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I would imagine SIMCA is still owned by PSA. They probably own the likes of Hillman as well.
Edited by pd on 30/04/2020 at 23:34
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Daihatsu - especially the Fourtrak, nothing like it, AFAIK on sale now. Charade was a great car, the GTI often regarded as a mini 911 by the sound of it's engine.
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When I ask my dad which car of all he has owned he would have back today he always says his Triumph 1300.
At the time my dad had that my grandfather had a Rover P5 3.0 used to tow his caravan.
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When I ask my dad which car of all he has owned he would have back today he always says his Triumph 1300.
My parents' penultimate car was a dark blue Triumph 1300. Huge squishy comfy seats, deep pile carpet, walnut dash and doors which closed effortlessly with a deep luxurious CLUNK. Its Achilles heel, apart from the ubiquitous British bodyrot, was the rubber CV joint for the front wheel drive - a bit like a flexible doughnut with holes in for the bolts and not up to the job. It was followed by their Triumph Acclaim - basically a rebadged Honda Ballade - and sadly probably the best made and most reliable car ever to bear the Triumph badge (apart from Canley built TR7 DHCs, of course ;-)
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<< My parents' penultimate car was a dark blue Triumph 1300. Huge squishy comfy seats, deep pile carpet, walnut dash and doors which closed effortlessly with a deep luxurious CLUNK. >>
I had a clerical-grey T-1300 for a year or two in the early 70s, before Maxis started to occupy my garage while the kids grew. I remember becoming aware of sloshing sounds while driving it, which were due to one sill being half full of water. The water that I drained out was clean (surprisingly) and the interior of the sill looked like it had red primer. Nice car, but an old man's one really - it was a bargain from the works paper at the time.
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My schoolmate’s dad always had Hillman Minx’s. Each time he changed his car it would be for the latest iteration of the Minx. I thought they were lovely cars although I never drove one and my dad never owned anything from the Rootes Group. The last one (that I recall) which morphed into the Hunter, was a little plain in styling and rather plasticky inside, but it was roomy and comfortable.
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Had a love affair with NSU's in the early 1970's..3 in succession...thought they were great cars.
In my virtual garage now I would have a Rover 3500 V8 in brigade red with a boot mounted spare wheel.
I had the 2000TC but would have loved the V8
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I remember my Grandfather had a new NSU Ro80 in maroon
Way ahead of its time.
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I remember my Grandfather had a new NSU Ro80 in maroon Way ahead of its time.
Was never brave enough to take on the RO80...I started with a Prinz 4..then a 1000CS...and finally a 1200...my very first brand new car..that was 1972.
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My first car was a 1963 Bond 250 minicar estate. It was a three wheeler with one drive wheel at the front. The 250 was named so because it had a 250cc Villiers twin cylinder engine. Being an estate it had 2 front seats and a rear bench seat for two other passengers. Despite its aluminium bodywork, and given its 250cc engine I suspect its performance would have been severely compromised trying to carry 4 adults. I never carried passengers other than my wife and later our baby daughter.
From what I remember top speed was about 40mph on a flat road, considerably less going uphill and we were always delighted to freewheel downhill at up to 50mph! On the day I got this car home from the dealer I took my wife for a ride in it. Not being used to it I went rather too fast negotiating a roundabout and the car flipped on to its side coming to rest on the ends of the front and rear bumpers at an angle of about 45 degrees. As I tried to get out of the car in its precarious state my weight shift caused it to bump down into an upright position. It taught me a salutary lesson not to take liberties with this car!
It had 3 forward gears and no reverse. However, it was possible to turn the steering wheel at almost 90 degrees left or right so it was feasible to turn the car round in not much more than its own length. If cars were parked close on both sides and I needed to reverse then I simply slipped my right leg out of the car to provide the necessary propulsion.
It had two 6 volt batteries and if the car wouldn't start, which was quite often, then one lifted the bonnet stepped into the engine bay and simply used the kickstarter. Another design feature I remember was the cylindrical fuel tank which sat horizontally immediately behind the dashboard!
I didn't keep the car for more than about a year as I came to the conclusion that it was a deathtrap – particularly in the wrong hands.
Bond 3 wheeler cars continued to be manufactured in that name until 1974 when the Reliant Motor Company took over production.
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Bond 3 wheeler cars continued to be manufactured in that name until 1974 when the Reliant Motor Company took over production.
I remember a trip in a Bond Bug (bright orange wedge of cheese) about that time, owned by a mate at work. Strange experience, not much different from a larger Sinclair C5 I should imagine.
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I remember my Grandfather had a new NSU Ro80 in maroon Way ahead of its time.
So did I !
Only mine was a Corgi.
When you pushed the front suspension down, the front lights came on. Ditto the back lights/suspension.
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In my virtual garage now I would have a Rover 3500 V8 in brigade red with a boot mounted spare wheel.
M'mm nice. I'll go for Tobacco Leaf , very '70's!
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My first car was a 1963 Bond 250 minicar estate. It was a three wheeler with one drive wheel at the front. The 250 was named so because it had a 250cc Villiers twin cylinder engine. Being an estate it had 2 front seats and a rear bench seat for two other passengers. Despite its aluminium bodywork, and given its 250cc engine I suspect its performance would have been severely compromised trying to carry 4 adults. I never carried passengers other than my wife and later our baby daughter.
From what I remember top speed was about 40mph on a flat road, considerably less going uphill and we were always delighted to freewheel downhill at up to 50mph! On the day I got this car home from the dealer I took my wife for a ride in it. Not being used to it I went rather too fast negotiating a roundabout and the car flipped on to its side coming to rest on the ends of the front and rear bumpers at an angle of about 45 degrees. As I tried to get out of the car in its precarious state my weight shift caused it to bump down into an upright position. It taught me a salutary lesson not to take liberties with this car!
It had 3 forward gears and no reverse. However, it was possible to turn the steering wheel at almost 90 degrees left or right so it was feasible to turn the car round in not much more than its own length. If cars were parked close on both sides and I needed to reverse then I simply slipped my right leg out of the car to provide the necessary propulsion.
It had two 6 volt batteries and if the car wouldn't start, which was quite often, then one lifted the bonnet stepped into the engine bay and simply used the kickstarter. Another design feature I remember was the cylindrical fuel tank which sat horizontally immediately behind the dashboard!
I didn't keep the car for more than about a year as I came to the conclusion that it was a deathtrap – particularly in the wrong hands.
Bond 3 wheeler cars continued to be manufactured in that name until 1974 when the Reliant Motor Company took over production.
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In my virtual garage now I would have a Rover 3500 V8 in brigade red with a boot mounted spare wheel.
M'mm nice. I'll go for Tobacco Leaf , very '70's!
Me too on the Tobacco Leaf, but i'd forgo the boot mounted spare, (IMO) this option spoiled the lines of what was a very handsome car.
I remember my Grandfather had a new NSU Ro80 in maroon
Way ahead of its time.
Lovely cars!. Remarkable that more than 50 years later, it does not look particularly dated. Shows how 'right' it was!.
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This is all rose tinted spectacles stuff.
Even the relatively good at the time were, by comparison to their modern equivalents, generally rust prone, noisy, ill-equipped, unreliable, un-economical, slow etc. Like many I too have the rose tinted, albeit tempered by a sense of reality.
And as we move toward driverless and electric I suspect there will be further casualties. New brands and models will emerge - Google Move, Amazon Autos, Microsoft Motors, Apple iCar etc.
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New brands and models will emerge - Google Move, Amazon Autos, Microsoft Motors, Apple iCar etc.
Microsoft Motors - Blue Screen of Death! No thanks.
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New brands and models will emerge - Google Move, Amazon Autos, Microsoft Motors, Apple iCar etc.
Microsoft Motors - Blue Screen of Death! No thanks.
I can't see Google, Amazon, Microsoft or Apple becoming major car brands, even if they have dabbled.
New brands are emerging though - we already have Tesla, then there's Nio, LucidAir, Faraday Future (maybe), Fisker and Polestar (Volvo). All these are electric only brands and the future belongs to them - or some of them. One car brand that we probably won't be seeing is Dyson!
Edited by Sofa Spud on 02/05/2020 at 11:45
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How’s about bringing back the Sinclair C 5 ? Lotus design, what more could you want?
Edited by elekie&a/c doctor on 02/05/2020 at 12:01
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How’s about bringing back the Sinclair C 5 ? Lotus design, what more could you want?
Or the Midland Red C5, that would be better . . .https://www.flickr.com/photos/40972435@N08/33811558891
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New brands and models will emerge - Google Move, Amazon Autos, Microsoft Motors, Apple iCar etc.
Microsoft Motors - Blue Screen of Death! No thanks.
I think that's was launched a while ago, though it was branded as "unintended acceleration" and to maintain new model security before launch, Toyota covered it up with some carpeting.
I expect there are examples from other manufacturers that I havn't heard of.
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“ Even the relatively good at the time were, by comparison to their modern equivalents, generally rust prone, noisy, ill-equipped, unreliable, un-economical, slow etc. Like many I too have the rose tinted, albeit tempered by a sense of reality.”
In some cases I’d agree. I had a shot of a G plated Orion Ghia injection recently which was a car I liked but I found it pretty awful. The Mk I Mondeo I drove round a big chunk of Europe was a joy compared to bigger more refined equivalents.
The well sorted Mk II Escort RS2000 replica my friend has is a joy to drive ditto the E plated Golf GTi I had a shot in not long back. The older hot hatches offer more steering feel, better visibility and less refinement. The latest Golf GTi has for example too much of the latter and feels nothing more than a fast exec hatch, its silence and numb electric steering detach you from the pleasure. To me it is no fun while its older relative was a laugh.
Just thinking of another old car I’ve recently driven which was a very rare 4dr saloon Vauxhall Chevette and I was surprised at how soft the ride was for such an old car. Yes it was noisy and slow but it drove really well with quite a pleasant gearbox, very direct steering and soft suspension. It rolled a bit in corners but it gripped gamely for something on such thin tyres.
Edited by SLO76 on 02/05/2020 at 16:10
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how about Perodua and Chevrolet not bad cars
Edited by Avant on 03/05/2020 at 00:06
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On a holiday in the USA I decided to try my luck with something American, and IIRC I'd ticked the box for "Pontiac G6 or similar". The Pontiac marque had actually disappeared by the time we arrived in California, but we had a very pleasant Focus instead.
A lot of "badges of convenience" were stuck on cars imported for a few years when exchange rates were favourable and then dropped befre a decent dealer network was in place; such was the fate of SAO and Lonsdale. Similarly, I don't imagine too many drivers across the pond mourn the passing of Saturn. The demise of Australia's Holden will have dyed-in-the-wool Vauxhall fans in Britain wondering what will become of the griffin badge once the perfect added ingredients of PSA's takeover, Brexit and the Covid-19 pandemic have all played out over the next few months.
Edited by Bilboman on 13/05/2020 at 00:19
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The latest Golf GTi has for example too much of the latter and feels nothing more than a fast exec hatch, its silence and numb electric steering detach you from the pleasure.
I did notice the difference in the steering when I traded my 306 HDI for a 207 HDi, which has noticeably less immediate electric steering. But I'm sure it is at least partly responsible for better fuel economy, as it only uses energy when you turn the wheel, instead of having a pump running continuously.
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Even the relatively good at the time were, by comparison to their modern equivalents, generally rust prone, noisy, ill-equipped, unreliable, un-economical, slow etc.
You forgot to mention the smell of fuel, which is now only to be found behind the occasional Morris Minor - of which there are still a surprisingly large number on the road. Even the fuel has been sweetened nowadays to prevent the bad-egg smell cat converters used to cause.
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As a boy In the 1950s I prided myself in being able to identify virtually all the cars you would see on the road. One that used to sometimes catch me out from the rear viewpoint was the Jowett Javelin. They were quite rare and from the back looked similar to a VW Beetle.
I'd be surprised if a young lad nowadays could correctly identify most of the cars of today. Many seem to be slight variations on basic designs so a much more difficult job than in my day!
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I too was a boy in the 1950s and remember the Jowett Javelin well. It looked great and I believe was good to drive, but was very unreliable.
When Jowett collapsed in 1953, VW were just starting to sell Beetles in quantities in the UK and took over many of the former Jowett dealers. They didn't call them Beetles in those days: they were just Volkswagens. There was if I remember right a standard and a deluxe, but just one model and one engine until well into the 1960s.
They soon developed a reputation for reliability, and sold better than Jowetts had ever done. Not being able to overheat was a considerable selling point in those days.
Edited by Avant on 13/05/2020 at 23:45
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I too was a boy in the 1950s and remember the Jowett Javelin well. It looked great and I believe was good to drive, but was very unreliable.
As was I, but I don't remember liking the look of the Javelin's tail. The Javelin name had a long run - I believe it was my mother's first car some time around 1926. And when our 1930-built house was re-roofed about 50 years later I found a 1930 newspaper in the eaves advertising a Javelin for I think, £175.
And for the Beetle not being able to overheat, not being able to freeze was also a good selling point in the Canadian prairies.
Edited by Andrew-T on 14/05/2020 at 09:17
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This is all rose tinted spectacles stuff.
Even the relatively good at the time were, by comparison to their modern equivalents, generally rust prone, noisy, ill-equipped, unreliable, un-economical, slow etc. Like many I too have the rose tinted, albeit tempered by a sense of reality.
And as we move toward driverless and electric I suspect there will be further casualties. New brands and models will emerge - Google Move, Amazon Autos, Microsoft Motors, Apple iCar etc.
Not much rose tint to the Bond Bug account above, though I quite liked the sound of the kick start
I've only driven new company cars, which were pretty boring, so my high tech experience is limited, but the problem descriptions I see on here don't fill me with new car envy.
I'm trying to think what automotive innovation since say, the 70's has been an unalloyed positive apart from better rust-proofing....er...nope.
Fuel injection probably comes pretty close,but then I've never had to fix one. Better crash resistance, but you pay for that every day in weight and may never crash. ABS? I do my own brakes (and braking) and I like to be able to bleed them without special dealer resets etc, etc.
Maybe this should be another what innovation would you miss thread, or already has been.
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<< I'm trying to think what automotive innovation since say, the 70's has been an unalloyed positive apart from better rust-proofing.. >>
We are repeatedly told that car emissions are unacceptably dirty, even with cat converters and DPF's, but just imagine what traffic would be like without them ... tho they are probably not easily 'fixed' either.
Recent lapses in rustproofing, which had been solved in the 1980s, are presumably down to cost-cutting. It must add significantly to the cost of a new car, and the trouble is it makes them last too long.
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Not much rose tint to the Bond Bug account above, though I quite liked the sound of the kick start
It wasn't the Bond Bug being referred to, but the Minicar, quite a different beast. It had the engine mounted on a frame along with the gearbox and front wheel, so when you turned the steering wheel, the engine turned too, up to 90 degrees from straight ahead!. I'm not sure if this design was to compensate for the lack of reverse gear (it was a Villiers engine of either 125 or 250cc designed for motorbikes), but the setup meant the car could literally turn in its own length. As far as i know, there should have been a starter, but they also had a kick start on the side of the engine in case the the starter failed.
The Bug was a veritable powerhouse by comparison, using a 700cc Reliant engine (the same as could be found under the bonnet of Delboys Supervan 3).
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