Strange hankerings

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Fri 11 Sep 2020 15:48
Strange hankerings - SLO76
Ever seen a car while on holiday that you don’t get back home that you’d just like to own? There are some weird and wonderful offerings around the globe especially in poorer nations where cost constraints force some weird compromises and combinations. Here’s a few I rate. Anyone got others that tickle your fancy?



Two door Orion, Ford or VW badge and often with a detuned VW 1800 GTi motor. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ford_Verona


I think Honda miss a trick by not importing this wee belter. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Honda_S660


A tough but cheap go anywhere off-reader for less than most city cars. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lada_Niva

The car to survive the apocalypse. www.toyota.com.au/landcruiser-70


This would do wonders for VW’s rather staid image in the UK. drivetribe.com/p/vw-saveiro-2020-its-a-little-pick...A


Affordable fun for young drivers. Only 63bhp but it looks mad. www.autoevolution.com/news/2015-suzuki-alto-turbo-...l


I think Dacia miss out of a lot of sales by not offering the Dokker MPV, Van and pickup in the UK. These things are hugely popular as taxis across Europe and many local authorities use the commercials in big numbers. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dacia_Dokker

Indian built Renault Kwid is apparently on its way to some European nations at the equivalent of under £4,000 but with a 0 star Ncap it’s unlikely it’ll make it to the UK without a major redesign and a no doubt doubled price tag. www.renault.co.in/cars/renault-kwid.html

Edited by SLO76 on 11/09/2020 at 15:52

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Fri 11 Sep 2020 16:17
Strange hankerings - concrete

I take it that your sainted aunt has found a suitable vehicle for her rather fickle needs! Now you have time on your hands. Some very interesting vehicles here. In the current climate small is definitely beautiful.

Cheers Concrete

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Fri 11 Sep 2020 16:29
Strange hankerings - _

www.theguardian.com/technology/2019/mar/10/citroen...w

That'll do me!

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Fri 11 Sep 2020 16:45
Strange hankerings - johnnyrev

I’d quite like an Ami too! I hope they decide to bring them to the UK. A small, light, cheap electric car/quadcycle would be perfect for zipping around the parish.

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Fri 11 Sep 2020 17:00
Strange hankerings - elekie&a/c doctor
Not sure I’d want to own one , but these are popular in the US & Canada carbuzz.com/cars/ford/fiesta-sedan/photos-exterior...2
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Fri 11 Sep 2020 21:15
Strange hankerings - SLO76

I take it that your sainted aunt has found a suitable vehicle for her rather fickle needs! Now you have time on your hands. Some very interesting vehicles here. In the current climate small is definitely beautiful.

Cheers Concrete

I just haven’t spoken about it and neither has she so for now the problem has gone away. Not a massive fan of her Mini but I do steal it for the three months of the year she spends in Australia, begrudgingly it is more entertaining to drive than my old Toyota.
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Fri 11 Sep 2020 17:30
Strange hankerings - Engineer Andy

Easy-peasy: For about 6-8 years at my 'usual' holiday destination in Cornwall - there's a car parts place across the road, and one of the workforce owned a Honda Integra mk2 (not the late 90s version, but the grey imports from Japan and North America) in bright orange.

Sweet!

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Fri 11 Sep 2020 18:52
Strange hankerings - badbusdriver

I think Honda miss a trick by not importing this wee belter. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Honda_S660

Affordable fun for young drivers. Only 63bhp but it looks mad. www.autoevolution.com/news/2015-suzuki-alto-turbo-...l

I am a huge fan of Japanese Kei cars, so both the Beat and Alto would be right up my street, along with many, many others!.

A tough but cheap go anywhere off-reader for less than most city cars. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lada_Niva

Also a huge fan of the Niva. Though in Russia, the name Niva has been transferred to a generic small-ish five door SUV(www.lada.ru/en/cars/niva/off-road/about.html). What we think of as the Niva is now simply called the 4x4 in the basic trim levels and the Bronto(!) in (ahem) fancier specs. But new ones can be sourced in Germany, so not too difficult to get hold of.

This would do wonders for VW’s rather staid image in the UK. drivetribe.com/p/vw-saveiro-2020-its-a-little-pick...A

I think Dacia miss out of a lot of sales by not offering the Dokker MPV, Van and pickup in the UK. These things are hugely popular as taxis across Europe and many local authorities use the commercials in big numbers. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dacia_Dokker

I am very much of the opinion that a small pickup would be the ideal choice for my work vehicle and it annoys me greatly that the only choices in this country are humongeous beasts of things far too big for my requirements. So i am very aware of things like this small VW pickup for South American markets. As well as the Saviero and linking with your Dacia comment, South America also gets a double cab Dacia Duster pickup badged Renault Duster Oroch (www.autoentusiastas.com.br/ae/wp-content/uploads/2...g). Sticking with Dacia, sadly the small pickup is no longer available in Europe, but you can get them new in South Africa (and so, RHD...) badged Nissan NP200 with either a 1.6 petrol or the 1.5DCI. But a similar small pickup to the Saviero is available in Europe, the Fiat Strada (yes, really!). This is available with three cab types, basic, slightly bigger (with storage space behind the seats) and a (two door) double cab with four seats, live.staticflickr.com/7342/10480585496_21b06bd52d_...g.

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