possibly taken from a Discovery).

The Series 2 is actually a Series 3, probably a personal import after the official ones stopped in '74.

 

 

Ooooh, I hadn't noticed that autobox conversion. Our 1997 model year Defender 90s (last year the Defender was sold here) had the 4.0 V8 from the Discovery mated to an automatic but all previous US-spec Defenders were indeed 3.9 manuals. The 500 110s brought over in 1993 had plain steel wheels but the 1994-95 and 1997 Defender 90s (There was no 1996 model) came with some snazzy-looking alloys which, if you ask me, always seemed a bit too flash for a Defender.

 

I wonder why anyone would convert this Defender to an automatic?

Laziness

To give them the benefit of the doubt, it could be that they don't have a manual licence.

 

Great photos, MMOTP - the 504/5 headlights thing points out the mentalness of having a sealed-beam policy ("Halogen bulbs in your headlights? Were they invented here? We'll just trust these BIG bulbs that you have to dismantle the whole thing to change, they're much better"), and interesting trivia about the pick-ups.

[CreepingJesus]

In a similar vein to the Lincoln Blackwood; how many of the truck versions of the Escalade ('EXT' I think the badge was) did Caddy sell? I only ask, because I saw one the other day (too slow to pap it ), and I had no idea such a thing existed. Do 'premium' trucks sell well at all?

Always wondered about the Americans/Teflon 'boxes thing. They seem to cope well enough with rental cars, despite the tales. I did take a rental Transit minibus out to Glasgow Airport once, to greet a party of Texans who were here for a spot of golf. The guy who'd hired it listened to my run through of controls etc., and said "Well, son; I haven't driven a stick shift since I was in the army. Let's see if I remember how..." Given his advancing years I'm sure he meant WW2.

Anyway, great spots as always...I'm off to have a shuffle thro the pages!

[Madman Of The People]

To give them the benefit of the doubt, it could be that they don't have a manual licence.

 

I didn't think American licenses were seperated like ours.

Care to enlighten us MMOTP?

 

 

We don't have "Manual" and "Automatic" licences. A driving licence is a driving licence and the gearbox doesn't matter. You can take your test in an automatic (and most people do since most of our cars are auto) and drive a manual straight afterwards.

 

As for the Escalade EXT, they are few and far between. It's basically a Chevrolet Avalanche with posh upholstery and an inflated price tag. You can still buy a new one and, considering how much high fuel prices have decimated sales of monster-mobiles like these, probably get one for a great price, too. Not that any sane person would, mind. You'd be better off sweeping all your money into a pile and lighting it on fire! Yes, they really are that bad!

[M'coli]

considering how much high fuel prices have decimated sales of monster-mobiles like these

Everything's relative, I suppose!!!

[Madman Of The People]

Plenty of decrepit German chod round these parts. See below for all the grizzly details.

 

 

Merc W123 Estate.

 

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Beetle.

 

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'57 Thunderbird. Once considered shite but now a classic.

 

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Merc 300CD Coupe.

 

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Okay, so it's not exactly shite, but this Maserati was too good not to snap!

 

 

 

 

Another W123. This one's a saloon.

 

 

 

 

And another old Beetle.

 

[Madman Of The People]

"Old Skool" Hot Rod.

 

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This one-time yuppie chariot wants to party like it's 1989!

 

 

 

Bumper being held on with rope is the latest fad in Honda ricer accessories!

 

 

 

Corollas of this vintage are getting thin on the ground. No doubt it will be sent to the scrappie by it's seventh owner once something expensive finally goes bang.

 

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A week doesn't go by where I don't spot another old Beetle I haven't seen before. Bonus Ford Econoline camper in background of second shot.

 

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[Ross_K]

Corollas of this vintage are getting thin on the ground. No doubt it will be sent to the scrappie by it's seventh owner once something expensive finally goes bang.

 

My brother had one that same colour. Didn't have the luggage rack on the bootlid though...

[Madman Of The People]

MGB

 

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Okay, it's not Shite but this BMW M6 Cabrio (on dealer plates) made an EPIC noise as it steamrolled past the Madmanmobile. Lucky bastard.

 

 

 

 

Futureshite? I've been seeing a few Fiat 500s, even though we still don't have a local dealer.

 

 

 

 

And a Cabrio.  It has a local Nashville plate (Davidson County) but was bought at the dealer in Memphis, 200 miles away!

 

 

 

 

Crusty looking Chevrolet El Camino.

 

 

 

 

Chevrolet Mailbu with ever-so-tasteful vinyl roof.

 

 

 

 

I've been seeing this shitheap around town lately and I've finally been able to get some shots of it.

 

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Yet another badly customised Honda Civic. Bird poop comes free of charge!

 

 

 

 

I wanted to get a shot of the front of this horrific Honda Accord but didn't want to provoke the ire of the occupants sitting in it. Imagine the stereotypical Mexican gang members from any gritty Hollywood cop drama and you'll have a pretty good idea what these guys looked like.

 

[boobydoo]

Thanks for posting...I enjoy these slices of American life.

 

That MGB looks like a run-out LE version. Front spoiler, graphics, alloys, Pewter Metallic.

[Madman Of The People]

I'm back again with more slices of Americana for your viewing pleasure.

 

 

My community seems to be overrun with old Beetles.

 

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Spotted this Jeep Grand Wagoneer (think American equivalent of Range Rover) on the road........

 

 

......and again later in the day! Wallpaper wood was quite the family car fashion accessory of the 1980s!

 

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Chopped 1937 Ford. Probably not shite at all but still cool.

 

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Volkswagen Rabbit Caddy. A diesel, no less! 0-60 acceleration could be measured with a calendar.

 

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MG Midget in it's natural habitat; broken down on the hard shoulder!

 

[Madman Of The People]

Time for another update.

 

Okay, let's get the non-shite out of the way first.......

 

 

Bentley Arnage on shite-looking wheels.

 

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And now on to the real shite,,,,,,,,

 

 

 

Volkswagen T2. I had one of these once, with a three speed auto. Slow as fook, too. Mine had dodgy brakes for that extra sense on adventure!

 

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MGB, buffed and polished to within an inch of it's life. A bit overdone, if you ask me.

 

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Wow, I haven't seen one of these in ages! 1988.5-1990 Ford Escort GT. It's distantly related to your MK III Scrote. GT was the sporty one, if you can believe that.

 

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Merc 300TD shot through my windscreen.

 

 

 

 

Ford Mustang. A work in progress?

 

 

 

 

Chevy Malibu.

 

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I've saved the best (worst?) for last. What's this? It's an Eagle Premier, a heavily Americanised Renault 25 released just as Renault was flogging off the remnants of the American Motors Corporation to Chrysler. I haven't seen one in more than a decade. I swear, this must be the only running example left in existence. Quick, somebody call the Smithsonian!

 

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The car was originally to have been called the Renault Premier, but the sale of AMC to Chrysler by Renault (and Renault's decision to withdraw from North America) saw the car rebranded as an Eagle. The Eagle brand was created by Chrysler to replace the former AMC brand. The former AMC-Jeep-Renault dealers were renamed as Jeep-Eagle dealers. I heard storied of Renault badges being swapped for Eagle ones on the showroom floor, but I have no way of confirming if this is true.

 

Most Premiers were powered by Renault's version of the 3.0 PRV V6 engine. Supposedly, the AMC 2.5 litre inline four was also available but I never saw any of those, even when the Premier was new. The Premier was launched in 1987 as an early 1988 model and produced until 1992. Due to a need to boost sales (and use up the number of V6 engines Chrysler had agreed to buy from Renault) the Premier gained a twin in 1990; the nearly identical badge engineered Dodge Monaco.

 

Here's a video distributed to the newly renamed Jeep-Eagle dealers introducing the Premier. Note the cars in the video are still wearing Renault badges!

Part 1:

Part 2:

 

 

Here's another dealer video: Eagle Premier vs. the competition!

 

[Madman Of The People]

Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme. These used to be EVERYWHERE!

 

 

 

 

Another Cutlass Supreme, this one in four door flavour.

 

 

 

 

Dodge Dart. Another once-common sight rarely seen these days.

 

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A neighbour down the street from me has this snazzy Bobby Ewing-spec R107 Merc SL.

 

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Chevrolet Monte Carlo riding on '80s-tastic alloys!

 

 

 

 

Old Skool!

 

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Gotta love a classic Merc!

 

 

 

 

From the "I can't believe somebody actually bought one" files, a Chevrolet SSR. How many of these did they sell? Four is my guess.

 

 

 

 

What's this? A Civic hatch that hasn't been defaced by the ricer brigade? Somebody call the Smithsonian!

 

 

 

 

A tasty Mercedes Benz 300D in all it's diesely glory!

 

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I assume Google Streetview cameras aren't waterproof?

 

 

 

 

 

Remember when window louvers were a must-have automotive accessory?

 

[PhilA]

True weapons-grade shite up there.

 

There really aren't many Eagle Premiers around. That's the first "real" one I've seen. I think they sold more GTA's than they did Premiers, despite the somewhat truncated sales-span.

 

Nice spots

[Madman Of The People]

True weapons-grade shite up there.

 

There really aren't many Eagle Premiers around. That's the first "real" one I've seen. I think they sold more GTA's than they did Premiers, despite the somewhat truncated sales-span.

 

Nice spots

 

 

 

The Bramalea, Ontario plant built a total of 139,051 1988-92 Eagle Premiers and nearly identical 1990-92 Dodge Monacos. That's not too bad but it's a long way off the 150,000 units a year that were originally projected. Also, as a result of the sale of AMC from Renault to Chrysler, Chrysler was obligated to buy 260,000 PRV V6 engines from Renault. Chrysler was required to pay a penalty to Renault for every engine they didn't buy. This is why the badge engineered Dodge Monaco was introduced in 1990. Chrysler hoped selling the car through a second sales channel (and under an old, familiar name) would dramatically increase sales. But the car sold no better as a Dodge than it did as an Eagle.

 

 

As far as your 1987 Renault (Alliance) GTA goes, the Kenosha, Wisconsin factory built only 5,515 coupes and 1,029 convertibles for a total of 6,544 cars.

 

Hemming's Motor News did an interesting article on the GTA a couple of years back. You will find it here.

 

http://www.hemmings.com/hsx/stories/201 ... uide1.html

 

 

Did you know there is also a Renault Owners Club of North America? Here's their website.

 

http://www.renaultclub.us/

[Ross_K]

That Chevy SSR is heinous. A real offence to the eyes.

 

Just as well you didn't capture its gimp face from the front...

[Captain Mainwaring]

Winning spots as always Mr. Madman, I'm really quite surprised at the lack of recognition.

 

That El Camino is spectacular. The sort of thing that the antagonist in a teen horror movie would drive.

[Madman Of The People]

I was driving past some of the seedier used car dealers in town and had to stop for a look at this travesty. This is, without a doubt, the shoddiest Ford GT40 replica I've ever laid eyes on. Behold it's magnificence!

 

 

 

 

Yes, that's a piece of plywood where the side window should be. Why? Hell if I know!

 

 

 

 

 

Here's the other side. Yep, more plywood where the side window should be. How are you supposed to see out?

 

 

 

 

It almost looks good from this angle.

 

 

 

 

 

They had a rubber cargo mat on the back end, presumably to protect the exposed engine from rain, perhaps?

 

 

 

 

 

Underneath the mat was this powerhouse of an engine! Hmmm, seems to be missing a few cylinders......

 

 

 

 

 

Let's check out the cabin.

 

 

 

 

Steering wheel was stolen from an amusement park dodgem car ride!

 

 

 

 

Funny, I don't recall GT40s coming with an automatic?!? Or a cupholder, either!

 

 

 

 

Feel the luxury!

 

 

 

 

When I shut the door, the plywood "window" fell out!

 

 

 

 

Looks better in photos than in real life!

 

 

 

 

Panel gap is two fingers wide. Now that's QUALITY!

 

 

 

 

Cobra Jet. Wow, I'm impressed!

 

 

 

 

Air filters are bigger than the engine.

 

 

 

 

No performance car is complete without a big exhaust.

 

 

 

 

At least changing the belts should be easy.....

 

 

 

 

When you see this in your rear view mirror, you'd better move over! (Because, more than likely, the brakes have probably failed!)

 

[cort16]

Excellent spottage that Eagle is a real heavy hitter in the shite department. A Renault 25 re-badged and modified for the American market. It doesn't get any better than that.

That looks like a pinto nestling under the hood of the that GT 4.1. Is it for sale? It looks like it was built from memory. Someone with a bad memory at that!

 

You got those badges fitted to your caddie yet?