BMC 1800 Pininfarina

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Sun 12 Jun 2022 12:09
BMC 1800 Pininfarina - Xileno

Clearing out the attic I came across some Matchbox cars I had as a kid and one in particular caught my eye. A gold coloured BMC 1800 Pininfarina 1969, as in this link:

tinyurl.com/2p93wt9z

What a shame BMC didn't go with this design which was known as the Aerodinamica. Instead Citroen went with the design.

What did we get? The Landcrab.

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Sun 12 Jun 2022 13:29
BMC 1800 Pininfarina - Metropolis.
I actually think the Landcrab looks better, I am probably in the minority on that.
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Sun 12 Jun 2022 14:19
BMC 1800 Pininfarina - nellyjak
I actually think the Landcrab looks better, I am probably in the minority on that.

I'm clearly in the minority....I once bought a Wolseley 18/85..!...my very first automatic (early 70's IIRC)..was a very roomy and comfy car tbh.

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Sun 12 Jun 2022 17:57
BMC 1800 Pininfarina - 72 dudes

I had/may still have this model somewhere

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Sun 12 Jun 2022 18:32
BMC 1800 Pininfarina - badbusdriver

I do like the Landcrab, it is an underrated and not unattractive car. Very practical with that huge cabin space, drove quite nicely and had a reasonable turn of speed (for the time) with that 1800 engine (same as used by the MGB).

But the Pininfarina 1800 is a fabulous looking thing on a completely different level, like chalk and cheese!.

Looking at the pics, there seems to be a striking similarity between the rear proportions of the Pininfarina 1800 and the Alfasud Sprint. Also can't help thinking that Rover may have obtained copyright on those rear lights for use on the SD1!

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Sun 12 Jun 2022 22:48
BMC 1800 Pininfarina - bathtub tom

Colleague had an 1800, Wolsely, auto landcrab they couldn't start. Found out they'd fiddled (twisted it) with the dizzy. I couldn't start the damned thing, as it turned over so slowly. I connected two 12v batteries in series and got it going so I could adjust the timing and carb (they hadn't told me they'd fiddled with that). They'd left some lights on, which resulted in the 24V blowing the bulbs. Accused me of nicking them!

Found the auto was 'dragging' and the owner admitted they had to keep their foot on the throttle and brake applied when stopped at lights. Offered to adjust the brake bands (quite an easy job on that model), but they insisted that as it was like that when they bought it, it must be normal.

When I got it running, I'd re-connected the kick-down cable to the throttle cam, that was off. Owner insisted I put it back to where it was as it must have been right when they bought it!

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Sun 12 Jun 2022 20:37
BMC 1800 Pininfarina - craig-pd130

Funny how designs get passed over by one manufacturer and taken up by another, like this and the Scimitar concept which Reliant didn't take up but Honda adopted for the Aerodeck.

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Sun 12 Jun 2022 20:47
BMC 1800 Pininfarina - Falkirk Bairn

Bought a new one in February 1973 - first child on the way and our MGB was not really suitable.

We had it for 3 years and no real issues - the armrest of the driver's door came off on day 1.

Screws held in place by very thin plastic behind a piece of metal.

Day 1 with the 1800 was just a bit of bad luck BUT better than day 1 with the MGB - it broke down and was taken away on a trailer.

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Sun 12 Jun 2022 20:58
BMC 1800 Pininfarina - badbusdriver

Funny how designs get passed over by one manufacturer and taken up by another, like this and the Scimitar concept which Reliant didn't take up but Honda adopted for the Aerodeck.

Am i missing something here?. Reliant had the Scimitar GTE SE5 and SE6 and they ran from 1968 up to 1986 (which is around the same time Honda Introduced the Accord Aerodeck). But AFAIK, the two cars have nothing in common bar the general layout. The Aerodeck might have been inspired by cars like the Scimitar GTE, Volvo P1800, and Lancia Beta HPE, but the styling was all Honda's own.

But the Aerodeck was never a big seller, at least not in the UK (I think it did pretty well in the USA).

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Tue 14 Jun 2022 10:03
BMC 1800 Pininfarina - craig-pd130

Am i missing something here?. Reliant had the Scimitar GTE SE5 and SE6 and they ran from 1968 up to 1986 (which is around the same time Honda Introduced the Accord Aerodeck). But AFAIK, the two cars have nothing in common bar the general layout.

In the early '80s Reliant commissioned Bertone to come up with a concept for a new Scimitar (remember, by that time the SE5 shape had already been around since 1968). The concept got as far as a full-size mock-up but Reliant canned the project because they didn't have the cash to fully develop the car.

Pics and info here: www.sporting-reliants.com/Prototypes3.htm

It's uncannily similar to the Aerodeck (which oddly, wasn't officially sold in the US, apparently, although other Accord models were a huge success there)

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Sun 12 Jun 2022 23:06
BMC 1800 Pininfarina - Big John

What did we get? The Landcrab.

and then followed by the Maxi which even had panels in common - doors I seem to remember? Ignoring rust (everything rusted badly back then) I thought the Maxi was a good car for the day. 1750 ohc cam chain engine with 5 speed box and the car was a practical hatchback with amazing rear legroom.

Confession - I owned an Allegro in the early eighties and liked it! Saying that mine was a 1750SS so fairly nippy for the time. Rust soon devoured it though.

Edited by Big John on 12/06/2022 at 23:11

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Mon 13 Jun 2022 09:43
BMC 1800 Pininfarina - bathtub tom
and then followed by the Maxi which even had panels in common - doors I seem to remember? Ignoring rust (everything rusted badly back then) I thought the Maxi was a good car for the day. 1750 ohc cam chain engine with 5 speed box and the car was a practical hatchback with amazing rear legroom.

I had a Maxi, the perfect car at the time (that or a Renault 16) for a growing family, caravan tug and competition car. I used mine on trials, autotests and economy runs. They were used on the London-Mexico rally, albeit with the tailgate welded shut.

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Mon 13 Jun 2022 16:53
BMC 1800 Pininfarina - Sofa Spud

As mentioned above, the Pininfarina 1800 design inspired the Citroen CX.

There was also a scaled down version based on the BMC 1100. Again, BMC didn't take it up but it inspired the Citroen GS.

Some years later British Leyland, as BMC became, introduced the Rover SD1, whose styling could be described as an attractive mix of Pininfarina 1800 and Ferrari Daytona.

Incidentally the Austin Allegro styling was originally intended for a longer car and the sketches look quite pleasing on the eye. But the management wanted the car to be shorter and also for the bonnet to be high enough to accommodate the Maxi engine and transmission.

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Mon 13 Jun 2022 17:03
BMC 1800 Pininfarina - Gary T

There was also a similar Maxi concept called Aquila designed by Chris Field and shown at the 1973 British Motor Show:

www.aronline.co.uk/concepts-and-prototypes/maxi-ba.../

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Tue 14 Jun 2022 16:07
BMC 1800 Pininfarina - badbusdriver

In the early '80s Reliant commissioned Bertone to come up with a concept for a new Scimitar (remember, by that time the SE5 shape had already been around since 1968). The concept got as far as a full-size mock-up but Reliant canned the project because they didn't have the cash to fully develop the car.

Pics and info here: www.sporting-reliants.com/Prototypes3.htm

It's uncannily similar to the Aerodeck (which oddly, wasn't officially sold in the US, apparently, although other Accord models were a huge success there)

I have not seen that before, but I'm afraid I disagree completely about the resemblance with the Aerodeck, I see nothing at all in common between them!.

I could have guessed it was a Bertone job without being told though. There are plenty of their signature design cues (of that general era), and I do see a hint of Citroen BX about it.

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