You learn something new... - Cars you didn't know existed, until now!

[Niku Driver HC]

I didn't know that Vanden Plas was a distinct coachbuilder; I thought it had always been the name for the top Leyland Motors trim level. But they had indeed been an independent builder of automobile bodywork from that time where two cars of the same model could look quite different.

Austin Allegro Vanden Plas

Austin Montego Vanen Plas

This Montego image was sourced from an old classified sales thread and it was going for a snip at £595!

Ah yes, the Vanden Plas Allegro; one of the United Kingdom's finest automotive examples of a polished turd. It's as atrocious as a "normal" Allegro, only now you have a vanity grille for drawing additional laughs from onlookers as well as mad scowling from Vanden Plas purists. It doesn't make the car that much better to drive and/or live with, even with the added "luxury" (using the term very loosely here)...

Although as far as the Montego goes, it's not that bad as a starter classic car, especially with that quality-to-price ratio. The Montego is somewhat of a guilty pleasure of mine, especially in GTI guise. That Plas isn't half-bad either, mind you.
By the by, does the Plas Montego come with that infamous talking dash many Maestros and Montegos had as an option?

 

[TheCracker]

By the by, does the Plas Montego come with that infamous talking dash many Maestros and Montegos had as an option?

Yeah, but it just comes with a posher accent.

 

[Niku Driver HC]

Yeah, but it just comes with a posher accent.

Can't say if that's meant to be a gag or the actual reality, because we are talking about the British Leyland here... Still, good one if it's a gag, very good one if it's real.

 

[Heldenzeit]

Buick Skyhawk T-Type. Looks awful.

 

[The87Dodge]

Buick Skyhawk T-Type. Looks awful.

Yeah, that front grille throws everything off. For a generic looking car like the Skyhawk, a triangular front like that doesn't match. I'd take a Cavalier Z24 instead.

 

[Heldenzeit]

Would look awful with a normal grille even.

 

[RandomCarGuy17]

Yeah, I wouldn't take either. I rather have a Honda Civic or Toyota Celica.

 

[The87Dodge]

1994-1996 Ford Laser Lynx

1997-2001 Ford Laser SR2, a carbon copy of the Mazda Protege5.

 

[7up747]

1994-1996 Ford Laser Lynx
View attachment 537436

Is it more ugly mazda 323f?

 

[TVR27]

GMD DPRS T230 (FOCUS T230 GMD GSE) I know nothing about this car other than it was in Toca Race Driver.

http://www.motorsport-sales.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=310&products_id=5372

Toca Race Driver

 

[Winters Noble]

Mistuoka Orochi

 

[Tornado]

Buick Skyhawk T-Type. Looks awful.

Sad thing is, it was the best of the group. Had a sense of presence that all of the others lacked until the Cavalier was redone in 1988, and I think it looks pretty good from certain angles (back especially). The interior (that it and the Olds version shared) was a lot nicer than any of the other ones, too; Cimarron included.


The 1988 restyle was easily the worst of the ones that got it, though:

That one doesn't look too bad, but if you didn't get a high trim level:

They didn't even try to make the smoothed out front clip fit the rest of the design.

 

[The Vanishing Boy]

-> Three words: One of Three.

Mercedes-AMG [R107] 60 SL '86

ARTICLE

ARTICLE 2

 

[The87Dodge]

Sad thing is, it was the best of the group. Had a sense of presence that all of the others lacked until the Cavalier was redone in 1988, and I think it looks pretty good from certain angles (back especially). The interior (that it and the Olds version shared) was a lot nicer than any of the other ones, too; Cimarron included.


The 1988 restyle was easily the worst of the ones that got it, though:

They should've just called it the Reatta Sedan instead of Skyhawk. Because that front looks like it was taken off a Reatta and smudged on to an ordinary sedan.

 

[TVR27]

The 1970 Land Yacht Bugatti Doesn't Want You To Know About

 

[VXR]

-> Three words: One of Three.

Mercedes-AMG [R107] 60 SL '86

View attachment 537726

ARTICLE

Oh AMG, you used to be so elite. What a shame your name is on even the most basic diesel hatchback now.

 

[R5]

The 1970 Land Yacht Bugatti Doesn't Want You To Know About

Dat Gawker-spec clickbait headline.

 

[Anathema]

Saleen XP8

Basically a modified Ford Explorer.
Came with two-wheel or all-wheel drive, two different engines - 5.0L V8, or a Saleen-developed version with a supercharger fitted that made approx. 286 horsepower, was lowered 2 inches from the stock Explorer, and an exterior package designed by Phil Frank.

Only found out about this due to seeing one today while I was stopped at a red light; took off before I could snap a quick picture.

 

[Tornado]

Seems like Saleen would have saved themselves a lot of trouble if they just put Mustang engines in it.

 

[lxmmy]

1986 Audi Sport quattro RS002 Group S prototype

 

[Niku Driver HC]

The things one can find when researching information on Wankel cars... As I was checking out tidbits of information about the NSU Ro80,I wound up discovering the Citroen M35. No, it's not a Citroen tank, or a Citroen-sponsored British highway. Instead, it's this;

It's... a rather attractive 2-door coupe from the early 1970s? Yes, I do find it rather handsome, even if it resembles the slightly ungainly Ami 8 (it's not based on it, as the Wikipedia article would lead you to believe, as the body was a design of its own crafted by Heuliez). What makes the M35 special? Well, apparently it was a test bed of sorts for future Citroen components, and this car had quite a few of those; the gearbox would become the gearbox used on the GS 1015 alongside some of the suspension bits, and the reclining seats would find their way into the interior of the SM of all things.
But the engine is the main bit in terms of uniqueness; it was a 995cc twin-rotor Wankel unit churning out 49 horsepower, the brainchild of the NSU-Citroen union company known as Comotor. And why does this Citroen concept car (of sorts) stand out? Well, it was a public endeavour; the brand sold these to loyal customers, asking feedback regarding the M35's innovations in return. Citroen wanted to make 500 of these, but only 267 were given proper life as a test bed car for the "masses". As the message on the car's rear windshield states, these cars were meant for long-distance tests in the hands of customers;

But the odd part is that the M35's engine would eventually become the engine used in the GS Birotor. And as many will tell you, that was less of a Wankel car and more of a Wan:censored:r... So I suspect that the testing didn't exactly go to plan on those grounds.

 

[LM7325]

Seems like Saleen would have saved themselves a lot of trouble if they just put Mustang engines in it.

Back when I was a Ford/Mustang fan the perception was that the Explorer 302 was superior to the 5.0 HO. It did have GT40p heads that flowed a little better than the E7 asthma sufferers the late Fox had. However, a 4V 4.6 would have been interesting to see in that gen Exploder.

 

[lxmmy]

Nissan Mid4

 

[RandomCarGuy17]

Sunbeam Rapier

 

[ildd]

http://houston.craigslist.org/cto/5537784167.html
1984 'McLaren' Capri. I guess it belongs in the rare sales list as well... for a second I thought it was a mislabeled Mercury Capri...but it seems to be a bit more than that!

 

[TexRex]

'McLaren'

More than a hop, skip and jump from Woking, however.

 

[The87Dodge]

http://houston.craigslist.org/cto/5537784167.html
1984 'McLaren' Capri. I guess it belongs in the rare sales list as well... for a second I thought it was a mislabeled Mercury Capri...but it seems to be a bit more than that!

Better picture for you:

 

[RandomCarGuy17]

I've just learned about the 993 Carrera RS.

 

[TenEightyOne]

The SafariKar by Mohs. Hopefully it had an overhead manifold gasket so that the letters OMG could be legitimately included in the specs.

 

[Ken]

The SafariKar by Mohs. Hopefully it had an overhead manifold gasket so that the letters OMG could be legitimately included in the specs.

View attachment 540598

Mohs had a thing for weird doors, didn't they?